Fellow Gamers, I Have a Dream.

I’m taking a break from my Mass Effect blogathon (that’s a blog and a marathon in one… Get it?) to write you, my esteemed compadres, with regard to a disturbing development within my psyche. I seem to be finding that… Well… I’m losing interest in online multiplayer. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the concept is still awesome, but poor execution and abusive players seem to be ruining it for me.

I’m willing to admit that it may be my recent and heavy foray into Halo 3 multiplayer, but I can’t help but notice it elsewhere and especially in the collective gamer consciousness (if such a thing exists). Frustration and dissatisfaction with multiplayer games is mounting; from cheaters and erratic server-side lag to abusive players and indifferent companies that seem to censor only the unnecessary, I can’t be the only one who hears the cry for a reasonable online experience, both in customer satisfaction and the treatment of others. Call me a hippy, but I sure would like to get online one day and trade jokes with some other gamers without having to listen to someone on the opposite team ranting and raving about all of the deplorable things he’s done to my mother simply because the game didn’t put me on his side. Call me crazy, but I sure would like for a game to be released in its most finished state, without the need to patch it for six months post-release to make it playable (Gears of War 2 comes to mind…).

Despite those undoubtedly utopian ideas of mine (god knows I could never ask someone with the opportunity to be racist and insulting guilt-free to at least pretend to be educated), I know this will never happen. I know the hordes of online fanboys, trolls, bashers and sore losers can never be overcome. I know the sleazy developers riding on brand popularity out there won’t jump back on the good game bandwagon just because I bitch about it. So what am I to do? Retreat to my Mass Effects, my Bioshocks, my Lost Odysseys? Play Street Fighter IV strictly with my friends on a couch? I have a dream, friends.

I have a dream that one day online gamerdom will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “let’s get to it and slaughter each other like gentlemen.”

I have a dream that one day on the sandy hills of Sand Trap former fanboys and former sore losers will be able to frag each other with a sense of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the streets of Liberty City, a virtual metropolis crawling with the pseudo gangster, will be transformed into an oasis of awesome kills and sweet jumps.

I have a dream that I will one day get online and find a gamerdom where players will not be judged by sexuality or gender, but by the content of their kill/death ratio.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Gridlock, with its vicious smack-talkers, with its developers releasing it half-baked; one day right there in Gridlock, little boy gamers will be able to join hands with little girl gamers as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every kill will be exalted, every slur and insult shall be made low, the rough edges of our collective personality made smooth, and the crooked mindsets will be made straight, and the glory of Master Chief/Gordon Freeman/Mario shall be revealed, and all gamers will see it together.

I’m taking a break from my Mass Effect blogathon (that’s a blog and a marathon in one… Get it?) to write you, my esteemed compadres, with regard to a disturbing development within my psyche. I seem to be finding that… Well… I’m losing interest in online multiplayer. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the concept is still awesome, but poor execution and abusive players seem to be ruining it for me.

I’m willing to admit that it may be my recent and heavy foray into Halo 3 multiplayer, but I can’t help but notice it elsewhere and especially in the collective gamer consciousness (if such a thing exists). Frustration and dissatisfaction with multiplayer games is mounting; from cheaters and erratic server-side lag to abusive players and indifferent companies that seem to censor only the unnecessary, I can’t be the only one who hears the cry for a reasonable online experience, both in customer satisfaction and the treatment of others. Call me a hippy, but I sure would like to get online one day and trade jokes with some other gamers without having to listen to someone on the opposite team ranting and raving about all of the deplorable things he’s done to my mother simply because the game didn’t put me on his side. Call me crazy, but I sure would like for a game to be released in its most finished state, without the need to patch it for six months post-release to make it playable (Gears of War 2 comes to mind…).

Despite those undoubtedly utopian ideas of mine (god knows I could never ask someone with the opportunity to be racist and insulting guilt-free to at least pretend to be educated), I know this will never happen. I know the hordes of online fanboys, trolls, bashers and sore losers can never be overcome. I know the sleazy developers riding on brand popularity out there won’t jump back on the good game bandwagon just because I bitch about it. So what am I to do? Retreat to my Mass Effects, my Bioshocks, my Lost Odysseys? Play Street Fighter IV strictly with my friends on a couch? I have a dream, friends.

I have a dream that one day online gamerdom will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “let’s get to it and slaughter each other like gentlemen.”

I have a dream that one day on the sandy hills of Sand Trap former fanboys and former sore losers will be able to frag each other with a sense of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the streets of Liberty City, a virtual metropolis crawling with the pseudo gangster, will be transformed into an oasis of awesome kills and sweet jumps.

I have a dream that I will one day get online and find a gamerdom where players will not be judged by sexuality or gender, but by the content of their kill/death ratio.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Gridlock, with its vicious smack-talkers, with its developers releasing it half-baked; one day right there in Gridlock, little boy gamers will be able to join hands with little girl gamers as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every kill will be exalted, every slur and insult shall be made low, the rough edges of our collective personality made smooth, and the crooked mindsets will be made straight, and the glory of Master Chief/Gordon Freeman/Mario shall be revealed, and all gamers will see it together.

