Is being online all it’s really cracked up to be? Sure it can be awesome hooking up with some friends in the latest game offering, but what of the detriments? This column is a look at the frustrating side of being online (specifically the cheaters and trolls) and how it can negatively affect one’s gaming outlook.
How Do I Shot (World Wide) Web?
Online has certainly changed gamers and the way we game in innumerable ways – from our habits through to the views we hold on gaming. Initially there is sheer awe and excitement at the possibilities and evolving parameters, but that giddiness can change for the worse.
In the beginning I could not get enough. But over time I found myself becoming evermore agitated at the prospect of going online. Not because of the games really, but because of the growing ranks of asshats online who hide behind the safety-net that is the internet.
I do not know about you, but as time flows ever onward I find that online is becoming evermore antagonistic with its endless stream of bitching (hah, the irony), fighting and agendas. Many online gamers seem to be on a crusade to enlarge their E-Peens at the expense of others’ enjoyment. Whether they are telling you how to play, or just playing unfairly, they ruin it for all but themselves.
Western Decay
Okay, perhaps I am being foolish attacking online access as being the root of this “evil” when honestly it is just a tool. I should rather then be considering human nature and how Western living and thinking is the true driving force behind this degradation, but let’s focus on the gaming aspect lest I derail my own column.
I feel this degradation is accelerated with the rise of the World of Warcraft mentality. This mentality is shared by many gamers as well as the developers and publishers. The casual popularization movement in gaming has brought in far too many self-serving people who are ever being indulged by the industry, making the online environment worse off for it.
I don’t know about you, but aren’t you sick of all the bragging online – about how people feel the need to list all their game achievements, PC specs or whatever? I know I am. Almost every game now has some kind of tracking feature to measure one’s gaming “worth” (see E-Peen) against others. “Lol I got a higher score than you, lol.” They are plastered all over gaming forums in people’s signatures. I am sure all of you have noticed this trend.
ADSL Killed the LAN Star
Being online has also hurt the way we socially game. For a long time many of us gamers had zero access to online gaming so we had to make do – specifically by LAN-ing. LAN’s are great often due to the social element and the proximity, but, sadly is it ever in decline.
One aspect that I loved about LAN-ing was that, as opposed to online gaming, the people were more controlled as you could just walk over to them and confront them face-to-face. Online, as they were incognito, they could do and say what they liked.
Sadly, once I got an ADSL line, I largely stopped attending LAN’s altogether. I then noticed this trend in many other gamers. Many an ad hoc LAN dissipated into nothingness with the advent of broadband as more found it convenient to just stay in the comfort of their abode, rather than schlepping to a venue. So, basically, online killed the LAN.
Taking Responsibility
So what now? Well, like most things in life, it is seldom just doom and gloom, but as gamers we need to take some responsibility and work at making the online environment a more palatable experience. Gamers should consider the enjoyment of others and STOP abusing systems to make themselves feel superior. If you are one of those people who get off on destroying others’ enjoyment online, then you need to grow up. And if you are an adult, then you have no excuse.
I guess I should take this next piece of advice and say that one should not take it so seriously, but I am sure many of you out there have been put off a game because of the community and mentality surrounding it.
So how do you deal with the terrors of being online? Do you just take it with a pinch of salt, or have you resorted to a more solo lifestyle of singleplayer games? Share your views on the MyGaming forum.
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