The European COD championships in all their horrifying spectacle. Everything that is wrong with online console gaming in microcosm. Video courtesy of Eurogamer.
Well that's - mature. Still, this isn't any different than the trash talking that's been around in recreational and professional sports since before civilization. And when you have a dozen cameras all pointing at you, you're pretty well expected to play your role in this little dynamic.
If society paid professions like scientific and medical research this much, we would be in a far better state than we are now. Alas...
Whilst I play Call Of Duty I must admit I hate that it has become what it is today, with the consoles being the only focus by the developers.
What I find particularly troubling is Microsoft and Activision are promoting the competition and by not stamping down on the behavior shown are promoting it as being an acceptable way to react when playing COD on Xbox online.
What I find most troubling is that these **** slinging gibbons are purportedly members of the same genus as I am. That's right, genus - not species.
I think psyching up the other team is important, but thats just openly aggressive and unsportsmanlike.
Reminds me of the North Lincolnshire Regional tiddly-winks championship. Only for the brave that as those things can sting...
Thats just funny... On a more serious note however, I think gaming is what you make if it. If I have some whining, foul mouthed youth screaming at me (which I do fairly often as I'm not half bad at CoD) - mute them, on xbox report them if it makes you feel better (not that I think MS actually do anything about the reports). Thankfullly I know from my own experience playing uk Clan Ladder CoD over the years, not everyone who plays online is like the video. I'd say video above roughly sums up youth+money+media = stupid
They do seem to be taking it a little far. I mean don't get me wrong, I get pretty worked up at LAN, but I wouldn't go that far.