Last week, as happens more often than I will admit, I was playing an online game of Halo2. For those who know me, this will come as little suprise. Also as happens more often than I would wish, one of my opponents was exhibiting a dissapointingly low level of sportsmanship. This phenomenon has become epidemic (that means it happens a lot) in the realm of online multiplayer. Xbox LIve has enabled a fantastic gaming experience that was once reserved for geeks savvy enought to open a peer-to-peer channel through agonizingly matched IP addresses. In the brave new world of “plug-n-play” provided by Microsoft, however, the flood gates have swung wide to admit any idiot with $300 of Daddy’s Money.
Send in the clowns. Send in the foul-mouthed dorks looking to hide behind an assumed name and the Master Chief’s armour. Send in the ChatRoom terrorists. Send in the undersexed, undereducated, underschooled losers looking to exact payback on the universe for what happened last week at the school dance. Send in all the boys who were never forced into a line to shake the hands of the opposing team after losing a youth soccer game.
On Xbox Live, after all, you have total anonymity. Aside from negative feedback selected by your peers from a dropdown menu, there is no fallout from one’s behavior – no matter how foul. While this sounds intriguing, it seems to bring out the worst in some people.
As far as I can tell, this type of behavior is isolated to online play. In person, people tend to be a lot more humble about thier ability to shoot you in the guts with a shotgun. I have attended or hosted numerous LAN parties in which carnage and warfare is answered only with laughter and “can I get you a beer?” When you take away the identity, a certain amount of humility departs with it. Either that, or all of my friends are cooler than 90% of the subscriber base for Xbox Live.
Case in point: I was playing one of my first “Double Team” matches – that’s 2 versus 2 for the layman. Since I was jacked-in during business hours, I had to fall back on ranked matchmaking to select my wingman for me. While this serendipitous recruitment tactic has introduced me to some of the more dangerous allies on my Friend’s List, it usually results in saddling me with some village idiot who runs into the open to shop for weapons instead of talking to me about how we are going to win. After several initiall attempts to raise my teammate on the communicator, he finally sounded off with: “I’m here…”
I took this took to mean that he was sitting in his chair, in his house, playing a video game. Thanks. A while ago, I decided to stop trying to drag constructive chatter out of my more mute teammates. However, given the expense incurred from the purchase of the headset – not to metion the dearest fondness that I harbour for the sound of my own voice – I decided to chat with my opponents.
This turned out to be a big mistake. My opponents had established an enviable tactical monopoly through roving the map together like a well coordinated pair of hunters. The map was close quarters, so me and my teammate took turns in the five-second dead-box, watching while the other fellow was taken down hard. My first attempt at healthy competition was to hide under a platform and suprise them from the shadows with the other shotgun on the map. “Hello, Boyos!” I shouted as I took one down. Of course, his partner was quick to put me out of my outnumbered misery with a crack to the back of the head. That was when it came…
“Take that BITCH!”
Aww, man. How original. The B-word (as it was known at James Whitcomb Riley Elementary School) has become the talisman for poor sports in all corners of the Halo Universe. Coagulation, Zanzibar, Ivory Tower especially. No matter where you go, there is most likely some maladjusted goon who needs to turn my fun into a gangsta rap video. If you take my metaphor as racist, you should know that this corrosive trash talking is most commonly utterred by what sounds like some adolescant (prepubescant, even) caucasion in some suburban basement.
Throughout the remainder of the game, things only worsened. Once these punks smelled the blood in the water, their mouths became founts of foulness profound enough to earn them a beatdown in any neighborhood. Englewood, ChinaTown, The Castro; you name it. The B-Word. The N-Word. The F-Word (not to be confused with the F-Bomb – although I heard that one too). While they lacked Intel on my specific ethnic persuasion, they compensated by hurling every possible epithet in an attempt to carpet-bomb the entire socio-political spectrum. They failed to label me as a Stupid Irish Mick, but I felt myself blushing nonetheless. I mean, it was embarrasing to share a species with these guys.
In the post-game lobby (where people usually rub themselves off over how many headshots they scored), I tried to reason with them – as if they were Buddy Hinton. Even bigger mistake.
