Ben-DutkaI wouldn't play online much if it weren't for my job. However, sometimes I wonder why.
Although I still prefer a single-player adventure to any online multiplayer experience, I've had plenty of fun playing online with others. There have been plenty of games that are absolutely unbelievable online, and I keep thinking I'd return to those games if it weren't for an embarrassing trait:
The immaturity of online players. I've written about this before, but I keep thinking it'll get better. It actually doesn't seem to get any better; if anything, it keeps getting worse. It's not necessarily a matter of name-calling or flat-out racism and sexism, it just seems as if younger and younger players are playing online. Now, maybe younger gamers seem more immature with each passing day because I'm getting older, or they're actually less mature than my friends and I were at that age. That doesn't sound right, though.
Then again, it could be the lure of anonymity combined with the fact that parents aren't being parents, and a ton of 9-year-olds are playing Call of Duty . I do hear higher-pitched male voices in great abundance when playing online and I've resorted to simply muting everyone. I just can't listen to the rampant stupidity anymore. At first, it's amusing. Then it gets annoying. Finally, it ends up being depressing and downright embarrassing. If any anti-game activist wanted extra ammunition, all they needed to do is record the audio from a particularly nasty online session, and we'd be set back decades.
In that way, it almost seems as if we're regressing. It seems as if mature, older gamers don't play online as often as younger gamers, and I think I know why. I just can't understand why things keep going downhill in terms of online behavior.
and thank god for the mute button! haha thats what I always say when this things happend to me… its supposed to be a game, so why are they insulting others! just have fun!
The mute button is your friend.
It sucks that some games I play online don't have one of those VOIP volume for people on the mics. Way quicker than just muting people one by one.
Not to mention the fact that those kids kicking my old ass around the map doesn't make me feel very good.
When people don't play online for a while they tend to lose their rythem but of course they can gain it back.
Last edited by AcHiLLiA on 10/9/2011 11:11:26 PM
Alexander do have a good point there. There is a certain "rhythm" required to succeed in online play, that is lost again when you don't play for a while.
Well it must be tame to what you hear on xboxlive everyone has a mic!! Thats why I use party chat on there. Btw just got a ps3 the other day and orded the uncharted double pack. Will i be able to finish them both before uncharted 3 comes out?
Last edited by supercham on 10/9/2011 10:06:36 PM
Yes, you should be able to finish both UC1 and UC2 before UC3 comes out. It took me about 3 days (about 3 hours a day of play) to finish each game using the strategy guide (helps with finding all of the treasures).
Regardless of the type of gamer you are, you should still be able to finish both before U3 hits.
I love exploring every inch of the world, and avoid using online guides in my first playthrough. It took me roughly a week each (a couple hours a day) to finish both games once.
As long as I play well against the younger generation of gamers, this 38 year old will keep playing. My main online tactic is to "out-think" them, because most of them can be easily defeated by being a smart player.
I look forward to MW3, and the hive of children I will face.
Not in CoD though. I get my booty whooped by 9yr olds everytime I play CoD (once every two months).
That's your problem right there, Killa. Once every two months just isn't often enough.
Beamboom is right, at least for me. If I stop playing that game for any length of time, my reactions are slower and my aim is off.
Killa – I can't win running around like a mad man. I have to move from cover to cover, pick my shots when they are kills, and use surprise as my ally. If you are like me, try that next time out. You might be surprised.
Yeah me too, Max. It's almost back to square one.
In my opinion MP isn't really that fun until you get to the level where you know the maps reasonably well and know the controls by instinct so you can use your focus to think ahead instead of only the immediate surroundings and events.
"I do hear higher-pitched male voices in great abundance"
My voice stopped getting deeper after middle school (20 years old now). If you here any little squeals of joy then it is definitely me. lol just kidding, but seriously…
Nice choice of words for the 4th paragraphs last sentence. Anyways, you not only see this in video games Ben. But internet in GENERAL! Anywhere you go. So don't let online multiplayer take the blame.
When it comes to different generations I feel the older ones are always going to feel the younger ones where less immature than theirs. It seems like a cycle. I also think the fact that the internet is still a young technology itself which started with the 90's generation and not that much older people are going to get into it to mature things up. Your only going to get younger and younger ones until those ducklings get older. So I think you have at least a 10 year to 20 wait for it finally to become bearable for you.
I'm aware that the Internet on the whole is mostly to blame.
But I really think younger kids are getting online with games they shouldn't be playing in the first place.
The internet in general and the problem of immature negativity, hate, ignorance and willful stupidity directly connected to an electronic mouth is precisely what made me come up with that wonderful concept of The Eye of Moron. In online multiplayer games, it's more "The Voice of Moron", or perhaps the voice of "The Eye of Moron"…
It's only going to get worse because the 9yr old kids of today will have their own and buy them Ps3 and etc and etc so yea…
Very true, Ben. I know I've told this story before, so I'll keep it shorter. My wife works at an elementary school as an educational assistant (working 1-on-1 with kids with developmental disabilities). She's seen 6 year olds (classrooms are integrated with developmental disabilities and kids without disabilities) drawing pictures of chopper gunners, etc. inspired by CoD… she's seen the same ages trading games with friends. She said she saw a couple of grade 1'ers trading 360 versions of Black Ops and Splatterhouse.
