If I were to walk out of the house one day (god forbid) and everyone spoke to me like the real world was XBL, I’d probably be even more of a hermit. One might think this would be the case when attending a gaming convention. However, it’s quite the opposite. I had the opportunity to attend MAGFest over the weekend. I talked gamers in the registration line, at the nightly concerts, arcade, and LAN Room. The entire time I was never called a noob or informed that I should QQ. In fact, most of my conversations involved genuine interest in me as a person, and not as a gamer. Games did come up as a topic, but mostly as a reference point. For example, most people might use the reference of Michael Jackson dying. However, gamers might use the reference of Halo Reach Launch night. (I got the standard edition from Best Buy that night.) But, overall, the conversation was much more than games. These were educated conversations with educated people. If they weren’t in college, they already had their degree and were working in some pretty impressive Fortune 500 companies. My point is, the conversations I had at MAGFest were nothing like my conversations on XBL.
Some who know me might ask, “You’ve been to E3 and GDC, why are you just now realizing this?” I had previously given E3 and GDC a pass because the attendees are mostly developers and journalists. You see, the developers have to behave because they are trying to sell something, and the journalists, well; it’s their job to communicate. However, MAGFest is the first time I’ve to a convention with mostly gamers. This is why the conversation discrepancy is just now dawning on me.
So, this begs the question, why is there such a conversation discrepancy between gamer tag and real life gamer? It would be easy to say, “It’s because there are a bunch of 12 year olds on XBL.” (I should point out that I’m just using XBL as an example. I’m really referring to online gamers in general. Sorry if I offended anyone. But, you’ll probably take it out on me online anyway.) But, I don’t buy the 12-year-old excuse one bit. I’ve seen you guys, you’re not 12. And the ESA stats back that up. In fact, some of you probably have 12-year-old sons you are using as decoys. Stop that! Another answer may be that online play brings out the worst in you.
That’s right, it’s The Strange Case of Dr. Henry Gamer and Mr. Edward Gamertag.
For some reason, when these articulate and well-educated gamers get behind their gamertags, they become meme spouting, nerd raging beasts. Hunched over from hours of leaning towards the screen in the heat of battle. Their eyes turned blood red from starring into the screen for stretches of time that would be considered too long by work standards. Temperament made more difficult than a 2v6 Insane Zerg Comp Stomp, sent into nerd rage by teammates who don’t see things their way or have no idea what they are doing. The transformation has been made. Dr. Gamer has now become Mr. Gamertag.
Rational converse has been swapped with memes like, “You’re doing it wrong.” Tolerance has been suppressed by the urge to spew racial slurs and rage quit. And patience is distant memory; long forgotten like something you’d download from gog.com. While Dr. Gamer would have welcomed these attributes, Mr. Gamertag as no use for them. Mr. Gamertag sees these things as acts of civility that have no place online. Mr. Gamertag actually enjoys being unshackled from the chains of morals and mores. This freedom sharpens his killer instinct. It gives him the confidence to compete. And it allows him to leave behind the weak with less than a glance.
What causes this transformation? What’s the “potion” that triggers the metamorphosis? Some might suggest it’s simply competitiveness gone too far. The desire to win leads to sacrificing ones moral standards. Another might argue that it’s all part of the stress release that comes with playing. It’s not just the playing that releases tension; it’s also the bad attitude towards others that helps them take out the stress they’ve received throughout the day on other people. Perhaps it’s the safety of anonymity that gives them the confidence to do and say whatever it is they please.
I’m not sure what the trigger is. But, whatever it is, it’s making online gaming more of a cliché than any poorly written article can ever do. As gaming reaches a broader audience, it’s chasing away people that may have otherwise grown to love it. It’s becoming so common that most gamers have began to expect it, and they are shocked when the transformation hasn’t taken place. It’s one of the few things in gaming culture that could ruin the future of gaming, if we’re not careful.
I have yet to be disappointed in the content of a Nikka Costa album. Since the first time I heard “Like a Feather” and every song that followed, the soul and funk in her sound has captivated me. This album is clearly no exception. Most of the album, as usual, is a showcase of her singer/songwriting abilities. My personal favorites are “Stuck to You”, “Keep Wanting More”, and her performance of Johnny Guitar Watson’s “Loving You.” 