“You seem to exude a lot of anger… Are things in your life not going the way you would like for them too?”
“Shut up, Bitch!”
This continued for about ten minutes. They hurled insults; I retorted with stone cold rationale.
They told me they had carnal relations with my mother; I told them that was unlikely, as my Mother was a Born Again Christian in Schaumburg who didn’t meet boys through video games.
They told me I was a n!##$r, I told them that the Jim Crow laws had been repealed.
They confessed to being 17 year old high school students; I revealed that I was a 32 year old with a decent job.
They told me that playing video games at my age was pathetic; I asked them at which age they inteded to hang up the controller.
Peter Brady was right. It is pointless to reason with these people. Better to knock their tooth loose, if you can.
But sometimes, you have to try.
Or, at least, I do…
Heh, I really enjoyed your post. I’ve often tried that myself. You can get a lot of laughs out of someone bent on upsetting you when you don’t react. Before the update, I had a few conversations like that with cheaters…
“You know you were cheating in that game, right?”
“Yeah B@%#$, and I kicked your
$%%ing ass mother f*&^%er."<BR/><BR/>"Wow, you should be proud."<BR/><BR/>"(more of the same)"<BR/><BR/>"How old are you?"<BR/><BR/>"Fourteen, B#$#”Its nice to know there are some other mature people around Chicago playing Halo. (I’m down in Naperville)... Send me a friend request (solidmercury).
Hey man, just wanted to say that this post was dead-on. I’ll never understand why people think they are cool when they are swearing like sailors, and being racist. I’m not really an older gamer (at 21), but I’m glad to see that at least some people out there know what gaming should be about.
beautifully done. i too look back with fondness on the days of hanging out at my buddies’ house with his big screen, four controllers, and a few brews. that kind of multiplayer was true fun and is what kept bringing us back to halo for so many months and long nights. don’t get me wrong, i love halo2 and the xboxlive experience—except for the smack talk. my favorite remedy is just to respond to their smack with 1) as many beat down/head shots as possible and 2) riddle them with ridiculous phrases. here of some of my favorites: “were you not hugged enough as a child?” or “i like sprinkles on my ice cream.” OR “can i add you guys to my friends list of l33t players?” of course nothing will stop the goons from their onslaught of pre-pubescent wordplay, but at least it makes me feel better and livens up my gaming experience. finally, if i EVER find that one of my friends is a serious smack talking nuisance i do the one thing i can control and elimnate them from the list. feel free to drop me a friend request (dts pastor). peace.
I found Burnout 3 on Xbox Live to be far worse for trash talking and racist remarks than Halo 2 (hence I don’t play Burnout 3 on Live anymore). I have noticed it has toned down a bit since the beginning…
Well said.
Visualizing a teenager with questionable complexion, gangly limbs, braces, and a scotch-tape-repaired XBL headset puts it all into perspective…
Not to trash the younger types ( I’m presently in the 30-35 age checkbox category ) – I’d say that a good deal of the younger types just stay silent.
One can always leave feedback to help curb the trash-talkers but I’m too pessimistic to believe that that will fix them – being banned for a day would probably just fuel the fire. I would welcome seeing a feature in an upcoming XBL revision that would allow for not only for technical matching but for personality matching as well. Say a selection of game types as well:
-kiddies
-trash-talkers
-technical types
-fun only
-etc…
Improving gaming quality will make life better for everyone – and XBL would benefit by having better revenues. Lets just hope that the smart folks at XBL are working on something like this…
You have got to be the mosr awesome person ever. I share your sentiments, and also get a little angry when all attempts to have decent game are marred by pointless name-calling.
Oh, right, just figured that I’d add that I’m anything but an older game, at the age of fourteen. That, and I can’t seem to spell “most”.
I think you’ve got a great blog going here. You’re voicing concerns that I’m sure many gamers share. Thanks. This serves as a reminder for us “mature” gamers to keep a cool head during these types of situations. Don’t get caught in the fray.
Take that bitch. Sir.
