I miss the days when videogames were just for "nerds",
and I was wondering if anyone else feels the same way.
To be more specific:
I hate how online communities are filled with jerks now.
When I was a child I played many online games (SWG PreCU was my favorite) to escape from the jocks, bullies, and jerks in real life. The online communities were always so nice; people were always willing to give you a hand when you needed it, and the majority of people were so polite. I rarely ever ran into someone trying to screw me over. It was my dream world, where almost everyone got along... Maybe it's because us "nerds" all wanted the same thing: Somewhere we could fit in, without being judged or attacked by another person.
As the years have passed and videogames have become a more casual thing, I feel like videogames are no longer an escape for me. Don't get me wrong, I still love videogames, and they are my favorite passtime. However, The jerks that judged and mistreated me when I was younger, now play videogames almost as much as I do because now it's socially acceptable. I feel like I need to isolate myself when I play online games (unless I'm with my friends) because now people are just as horrible to eachother online, if not worse, than in real life.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Perhaps I was just niave as a child or I was just lucky.
There could be another reason for this change, if there really was one.
Maybe it's because games are more competitive than cooperative today.
Anyways, I want to hear what you guys have to say about it
Don't mean to offend but I didn't know people actually played games to escape real life. I figured it was just something psychiatrists/media made up. I play games with my friends because they are fun and relaxing, not to escape real life.
There will always be jerks as Scyber said, especially since you are anonymous online :). Just ignore the jerks/bullies and keep playing your games. You don't have to care what they do.
That fact that you relax when you play them is an expression of your own experience with escapism, same as with books. When people can focus on a game/book world, they take thier mind off of other irl issues and relax. And I agree that online communities used to be different. Not quite the utopia the OP is talking about, but definitely a friendlier place in general. It becomes a lot harder to just relax and 'escape' when you have to weigh how much bs you're going to have deal with or argue about when you go to play a game or discuss a game or any thing like that.
Jerks exist anywhere and everywhere, the target group doesn't change that
I totally agree with you, but am I wrong in thinking that online communities are more hostile today because it's now socially acceptable for anyone to play videogames?
I probably shouldn't have specified "jocks" because they should not be associated with jerks and bullies. It was a generalization on my part from my personal experiences.
Mainly due to the competition in games now I think you find a lot of "jerks". They are pretty common in the world now and as games have become more openly accepted they have invited a wider range of personalities. The wider range of personality differences create tension even in a virtual world.
That is why I usually prefer co-op games compared to versus. But I still enjoy an mmo game where I can complete things solo, even if it is more difficult that way as long as they are still possible to be done. I never was too fond of people in general.
well i am sry for u for having such experience in RL and i am happy for u had such experience in online games.
i think all the words u said like...nerds, jocks, jerks, bullies- have alot more "faces" other than the stereotype. i believe some hidden their true being or apart of their being behind the stereotype word - to explain myself: nerds enjoying other things than online games and can be jerks/bullies them selves in online games or jerks also played online games tho they didn't show it cuz it will make them "nerds".
now i don't know how old r u and when was those times u say u miss and ur environment idea about fashion and availability of online gaming. but i myself first played an online game 10-11 years back and still back then i met all kind of ppl and not as much as those good old "nerds" u describe. so as u said i think u were lucky and i am happy for u about that.
tho today imho isn't any different when it comes to the ratio of good and bad ppl online, only that today it sure is alot more popular which makes a much more verity of ppl u met which can be a good and bad thing the same time as anything else.
P.S: thumbs up for the originality of the thread topic
Video games have always been filled with jerks. Just because someone is a nerd in no way means they won't be a jerk.
More people than nerds playing video games is crucial for good games to come out; Developers actually make money and are able to spend more time and money on a project making it better.
I think it's a combination of a few points here. It's more acceptable to play games it's multi-billion dollar industry, the main issue is since more people are gaming your exposed to more people. I think as the couple generations have gone by they have been getting worse and these are the majority of the people who play games.
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Playing Diablo since 97. I know nothing and having nothing good to say, I be a troll.
Don't mean to offend but I didn't know people actually played games to escape real life. I figured it was just something psychiatrists/media made up. I play games with my friends because they are fun and relaxing, not to escape real life.
There will always be jerks as Scyber said, especially since you are anonymous online :). Just ignore the jerks/bullies and keep playing your games. You don't have to care what they do.
That fact that you relax when you play them is an expression of your own experience with escapism, same as with books. When people can focus on a game/book world, they take thier mind off of other irl issues and relax. And I agree that online communities used to be different. Not quite the utopia the OP is talking about, but definitely a friendlier place in general. It becomes a lot harder to just relax and 'escape' when you have to weigh how much bs you're going to have deal with or argue about when you go to play a game or discuss a game or any thing like that.
You have a good point. But I'm still not sure I like the idea of 'escaping', perhaps escape boredom. If I'm on skype playing with my friends, talking about irl stuff, is it still escaping irl?
I should clarify, I don't use videogames to escape the same things I did as a child.
