Curious to know folks thoughts on this, but recently had a discussion about how I felt that Battlegrounds was a game more fun to watch than it was to play. Tried playing a good few rounds at this point but at least from a solo perspective I've found Battlegrounds to simply not click with me at all, not like it as for so many others. Maybe I just haven't had that moment yet but I just prefer watching the Giant Bomb crew play the game (and others) over playing it myself. I see why folks love Battlegrounds so much, I certainly see its appeal when in groups but I've found playing solo to feel lifeless and frustrating. I'd be fascinated to know what it is about Battlegrounds that makes it such a massive hit and why? To be fair I had been warned beforehand that solo play with Battlegrounds wasn't great from a few folks so maybe I was just hoping the genre would click with me in a way it hasn't before in past attempts.

Genuinely curious to know why you think Battlegrounds works as well as it does. Watching the crew play Battlegrounds is an absolute joy but playing it myself as felt lifeless and dull, am I missing something?

Whenever I watch PUBG it just makes me wish I was playing it instead. Only in squads or duos though, I never play solo. I find it to be the worst mode by far and not anywhere close to the amount of fun I have in groups.

I still enjoy the odd solo game here and there, but yeah it's definitely more fun to watch a group play.

I really did not enjoy my first 10 hours with this game over the coarse of a month but recently i have had a few good games that make me really want to get back in and play but then this happened today.

I was trying to prone in a panic since the last handful of people were moving in and it didn't let me then i died from falling some how.

To answer the question though i am a fan of Will Smith Behind The Blue Line streams. It is the only other PUBG content i currently watch outside of GB.

It's both really, depends on the people playing it.

I don't think I've ever had fun playing solo.

I'd say try playing with friends or maybe even with people from the GB Discord.

I pretty much only play Solo, have occasionally played Squads or Duos. I have more fun watching Squad matches than I do actually playing solo. That being said, playing solo is a different experience to 'fun'. It's kind of terrifying and exhilarating and frustrating and I really need to lie down after a few rounds of solo play, especially if I get close to that chicken dinner but fall short. It has it's place and is a valued experience on its own.

I mean I kind of enjoy both. I don't have a drive to constantly play the game, like say Overwatch, but I do enjoy it every now and then. On the other hand, I love to watch Murder Island and Awful squad, so I suppose in a sense watching other people play in groups is more accessible to me than playing most of the time.

I have played almost exclusively solo, I love it. There is an intensity there that a game hasn't made me feel in a long time. I rarely get spooky while playing games, but Pubg has made me jump so many times being shot at out of the blue. I feel the urgency and am constantly looking over my shoulder trying to spot movement. I feel like my heart is in my throat and catch myself holding my breath when im in like the last 10 trying to inch my way into the circle. Idk, immersive seems overused but in this case it probably describes it best. I guess I just get really into it.

All that said, I do enjoy watching the GB streams and the game in general. It feels like the stress is off of me and I just watch and maybe learn something. It is entertaining in a different way. I'd love to play more team matches but when I do have time I usually just want to hop in a quick match.

I didn't play much of it and I didn't enjoy my time with it. Basic movement feels really stiff; when a game isn't fun to even move around in I have a hard time keeping with it. I didn't enjoy the shooting either; not just that the act of shooting didn't feel any good, but something else. Video games have gotten us so used to firefights happening in pretty close-quarters situations, so when you play something like this (or Arma, I suppose) where you have encounters where each party is several hundred feet away (or more), I was completely out of my depth. I didn't see that guy way off in the distance because I'm not accustomed to looking that far away for enemies. I'm sure I would get used to it if I played the game more, but I have no intention of doing so. It's fun enough to watch.

I haven't really enjoyed playing this game, but I like watching the Murder Island series.

Haven't tried it yet, seems to be a group game and i tend to solo plus i am not much with a mouse and keyboard.

It is definitely fun to watch though.

I'm pretty much over it by now. I don't really equate the tension of wondering if I'll be sniped from somewhere or shotgunned from a bathtub with fun, so playing it doesn't do anything for me. Outside of some of Giant Bomb's streams or a duo on YouTube that posts maybe one 20 minute video a week, I don't get much out of watching it either. I'm mostly just hoping they keep up the cross-coast weekly streams when the next multiplayer fad of the moment comes out.

My impression is that PUGB is actually kinda like Friday the 13th, in that it's a great sandbox to make fun times with friends or to watch entertaining people play around in, but unless you have the right group or watch the right group, it can be boring as hell.

Jeff's point on either the stream or the podcast (I can't remember) about how high level play is boring is indicative of the fact that the game design itself isn't that great. The fun comes from the players playing in a fun way, but the fun way is rarely the competitive way, so playing to win and playing for fun end up having only a small amount of crossover.

I still think that PUBG is an important stepping stone, but it's not the pinnacle that this battle royale genre will reach. It lacks the focus in its mechanics that you get from a lot of big esports or competitive games, and I think that there's a way to provide that focus while still nailing the sandboxy shenanigans that PUBG already does so well.

From my experience, playing solo is pretty tense and stressful. I enjoy it sparingly, but many days I just don't have the energy for it. Playing with other people, however, is almost always a good time. Trying your best to win, and laughing when everything falls apart. I like the game quite a lot, but it feels like it demands way more effort from me when I'm on my own.

Watching people play it really doesn't do much for me, though. The Murder Island stuff pretty much sold me on the game, but other streamers I've seen don't do a lot to make the game look crazy and fun.

I'd rather play pretty much any multiplayer game than watch somebody else play.

I can never hang in these games and don't have the time right now to devote myself to one, so count me in as one who loves watching Murder Island hijinks and enjoying it from afar.

I would probably continuously loot scopes too if I ever tried it,

I have a great time when I play, but I never feel a strong urge to boot it up. Maybe it's where I'm at in life because on paper it should be my GOTY, but I struggle to actually get the hours in. The Giant Bomb crew (and maybe Austin & Patrik) are the only people I would ever watch play Battlegrounds. Even then, I'm not caught up at all on the PUBG streams.

I'll finish all of the Giant Bomb streams, but maybe I've moved on from wanted to play it.

I've played 100+ hours of it now, I just love playing it, solo and with friends!

I like both, to a point. I watch Murder island, and Breakfast and Battlegrounds. I'll check out Will Smith, I like that guy, also.

I can see having fun in a group if you are tight with your friends. For myself, I play solo and it's often intense, unless I am circle jerking chasing. The other day I got a dune buggy in the best terrain for catching air, and I had a blast. I've slowly been getting my aim better (still lousy) and I have been memorizing the 500 mistakes I have made. Saw one chicken dinner....

I feel like the longer the game is out the less I enjoy playing it but I still enjoy watching. As with most multiplayer games the further we get from release the more it feels like the skill level to be competitive goes up. Initially playing solo I found myself getting into all kinds of unexpected situations where another player and I would have to improvise and after a chaotic firefight one would walk away victorious which was good fun. More and more now I find myself getting killed without even ever seeing the other player which isn't much fun.

I'm simply never going to reach the sort of skill level where I can become that good at the game so I will definitely fall off it as the average skill level continues to rise. I'll still find it fun to watch though as most of the entertainment comes from the discussions around the game rather than the skill levels on display.