-Fock
Word up, homey. I don’t own the Xbox, but I was in on some Xbox live last night. I believe we were teamed up against some Yakuza last night, or at least some 14-year old Asians in Pomona. I really was laughing pretty hard at how many times I heard “Take that, white boy!” Of course, if I actually had Xbox live in my home and had to endure this everytime I signed in, I know it would become quite old quite fast.
You have a recourse here. The XBOX code of conduct strictly prohibits racial slurs, profanity, ect.. as you described. My advice is that you report them and XBOX will ban their IP from the service. However, this will only work if we actually do it. If the online play is going to be enjoyabel then it is up to the players to start self-regulating. XBOX Live is not going to spend the time and effort to monitor every game.
Reporting them is easy just check out Bungie.net and they have a guide to spell out how to do it.
Now I know what you are saying, “Well if I report him then he will report me.” Simple solution, Don’t tell them you are reporting them. Chances are that they have behaved this way in other games and will not be able to figure out the ones who target them.
Later,
Lt Jef
I guess the only thing we can do until we get promoted to banhammer status is use the feedback syste, but how much do I wish I could hit some of those people. Not just to be mean, but to get them to shut up for once and their lives.
Also, I think that there should be an “underage” feedback item. According to the XBL TOS, you have to be 13 or older (if I’m not mistaken) and I think if we find someone who we believe is under that, we should be able to report them. That’s just me, though.
i really enjoyed the post, the only remedy i can use to sort of even the playing field is that i laugh at the opposing team when they do go off on a tangent, but also if one of the did exhibit true skill i would pat them on the back afterwards, usually when they see i dont care what theyre saying to me or when they hear that im laughing with them instead of at them. they usually shut up and go away feeling more defeated which coincides with their everyday life as loosers
The first thing I learned from dickheads online: take off your headset (or mute the TV) and ignore them.
I (a 17 year old) was even labled as a middle aged man because by “trash talking” abilities were non existant. That’s sad.
Sadly, I get this a lot, usually from American teenagers.
I will never start talking trash or swearing at someone, but I’ll sure as hell finish it; as you so clearly describe, reasoning – or attempting to – with such people is stupid.
Interestingly enough, some of the most polite players I’ve played with were Swedish and Dutch. Their heavy defeat still caused them to reply with “good game” in the postgame lobby, and they questioned us about our rank prior to the reset.
Sadly, from what I’ve seen, Americans are responsible for most of the cases out there.
That last comment took a needless turn. However, rather than delete it, I will respond with the following:
America… Fuck Yeah!
Coming again to save the motherfucking day, now.
America… Fuck Yeah!
Freedom is the only way, now.
Terrorists your game is through, cuz now you have to answer to:
America… Fuck yeah!
So lick my butt and suck on my balls!
I am sorry that you get most of the problems on Live from American kids. I’m an American, and sadly, I got so sick of playing with people on Live that I stopped. I now play exclusively with my clan on Halo PC. It works out better because I’m an admin and when anybody comes in [CV] servers with the foul language, racism, and the like, we ban them. I wish I could play on live, but now the only Halo 2 time i get is at lans with friends.
Completely agree.
The reason above is why I usually do not play matchmaking, and when I do, I make sure that I know every single person on my team.
The described type of behavior leads me to usually only play custom games with people I know to be normal.
Add me if you want, I usually have 8 – 10 normal people playing every night between 9 PM and 2AM EST.
GT: Reipin Pillage
I totally feel your pain on this one man. To escape the prepubescent swear-fests on live I found a clan which has an age restriction of 25 years old. Halo hasn’t been more enjoyable since. A great way to find these clans is to check out 2old2play.com thats where I found them. ~Peace
“I mean, it was embarrasing to share a species with these guys.”
That’s why I play as an Elite. Humans’ heads may be smaller, but you can see it in their intelligence.
I actually spoke to you on the phone either that night, or the night after this duel of wits took place. I remember you telling me about it.
Somebody who has to cheat at a video game probably won’t be able to hack it in private industry, at least not at anything challenging or lucrative.
