Media makes gamers look bad yet again...

[Botdra]

http://dudecomedy.com/girl-claims-she-was-virtually-raped-in-gta-v/

"These hackers, also known as modders."

Oh sorry, I didn't realize people who modify and create original content for games they love were on the same page as people who spend their time stealing files from the FBI.

The media being ignorant about gamers and gaming isn't anything new, and I don't expect it to change anytime soon.

Tried to find out if this was a joke or a hoax since the site makes it look that way, but unfortunately it seems to be legitimate.

[Ping]

Did you really just now take offence over someone saying something stupid about modders on tv?

 

EDIT: I'm not trying to rile you, but given the fact that the gaming industry is rivalring (if not already bigger) than the film industry and given that even espn is running special programmes on esport, there is no need to justify ourselves to anyone at all anymore.

[IrocJeff]

http://dudecomedy.com/girl-claims-she-was-virtually-raped-in-gta-v/

 

"These hackers, also known as modders."

 

Oh sorry, I didn't realize people who modify and create original content for games they love were on the same page as people who spend their time stealing files from the FBI.

 

The media being ignorant about gamers and gaming isn't anything new, and I don't expect it to change anytime soon.

 

Tried to find out if this was a joke or a hoax since the site makes it look that way, but unfortunately it seems to be legitimate.

 

Actually, hackers usually just do it for the sport in it while crackers are the ones that cause mischief. 

[Botdra]

Did you really just now take offence over someone saying something stupid about modders on tv?

 

EDIT: I'm not trying to rile you, but given the fact that the gaming industry is rivalring (if not already bigger) than the film industry and given that even espn is running special programmes on esport, there is no need to justify ourselves to anyone at all anymore.

I think you're severely overestimating the impact this report had on me. I think it's a point of conversation.

 

@@IrocJeff: Fair point, but to most people who watch the news a hacker is just a criminal, and modders are apparently the same as criminals.

[Onysfx]

Not a surprise the feminist movement ties into all this yet again... 

[Ping]

 

 

Oh sorry, I didn't realize people who modify and create original content for games they love were on the same page as people who spend their time stealing files from the FBI.

Clearly you would not have written this sarcastic and bitter line if you had felt apathy towards whatever people say on tv. 

[Botdra]

Clearly you would not have written this sarcastic and bitter line if you had felt apathy towards whatever people say on tv. 

Because I think it's laughable, not rage inducing. You're welcome to think whatever you want, I don't really care either way.

[Ping]

Have you heard of the guy on espn going on about how esports is not a real sport and how it's all pathetic and so on? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dll8eMJnTEE

[Botdra]

Hah, incredible. Don't get me wrong, I think there's a difference between athleticism and skills involved in video games, but someone needs a vacation.

[Ping]

Yeah, there will always be people who resist change. But whether they like it or not, history is on our side. (sorry to khrushchev this)

[z3filus]

Are you seriously saying that gaming is sports? 

[DerFürst]

I thought this was going to be another verbal abuse "Patriarchy!" complaint comparing bad jokes to rape. What I got was much funnier. Well done.

[Didz]

Gaming can be e-sports. It doesn't involve strenuous athleticism, but neither does Darts, Snooker, Chess, or Boules. If there are fans willing to watch opponents compete in games against each other, you have sports.

[Ping]

Yeah, it's not an athletic sport, but neither are the activities @@Didz mentioned (including most kinds of motorsport), so either we petition the international Olympic Comittee to reverse its recognition of Chess as a sport or we just agree that sport is a term that is very flexible and is not exhausted by athletic competitions. Even the ancient Greeks held non-athletic competitions at their Olympiads, and they must know best.

[eezstreet]

I'm laughing my ass off at these news people. They act as if someone actually got assaulted, which is kinda priceless. What's next, are they going to report that people's cars are getting stolen?

 

Anyway, I have to say that this is basically hacking that they're describing, not modding. It's common for people to confuse the two within GTA (prolly cause of noob console kids who don't understand the difference) for whatever reason.

 

I don't understand the feminist connection? Personally I think GG is a bit silly tbh. But that's my take.