When I was younger, it was more about escaping bullies and avoiding judgemental classmates.
Today, I still use videogames as an escape from the stresses of school, work, relationship problems, etc.
It is more difficult to relax on an online videogame however when people are constantly t-bagging your dead body and trolling you.
The term jerk really gets tossed around far too freely that I don't think it really holds the same meaning anymore.
If the OP is referring to people who are being a-holes, being rude, just because they can, then I can sympathize as well as empathize.
Having spent time on the more hardcore sides of gaming in the past, I can easily tell you that when you run into someone that expects you to carry them through something they aren't prepared for, because they didn't want to spend five minutes learning how to pull their own weight. Well, it's extremely easy to get frustrated very quickly and drop niceties.
Being lazy isn't the same as being casual, being lazy is the same as being bad, and it's hard to be nice or kind to bads, because in truth bads are being rude to everyone they run into by expecting everyone to carry them.
Of course with a growing community in gamers, you will come across more people who are jerks. However, you will also come across more people who are awesome. Take solace in that.
Ignore the jerks and enjoy the company of those you meet who are not jerks.
I find this particular community, in general, to be pretty awesome.
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I agree about things changing. My first days of playing D1 almost every game somene would run up and drop gear for free just to help me out. Even as close as my first days with WoW this would happen. But after about 5 years of WoW I was starting to roll only tanks and healers bc I had more fun doing that as opposed to dps. If I had never tanked or healed a particular instance the odds were increasingly higher that someone would flame me as I was learning the instance even when I would warn them that I was learning it. Made me want to not run unless I had friends on that wouldn't be so abrasive as I went through my learning experiences. This wasn't always the case and there were people that would be nice and even give advice to me but it got more and more likely that pugs would just run around and do whatever they wanted and then blame me bc I didn't heal some random dps'er over the tank.
I miss the days when videogames were just for "nerds",
and I was wondering if anyone else feels the same way.
To be more specific:
I hate how online communities are filled with jerks now.
When I was a child I played many online games (SWG PreCU was my favorite) to escape from the jocks, bullies, and jerks in real life. The online communities were always so nice; people were always willing to give you a hand when you needed it, and the majority of people were so polite. I rarely ever ran into someone trying to screw me over. It was my dream world, where almost everyone got along... Maybe it's because us "nerds" all wanted the same thing: Somewhere we could fit in, without being judged or attacked by another person.
As the years have passed and videogames have become a more casual thing, I feel like videogames are no longer an escape for me. Don't get me wrong, I still love videogames, and they are my favorite passtime. However, The jerks that judged and mistreated me when I was younger, now play videogames almost as much as I do because now it's socially acceptable. I feel like I need to isolate myself when I play online games (unless I'm with my friends) because now people are just as horrible to eachother online, if not worse, than in real life.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Perhaps I was just niave as a child or I was just lucky.
There could be another reason for this change, if there really was one.
Maybe it's because games are more competitive than cooperative today.
Anyways, I want to hear what you guys have to say about it
I had primarily positive encounters playing D1 and D2 and found a level of generosity and care that is rare in real life. Here's hoping D3 will embody that same spirit and provide an escape for those who are looking for one. Maybe look for some of the nicer posters from this forum and add them to your friends list once the game releases.
Some of the jerks online are nerds that may get bullied in real life; being anonymous just gives them the power to do so without physical repercussions. What goes around comes around, and dickheads will be dickheads.
And if you happen to be friends with them online, you won't feel the same way.
this is mostly speaking about any game that has competition as a major element.
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Remember the String of Ears
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
I think it's more just that people in general have become more hostile, than just video games being more casual and therefore inviting rude people into them.
The things kids say nowadays would certainly get you a beating if you said them when I was a kid.
About 12 years ago, I played an online game called Continuum. 2D team-based, space shooter, if anyone is familiar with it...
Anyway, I know what the OP is talking about. I remember being incredibly annoyed when all of a sudden, the phrase "newb" starting to become a common occurrence. No longer meaning a new player, but a derogatory remark on someone's skill. I truly wouldn't be surprised if their are people using that insult who didn't know that. Of course, now it is spelled differently.
I think it's less the fact that more 'jerks' started to play, and more the fact that it became too easy to insult others. We entered the Era of generalizations and quick and easy insults. You didn't need to be clever or type a paragraph to insult someone. You just had to utter a word.
I think that trend has continued. Generic insults with little to no meaning are thrown around so often that people have given up even attempting to be polite.
While games have become more accessible; so have methods of insulting others.
(If I misunderstood you, nevermind me.)
Those nerds are just jerks in disguise.
Being a nerd or being stamped as a nerd doesn't necessary mean that it is a nice/good guy/girl.
I do like this quote, “Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.”.
No, you pretty much got what I'm saying. A nerd and a jerk arn't two mutually exclusive labels.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Remember the String of Ears
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
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and I was wondering if anyone else feels the same way.
To be more specific:
I hate how online communities are filled with jerks now.