Oh please.

I read Blogathon, and I immediately stopped reading. Thank you for lowering my hopes of being a cool person.

"Oh please."

The secret is finding a good community of people to play with. I play almost exclusively with people on my friends list, or at least with enough of us to fill a team. It makes all the difference in the world.

"I read Blogathon, and I immediately stopped reading."

It's a shame that this will never happen but that's people for you. There's no good in them.

"BatgirlBabs said:

"tekmojo said:

"Oh please."

way to be supportive!"

What did you want me to say.

Oh yes End_Boss, I agree exactly with what you are envisioning! I wish every gamer was just like you. You have such original utopian ideas that every gamer should adhere to. One day people like you and me will spread the word of the chosen one End_Boss because he knows how pure gaming should be. Gaming should be saved soon from the fat cat developers or else we are all doomed!

Sorry, I don't like choking on my vomit.

"

"End_Boss said:

Did you not recognize that it was a sardonic take on Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech? I mean, I didn't want to say anything the first time because I figured you were just being a dick. But dude... Call it a bad joke if you want, but at least understand it first."

It wasn't a bad joke. It was a bad attempt at creating a joke."

Your dream is bad! Talking shit over the internet is so fun to do.

ha. I see waha you did with the title there.

"End_Boss said:

Did you not recognize that it was a sardonic take on Martin Luther King's "I have a dream" speech? I mean, I didn't want to say anything the first time because I figured you were just being a dick. But dude... Call it a bad joke if you want, but at least understand it first."

It wasn't a bad joke. It was a bad attempt at creating a joke."

over the past few months i have shifted to playing with random dudes on the internet to playing with members of giantbomb. Its a lot more consistent and its easier to predict how things are going to turn out - for example I know if I play gears 2 with Discorsi he is going to cry when he loses and blame it on lag. Also it means you can just party chat and not worry about the randoms and their weird obsession with sexual assualt on members of your family.

Go hang out in the IRC for a bit, thats also a great way to form groups. You just need to shout "Anyone want to play street fighter 4?" and people will mob you with invites. MOB YOU!!

Another issue is - the sort of gamer that halo 3 attracts is unlikely to be the sort of mature forward-thinking person you are hoping to find. Just a thought...

I haven't really found an online game to captivate me in a long time. I play random spurts of different games that I've accumulated, but I still have yet to find a multiplayer experience that can reach the level that ut2k4 and BF2 did for me. That said, I enjoy shit talking to extremes. Outside of the internet, I tend to generally be the most composed person in any given group, so sitting there screaming "FUCK" 15 times in a row when I get annoyed at a game is actually relaxing for me.

Sweep is right. You should come hang out in the IRC. Then you can hate me in real time. (In all seriousness though, the bros in the IRC organize impromptu game sessions all the goddamn time. It's crazy.)

I have a dream you'd stop talking

I don't really play online games that much period. With the exception of the Valve games of course. For some reason, I can only sit down and play a lot of Left 4 Dead, TF2 or Day of Defeat instead of Call of Duty 4. I do like your "dream" though. I liked how you actually took parts of the speech and made them your own. For example, Gridlock = Alabama. Nice.

i honestly find much of that stuff you listed extremely entertaining. Nothing beats pissing off an MLG wannabee pro, 1 vs 1-ing him then messaging a screenshot of you teabagging him underneath the scoreboard :D.

In fact it's kinda like an interactive mini game within halo 3

But then that's me, everyone else here prefers to complain rather than enjoy :P

Related thread


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:P

One word.......

It depends on what game you are playing. If it's something mainstream like Gears, or Halo, or CoD, than yea, it is filled with childish idiots to ruin the game. But if you play lesser played games, you usually find players who are there simply for the sake of having fun. But sometimes those aren't the games you want to play and you just need to deal with them. That's what the mute button is for I guess.

This is exactly why I don't wear my headset in COD4 anymore. Because of a couple jerks that are in every game.

I can't remember the last time I've played online with a bunch of random people. I'd much rather just have a single-player campaign and party chat with a friend or two. Maybe I'm overreacting but online gaming (voice chatting) can be tough to deal with. It probably doesn't help that whenever I talk people are like "ARE YOU A GIRL? OR DID YOUR BALLS NOT DROP YET?" Sigh.

"I can't remember the last time I've played online with a bunch of random people. I'd much rather just have a single-player campaign and party chat with a friend or two. Maybe I'm overreacting but online gaming (voice chatting) can be tough to deal with. It probably doesn't help that whenever I talk people are like "ARE YOU A GIRL? OR DID YOUR BALLS NOT DROP YET?" Sigh."

I will talk a whole lot of mess when I'm with my friends- but never random people.  I think there's a difference between being a jerk and having fun with buddies, so I rarely play with strangers.  I feel like I wouldn't say anything on Live that I wouldn't say to someones face, and I don't like those "online badass persona" business, it just seems really immature and silly.

I really like your speech transcript, and would love to hear Obama read this. I'd also like to add an ammendment. I have a dream that one day Nintendo will do online gaming right and that Friend Codes will die a horrible death.