Why can't gamers be civil?

As a gamer, I go and visit multiple sites and message boards to read about the latest news and also the comments from gamers. Today Eurogamer posted a rumor about what  their sources are telling them about the Microsoft E3 press conference. The big news was that we should expect 10 non sequel Kinect games that are aimed at the "hardcore" audience. All it took from the report was Kinect to start the never ending battle of motion control gaming and hardcore.

At one side of the argument are the people saying Kinect is trash and Microsoft already lost E3 by mentioning Kinect. On the other side of the argument you have the people who defend Kinect and want to see "hardcore" games for it. Then there are the minority who have no interest in Kinect but willing to see what Microsoft has up it's sleeve when it comes to Kinect games. I side with the minority. I don't own a Kinect and really not sure if I will ever buy one, but I do understand that Microsoft sold close to 10 million Kinects and I'm sure those guys are waiting to play something else other than Kinect Sports and Dance Central.

In reading the comments about the Eurogamer rumor on numerous sites and the longer the threads got the more less civil it got. I'm talking about straight up bashing on other people thoughts when it comes to someone disagreeing to your opinion. I know I'm asking too much but it's alright to disagree on something. You really can't dislike a person if they hate motion controls and vice versa.

At the end of the day this rumor could be false.

As a gamer, I go and visit multiple sites and message boards to read about the latest news and also the comments from gamers. Today Eurogamer posted a rumor about what  their sources are telling them about the Microsoft E3 press conference. The big news was that we should expect 10 non sequel Kinect games that are aimed at the "hardcore" audience. All it took from the report was Kinect to start the never ending battle of motion control gaming and hardcore.

At one side of the argument are the people saying Kinect is trash and Microsoft already lost E3 by mentioning Kinect. On the other side of the argument you have the people who defend Kinect and want to see "hardcore" games for it. Then there are the minority who have no interest in Kinect but willing to see what Microsoft has up it's sleeve when it comes to Kinect games. I side with the minority. I don't own a Kinect and really not sure if I will ever buy one, but I do understand that Microsoft sold close to 10 million Kinects and I'm sure those guys are waiting to play something else other than Kinect Sports and Dance Central.

In reading the comments about the Eurogamer rumor on numerous sites and the longer the threads got the more less civil it got. I'm talking about straight up bashing on other people thoughts when it comes to someone disagreeing to your opinion. I know I'm asking too much but it's alright to disagree on something. You really can't dislike a person if they hate motion controls and vice versa.

At the end of the day this rumor could be false.

I think I'm pretty civil, and for the most parts the GB forums usually are. 

I've been thinking about that too but apparantly it's important for them to feel better than the other person who doesn't share the same opinion.

Not to jive all over you post, but this lack of civility is rampant throughout all message boards, not just the "gamer" forums. While there are people who would like to engage civil discussion, they are drastically outnumbered by insolent mouth-breathers who are looking for a reason to argue.

Because the internet allows for anonymity, and people think this allows them to act like a bunch of assholes. Most of it is probably children, or people who are frustrated in their lives who turn to taking out on the faceless people they encounter online. 

Well I do not hate the people  , I hate the companies and their attempt to do like Ninty did , but whateves man :\ lets see if this either put a nail in the coffin for motion controls or makes them stick longer ( I hope for the latter )

I'm a nice guy. 

Nice guy Eddy they call me.

Eddy's not my name though.

People can't be civil. It's not just gamers. Go to any non gaming website and read the comments in places. It's revolting everywhere.

Its just the internet in general.  People can be ass's so they are.  

I like to think of myself as quite civilised. 

 It's quite simple actually; the anonymity of the internet.

You should checkout the comments on my hometown newspaper's website. Yikes. Talk about a bunch of inbred hillbillies. Shocking I tell you, shocking.

Shut Up!

I think I'm pretty civil, and for the most parts the GB forums usually are. 

It's an underlying problem with the sociology of the internet. Most people on the internet don't truly conceive that the people they talk to on the internet are real humans because the person isn't there in the flesh to see, and so the traditional instincts of civility break down. What's more those who could never get away with certain kinds of insulting interaction in the real world can use the internet as an outlet for their idiocy. Honestly, it bothers me every time I see it and most of all it bothers me when it happens on a place like Giant Bomb where I feel like we have the collective intelligence and empathy to act civil as a community. It's not a problem that's going to go away any time should but I sure wish it would.

I work with a dude that can be a bit rude online but doesn't know how to shut it off in real life and on occasion gets into really dumb arguments with people. Most  just stare at him like he's mental.

