So I've come to expect this issue early on, as noted in previous posts, but it didn't really sink in until I was playing Halo 3 last night. The connection between anonyminity, and the amount of kids (and I do mean teen and below) who talk that absolute maximum amount of smack during game play.
I'm sure there's some abstract connection with guys who own fast cars to compensate for other shortcomings and such, but the fact that they equate the ability to play Halo as being grounds to be better then others just plain eludes me.
The scenario in question occurred shortly before the end of a team based battle round where the objective is simply to kill people on the other side. Right as the round is ending and the scores have been finalized, I noticed a Humvee with a turret mounted in the back (known as a Warthog) and a player from the opposing team manning it. Before he could notice me, I promptly lobbed a grenade under the vehicle, which 99% of the time, kills at least one occupant, and flips the vehicle a$$ over teakettle. Lob one - no dice. Grenade goes off, opponents personal shield flashes, he notices me, and turns to start firing. Second grenade away with a higher chance of killing him because his shields must be failing right now.. no dice. Grenade goes off, opponent keeps firing. At this point, the kills are no longer being counted, so my game-skill level can't be affected if I die, so I do a crazy charge with nothing but the standard rifle you start with and obviously bite it quickly (never charge a gatling gun in the open - both in life and in video games - you will looooooooooose). I was surprised to see that he didn't fall even after two grenades and a hail of semi-accurate bullets. Immediately after this, I can hear him calling me a "little b*tch". I know it was him because a speaker icon flashes above any player when they're talking (because usually, you can only hear your team). So he calls me this not once, but twice. I followed up post game with what I usually do to showboating teeny-boppers, I mark him down to avoid playing him in any future games, then went a step further to "report" him to Microsoft as communicating vulgar and inappropriate language.
Given, I could have take then standard approach adopted by most of Halo's fan base and called him a slang name for a homosexual, or a f#$ker, but I didn't. Why? Pointless. Extra why? Because I'm pretty solid in the belief that were we actually playing in the same room, he wouldn't call me that. And if he did, the next "little b*tch" he tried to utter subsequently would be muffled by his own ass.
All this aside, don't get me wrong. Most (75%-85%) of the people that play Halo probably get upset with the game sometimes (I know I do), and usually vocalize a "good game" at the end of each round, regardless of winning or not. I take issue with the 13 year old who thinks they're king shit because they're able to pull off moving sniper shots and survive around with only dying once. This usually indicates to me that these kids meet the following critera:
1) They stay home from school to specifically game. Parents? You fail.
2) They have ego/self-esteem issues that are projected and replaced elsewhere. Parents? You fail.
3) They don't understand the idea behind good sportsman ship, and more importantly, respecting the opposing team which is ultimately responsible for making them better gamers/fighters. Parents? You fail.
4) They have never been engrained with a sense of humility. Apparently the saying "pride cometh before a fall" has never crossed them in school. Teachers? You fail....but only when they're in your classroom, and not being allowed to stay home and game. Parents, you are complete failures.
So in summary, I will continue to humor being called names by complete strange teenagers as I play a game I pay to play monthly. World being perfect? I'd reenact the last scene out of "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", find each of their addresses, introduce myself as my gamertag, and pummel the stink off their a$$es.
Until then, even if they are good, they still die in the game eventually, and when they do, I'll be there to give them more tea then the Boston Tea Party.
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