I’d like, one time, to meet an American teenager that wanted to be a friggin’ engineer or a scientist or something involving hard science and/or math. Those kids you spoke to probably won’t get past jockeying a cash register. Basically, they’ve peaked already, and they might as well call Dr. Kevorkian.
But for you, old friend, the best is yet to come.
I will play video games until I’m dead. And I’ll be playing them with
the very sexy and very geeky girl I’ve been seeing. You are never too old to enjoy video games, and there are a lot of VERY attractive, interesting, self-actualized people involved in gaming. There are also a lot of douchebags. Its just like life.
Sorry you feel that way Dague, but it’s from personal experience and it isn’t unfounded.
There is racism and trash talking and such from all countries on Live, but sadly, the majority that I have encountered have been Americans. That may well be because there are more Americans on Live, or that might just be because a greater proportion of Americans are racist, I don’t know.
I’m not saying that where I am from (the UK) is any better, but considering the % or Brits I’ve played against that have trash talked etc, it would seem so.
Deal with it.
“The above comment only solidifies my argument. Here is a Brit who has decided to take a dialogue on sportsmanship and shift it to some good old American Bashing.“
It was a side-comment. Boy, some people do get wound up over these things.
Ok, let’s say you hypothetically said “Most of the bad sportsmanship in my experience has been due to Brits”. Would I take that as Brit-Bashing, or would I accept that that may have been the case in your experience? (subtle hint: the latter). I certainly wouldn’t make the bold (and unfounded) statement of you having an Anti-British agenda, and that, my friend, is why some people come across as idiots in attempting to argue with people.
“So this Brit shows up and twists my shiny new ‘Blog to aid his anti-American agenda. The funny thing is that he does so (and he tells me to “deal with it”) from behind an “anonymous” identity.
What is this crap? Anti-American agenda? I have nothing against Americans per se, I just have an agenda against the racist, profane morons who you so often encounter on Live, which incidentally happen to be mostly Americans, again from my own personal experience.
That does not mean that 120% of all cases are due to Americans, but rather that it would appear that there are a lot of rude, ignorant American teenagers out there, something you even touch upon in your original piece, and a point that you went sailing past. Let’s move on then, shall we?
The “Anonymous” identity is simply because I don’t have much of a desire to register. And so what if I did register, it’s hardly like I would give out my personal details, so I’d still remain anonymous.
“And where did you pick up a cuoqialism as seemingly American as “Deal with it”? A Jerry Bruckheimer movie?”
I’m not familiar with the works of Mr Bruckheimer, so no. I don’t need to pick up phrases and colloquialisms from movies, as I actually have enough of a grasp of the English language to express myself how I see fit.
In this instance, “deal with it” was an attempt to get you to realise that it was true from my experience. Don’t like it? Tough, that doesn’t change it, hence “Deal with it”.
I thank Fouch for his commentary, but I must make a correction.
He said: “no one even knows if Bungie banned anyones account for cheating”
I say: Check this out Fouch. the following is an excerpt from a dialogue I had through the private messaging system on the Bungie website. I accused the player of cheating, I reported him on the Zanzibar discussion forums, and got this response…
“yeah, thanks for giving me some feed back, well it wasnt the dummy glitch that i used it was Standby. My account got suspended for 2 days so i decided to stop cheating. But i just wanted to try it because everyone else does it. Anyways if you want to play some games with me i can add you to my friends list. and we can play without cheating. I’m actually good but in team skirmish it either Cheat or be cheated. So maybe i can team up with you in some slayer.”
There you have it. Cold, hard evidence.
This is not to say that I think trash-talking is a bannable offense akin to cheating. I do not. The blacklist idea is funny, but too subjective. I could see myself ending up there after some of my more aggressive banter was misunderstood.
The only way to police bad sportsmanship is to discuss the virutes of sportsmanship.
I am the law.
Just wanted to start off by thanking you for posting back to me, and more than thank you for being so civil and eloquent with your response. It’s good to see that Bungie is doing something, before I was speaking from my own experience. The only feedback I’ve gotten is repetition of a form letter from Bungie saying they got my e-mail, but couldn’t comment on what they would do with the complaints within.