Note… I said 360 versions. So you know those kids also own mics.
The point and shoot mechanic has an obvious draw for early teenagers. Afterall, your reflexes at that age are pretty awesome, which happens to be an essential quality for that type of gameplay.
We have discussed the 'why are they so rude' question before over here – lack of any substantial parenting, the desire for instant gratification, and so on.
How do we fix that? Well, there really isn't an instant fix for this. Try being a great parent yourself, to ensure that there will still be sane online gamers in future generations!
There are a few things that could help reduce the stress in the short term though:
Firstly, the multiplayer component of games should be made so it requires more skill than just lightening reflexes. The amount of obscenity I've heard / read on games like LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo, Demon's Souls or even Assassin's Creed is far less than the Killzone, Call of Duty and Uncharted.
Secondly, every game should allow me to create a permanent lobby with moderator rights, where I can boot anybody's ass out of it whenever I see fit. Overtime, players will recognize the decent lobbies to play in.
Thirdly, I'm just wondering if online games really need the chat feature? What value does it bring to the gameplay? I can understand the value it brings to a game like MAG, but not all games require verbal commands, do they? It is a much better experience when you put everybody on mute, isn't it? So…why have that feature in the first place?
I agree. I don't like hearing other people unless If I had my own mic on.
Well chat is especially important when u use it effectively. If u just use it to smack talk, u are helping no one. I have a group of friends I know very well and just don't live close enough to each other for LAN party style game nights. It makes a squad so much more effective. easier to coordinate, give heads up commands and tips, play better as a unit than u can w/ out.
"I'm just wondering if online games really need the chat feature?"
You can mute anyone you want dude… I mean, look at Uncharted 3, all you need to do is go to your PSN, press X, and go to "Mute All". Having the chat function there does not hurt 1 bit. Not 1 bit. Plus, it adds to the expirience, you might not need it because whatever reason, but others do for whatever reason. My personal reason is because I only hit the online portion of the game if I am playing with a friend.
Ben, it's a vicious circle, and you just stated the reason why it's getting worse in your own statement;
"It seems as if mature, older gamers don't play online as often as younger gamers, and I think I know why. I just can't understand why things keep going downhill in terms of online behavior."
As the number of immature younger gamers grows and their shrill, high pitched voices grate on your ears with their inane and obscene chatter, you resort to muting everyone, eventually it's just not so much fun to play in silence, and you start playing online less. Imaging that happening across the entire gaming population. Every time an older, more mature gamer leaves the online population the concentration of immature ones increases. that simply drives mature gamers away even faster…and so on, and so forth. It can't not get worse, it's unavoidable.
Well, that's logical. I don't really feel like I'm playing with people much anymore with everyone muted. So the appeal diminishes. And if a lot of older gamers are doing that, all we'll really here are the childish idiots.
Makes perfect sense. …still depressing. 😉
this is barely an issue on psn since hardly anybody even uses a mic. there is always the mute button for the isolated cases. anyways, i think online sessions are way more fun and lively when people use a mic. plus it gives you a tactical advantage. i have learned a lot things from my fellow gamers. it's not nearly as bad out there on psn so i must ask has ben been sneaking in a bunch sessions on xbox live(uh oh)? i'm only kidding.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 10/9/2011 11:22:12 PM
I have a mic but I usually just use it when playing with people I actually know. And that's the thing for me: I play online mostly with people I know.
I don't play online a lot. FPS games are all the rage and I'm just not good at them, even if I have to partially blame my motion sickness for that. The only game I actually spent a considerable amount of time in playing online is Uncharted 2's co-op mode.
Speaking of Uncharted, anybody up for some co-op multiplayer in UC3 once it comes out? It would be fun to play UC3 with some folks from here. And I won't mind using my mic with you, too. I would have to finish the SP campaign first though.
No idea when's the last time you were on the PSN, but that isn't true at all.
MOST people have mics when I'm online. This isn't 2007.
thank god i wasn't online gaming on psn in 2007 then. i actually play kz3 almost daily. i can't tell you how many times i quit out of matches searching for players with mics. i consider it a good match if i can find 1-2 other people talking that are on my team, it's even worse on the crysis 2 mp. out of the 4-5 hrs i was on the bf3 beta i ran into 1 freaking person with a mic so don't tell me most people use a mic. i'd make a real bet that well over half of psn users don't use a mic and that is being conservative.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 10/10/2011 12:49:50 AM
I think it also depends on the game, Excel. Games that have a solo-focus, even if the game mode is called "team <something>", most users seem to have shut off their mic. Like Crysis 2 as you mention, that game is almost a given egocentric game with that Godlike suit and stealth manoeuvres (lovely mp game btw).
I too experienced very few with mic on kz3 but I did not play kz3 mp much at all to have any real opinion about it.
On the other side of the scale I have to put Burnout Paradise as the most social public game I've ever played on the ps3. And there I'd say at least 60-70% of the players – maybe even higher – used a mic. It really was the most common thing to do.