When I was a child I played many online games (SWG PreCU was my favorite) to escape from the jocks, bullies, and jerks in real life. The online communities were always so nice; people were always willing to give you a hand when you needed it, and the majority of people were so polite. I rarely ever ran into someone trying to screw me over. It was my dream world, where almost everyone got along... Maybe it's because us "nerds" all wanted the same thing: Somewhere we could fit in, without being judged or attacked by another person.
As the years have passed and videogames have become a more casual thing, I feel like videogames are no longer an escape for me. Don't get me wrong, I still love videogames, and they are my favorite passtime. However, The jerks that judged and mistreated me when I was younger, now play videogames almost as much as I do because now it's socially acceptable. I feel like I need to isolate myself when I play online games (unless I'm with my friends) because now people are just as horrible to eachother online, if not worse, than in real life.
Maybe I'm wrong.
Perhaps I was just niave as a child or I was just lucky.
There could be another reason for this change, if there really was one.
Maybe it's because games are more competitive than cooperative today.
Anyways, I want to hear what you guys have to say about it
I welcome anybody who enjoys playing games.
Jerks exist anywhere and everywhere, the target group doesn't change that
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
That fact that you relax when you play them is an expression of your own experience with escapism, same as with books. When people can focus on a game/book world, they take thier mind off of other irl issues and relax. And I agree that online communities used to be different. Not quite the utopia the OP is talking about, but definitely a friendlier place in general. It becomes a lot harder to just relax and 'escape' when you have to weigh how much bs you're going to have deal with or argue about when you go to play a game or discuss a game or any thing like that.
I totally agree with you, but am I wrong in thinking that online communities are more hostile today because it's now socially acceptable for anyone to play videogames?
I probably shouldn't have specified "jocks" because they should not be associated with jerks and bullies. It was a generalization on my part from my personal experiences.
That is why I usually prefer co-op games compared to versus. But I still enjoy an mmo game where I can complete things solo, even if it is more difficult that way as long as they are still possible to be done. I never was too fond of people in general.
i think all the words u said like...nerds, jocks, jerks, bullies- have alot more "faces" other than the stereotype. i believe some hidden their true being or apart of their being behind the stereotype word - to explain myself: nerds enjoying other things than online games and can be jerks/bullies them selves in online games or jerks also played online games tho they didn't show it cuz it will make them "nerds".
now i don't know how old r u and when was those times u say u miss and ur environment idea about fashion and availability of online gaming. but i myself first played an online game 10-11 years back and still back then i met all kind of ppl and not as much as those good old "nerds" u describe. so as u said i think u were lucky and i am happy for u about that.
tho today imho isn't any different when it comes to the ratio of good and bad ppl online, only that today it sure is alot more popular which makes a much more verity of ppl u met which can be a good and bad thing the same time as anything else.
P.S: thumbs up for the originality of the thread topic
best regards,
Arrok
More people than nerds playing video games is crucial for good games to come out; Developers actually make money and are able to spend more time and money on a project making it better.
I should clarify, I don't use videogames to escape the same things I did as a child.
When I was younger, it was more about escaping bullies and avoiding judgemental classmates.
Today, I still use videogames as an escape from the stresses of school, work, relationship problems, etc.
It is more difficult to relax on an online videogame however when people are constantly t-bagging your dead body and trolling you.
If the OP is referring to people who are being a-holes, being rude, just because they can, then I can sympathize as well as empathize.
Having spent time on the more hardcore sides of gaming in the past, I can easily tell you that when you run into someone that expects you to carry them through something they aren't prepared for, because they didn't want to spend five minutes learning how to pull their own weight. Well, it's extremely easy to get frustrated very quickly and drop niceties.
Being lazy isn't the same as being casual, being lazy is the same as being bad, and it's hard to be nice or kind to bads, because in truth bads are being rude to everyone they run into by expecting everyone to carry them.
Ignore the jerks and enjoy the company of those you meet who are not jerks.
I find this particular community, in general, to be pretty awesome.
Find any Diablo news? Contact me or anyone else on the News team
And if you happen to be friends with them online, you won't feel the same way.
this is mostly speaking about any game that has competition as a major element.
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."
The things kids say nowadays would certainly get you a beating if you said them when I was a kid.
Anyway, I know what the OP is talking about. I remember being incredibly annoyed when all of a sudden, the phrase "newb" starting to become a common occurrence. No longer meaning a new player, but a derogatory remark on someone's skill. I truly wouldn't be surprised if their are people using that insult who didn't know that. Of course, now it is spelled differently.
I think it's less the fact that more 'jerks' started to play, and more the fact that it became too easy to insult others. We entered the Era of generalizations and quick and easy insults. You didn't need to be clever or type a paragraph to insult someone. You just had to utter a word.
I think that trend has continued. Generic insults with little to no meaning are thrown around so often that people have given up even attempting to be polite.
While games have become more accessible; so have methods of insulting others.
I hate the way you cling to ignorance and pass it off as innocence
"to the worm in horseradish, the world is horseradish."