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Who here has quit gaming because of the rise in toxicity?

V

Valkerionseven

Member
Quit gaming, no, stop playing certain games definitely.

League of Legends I just could not go back to. Overwatch was pretty bad one of the last times I played it as well despite kinda liking overwatch.
 
M

matrixman92

Member
kind of extreme. I personally would not be able to just take all video game consoles/games in one trip and be rid of the hobby. Like, I cant imagine one day being "yep I know definitively I am done with video games forever."

Maybe take a break and avoid the things that you know will annoy you? I stopped going in threads on here that I know will piss me off
 
autoduelist

autoduelist

Member
I play multiplayer almost every night - The Last of Us. Our squad finds a 'jerk' maybe once every two weeks? We mute them. Problem solved. We make far more friends than we have to mute.
 
P

Puruzi

Banned
I get lots of toxicity thrown at me when I play games, but I don't really give a shit.

Just some random people that I probably won't ever know talking shit, no reason it should affect me
 
S

Sarobi

Banned
I see the toxicity every day, but it doesn't hinder my experience with good single player games, and gaming online with friends.

I mean if I was to quit because of the behavior of people than I'd have to also quit on going outside, and doing anything ever again. Life is full of toxicity.
 
L

LiveFromKyoto

Member
It's the main reason I don't touch most online games anymore and let my PS Plus sub run out. Too many garbage-tier human beings in this hobby, no two ways around it. I gave up most MMOs - unless I have a really good group - because of how many people throw tantrums if you don't do everything perfectly in a raid the first time. It really takes all the fun out of it. And I can't believe there are still fighters that don't punish rage quitters.

But giving up all games? That makes no sense. Plenty of one player games that don't involve dumb people. And I play lots of classic games, which tend to be outside the sphere of the ugliness of contemporary gaming discussion.
 
GTR R35_Supra RZ

GTR R35_Supra RZ

Banned
Give many major fks to toxicity..had no idea shit like that existed. I visit Gaf for some news and buy gms off amazon..and thats all she wrote.
 
M

mcw

Member
I am not responsible for the shitty opinions of people who are not me, that I do not know, and with whom I never come into contact via any medium. Should it come to light that I liked "Captain America 2" and some of these people also liked that movie, the preceding statement does not change.

We need more people that care about this medium and making it better for everyone. Quitting does nothing in this regard.

What you do with your time and your games is your choice, but I don't follow your reasoning.
 
I

iMerc

Member
DieAntwoord said:
I try to game but it's just the exposure of it all that's turning me away from it all. I want to game, but all I think of when I play anything is how everything I'm interested in has a stigma attached to it
Click to expand...


your problem seems to come from the involuntary 'association' you feel you have with the gaming 'community' simply by participating in games as a hobby.

it's really all in your thinking, and that's what you need to change. i don't say that coldly. i know exactly what you mean, and sometimes it can feel alienating from your loved hobby by hearing all the disgusting attitudes & politics that seems to have 'appeared' all of a sudden. but it's always been there. this is especially compounded when it seems like that's all you hear & see -and that in turn makes you feel like that's the all there is for the most part, but it's not.

believe it or not, there are actually more 'good folks' in this hobby then there are 'disgusting' ones; it's just that the latter likes to yell more. they don't yell louder, they just yell more.
but this is not a 'gaming' thing. this is a 'human consciousness' thing. it's everywhere, and at least in this hobby it's not kept hush hush under the surface anymore, it's gradually being brought out in the open ready to be addressed by individuals courageous enough to change it.

until we as a collective evolve on a mental level, groups like this will always be with us; waiting for the right climate in which to flourish; and like gamergaters, spreading 'fear' in the name of righteousness.

vigilance; thats the price good people will have to continually pay to keep those forces at bay.

also, get into the retro gaming scene. you wouldn't believe how much fun is to be had going through the complete gaming libraries of past consoles without all the 'gamer politics' of the time tainting your enjoyment of this hobby and poisoning your appreciation of the tremendous creativity that exists in this industry, on all consoles & all formats.
 
