Online Anti-Social Behaviour.

Why am I always abused on Xbox Live for doing nothing except try and be nice to people? I will happily get along with anyone, I have a large circle of friends and gamers who join me online, so why can I never find anyone in public games who can just give the smack talk a rest.

I don’t come online to have an argument just because I am ‘a Brit’ which is usually followed by a cockney London accent of which a small minority of people in the UK have. Should I classify these things as racial abuse? It has got to the point where it has become pointless to even put my headset on when playing with anyone other than friends and I really wish I didn’t have to feel that way.

Worst of all is that most of the games I play are populated by these gamers and I am sure there must be likeminded people who just want an enjoyable game. Sure we all want to win and my own competitive nature keeps me plugging away at things for far too many hours in a bid to improve. But does winning mean that we have to insult and belittle fellow gamers who are on your team who are non-American?

It certainly seems that way to us Brits. I say hello and suddenly a wall of abuse hits me slap in the face for being polite? Is that justified? Should I give up trying to get a social rapport going with online gamers? Everyone just seems aggressive and it’s starting to make me aggressive towards them too. 

I just want to game, improve, hopefully win and enjoy myself. I don’t go to the cinema and find a row of people hurling popcorn and insults my way because I am enjoying the film too much, so why is it acceptable in games online?

Why am I always abused on Xbox Live for doing nothing except try and be nice to people? I will happily get along with anyone, I have a large circle of friends and gamers who join me online, so why can I never find anyone in public games who can just give the smack talk a rest.

I don’t come online to have an argument just because I am ‘a Brit’ which is usually followed by a cockney London accent of which a small minority of people in the UK have. Should I classify these things as racial abuse? It has got to the point where it has become pointless to even put my headset on when playing with anyone other than friends and I really wish I didn’t have to feel that way.

Worst of all is that most of the games I play are populated by these gamers and I am sure there must be likeminded people who just want an enjoyable game. Sure we all want to win and my own competitive nature keeps me plugging away at things for far too many hours in a bid to improve. But does winning mean that we have to insult and belittle fellow gamers who are on your team who are non-American?

It certainly seems that way to us Brits. I say hello and suddenly a wall of abuse hits me slap in the face for being polite? Is that justified? Should I give up trying to get a social rapport going with online gamers? Everyone just seems aggressive and it’s starting to make me aggressive towards them too. 

I just want to game, improve, hopefully win and enjoy myself. I don’t go to the cinema and find a row of people hurling popcorn and insults my way because I am enjoying the film too much, so why is it acceptable in games online?

"

Why am I always abused on Xbox Live for doing nothing except try and be nice to people? I will happily get along with anyone, I have a large circle of friends and gamers who join me online, so why can I never find anyone in public games who can just give the smack talk a rest.

I don’t come online to have an argument just because I am ‘a Brit’ which is usually followed by a cockney London accent of which a small minority of people in the UK have. Should I classify these things as racial abuse? It has got to the point where it has become pointless to even put my headset on when playing with anyone other than friends and I really wish I didn’t have to feel that way.

Worst of all is that most of the games I play are populated by these gamers and I am sure there must be likeminded people who just want an enjoyable game. Sure we all want to win and my own competitive nature keeps me plugging away at things for far too many hours in a bid to improve. But does winning mean that we have to insult and belittle fellow gamers who are on your team who are non-American?

It certainly seems that way to us Brits. I say hello and suddenly a wall of abuse hits me slap in the face for being polite? Is that justified? Should I give up trying to get a social rapport going with online gamers? Everyone just seems aggressive and it’s starting to make me aggressive towards them too.

I just want to game, improve, hopefully win and enjoy myself. I don’t go to the cinema and find a row of people hurling popcorn and insults my way because I am enjoying the film too much, so why is it acceptable in games online?

I don’t understand it and really wish in general we were all just a little more pleasant towards one another and maybe we’ll all have a lot more fun while gaming. A little controversial I know, but after spending an evening listening to insults while playing Halo 3 online I just feel an urge to vent. Sorry. "

shut up fuckface u just dont understand me

This is why I never talk or use a mic online. There are just too many ass holes that ruin the experience.

That's the main reason why when ever I had a mic besides me I never use it, so many idiots are on Xbox live and it won't stop anytime soon.

The movie analogy is a bit odd -- do you go into the theater and start talking to strangers? If it's while the movie is playing, chances are they -will- throw popcorn at you ;P
 
But in all seriousness, yeah it sucks that there are so many pricks out there on xbox live that insult people on their mics, but I think I know why --- the majority of the polite players have voice chat either turned off completely, or only enable it when they're playing it with friends. Such is my case -- I turn it completely off so I don't have to deal with any of these annoying twats. Sure, I miss out on hearing the polite people, as well, but quite frankly, it's worth it in the end. Besides, if I want to strike up a conversation with people on xbox, I'll go to messages and not talk in the lobby of a game. 
 
It would be wonderful if we didn't have to disable voice chat and everyone treated one another with respect but.... yeah... the whole internet + anonymity = douchebag thing applies even to xbox live.
 
Oh and, as Red12b said -- Welcome to Giant Bomb! There are a lot of terrific people here that enjoy playing games on xbox live and are fun to talk to. If you're even looking for more people to play games with, I'd be happy to introduce you to some around here (though I really only play MW2, SFIV, and RB2 online)

I half expected abuse for my little rant. Seems I have found where all the polite gamers reside on the internet. Thanks.

I feel you pain, but that's the way things are too often on XBL these days.  I have a mic, but don't plug it in half the time because I have no desire to listen to the juvenile "hate"-speech used by the less socially mature players who populate the more popular games.  It might be a little better on PSN since there are a lot less people with mics there.  Less of a chance for people to be vocal miscreants, although I'd bet that among the number of people who do have mics, the percentage is the same.  Anyway, I'm sure the abuse you took has less to do with you having an accent and more to do with you being notably different.  Just like in junior high, being different is bad.  But, if you spoke with a non-regional North American accent, then the same people would just call you any other derogatory name.  In a sense, it's a form of griefing, but the lowest, laziest, most soft-brained form of griefing.  If, over time, you have the stomach to withstand the endless onslaught of abuse, you might find one or two friends who are worth playing with.  If you do, stick with them and avoid the swill that festers in the open games. 
 
Welcome to GB, too. 

@  Symphony 
 
We should take back the live chat with an aggressive campaign of small talk and inane batter about the small and trivial things in life. Live gardening, the weather, what's on tv, interest rates, comparing types of bubble baths, the colour of street lights in each others area and general other random topic conversations that will drown the idiotic noises these anti social geniuses make. 
 
Kill them with small talk and idle chit chat!

Try being female and playing a FPS game online like Modern Warfare 2. A lot of people tend to ignore any tactical advice I give so end of the day I pose as a 12 year old boy that seems to get a tad bit more acknowledgment. That or plug in the mic, ignore and play.