History Main / SocializationBonus

* Many Website/{{Facebook}} games are ''downright impossible'' to play alone, because the game refuses to give you items which are required for certain quests. Instead, you must beg for them from your friends, which requires either alienating your real-life friends with endless "Send me TwentyBearAsses!" requests or making "friends" with perfect strangers who happen to already play the game (and hope that they do not quit playing or run amok on your wall).

* ''Videogame/GranblueFantasy'' completely recharges AP and EP (which are spent doing quests and joining raids, respectively) if the player's account is bound to Website/{{Twitter}} and they post something about the game there, [[PlayEveryDay but only once a day]]. During raid gameplay, the game also rewards communicating in any way with other players by giving the player a [[HealingPotion Blue Potion]] upon doing so, which restores a good portion of their party's health.

* ''VideoGame/{{Forza}}'' has some cars (unicorns in earlier games, now called hard-to-find cars) that can't be bought or obtained by playing through the game, and can only be obtained either by [[LuckBasedMission wheelspins]] or special events. If you want a certain car right now, the other options you have are A) waiting until the next opportunity to unlock that car, or B) that someone decides to sell that car through the Auction House... if you can afford it.
** A straight example in '' Horizon 5's'' gift drop mechanic, that lets people gift cars to a random player. ''Series 2'' (in other words, Christmas) plays with this mechanic to encourage everyone to gift cars to each other: once the game's community gifts a certain amount of cars, everyone will get a Santa suit and a [[spoiler:Peel P50]].

* In ''VideoGame/DigimonWorldDS'', the popular Digimon Veemon was locked behind this. The game required the player to go on Wi-Fi, find someone with the game, and match Digimon to make an egg that ''may'' turn into a Veemon. Also, several Digivolutions were visible, but had the pre-requisite of previously owning said evlution. As such, even after hatching the egg you'd still have to be traded that Digimon or complete long quests in order to unlock it.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' and their upper version and remakes have the Spiritomb event, where you must talk to 32 other players in the Underground to trigger said Pokémon's appearance so you can capture it. In the original releases, [=NPCs=] don't count[[note]]This is still possible to do if you're playing by yourself, so long as you have another Nintendo DS ([[UsefulNotes/BackwardsCompatibility or 3DS]]) with a copy of the game. You just have to do the tedious task of continuously entering and exiting the Underground after talking to "the other player" each time.[[/note]], but the remakes alleviates this problem by counting [=NPCs=], though you still have to run around the entire Underground for distinct [=NPCs=].

** The UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance [[UpdatedRerelease rerelease]] of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' had two pieces of added content that you could only legitimately unlock by playing the included multiplayer mode, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords Four Swords]]''. The BonusDungeon required you to have completed both [=ALttP=] and FS, while the [[RiddleMeThis Riddle Quest]] required you to get 10 Medals of Courage, each being the award for collecting the most Rupees in a single run through an area. Hope you have a friend, that your friend also has the game, and you both have a Game Boy Advance Link Cable!

* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII DS'', sending a sufficient number of mail messages to other owners of that game via the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS e-mailer unlocks the LethalJokeCharacter class and extra dungeon.

* Some ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'' achievements (particularly the Medic achievements required for the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Bonesaw]], before the requirements got lowered) require the use of UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}'s not-entirely-intuitive Friends list.

* You could play the original ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles'' by yourself, with a Moogle carrying the myrrh bucket for you, but it was far more satisfying to play alongside friends so you could argue over who had to carry the bucket through the level. However, doing this required as many UsefulNotes/{{Game Boy Advance}}s and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]]-GBA link cables as there were players.

* With the [=SpotPass=] and [=StreetPass=] features of the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, Nintendo has integrated this trope into a system itself rather than a game.

** ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' and their upper version and remakes have the Spiritomb event, where you must talk to 32 other players in the Underground to trigger said Pokémon's appearance so you can capture it. And [=NPCs=] don't count.[[note]]This is still possible to do if you're playing by yourself, so long as you have another Nintendo DS ([[UsefulNotes/BackwardsCompatibility or 3DS]]) with a copy of the game. You just have to do the tedious task of continuously entering and exiting the Underground after talking to "the other player" each time.[[/note]]

** VideoGame/DigimonWorldDawnAndDusk'' were slightly better - while they increased the number of digimon that were exclusive to eggs (which could still only be made by matching with people), and many of them required specific parents verging on GudieDangIt, the matching system itself was made much easier and many players could get said eggs fairly easily if they knew the requirements.