Because there's very little repercussions for being a dick. 

 "Greater Internet Dickwad Theory"

no one can handle a difference of opinion

I think it's more of a Internet thing than a "gamer" thing.

I've been a part of numerous gaming communities, and Giant Bomb's has certainly been the most civil.

Simple answer; immaturity. 

We love conflict

 Fear.   If you look at why people do, stupid things it is usually fear.  Racial slurs, insults, bad behavior, and most other things eventually lead to a root case of fear.  It can even be performance fear.

There was a guy last night in CoD BLOPs got take out as the last kill.  So he says, “Well at least I did better than that dude (that dude being me ---I was at the bottom the leaders board for that round).  Well as a reaction, I just laughed and said, “Yup I suck.” Because I do not care what my scores was I was just playing. 
Well when I laughed my friends laughed too because it was just funny that I did not care.  We were not even laughing at him at this point.  Nevertheless, because we were laughing this guy gets 'butt hurt' & defensive, then he starts screaming that we all suck.

Then the dude leaves.
 

However, all his friends are still in the room and they are saying, “WTF?  Where’s he go?  What just happend”  So, of course, his friends start laughing too because they do not want to leave because it was the most stable room anyone had all night.  

FEAR.  Fear is even the guy who is winning’s downfall.

Rampant fanboy nonsense would be my best guess. Everyone that was trashing Microsoft after last year's E3 has been left with egg on their faces. After Kinect changed the console race around with the X360 pulling way from the PS3 for good, it seems like MS had the last laugh. Besides, last I checked, Kinect isn't being forced on anyone.  If you like traditional console controller based games, you don't have to worry as they aren't going anywhere.

I hope MS does showcase more Kinect titles.They would be fools not to. Their Kinect demo will only be an improvement over last year's shaky debut.

I believe for the most part that the cause of outright bashing one another for having an opinion comes from the anonymity of the internet. You can be a total and complete prick for the most part without a whole lot of consequence, whereas if the conversation were carried out in person the words would be chosen a little more carefully with less hostility behind them.

It's just a general internet thing unfortunately. I really do try to stop myself from looking at comments and messageboards at times because I can't imagine that subjecting myself to all this bile is good for my better nature. Giant Bomb tends to be on the better end of the spectrum but is by no means perfect.

Just been playing League of Legends recently. Great game. Disgraceful community.

op is a fag.

I like to think I'm civil gamer. I don't go all fanboy-ish in defending the stuff I like...I love FF7 and always have people tell me its shit and all that but if they have a decent argument i'll take it on board, otherwise I just don't pay attention.


And if any of you disagree......WELL FUCK YOU! *I kid I kid*

People can't be civil. It's not just gamers. Go to any non gaming website and read the comments in places. It's revolting everywhere.

Because you're a pu$$y n00b and i'm gonna pWn you bitch

Because you're wrong and I'm always right and you have to be reminded of this constantly so I can inflate my sense of self worth

People are just jerks.

I'm a civil gamer. I think it doesn't help our community's image, if we fight amongst ourselves. I'm all for debating and even arguing your case, but when it descends into blatant name calling it's lost. And if flaming and trolling is your cup of tea, fair enough but as I said doesn't help our image. We want games to be taken as an important medium like film and now like comics. Innovate and generate new ideas. Instead when we bicker amongst ourselves, you are just providing ammo for the media to print next 'Violent Video Games are making my kids dumb criminals' bollocks. So yeah trash talk is good if there is a sense of respect for the other person. And lets aim for 'New video game has won Nobel peace prize ' or something.

Because being a massive twat is fun when there's no repurcussions

I don't think it is just gamers. It is generally anyone on the internet.

It's interesting from a scientific point of view. Since a person knows that they have no fear of being harmed, they will say whatever is on their minds and break civility. But if it were in person then more than likely they wouldn't say the things they do on the internet in fear of being harmed. It goes to show you what people are capable of when you give them anonymity and no rules. The internet is really the prime example of how human beings would truly behave like if they had no rules and anonymity. We are pretty much animals after all. "Civil" animals, but animals non-the-less with animal instincts still within us.

racial epithet

Because being a massive twat is fun when there's no repurcussions

Because Anonymity creates Dickitude. 

I don't think the real problem is trolls, as some people might think, because they tend to get shut down pretty quickly.  It really comes down to knee jerk emotional posts that cause a lot of posters to slip in small insults or inflammatory words into their otherwise perfectly acceptable arguments.  Everyone knows what I'm talking about  because almost everyone has done it (including me!).

Because most of them are children.