O

OmegaTreeFish

Banned
Erm... If you like games but hate the toxic communities then just stop looking at the community side and just play the games.

I used to read the forums of games i played. These days i dont. I just play the games i like, watch giant bomb stuff and look at gaming GAF now and then to see if there is anything interesting happening.

There are crazy idiots in every hobby. Just avoid then and enjoy the hobby itself.

In addition you shouldn't have to associate yourself as a gamer or anything. Unless you really feel your hobby defines you.

I like TV, movies, books and games. I talk about games and books with pretty much one friend and its not very often. I wont hide that i play games from people but i dont talk about it with anyone unless they bring it up. Im not really that interested in chatting about them that often. Plenty of important shit going on in this world that is far more interesting to talk about.
 
mindatlarge

mindatlarge

Member
There's good and bad in everything to a degree. I don't think gaming in general has a negative cloud over it though. There's plenty of good to enjoy. You can easily remove yourself from the negative aspects as well.
 
B

big_z

Member
Fan boys, self entitled babies, assholes etc have been extremely bad this gen. The rise and spread of social media have allowed these trash people to easily spread their bullshit to the point that it has seeped into mainstream consumers. It's created so much negativity in gaming that a lot of the fun has been sucked out and its why I feel like this gen is the worst by a good margin. I really wish waypoint and other media outlets would do reflection pieces on the gaming community as a whole because there's a ton of bullshit that needs to be aired out and hopefully that would lead to the toxic turds being ejected.

I'm not at a point where im going to go straight up quit gaming but I've found myself being a lot more selective in what I play and when I get around to playing those games.
 
J

Jimrpg

Member
Um... why don't you come community side and play some single player games. They're great! Get a Vita while you're at it and enjoy the cool community there.
 
Nny7229

Nny7229

Member
Being a game is the best it's ever been considering the huge variety of experiences. There is a lot of shit in the community, but that's how communities work. People can be garbage, but they can also be pretty cool. Take a break from gaming, but come back. Maybe to some single player stuff.
 
D

danthefan

Member
Get_craycray said:
There's no toxicity when you just play a solo game.
Click to expand...

Yeah exactly. I experience zero toxicity around gaming because I play single player stuff and just don't get involved. Luckily there are countless single player games I can enjoy. I find the position of the OP quite strange.
 
Riposte

Riposte

Member
From what I can understand you want to quit playing videogames because reading forums and game journalism is unappealing. Seems like you may be cutting out the wrong thing here.
 
S

steven28

Member
I completely understand where you are coming from,but i realised it's up to me to avoid forum troll losers and toxic youtubers who promote negativity around a hobby that is meant to be about fun.
 
T

Triteon

Member
I've got friends who play games almost as much as I do but barely know what gamer gate is. They read a review or go to EB every few weeks and pick something up. They are barely cognizant of the internet drama/bullshit/toxicity of the gaming community.

Don't equate games and the act of playing games with the communities and politics that surrounds them.
 
R

redcrayon

Member
I only really play single player games, avoid all the YouTube/twitch/online gaming etc stuff and have a grand old time, just like I always have. If you don't like the community, it's no reason to stop you engaging with what can be an enjoyable solo pursuit. I've lost track of the amount of hobbies I've tried where the activity is fun but the local club has a minority of arseholes determined to make it unpleasant for everyone, and social media just makes it easier for them to shriek their nonsense over everyone else. Maybe it's that I spent 20 years playing games before I even had internet access so don't really associate the hobby with it, any more than I do books or music or whatever.
 
1

120v

Member
lol @ "both sides"

i don't know your experience but sounds like you just need to chill and enjoy games at face value. or not... choice is yours
 
R

rudger

Member
Riposte said:
From what I can understand you want to quit playing videogames because reading forums and game journalism is unappealing. Seems like you may be cutting out the wrong thing here.
Click to expand...

This is well put.