 

Games can be e-sports. They can take a high degree of mental dexterity and can be played competitively, so how can they not be? I'd assume such nonsense from someone who's never played a real-time strategy game online.

[eezstreet]

I can't quite edit on my phone, but I got distracted from the point I was trying to make earlier. The media has been quick to vilify modders and video games ever since Columbine (OMG ERIC HARRIS WAS A MAPPER, ALL MAPPERS ARE EVIL)

[Botdra]

Are you seriously saying that gaming is sports? 

No one is saying it's the same as sports, but it's certainly similar. I wouldn't want to see League of Legends battles on ESPN either, but I wouldn't be against a new channel dedicated to competitive gaming. I mean really, what's the biggest difference? The playing field. Other than that, they are both still enjoyable for the spectators, they get to see skilled players in a specific arena, there are tournaments, huge prizes, you can play with your friends, place bets on it if that's your thing, etc.

 

Mind you, chess is technically considered a sport internationally, despite the definition of sport typically involving some sort of physical activity on a level of mild exercise or more. Poker is on ESPN too, that's not much of a "sport" by that description, and yet people still pay to watch it and pay to play it.

 

Regarding feminism, I don't think it was so much "this is a feminist issue" as much as the girl in the video was saying she quit online gameplay because this was the straw that broke the camels back when it comes to misogyny in online gaming, for her personally. I don't think anyone can deny just how much more rude, offensive, and misogynistic people are in online games, especially in games like Call of Duty, GTA, the big - for lack of a better word - "bro" games. I think the news report is more responsible for making it look like a general feminist issue. But to be honest, I wouldn't say it isn't a feminist issue really. I can't say I've played more than 20 minutes of online games without someone saying something misogynistic. That definitely doesn't represent the majority of gamers, but that doesn't mean it's not a problem too.

[Syko]

Has anyone ever seen Fox News' report portraying Mass Effect as a pornographic game? This is the perfect example of how the media views games, nothing more than violent and overtly sexual.

 

[Ping]

The Mass Effect debacle is a classic, but I think we have to be careful here. Not every news outlet is fox news, and not every report is trying to vilify people for playing games (even if the bad ones get all our attention).

[z3filus]

I also find it funny that some clearly haven't graduated yet.

Sport (or sports) is all forms of competitive physical activity ,which through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills.
Now tell me again how, sitting down, usually drinking and eating at the same time, staring at a screen for 30minutes - 3 hours, is physical activity? How do you improve?

Video games may not be useless, though. But what you can learn from playing video games, you can also learn by reading books. Which is far more better for human eyes.
Electronic-Sports is a rather new development, and an accepted word in dictionary, however it can obviously be misunderstood by gamers themselves, as if they were athletics.
If you're driving a car, you're a driver. If you're flying a plane you're a pilot. If you do sports (you're physically active) then you're athletic. If you sit down and play video games,


                         y  o  u      a  r  e      n  o  t      a  t  h  l  e  t  i  c
                                                                since  you  defend  "electronic- sports" -- would  you  call  yourself  electronic-athletic ??
 

[redsaurus]

Why is it so important that playing games competitively at a high level should not be thought of as a sport?

[Ping]

I think the point is that there can be non-athletic sports and plenty of examples have been given. Merely saying that sports have to involve physical activity does not help, given that athletic activity is only one kind of physical activity. Having said that, nobody is stupid enough to believe themselves to be engaging in athletic activity when playing games (and nobody here claimed that this was the case), so you're attacking a straw man at best.

[eezstreet]

It depends on your definition of "sport". Some dictionaries say different things.

