Co-operative multiplayer more appealing than competitive modes, research finds

It turns out that harmony is preferable to rivalry – in the world of games, at least.

That’s the main takeaway from a new report by analytics firm Quantic Foundry, which asked more than 1,200 players for their thoughts on multiplayer gameplay.

Local co-operative modes with friends proved to be the most popular form of playing together, with online co-op following closely behind.

Meanwhile, local competitive modes were far less appealing, with online competitive the least well-liked form of multiplayer.

When the figures were explored further, they revealed that co-op modes are roughly equal in popularity between genders, with men only slightly expressing more enjoyment of such gameplay.

Interestingly, however, female players were shown to find more satisfaction in local co-op, while men preferred to team up online.

Shifting over to competitive statistics, the gap widened, with men rating the chance to take on their pals more favourably than women. However, both genders would rather face off against their friends in the same room, with local competitive trumping online modes.

Unsurprisingly, it also turns out that gamers prefer to play with friends than strangers, with women particularly showing a preference for those they know – hardly a revelation given the widely recorded poor treatment of female players online.

Age also plays a part in gamers’ enjoyment of multiplayer, with competitive modes dropping in favour of co-op as players get older. Co-op modes, meanwhile, remain steadily popular, regardless of age.