[Snagprophet]

Sources reveal that console gamers are targeted by pre-pubescent and adolescent children and repeatedly met with violent and sexual verbal abuse from people potentially hundreds of miles away from them.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18280000

This is shocking. I used to believe that ALL console gamers were nice, mature folks who had lovely chats with their team mates and did not push in gender (along with national, racial and pretty much every other) stereotypes to put people down.



Edit: In case you wanted to know, the ******* was a-hole but it got censored, just so this makes sense.

[Darth Stewie]

I love it when the bbc report on something like this, they always seem to remain completely out of touch and it just sounds really weird, like hearing your grandma rap.

[ELs123]

(Original post by Snagprophet)
This is shocking. I used to believe that ALL console gamers were nice, mature folks who had lovely chats with their team mates and did not push in gender (along with national, racial and pretty much every other) stereotypes to put people down.

Are you serious? cant tell.

A lot of gamers are pretty rude and ignorant. Consoles gamers more so than PC I find since most are kids.

[Swanbow]

Exactly what Darth Stewie said, it's just weird when the BBC try being up to date on issues such as this it makes me cringe.

On the topic though it is a major issue. Back when I first got Xbox live I never really encountered people like this, I remember making a lot of friends online and having great friendly and competitive matches on Call of Duty 3 and many other games. I think the issue aroused after the release of Call of Duty 4 and the influx of non-traditional gamers who suddenly couldn't take losing. The number of gamers increased rapidly after the 'Cod Revolution' and a lot of them simply didn't have manners and treated Xbox live as if it was a place to take out their inadequacies, anger and bigotry on others.

[Snagprophet]

(Original post by ELs123)
Are you serious? cant tell.

A lot of gamers are pretty rude and ignorant. Consoles gamers more so than PC I find since most are kids.

It's been going on for about seven years, kids on FPS game talking rubbish over the mic, since the Xbox 360 came out. I seriously think it's the fault of the 360 for being both cheap and providing a voice for even the most casual of gamers, before the explosion of COD fanatics.

Personally, the first I had heard of kitchen jokes was on the Master Chief Sucks at Halo/Arby 'n the Chief Machinima series. It's just the same joke about making sandwiches and dwelling in the kitchen for seven years, perhaps longer in other social cultures, but this is now pegged firmly into the mainstream, console FPS kid gamer. As much as I am sick of it, not because I see it as more than banter, but because it's so old.

I am actually surprised that people still chat in the public chat channels, though, because since the creation of public parties I hadn't met new people and spent several games having a great time with them. I barely hear anyone when I used to play online, I've more or less stopped because of no wifi at my Uni halls and only one Ethernet socket in the wall (I like having my laptop on) and the release of Skyrim had caused me to play offline.

PC community is definitely cleaner. I think the PS3 is cleaner than the Xbox as well because of the initial higher price tended the PS3 gamers to have more older mature, casual gamers.

[NathanW18]

(Original post by Snagprophet)
PC community is definitely cleaner. I think the PS3 is cleaner than the Xbox as well because of the initial higher price tended the PS3 gamers to have more older mature, casual gamers.

I don't know about PC gaming, because I don't game on PC, but I have a PS3 and 360. I've noticed that people are a lot more aggressive on the 360. In fact, most people on PS3 don't seem to have a mic. I'm not sure, but I think it's because the PS3 doesn't come with one. The 360 does, so more people are using it online. I don't think it has anything to do with price.

Although, I agree with Darth Stewie. These kind of reports always seem weird.

[green.tea]

With people using politically incorrect language and looking at porn on the internet im surprised we dont just ban the whole thing.

[Arcanine]

42% of gamers in america are women?

[anaplian]

In other news the sky is blue.

Also, the OP is either trolling or afflicted with retardation of the mind.

[Clare~Bear]

Unfortunately, there are trolls everywhere

[Mendeleev's Table]

(Original post by anaplian)
In other news the sky is blue.

Also, the OP is either trolling or afflicted with retardation of the mind.

Or just being sarcastic...

[Hype en Ecosse]

(Original post by Arcanine)
42% of gamers in america are women?

I was thinking this, wishing newspapers would have to properly cite their source so people can go check out its legitimacy easily, if they wished. Of course, that would stop journalists writing bull****. They wouldn't want that.

It's terrible some of the stuff lassies get online, though. Many of the girl gamers I know just stay in a party with friends 24/7 or refuse to wear a headset at all.

I get **** all the time about having a Scottish accent, if you don't sound like an American male who could be in your 20s, you're susceptible to abuse. That's online gaming for you.

[ironandwine]

From the website they mention (Fat, Ugly or Slutty):

"Some players like to send creepy, disturbing, insulting, degrading and/or just plain rude messages to other online players, usually women.

We think this is funny."

What? Seriously? Seriously?

[Dagnabbit]

(Original post by Hype en Ecosse)

I get **** all the time about having a Scottish accent, if you don't sound like an American male who could be in your 20s, you're susceptible to abuse. That's online gaming for you.

Really? Because in my experience (albeit, mainly COD) I have found the majority of people using the mikes sound like pre-pubescent boys and that anyone whose voice has broken gets the abuse.

[Psyk]

(Original post by Arcanine)
42% of gamers in america are women?

It's not that unbelievable. Chances are most of them don't play the same sort of games you do though. Farmville is still a game, therefore people who play it are "gamers".

[TheHistoryStudent]

You know, I was reading that article and thought that this was happening at gamers conventions or something, in which case it would be a serious problem, however, as soon as I read the words "she goes online to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3" I stopped reading.

CoD is probably, of all games they could sample, probably the game which has the most kid/teenage (and not like 16+ either, I'm talking 13) gamers on it, most of 'em pretty cocky too (because hey, thats how kids are now aren't they? :P) so obviously when you beat them repeatedly you're bound to get the odd retard who sends hatemail.

However it wont be restricted to CoD, but then I think that that is just the (online) gaming environment to be honest - stupid kids. At real life events, where it's mostly young adults (16+) and adults, I imagine that the atmosphere is much more mature, and hence this abuse is much less prevalent/does not exist.

[MrFlash1994]

Yea it's been like this on many online games for years, can't believe it's not been highlighted till now! But like some people have said above COD is the worst. It's just not the same on other games. I've had some great fun with randomers on GTA 4 and stuff. Just silly 13/14 on COD that think they're hard.

[Hugh-James C]

About 3 weeks ago i was playing gta 4 online (death match) and i got a rather rude message from someone i just killed on the other team , he told me to f*** off and im a "gay poof" for killing him so i killed him about 5 more times and he logged off.

[Einheri]

(Original post by Psyk)
It's not that unbelievable. Chances are most of them don't play the same sort of games you do though. Farmville is still a game, therefore people who play it are "gamers".

No.

. . .

That is all.

[M4LLY]

I've come across a fair few who are like that