The toxicity of online gaming.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I feel that it is the competitive nature of those types of on-line games that bring out the worst in people. You saw how it affected communities like League of Legends with it's vitriolic abuse.

When I was young, I used to make fun and taunt those people by having my xboxLive name JigglyPuff5000. People would constantly call me horrible names and sling a torrential downpour of sexual assault...until the end of the match. I would say nothing until then end and, when I was on top of the list, I would simply say, "Hey you guys got beat by a dude named JigglyPuff5000."

That opened the floodgates.

For me, I love friendly communities. I find that Nintendo's Miiverse is one of the best and most successful examples of people getting along and sharing their joys with games. It is heavily policed, granted, but rightfully so.

There are also instances where I do not mind a hateful environment. Only one example I can give and that is DayZ. It lends to the atmosphere and paranoia one has in the game as anyone you meet can be your end. Although I do not encourage it if it bleeds outside of the game, but inside, it seems to be a no-holds-barred experience.

Me though? I still play nice.

[TSTR]

People would constantly call me horrible names and sling a torrential downpour of sexual assault...

This is why I don't pay for Xbox Live—people get raped.

trigger warning

[ded srs]

I've always thought of bad behavior online as par for the course. I respond the same way to people who act like douchebags everytime it happens. No reporting, just block and move on. Also, I avoid public chat unless I'm sure trolls aren't present. If they are, block/ignore, move on. It's not like they can reach through your monitor and punch you.

I get that not everyone has as thick a skin as me and some games kind of force you to constantly communicate, but people really should be prepared for "abuse" (I hate the use of that word in the context of trolling, it's just too strong a word to fit) online. You may roll your eyes at me for the obvious "grow a thicker skin" stance, but that's just how I think it should be. Don't stick your toe in the water, if you can't handle sharks biting it off and making blood go everywhere. Wait, wrong metaphor... >.>

[dsheinem]

as bad as it can be for everyone, imagine how much worse it becomes if there's any perception you aren't straight, white, and/or male...

[BogusMeatFactory]

as bad as it can be for everyone, imagine how much worse it becomes if there's any perception you aren't straight, white, and/or male...

That is why JigglyPuff5000 is the perfect name. They think you are a girl the entire time and berate you in horrible ways and then, when you speak up and they find out you are a guy, the messages you receive......words can not truly describe (even though they were written haha)

[BoringSupreez]

People would constantly call me horrible names and sling a torrential downpour of sexual assault...

This is why I don't pay for Xbox Live—people get raped.

trigger warning

I don't think online gaming has gotten any more "toxic" than it already was 10 years ago... did any of you play SOCOM 1 or 2 back when they were active? They were just as bad as anything today really, and there was less enforcement of rules due to no overarching online service for the PS2.

I've gotta throw in with the ded srs. Grow a thicker skin. You need to expect and accept abuse when you game online. If you can't take it in a game how are you supposed to make it in real life? Trash talk back, or just ignore it.

as bad as it can be for everyone, imagine how much worse it becomes if there's any perception you aren't straight, white, and/or male...

Probably feels about the same as it does for straight cis white males who are tired of being demonized as the standard of insensitivity and misogyny.

[BogusMeatFactory]

On the thick skin argument I find that to be incredibly wrong. You should not HAVE to have thick skin to play a video game. You should not avoid a game that you genuinely enjoy because people are extremely abusive sociopaths. We like to always say that it is perfectly acceptable, because "It has always been like that." No it hasn't. It is not the way it has always been and people need to be held accountable for their actions.

If someone says, "I know where you live and I am going to rape your wife," even though I know they have no idea where I live and won't do that, they should be held accountable. If someone is punished for threats of violence and mayhem in real life, why not in the virtual world?

You have people that call the police on Streamers with bomb threats and terrorist threats, you have people who take that abuse to an extreme that goes beyond the game. That is a product of the, "It was always this way," mindset and it is sick.

Report people. Constantly report people if they behave in a way you find to be abusive. If you are of the thick skin mentality, that's fine, do what you want, but if you are hurt by it, report it. Period.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

^ I mostly agree to an extent.

Sure, and thicker skin helps. I've been playing games online since I was 10 or 11. But thick skin isn't impenetrable and the fact that this sort of behavior becomes par for the course is just really kind of sickening. There's a difference between trash talk and threats and harassment. Trash talk is pretty much in any competitive setting. I'm not too upset when I'm called a hacker noob unless it's accompanied by other threats and it's outside of the game setting.

I'm interested in why this sort of thing even happened in the first place too. Is it an inevitability that people will be shitty in an online setting or an overall cultural issue in Western online gaming? I've never experienced online gaming in Japan or many gaming oriented Eastern cultures like South Korea so I can't speak for them. If anybody can chime in with what it's like over in those regions I'd be interested to hear it.

as bad as it can be for everyone, imagine how much worse it becomes if there's any perception you aren't straight, white, and/or male...

Even if you sound like you're younger than 16 or 17 it's pretty much guaranteed you'll be harassed online. I feel bad for any happy-go-lucky kid who accidentally uses the mic to talk to a buddy online.

[BogusMeatFactory]

I'm interested in why this sort of thing even happened in the first place too. Is it an inevitability that people will be shitty in an online setting or an overall cultural issue in Western online gaming? I've never experienced online gaming in Japan or many gaming oriented Eastern cultures like South Korea so I can't speak for them. If anybody can chime in with what it's like over in those regions I'd be interested to hear it.

From what I know of the competitive fighting game scene, there isn't a lot of the North American aggression in Japan. There is a lot of posturing and rules of etiquette. For instance, some games allow you to get a couple extra hits after KO and if you take advantage of that, it is incredibly rude and offensive.

I know with Korea and Starcraft, things can get pretty rough, but again, nothing like North America.

Trash talk is fine. I am ok with people calling me a noob or a hacker and all that stuff is fine. My brother's wife is a big gamer and laughs when people say horrible things. I have witnessed them telling her, "I am gonna get you pregnant and burn you alive to hear your unborn child's screams." and I am leaving some choice words out. That is horrible.

[dsheinem]

as bad as it can be for everyone, imagine how much worse it becomes if there's any perception you aren't straight, white, and/or male...

Probably feels about the same as it does for straight cis white males who are tired of being demonized as the standard of insensitivity and misogyny.

Insensitivity and misogyny as well as empathy and kindness are of course present across all groups, but almost any/all online abuse I've ever heard that targets people based on their identity singles out individuals who appear to be outside the demographic majorities.