Also I’ve been thinking since my last post and I’ve gotta agree with you that a banned list, though amusing and even a tad tempting, just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. I mean in the end we are talking about a Game here, one that’s supposed to be Played for Fun. Anymore it just seems like the idea of Bungie using such a brazen bit of intimidation just goes against the whole idea of an enjoyable experience.
Thanks again, I go by Fouch on XBL as well, send me a friends request is you want to play sometime.
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DATE: 5/12/2005 04:55:13 PM
I am fourteen and play video games, and don’t think young gamers should be insulted as often as they do. Most trash-talkers are young, but most young gamers don’t trash-talk.
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DATE: 5/14/2005 01:31:55 PM
The above comment only solidifies my argument. Here is a Brit who has decided to take a dialogue on sportsmanship and shift it to some good old American Bashing.
He makes some (potentially) valid points. And, with the face our current American administration has chosen with which to face the world, American Bashing is going to be part of our way of life for the time being.
My objection is this: My post was about trash talking. Not how bad Americans are. So this Brit shows up and twists my shiny new ‘Blog to aid his anti-American agenda. The funny thing is that he does so (and he tells me to “deal with it”) from behind an “anonymous” identity.
So much for that high road you were hoping to take, Churchill! It just goes to show that arguing with someone through the Internet is like competing in the Special Olympics: Even if you win, you still look retarded.
And where did you pick up a cuoqialism as seemingly American as “Deal with it”? A Jerry Bruckheimer movie?
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DATE: 5/18/2005 11:43:19 AM
I was just reading your post, got to this passage
aOoeAside from negative feedback selected by your peers from a dropdown menu, there is no fallout from one’s behavior – no matter how foul.aO
and a though occurred to me. You see thereaO™s not only no direct punishment to discourage this kind of behavior, thereaO™s hardly even a rumor of any kind of punishment. Though it may sound a bit twisted, I think whataO™s really missing is fear. The new patch cleaned up many cheaters online, and I praise Bungie for that, but as far as anyone who hasnaO™t had their account banned, someone directly faced with evidence that negative actions do have negative consequences, no one even knows if Bungie banned anyones account for cheating. It could just be that the new patch makes things like ‘stand by’ not work, but that the players doing so never even lost their accounts, us straight player have no way of knowing any different. This train of thought lead to an idea, what if Bungie announced ever person whose account they ever banned? What if they made a web page, linked off of Bungie.net, that was nothing but one long list of gamertags they’d had to ban? I think that just might have enough substance to not only discourage cheaters but to make people think twice about any action that could earn them feedback, insults included. Perhaps I’m really off base and fear is the last thing needed in a game, but I’m still gonna send this idea along to Bungie.
Great article, it’s always nice to read something like this and be reminded that some people on XBL are human enough to have humility.
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DATE: 5/12/2005 11:52:19 AM
I just have one word:
Word.
GT: Mintz08
I gotta play with you.
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DATE: 5/12/2005 06:48:44 AM
I felt like I was sitting in one of the pews listening to James Brown giving it to the congregation in the Blues Brothers. I was waving my fan and shouting, “Amen!” throughout the post. Great job.
I live in Japan (born and raised in Schaumburg – coincidence!) and I usually play with my Japanese friends so I often often mistaken for a Japanese. I cannot repeat the comments I am used to hearing. Sigh. Lately, I just turn off the volume.
Send me a “Yo!” on-line if you get a chance: gametag: Kaboris
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DATE: 5/12/2005 05:15:00 AM
I, too, really enjoyed this. I have made similar posts to a number of forums recently, although none as well-written or entertaining as your blog. I’ve learned to expect this sort of thing whenever I play. That said, I do have to say how refreshing it is to find some folks both my age (mid-30’s) and younger (teenagers) who are mature, polite, and good sports. Sadly, as often as I run into kids with trash mouths and no sense of common courtesy, I run into their mature counterparts who never grew up, and I think that is when I am most bothered.
Anyway, I’m always up for a game if you don’t mind mediocrity….