Sunday, June 12, 2011

Exploring Human Behavior Through Multiplayer Gaming

Multiplayer aspects have been a huge part of gaming since the dawn of the industry. Pong was ONLY multiplayer. But, in recent years, it has become a driving force in every game. Online multiplayer can make or break a game's sales. I'm not here to talk about that though. I'm here to discuss who we become in certain gaming situations. Let's begin.



Situation 1: Open World Games (Red Dead Redemption)

"Hey, let's climb on top of that house and punch each other until one of us falls off and dies. Whoever stays on is the winner." Now, unless you're a very competitive MMA fighter with a shingle fetish, you've never suggested this idea in every day life. But, this is what me and my friends did for two very manly hours in Red Dead Redemption free roam. With no guidelines or boundaries like the police or death stopping us, we could basically do what we wanted. And we used this amazing gift to beat each other senseless. What does that say about us? Are we harboring resentment? Probably not.

We're definitely not the worst though. We don't blatantly murder other players. A rooftop cowboy fight club is mostly what we do. The question still lingers though. Why do we do this? We don't see each other in the real world and think, "you know what would look good on his face? My fist." Probably because this would lead to complications like pain and confusion. Also, I have a huge fear of heights so there's no way I'd fight someone on a roof. So what I've learned from this is, take away death and people do nothing but try to kill each other.


Situation 2: Fighting Games (Marvel vs Capcom, Street Figher, Mortal Kombat, etc.)
If you ever want a glimpse into the true nature of someone you know, and wanna judge them based on that for the rest of your life because you can't unsee it, play a fighting game the way they DON'T play a fighting game. You'll hear the kind of whining only suited for a toddler. That's the kind of thing that comes out in this situation and I'm not sure why. Both players want to win and both want to do whatever they can to do so but whether that's knowing magnificent combos or using projectiles to keep your opponent away, if they're not doing that, then you shouldn't be either.

Some call it poor sportsmanship, because that's what it is. And others call it the game being broken, because that's what it is. It depends on the game, the person, and a plethora of other factors. But you can rest assured knowing one thing, whatever you're doing is the absolute worst way to play no matter what. People naturally don't want to fail, and they also naturally don't want to be the cause of their own failure. The best course of action is to blame the other person. Trash talking also helps, winning or losing.



"CHA CHA DESMOND" - I don't know what it means either.

Situation 3: First Person Shooters (Halo, Call of Duty, etc.)
Couldn't bring up multiplayer gaming without talking about these. As far as online communities go, if it were a town, this is the ghetto. This takes the unsportsmanship conduct from fighting games to an entirely new level. Racial slurs, hack threats, accusations of the promiscuity of your mother. And that's just the children. Again, people just can't handle losing. But here is where it gets ridiculous. When people get stabbed in the real world over getting stabbed in a game. Pretty gruesome stuff. Also, how big is the human brain? Because that knife looks comically large. Nevermind. Anyway, imagine that. Someone was so upset at losing in a game that they risked murder and jail time. I'm assuming that that's what happens in China, in regards to stabbings.

Think of what kind of mindset you have to have to stab somebody. There are plenty of, I won't say good, but understandable reasons to stab someone. Self defensive, because "fuck that guy.", or you happen to run into Michael Moore. Counter Strike, or any other online game ever, is not a good reason to attempt murder. Under no circumstances is that acceptable. And you'll forever be known as "that guy that stabbed that one dude over Counter Strike." That's a lifelong commitment.

3 comments:

  1. Very detailed post.
    You can learn a lot about someone by watching them play vidya games!

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  2. They say gamers aren't socializing. Go to Steam and just you will see 2.5 gamers online.

    I just bought Red Dead Redemption for the 360 yesterday. Hopefully it will be a good game as it comes from Rockstar.

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  3. That's an interesting take on things. I never thought about it that way.

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