** There are also several Gatito pins that only work if you have a complete set consisting of several pins. There are only two ways to complete the set: one is through [[RandomlyDrops incredibly low-percentage]] drops on Ultimate difficulty from BonusBoss fights, and the other is to buy them from stores... which only sell one pin per set ''per DS''. To buy the others, you have to play the game on other DS units.

* In the earlier days of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'', if you wanted nearly ''anything'' done, you needed a party. A major reason people left FFXI was simply because there were times where you could do ''nothing'' but wait for a group. Missions? Party. EXP(That didn't take forever)? Party. Quests? Party. Get unsellable gear from a BonusBoss? Party. The things you ''could'' do on your own were very limited, and most of them only possible at the cap of level 75. Nowadays, there's a lot more solo content, but most things still require more than one person to do.

* Clan dungeons in ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing''. [[BonusDungeon Hobopolis, the Slimetube, and Dreadsylvania]] require you to be in a Clan in order to play in them, and while it is possible to get the best rewards in Slimetube [[AvertedTrope by yourself]], you'll want a team of 6 people in order to find the best items in Hobopolis, and some parts of Dreadsylvania (such as the items needed to unlock [[BonusBoss the hardmode versions of the bosses]]) require co-operation between clan mates.

** ''VideoGame/MarioKart 7'' uses the [=StreetPass=] feature to unlock the Gold Glider part. The more people you connect with the feature, the fewer coins you need to unlock the part. Don't live in a place where lots of people own a copy of the game and use the [=StreetPass=] feature? Have fun grinding for 10,000 coins to get that Gold Gilder.

** ''VideoGame/MarioPartyIslandTour'' has StreetPass Minigames, where, as the name implies, you play minigames against other players of the game by [=StreetPassing=] them. It must be done 50 times for 100% completion. Additonally, playing the minigame Soundalike Star/Utter Nonsense and playing the board Shy Guy's Shuffle City, both of which require playing with another 3DS user (the latter even requiring a ''third'' user), are also required for 100% completion.

** ''VideoGame/MarioParty: Island Tour'' has StreetPass Minigames, where, as the name implies, you play minigames against other players of the game by [=StreetPassing=] them. It must be done 50 times for 100% completion. Additonally, playing the minigame Soundalike Star/Utter Nonsense and playing the board Shy Guy's Shuffle City, both of which require playing with another 3DS user (the latter even requiring a ''third'' user), are also required for 100% completion.

* ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime 3: Corruption'' includes a feature wherein you can use "credit" icons obtained in the game to buy extra stuff. The green credits, however, can't be obtained on your own... you have to have someone on your Wii's friend list send you "Friend Vouchers" that ''they'' got on ''their'' game (the vouchers are totally useless on your own game.) Players also have to make sure their friend has the same version of the game, otherwise the feature won't work. The entire concept has collapsed due to Nintendo shutting down their Nintendo WFC service, meaning that any unlockables related to the friend vouchers are now lost permanently.

* ''Videogame/PlanetSide 2'' has support actions (healing, repairing, etc) providing bonus XP when done on players in your squad, and players in squads can respawn at the base closest to the leader and respawn in squad [[AwesomePersonnelCarrier Sunderers]], Galaxy transport aircraft, and [[GunshipRescue Valkryies]]. Squad Leaders get XP rewards for XP earned by their squad/platoon, and can eventually earn a free NiceHat through leadership. In ''Videogame/PlanetSide 1'', the only way to gain Command Rank was to lead squads; rewards included visual customization (shin guards and a radio backpack) and special abilities like the [[OrbitalBombardment Orbital Strike]]

* It is possible to complete ''VideoGame/{{Journey}}'' on your own but the entire game is obviously designed to be played with an anonymous Companion over the net. Sticking together also makes some stages easier, since you can [[ThePowerOfFriendship endlessly replenish each other's energy--but not your own]].

-->-- ''VideoGame/BubbleBobble''

The reason this can be a problem is because most of these games with such bonuses come from Japan, where the population density is much higher and people often walk around in public with their handhelds out. In other countries, this just isn't the case at all.

* Many of the Pins in ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'' only "evolve" into other Pins if the points gained are from connecting with someone else with either a DS Wifi active, or another ''TWEWY'' game, also searching for other players. In theory, one can hope for random "alien" encounters for socialization points, but this would take days in real time to evolve a single Pin this way, days spent not actually playing the game. While the game was still new, it was very easy to get Mingle points in Japan due to the higher population density, but in other countries, even in major cities, finding other players without coordinating some sort of meetup is nearly impossible; the only sure-fire way to get 10 passes was to attend comic conventions; nowadays since the game is over five years old, it's unlikely you'll find players to Mingle with now.

