By no means was the first PC game i played any great masterpiece , indeed it was a simple but much loved game still enjoyed today "Age of Empires3" ( in case you were curious ). The difference of course was that i was not playing a machine or whatever AI it could muster to frustrate me. The PC opened a new world to me that involved playing against real players , real people, and for the first time, real fun !
Of course, now I'm what can be considered a seasoned player amongst the gaming community, and that's the word that I'm gonna come back to, "community". I enjoy gaming online with friends , the sense of team work, the joy in the well earned and fought victory. Gaming with friends is fun, and the small sense of achievement with every victory , big or small is still a fix i require on a regular basis. However, i have noticed a dark cloud that seems to follow nearly every game i play, to put it simply, i will call it " rage chat".
Within most multi player games there is an ability to use a chat bar to speak to other players , either on your own team or even to the enemy. It can be used to relay info on a sniper or other threat to your team mates , or even congratulate the enemy on a well fought victory ( The GG Good Game for example ). Then why is it that such a brilliant and useful tool is being used to abuse and insult people ?
Within every game i play now there is a torrent of abuse and insult thrown left right and centre to any and all. Some of the insults are just in jest but most are sincere and with such fervour you do begin to wonder how exactly these people cope in real life ?!? Insults are thick and fast , much like the game play it self, ranging from the general " u NOOB " to more racially orientated " die you fucking jew " or even " go fuck your mum ". It doesn't end there, the female gaming community for some reason gets the biggest brunt of all players !! Now im pretty sure most of us would not go out on the street and shout at some random woman or girl " go fuck yourself you lesbian whore " but for reasons i cant fathom there are players that think this is appropriate behavior. If i was to meet most of these players in real life i dare say they would be of standing character and indeed maybe even charming people, but when sat in front of a screen 100's of miles from the other players they forget morals and ethics and begin the barrage of insults with every pixelated death they acrew.
As i mentioned earlier the sense of "community" or even "gaming community" more specifically, is something that is lacking in modern multi player games. When i read across many PC forums there are thousands of people ready to help with any PC problem that the average Joe may have , although not directly an always gaming related, the sense of community amongst these types of forums is great. Clans are also a great place to be, a sense of belonging and purpose, friendship, and the fun of playing as a team. I myself belong to a BFBC2 Gaming Clan and the sense of community there is a good one. Why is it then that there are people ( belonging to clans or not ) who still behave online in ways that they wouldn't be caught dead doing in real life ??
Like the school bully , it's a problem that will probably always exist as long as people allow it to happen. I don't have the answers or solutions to this ever growing gaming trend but i do know that the gaming "community" has a long way to come before we can call ourselves a community at all !!
So next time you suit up to play online, don't become one of the ever growing "rage chatters" , and if your on the receiving end of such abuse, don't retaliate , don't feed the problem. Treat others as you would like to be treated , with respect.
All comments and opinions are my own and are in no way meant to be insulting to anybody of any race , colour or creed !!
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