 

It's highly ignorant to say that only things which require extreme athleticism can be considered sports. It's also ignorant to say that gaming doesn't involve some degree of physical exertion; there are reports of "burnout" within the big leagues. And there's also the case of sports recognized by the International Olympic Union which could be argued aren't really a sport:

• Diving
• Synchronized Swimming
• Gymnastics
• Archery
• Boxing
• Fencing
• Golf
• Sailing
• Shooting
• Table Tennis
• Croquet
• Tug of War
• Motorboat Racing
• Figure Skating
• Luge
• Skeleton
• Dogsled Racing
• Air Sports
• Auto Racing
• Billiards
• Bowling
• Bridge
• Chess
• Dancing
• Lifesaving
• Motorcycle Racing
• Climbing

 

 

[Botdra]

Oh man, I hadn't heard about the Mass Effect "controversy". I think Geoff did a good job of defending it and I'm glad he was on. I never expect anyone from the industry to be involved in any news reports, it's usually just some psychologist or "expert" who has never played a video game or doesn't even have kids who play video games.

 

I also find it funny that some clearly haven't graduated yet.

Sport (or sports) is all forms of competitive physical activity ,which through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills.
Now tell me again how, sitting down, usually drinking and eating at the same time, staring at a screen for 30minutes - 3 hours, is physical activity? How do you improve?

Video games may not be useless, though. But what you can learn from playing video games, you can also learn by reading books. Which is far more better for human eyes.
Electronic-Sports is a rather new development, and an accepted word in dictionary, however it can obviously be misunderstood by gamers themselves, as if they were athletics.
If you're driving a car, you're a driver. If you're flying a plane you're a pilot. If you do sports (you're physically active) then you're athletic. If you sit down and play video games,


                         y  o  u      a  r  e      n  o  t      a  t  h  l  e  t  i  c
                                                                since  you  defend  "electronic- sports" -- would  you  call  yourself  electronic-athletic ??
 

You need to calm down. There is really no need for insults here, especially insulting one's intelligence when it seems you have missed the point of the previous posts.

You have clearly not read my post properly, or anyone's posts here considering you still think some people in this thread are saying video games and traditional sports the same thing. I never once said they were the same as sports, I said they are similar and gave you many reasons as to why they are similar, even stating their major difference of the level of physical activity, but you continue to argue blindly.

Sure books are easier on the eyes for most people, but research shows that learning by doing is much more effective than learning by being told, either in person or in writing. You say games "may not be useless" as if they don't already have some use... clearly you're here because you also play video games and see their use. Rather hypocritical, don't you think? I don't think I need to argue that video games have a purpose at this point.

Keep in mind we are in a changing world. We're currently knocking on the door of virtual reality with things like VR headsets becoming mainstream, the more interactive the games become the more the term "sport" will change and become a gray area. Eventually we'll have different terms for things as well. Currently all the gamers I know who compete call themselves "professional gamers" or "competitive gamers" since they are in a position of winning money for their skills in video games, like athletes win money for their skills in other activities.

You seem to be very upset about an issue that no one here is on the other side of. Why is this such an important issue to you that video games not be called sports? Why do you take it so personally and get so irrationally irritated?

[z3filus]

I don't need to calm down, because I haven't even lost my temper. I'm just laying down some facts, without talking to anyone specific. This is not about you @@Botdra.
I'm not here because clearly I play video games, I actually play very little, I'm also not arguing about anything, I'm telling you; e-sports is not sports. We live in a changing world, yes,
but as long as we have 2 arms and 2 feet (as long as our anatomy stays the same)  there is only one definition for sports; most of the physical competitive activities.
 

I think it's sad that some people actually try to have a career as a gamer. I think it's ok to have competitions to decide the best teams, the best player in games such as CS:GO. (e.g.)
But I really wouldn't encourage anyone to barricade themselves into that small apartment and focus on a fucking video game, instead of trying to get a job and have a real career.

I take this personally because I hate the fact that there are people in this world who encourage young kids/ teens into non-athletic activites that can eventually lead for these kids to
be discriminated and become overweight and kinda numb to whatever happens in real world. Before you say that I'm this kind of a person,  -- I'm not. I know such teens.
When they are just gaming and having a good time, they're old classmates are working, they have jobs, cars and they can afford things that these "professional gamers" dream of,
some of these teens or young adults don't even know how to apply to work, the only money they think of is the possible payment they get if they win a video game competition.

:) :) :) :) :) <-- not loosing my temper