** The [=GameBoy=] Advance [[UpdatedRerelease rerelease]] of ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' had two pieces of added content that you could only legitimately unlock by playing the included multiplayer mode, ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaFourSwords Four Swords]]''. The BonusDungeon required you to have completed both [=ALttP=] and [=FS=], while the [[RiddleMeThis Riddle Quest]] required you to get 10 Medals Of Courage, each being the award for collecting the most Rupees in a single run through an area. Hope you have a friend, that your friend also has the game, and you both have a [=GameBoy=] Advance Link Cable!
** Hilariously, two aspects of ''A Link to the Past'' cannot be ''accessed'' without first completing ''The Four Swords''. The first being the quizlike series of [[FetchQuest Fed-ex quests]] to receive an upgraded spin attack, and the second being [[BonusDungeon the Palace of the Four Swords]]. [[spoiler:Well, at least said palace was accessible and completable by exploiting a glitch that was present in the original SNES ''[=ALttP=]'', but don't tell Nintendo that.]]
** In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Zelda franchise, Nintendo made the Four Swords game for [=DSiWare=] to be played with one person if there are no other players to play with. Playing in single player has a 2nd Link tag along who doesn't do anything but follow you and help you set up for executions requiring the actions of multiple players at once and both Links can be swapped should you need to split them up. However, there are several bonus levels that qualify as a BrutalBonusLevel because of the huge amount of enemies that are thrown your way and some are also EliteMooks, thus you need friends to help you stay alive.
** Similarly, ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTriforceHeroes'' is a multiplayer co-op game by nature. While there is a single player mode, doing the work of three people by yourself can be tedious and in some levels, outright impossible. You need people to play with to make each run smoother.

-->--'''''VideoGame/BubbleBobble'''''

** ''VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl'' and their upper versions and remakes have the Spiritomb event, where you must talk to 32 other players in the Underground to trigger said Pokémon's appearance so you can capture it. And [=NPCs=] don't count.[[note]]This is still possible to do if you're playing by yourself, so long as you have another Nintendo DS ([[UsefulNotes/BackwardsCompatibility or 3DS]]) with a copy of the game. You just have to do the tedious task of continuously entering and exiting the Underground after talking to "the other player" each time.[[/note]]

** ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum]]'' have the Spiritomb event, where you must talk to 32 other players in the Underground to trigger said Pokémon's appearance so you can capture it. And [=NPCs=] don't count.[[note]]This is still possible to do if you're playing by yourself, so long as you have another Nintendo DS ([[UsefulNotes/BackwardsCompatibility or 3DS]]) with a copy of the game. You just have to do the tedious task of continuously entering and exiting the Underground after talking to "the other player" each time.[[/note]]

** The point of ''VideoGame/PokemonGo'' was to encourage socialization and urban exploration to begin with, but for the first year of the game you could roam your area on your own and still catch 'em all. Then came Raid Battles, which are boss battles spawning at gyms featuring Legendaries or more powerful versions of regular Pokemon, with the opportunity to catch the raid boss if it's defeated. Lower tier raids can be beaten by a single trainer, but higher tiers require multiple trainers to work together. In addition, friends get a damage bonus if they're fighting together in the same raid, and they get more Premier Balls to attempt to catch the raid boss.
*** Later, Pokemon trading was introduced, but you can only trade with a friend within 100 metres of you (so you can't trade with strangers on another continent for regional exclusives), with a very high stardust cost (up to 1 million) to trade if you're trading Legendaries, [[PaletteSwap Shinies]], or a Pokemon the other person doesn't have in their Pokedex. The cost is reduced the longer you've been friends with the person you're trading with, up to a 92% discount on the base cost if you've been friends for 90 days. Trading also became the only way to receive Lucky Pokemon, which only half as much stardust to power up.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Pokemon}}'' examples put a strain on family relations in [[https://notalwaysright.com/gotta-catch-his-son/ this story]] from ''Website/NotAlwaysRight'': father and son are both near to completing the Pokedex, but instead of asking to trade or using his dad's existing save file, the son erased and overwrote his father's game to trade himself a Chimchar and [[ComMons Psyduck]] from a new game. Dad is understandably angry when he figures it out.

* ''[[Website/GaiaOnline zOMG!]]'' places a heavy emphasis on socialization. The game is designed in such a way that if you don't find some people to crew with, you're not going to progress very far. In fact, the path to the FinalBoss for the launch chapter requires synchronization between at least 3 players to open. In addition, your character gets bonuses by interacting with other players, called [[TheForce G'hi]] bonuses. You can fill your G'hi up by visiting Barton Town or joining a 6 person crew. But if your G'hi runs out, all of your bonuses will be gone until you can get more G'hi.