I would also add that turning off voice chat is generally a good idea (or avoid thinking about it and buy Nintendo :p)
 
C

Caramello

Member
I don't see how anyone could possibly diminish the enjoyment I've gotten out of playing Zelda, Mario Kart, Splatoon, Horizon or will get from Mario Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids, Uncharted, Metroid, Destiny, Cuphead, The Evil Within or South Park later in the year.

Pick games or game types that don't have you interacting with randoms, turn off voice chat, choose streaming communities with good environments or avoid using the chat function, stay away from YouTube comments etc.

It's really not that difficult to do these things and you'll have a fantastic experience that way.
 
N

Nyx

Member
I would never.

As I don't watch livestreams and most of my online gaming is done on my PS4, on which I prefer to be in partychat with friends, I rarely encounter it anyway.

And when I do (people shouting and cursing in their mic or harassing me through text chat or messages), I laugh. The idea that somebody out there is so angry with me because of a game and while not even knowing who I am is just so absurd to me that I can only laugh.
 
B

BashNasty

Member
Sure, there's a lot of toxicity in the gaming community, if you look for it.

There's a lot of toxicity in many communities, there are a lot of shitty people in the world, it's just how it is.

You shouldn't let shitty people drive you away from gaming.
 
P

perfectchaos007

Member
I have been a Nintendo exclusive gamer practically all my life so I have no idea what kind of toxic culture there is in online gaming. Nintendo has never really focused on online gaming.
 
U

Ushay

Member
I've been playing since 12, now I'm 31. Frequenting the Xbox threads on GAF tends to give one thick skin :p

Online communities are easily ignored, I find it's well worth it when you find those cool and fun individuals you can become regular friends with, even here in GAF.
 
J

Jimrpg

Member
I was just watching the Let's Play Playerunknown's Battlegrounds stream with 34 people on the main page and I kind of get what the OP means?

I haven't really had the time to be involved with multiplayer games and really just play single player games. Maybe I've been sheltered away from the gaming scene, but all I really saw there was a bunch of grown ups cursing, and wanting to punch others and shoot others in the face, yes I know its a shooter but there was something distasteful about it, like a real life version of football hooligans and ultras all trying to kill each other.

Maybe that's just how gamers are these days, maybe its just to get viewers engaged, because being nice would make for a terrible video. I'm just the old guy out of touch. I'll go back to listening to Gamers With Jobs and DLC and playing my Japanese role playing games where everyone is nice to each other.
 
B

big_z

Member
SIDE QUESTION: probably only older gaf members will know what im talking about but does that unfiltered alt-neogaf forum still exist? you know the one where perma-banned members would exile to and they would clone every topic made on gaf. can I get a link if it still exists. curious how things look there now.
 
poodaddy

poodaddy

Member
//ARCANUM said:
Gaming does not have to equal gaming community. If you don’t like the community out there, just play games on your own? Not sure how there being scumbags (and just a warning, there’s scumbags involved with everything you can get involved with on planet earth) out there in the gaming community should stop you from being able to play a game?

Maybe take a little longer and think about it before selling everything off? You might regret it.
Click to expand...

All this is extremely true. There's shit muffins in every hobby, so if they're enough to ruin the enjoyment of a hobby for you then prepare to remain unhappy with all other activities from here on out.

My advice is to pull away from gaming communities in general as they tend to be terrible for the most part outside of a few exceptions. Find someone you can share a passion for games with IRL so you can stop focusing on drama that doesn't, or at least shouldn't, affect you. For me that person is my wife, so no matter how shitty "gamers" get, I've still got her to share my games and my passion with. Find that person OP, and do something about your fixation on negativity. There's plenty of positive out there, it's just you seem to prefer focusing on the negative.
 
T

TatteredHat

Member
big_z said:
SIDE QUESTION: probably only older gaf members will know what im talking about but does that unfiltered alt-neogaf forum still exist? you know the one where perma-banned members would exile to and they would clone every topic made on gaf. can I get a link if it still exists. curious how things look there now.
Click to expand...

If you're talking about the voat page then yes, but you'll have to find it yourself, I don't really feel like linking to that saltmine.
 
