5 Stupid Habits Gamers Need to Grow Out Of

Gamers are ruining gaming. That, honestly, needs repeating. It is to the point now that other gamers are one of the primary deterrents from my favorite pastime. Stepping into a Gamestop or logging onto a gaming forum is like slogging through a chemical plant in Sonic's world - it's tedious, frustrating and you just want to get out as soon as possible. I've determined some of the worst habits that gamers need to grow out of.

1. Immaturity, Profanity, Sexism, and Racism In Voice Chat

This one is aimed primarily at Xbox 360 gamers. Widely known as the ignorant frat boys of the gaming world, 360 gamers are the absolute worst to play online games with. They seem to think that because their console is the only one that requires you to pay for online play that they should make it as hazardous an experience as conceivable. Hop into a Call of Duty, Halo, or Gears of War online match and you'll hear a constant stream of ignorant comments and insults. The shooter fans are the main source of this - a huge problem when you consider that 80% of the Xbox 360 library are shooters.

The racial, sexual and blasphemous verbal offenses are innumerable on Xbox Live. The PS3 has its share of slurs and ignorance, but the 360 takes the idiot crown. Is it any wonder Wii gamers, the most friendly and approachable of the three, have the least interest in voice chat? The 360 has the smallest female audience and its not a surprise. These gamers need to grow up or shut up.

2. Hardcore Vs Casual

This has diminished a little in the last few months, but that could easily be because of the summer drought and general decline in gaming. The horrendously skewed definitions of 'casual' and 'hardcore' has unfairly split gaming into two distinct groups. The so-called 'hardcore' alienate themselves by claiming only the longest, most difficult games (usually involving guns) apply to them. Anything colorful or cheerful is automatically considered casual.

These foolish gamers that are eagerly labeling themselves are causing gaming as a whole to be watered down. As more and more media outlets and developers buy into this idiocy, it becomes easier and easier to shoehorn games into one camp or another. It's reached the point that some gamers will completely ignore a game just because the word 'casual' is used in a review. Quit trying to slander other games with this elitist attitude and just quietly enjoy what you enjoy.

3. Creating Perceived Demand

This one is deeply rooted in the hype of the console war and all the fanboys that are devoted to it. You have platoons of fanboy gamers that will demand a version of a game for their console- even when they have no intention of buying it. HD gamers are especially guilty of this. Developing an HD game is expensive and the return rarely breaks even- much less a profit. They flood the developer with e-mails, scream for boycotts, and wage text wars on forums to demand a port or exclusive.

The problem here is two-fold. If developers ignore these demands and the game fails, it adds weight to the validity of future demands. If the developers give in, the gamers usually don't follow through with a purchase and money is lost.

Gaming history has given us a few great examples of this phenomenon. Soul Caliber 2 released on GameCube, PS2, and Xbox- each featuring a console exclusive character. The PS2 version faded into obscurity while the GC version rose to fame thanks to the inclusion of Link from the Legend of Zelda. With Soul Caliber 3, Sony gamers whined and cried claiming the entry should be PS2 exclusive. One exclusivity deal later and you have arguably the weakest of all the Soul games.

Final Fantasy XIII is another example. 360 gamers spent years outraged over the PS3 holding FF exclusivity. When Square Enix made the game multiplatform, 360 gamers proceeded to give the game the shaft before and after release- choosing instead to purchase another handful of shooters. TMNT: Smash Up, announced as a Wii exclusive, was eventually turned multiplatform after enough Sony gamers made an uproar. A PS2 version was released to very low sales and very little interest. Gamers, just leave games on opposing consoles alone and enjoy what you have.

4. The Sense of Entitlement

This I talked about in Gamers Are Ruining Gaming. It's become overwhelmingly apparent that gamers believe they are entitled to equal or sometimes special treatment from developers. The outrage that follows when an exclusive is announced, DLC is released, or a port is developed is embarrassing. Foul-mouthed gamers flood forums and complain left and right- demanding their share. Fanboys will bombard metacritic or other rating sites with poor user reviews and '1's just to attack exclusives and ports. Here's what they either fail to or choose not to understand.

Companies develop games for money and nothing else. This is the reality of it and this will never change. Why make a 360 exclusive when a multiplatform game stands to sell considerably more copies? The gaming studios owe you nothing. Attach rate, install base, and success history on a console are the biggest factors a company considers- not your opinions or feelings of entitlement. It's all about the money- nothing more.

Look at HD gamers and Capcom. In 2009 their consoles saw Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil V, and a handful of other big releases. The Wii saw a slew of terrible Capcom games- Spyborgs and Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, for instance. In 2010, Capcom released two huge exclusives for the Wii- Tatsunoko Vs Capcom and Monster Hunter Tri. HD gamers have been screaming, crying, and calling foul for months. The angry, irrigational masses are not only convinced they're owed something- they're hypocrites for chastising Wii gamers in 2009 for their complaints.

5. Game length, Guides and Complaints

This is something that's been happening since the spread of the internet but I hadn't fully realized the scope of it until recently. A sickening trend has become the norm in gaming. Gamers have been playing games while constantly making use of a guide, only to complain about the game's length in the end. All the mystery, replay value, and length are erased when you do nothing but score a perfect run through thanks to an IGN walkthrough.

This wouldn't be so bad if said gamers didn't then criticize the game for being too short. How do gamers expect their games to last if they spend every other minute glancing at a guide so that no thought or time is invested in the game? The real crime here is that certain games pick up a bad rep because of word-of-mouth over being short or lacking replay value. Recent RPGs and adventure games are getting hit hardest by this phenomenon.

Another disturbing trend has also surfaced in recent times. You have gamers complaining that games are too long. This one applies mostly to HD gamers renting the game only for Trophies or Achievements. These stubborn gamers want to spend only a weekend beating a game so that there's no need to actually buy it. I've said before and I'll say it again- Gamers Are Ruining Gaming.

Further Reading:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2224563/gamers_are_ruining_gaming.html?cat=19

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2423488/entertainment_evolution_killing_your.html?cat=2

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5580234/8_video_games_that_changed_gaming_without.html?cat=19

Source(s)
Nintendo Power
Official Xbox Magazine
Official Playstation Magazine
E3