But do you still play Crysis 2 mp? Cause I wanna get back to that game, would be fun to meet other psxers there. Do I even have you on my psn friends list?
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/10/2011 6:32:30 AM
i only have one other psxexterme member on my friends list. that is sunspider. ofcourse i would be happy to add you to my friends list. my psn id is jamiecolts.
anyways, you bring up interesting points about the types of games and overall headset use. i still think the overall use of mics on psn is low however. fire up kz3 or crysis2 and i'd estimate no more than 10-20% are using a mic on average. the bf3 beta mic count is extremely low. no way is the statement that most people on psn use mics even remotely accurate. in fact it's almost the exact opposite from my experience.
You forgot we are PSN friends, Excelsior. LOL
sorry zetta. okay i am proud to say i have 2 psxexteme psn friends.
oops i forgot about dancemachine as well so that is 3 psxexteme friends. sorry i forgot about you guys..
I was actually just joking with that. Besides, I cannot blame you for actually forgetting. We're yet to play any online game together. Maybe we can try changing that when Uncharted 3 comes out this November. I have a mic but you have to be warned that English is not my first language. Hahahaha!!
Last edited by ZettaiSeigi on 10/10/2011 9:27:38 AM
Exclelsoir
I thought we were psn friends. Do you have another account. Friend me @ Soulcontroller.
Zetta, you can get early access to the U3 mp from subway. It'll transfer your level & everything once the retail copy releases add me
I use to clown the pre teen crowd on COD4 for their high pitch voices & racist rants but quickly realized, I'm just stooping to their level. It's one of the main reasons ill never pick up another COD game ever
Hey Soul, I am aware of that. The thing is, I am not in the US and the Subway restaurants over here do no have the same promotion.
Agree with Excelsior..it's 2011 and there are people who still don't have mics at all. Then some that do don't even turn it on. I begin games w/o my mic on for the simple fact most people either don't use it or don't have one. When I hear somebody ask if somebody has a mic, then I jump on it. Or if I'm playing a team based game it HAS to be on
i sent you a friend request soulcontoller. i remeber you now so i forgot another. oops. i don't what happend. i may have accidently deleted you.
@slugga
i absolutely agree with that sentiment. i always go in with my mic on though hoping somebody else is out there. so many times there is nobody :(.
Last edited by Excelsior1 on 10/10/2011 11:06:51 AM
Guys, remember that it may be a language thing too. I *hate* speaking english to native english speaking gamers. To stutter in english with others who stutter just as much as me is only fun, but whenever native english people turns up on servers I go silent.
I'll add you when I'm on the ps3 next, Excel. I'm Beamboom on psn too.
Last edited by Beamboom on 10/10/2011 12:19:42 PM
Beamboom, we should play one of these days and stutter at the same time. Haha!
@Zetta: lol – deal! 🙂 Your psn id is the same?
I'm good with non-native English speakers! My mom-in-law is an "English as a Second Language" teacher… so we regularly have family dinners with a new immigrant family over to visit.
Feel free to add me. I don't judge, am patient, and am smart enough to figure out what you are trying to say if you can't quite get the right word.
@Beamboom: We're already PSN friends. I'm HardCorrFan in there. The PSN did not let me register as ZettaiSeigi.
@Underdog15: What's your PSN ID? It'll be great playing with you one of these days.
thank god for the mute button
Indeed.
well i never had any bad experience online myself, had a few rundowns in MW2,i stopped playing that after i BFBC1 but i got to say the only game where i see people talk too much is killzone3 but they are mostly clan members and talk about how go about winning the game… i love it when i'm in one of those team then u can hear them speak like"everyone rush through the middle throwing a motar beacon", and i hate it when i'm on the other team as we get slaughtered… LOL
i love it when i'm on one of those teams then u can hear them speak "rush through the middle throwing a mortar beacon." well said saini. i love being on one of those teams as well. i have to say some of my biggest thrills this gen have been when i'm in a clan using headsets going against an evenly matched opponent. it's quite an adrenilane rush.
Last game I played online was Space Marine and in the several hours I've clocked up, I only had 1 gamer who seemed to be peed off no matter whether the team won or lost. Every 2nd word would be an enraged "F*ck!!" with the a smattering of growls and "Stupid F*cking F*ck!"
That got a bit tiring after a while.
My main reason for not gaming online is that I find it boring. it's pointless. Maybe something co-op related with a story would be good but an endless cycle of Spawn Shoot Kill Die just doesn't appeal to me.
I'm sure there are some who like to test their reaction times against other people but to me it's just an endless cycle of boring. Don't get me started on Perk unlocks either.
Make a deal with a real life friend of yours to buy the same storyline coop game and agree on playing through the entire game the two of you.
That should be the perfect introduction to online gaming. Storyline coop, where the entire campaign is played in coop, is my by far favourite online gaming. I dare guarantee that you will enjoy it a lot if the two of you go along fine.
There are several games where the entire story can be played in coop. Amongst the better ones are Fear 3, Dead island, Borderlands, World At War, Resistance 3, Portal 2…
And, of course, the king of everything coop: Saints Row. The third is coming up this november.