Shifty

Shifty

Member
DieAntwoord said:
Because I'm paying money to keep the system going. I feel like any dollar I put into it means these people are sharing the same eco system with me. I feel like my money indirectly supports their platform and I don't want to anymore.
Click to expand...
Going about your everyday life and paying money for things like food and groceries is also keeping systems going, and you can bet that you're sharing those systems with total assholes too. They're just less visible.
Essentially it's the fault of the individuals, not the whole. There's no need to punish both yourself and the game creators / platform holders because other consumers are acting like human garbage.

DieAntwoord said:
I want to game, but all I think of when I play anything is how everything I'm interested in has a stigma attached to it
Click to expand...
If you're not one of the people who creates that stigma by being an asshole, then you don't have to be beholden to it. Be proud of that fact and let the people who deserve it be vilified.

And as others have said, it might be a better idea to take it slow and simply unplug from the toxicity. Turn off chat, take a break from visiting blogs that are yearning for your click, or forums full of petty arguments.
Obviously you should make the decision that's right for you, just make sure it's not one you'll regret in the long-term regardless of how shit you may feel about it right now. $1300 for a person's entire hobby isn't all that much in the grand scheme of things.

big_z said:
SIDE QUESTION: probably only older gaf members will know what im talking about but does that unfiltered alt-neogaf forum still exist? you know the one where perma-banned members would exile to and they would clone every topic made on gaf. can I get a link if it still exists. curious how things look there now.
Click to expand...

As a not-quite-as-old GAF member, this sounds mystifying in a morbid curiosity kind of way.
 
ISee

ISee

Member
I don't read any gaming forum besides NeoGaf.

I don't watch Twitch on a regular basis and when I do; I watch in fullscreen mode and don't see chat.

I don't watch YT Let's Plays or read comments.

I stopped playing PvP a couple of years ago.

I have a lot of fun.
 
O

Offline

Banned
I love video games too much to go this route but I see where you're coming from, gaming now a days is too big, competitive and mainstream, it's no longer a niche hobby among enthusiasts and your nerdy friends and this happens to everything that goes mainstream, it's only natural. Theres a few smaller youtube chanells and sub communities out there that are still wholesome, you just have to find them and be into the games those kind of people enjoy.
 
The Spoony Hou

The Spoony Hou

Member
Sorry, but I can only laugh at this. If you don't really care about gaming, feel free to quit, but the toxicity involved in playing online games is a consequence of the sad state our society is in. You can run away from gaming, but everyday life will still be there to hit you.

But hey, if you'd rather be oblivious to the decay of our societal values, be my guest. I'd sugest offline videogames as a good way of doing so.
 
J

JustAnotherOtaku

Member
I would never quit playing games because of it, but I've found myself in a similar situation recently and, from the start of the year, have essentially stopped reading comments on articles, stopped reading beyond a lot of first posts in forum threads, have completely stopped using twitter and so on.

I still see the Gamergate/toxic stuff every so often, but being into the hobby more or less just to play games (as well as keep up with news of course) has been refreshing.
 
A

AXE

Member
I don't ever play with strangers, and I've cut down online multiplayers to one game. Unfortunately not everyone has this option.

Gaming has become weird into some degree. I'm such an old fart that I remember when folks were just happy to play.

The only game related media I go to is this place.
 
K

Kadey

Mrs. Harvey
You play games on your own accord. You don't have to associate with anybody if you do not like. There are plenty of solo and single player games. If anybody thought like you did, because many of us gets crapped on for various reasons, we'd quit but just like with everything in life you take the good with the bad. And gaming has always been this way it's just that there are platforms to take it out on now compared to back then. Console wars and the likes were far worse back then.
 
M

mieumieu

Member
I really hate browsing local game forums due to GG language and anti PC culture seeping into them. I just play games and mute now.
 
nekkid

nekkid

It doesn't matter who we are, what matters is our plan.
This is an interesting thread, because surely any gamer with common sense would quit here before they quit the games if the toxicity was their problem. So who would actually reply with "me"?

Getting rid of the games but staying of GAF is the worst way to avoid the drama around gaming!
 
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