We have all been one guilty of one or more of these at one time or another (myself included), but yet we still go on like it's a non issue. Though there will always be trouble makers that seek to incite only to anger and annoy other players, I feel calling to site some of our biggest faults is the first step in creating change. So take a look over this list, and make sure you aren't unintentionally increasing the problems.
We are all fanboys or fangirls over something. Maybe you've grown up with Nintendo, and just love every Mario or Zelda more than the last. Or perhaps you've jumped ship and now enjoy playing on Microsoft's Xbox the best. Whatever the case is, we can't forget that just because it's our favorite system or game, that everyone else should like it just as much.
Console wars have expanded to ridiculous proportions, with millions proclaiming that their platform of choice is the only way to go. But really, why does it matter? What do you and I gain from the other person choosing to except our ridiculous statements? Excepting that everyone is different and likes different things is just a way of life. If you like a particular game or console, then you should spend more time actually playing it, and less time trying to convince others that you are right, and they are wrong. In the end, it's not up to you what someone chooses to play, so why waste time creating so much grief? Agree to disagree, and simply move on.
I can't imagine many, if any of us, enjoy being made fun of and insulted online. It's not at all uncommon to jump into an online game, and the first thing we hear to be some manner of racist slur or curse word. What follows is generally a match unnecessarily narrated by a random individual, that takes any silence as their cue to degrade and insult their fellow gamers and teammates, and who's only purpose seems to be to distract and annoy. I am not trying to say that trash talking is an unusual byproduct of competition, but things have simply gone to far. These aren't your friends you're talking to, and they won't take it as a joke.
The closet racists, sexist, and homophobes inside us, all seem to come out online, turning what should be a fun experience into a hostile environment. Very few would have the balls to say these things to a person, face to face, but because we are virtual stangers out of most any danger, most don't bother to think before they open their mouth. Because of all the uncalled for persecution, many simply choose to not use a mic, creating a virtual ghost town out of what could be an engaging community. While we can't silence them, we can all try to be a little more friendly while playing online, and maybe make some friends in the process.
Everyone seems to hate EA. Be it the microtransations, the server shutdowns, or the Origin store, everyone has a bone to pick. We then turn these companies into personas in our head, and feel that they are somehow out to get us. We don't stop to think, this is a company not a person, instead choosing to widely proclaim our unending hatred over what they did or didn't go. This isn't restricted to EA either. If it's not giving us what we want, we somehow start to think that they are actively trying to destroy our games and studios, when in reality they all just want to make money.
This is, and always will be, the way things work. If it's not some indie project someone made in a basement, someone is looking for their cut, and publishers have to where the crown of shame. Why should they be able to sell DLC day one? How can they restrict features with online passes? Why can I not have what I want, when I want it, for how much I want it for? The answer is, if you don't like what a company is doing, don't buy their product. They created it, they have the right to do whatever they want with it. Insisting that they change their "evil ways", is not going to solve anything. Choose with your dollar, and just shut up about it.
When you find something you love, most people would want to share it with friends. But what happens if I share it with them, and they share it with their friends, and pretty soon it's not mine anymore. We get it into our heads that because we found it first, that only those we choose should get to be part of it. Say you buy a console at launch, and in a year or two it drops in price and more people buy it. Are these people less of a fan, a true supporter, because they waited for a deal? No! They just wanted to save some money, and chose to wait until it got to a price that they saw value in. If you are a fan of something, you should want as many people to buy it as possible, as this is what truly supports the developers and companies.
PC gamers are a whole different bunch. Many seem to be under the impression that "console gamers are babies" or that someone with slightly outdated hardware isn't a "real" gamer. This notion of not being a real gamer is also being extended to those that don't play as often, or prefer easier casual games. In my opinion, if a person plays games, and considers themselves a gamer, than that's what they are. We should welcome newcomers with open arms, but instead we bar the gates, and run back to our holes hoping they'll go away. But they won't, and the sooner we realize this, the sooner we can leave these asinine classifications behind, and enjoy playing with those that have yet to discover our greatest passion.
If you have caught yourself doing one or more of these things, don't take this as me attacking you. We all have a right to be the person we want to be. But as gaming becomes more and more social, we have to stop and take the time to realize that we aren't alone anymore. If we keep acting like juvenile delinquents, the mental images that we are all antisocial nerds living in our moms basement will continue to stand. We need to show the world that we aren't afraid to change, to make ourselves a little nicer, a little more presentable if you will. So next time your playing online, or about to post in a forum, take a second to pause and consider what you say. The gaming world is constantly evolving, and as gamers so must we.
Agreed entirely.
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