Have you noticed the trend of video gamers on the web recently? They're like the person at work who brings everyone down; you know him/her, they remind you on Friday afternoon that Monday is around the corner. Its this overwhelming group of negative downtrodden brats who seem to like nothing more than flaming. Listen, if someone's being a jerk, wasting everyone's time, or doing anything else in excess, sure, flame them. But when a person is sharing an opinion, asking questions, or just calling out to the community, who the hell are you to destroy it? More importantly, do you have to be so aggressive that the person feels guilty for asking the question (or even LIVING with the brutality of some comments). I think the biggest problem with the gaming community is this dissection that's going on right now where large numbers of people from various ages, sexes, and walks of life are all thrown into the mix together. The result is what I have heard referred to as "epic fail".

I think it all starts with the basic online gamer. Picture this guy. Yes, he's a guy, because guys make up a majority of ONLINE CONSOLE GAMERS (not gamers alone, just that niche of gamers). He's a douchebag, isn't he? Let's face it, if you have to think of the typical Halo/COD/Rainbow Six player, you're already assuming he's an aggressive, racist, woman-hating, glitching, cheating ass. Well, actually this is only a select few people, but they always seem to space out so that at least one or two are in EVERY online gaming room. And they're always in a clan. And they're always good. And they always find ways around the bans on XBL and PSN.

Knowing that this is the guy you're dealing with, you know they're hardcore. You can then conclude that they're online and bring to the forums an arsenal of negativity that outdoes their vocal comments in a big way. These guys will make sure that you know EVERYTHING sucks. Oh yeah, or that it RULES. Or that their system SUCKS (or RULES). And they don't really bring anything to the table. These people are in abundance and they help to destroy what we love about gaming. My only guess as to why they do it is payback or backlash. So long have gamers been regarded as fat, antisocial, kids who never get laid. Well now that gamers are in the limelight and there are so many more of them, they feel validated to attack all that negative vibe with a very negative and aggressive attitude. I may only be 26, but those years have taught me that you get to a point in your life (this is hopefully around 18-21, and I'm being very generous with that many years inbetween) that you suddenly realize that getting along is the best policy. Who are you yelling at? The dick that beat you up at 13 for being a dork isn't going to be online asking where he can find the MGS4 PS3 bundle, trust me.

This brings me to my point, these horrible gamers that are either striking back or have no social skills (which means the stereotype may be partially true) are attacking their own kind. Its cannibalism. You're flaming another fellow gamer! I really get tired of people using the term n00b in certain instances (as there are others where this term is almost NECESSARY): for newbies. Aren't we supposed to encourage gamers? Aren't you negative SOBs the ones complaining that there's never anyone in the rooms or online playing? Well everyone has to start somewhere and I think it sucks that they have to have super thick skin and get used to dying all the time with no help from a teammate to ramp up. I wouldn't play long either! And what about the girl gamer? Just because she's female, doesn't mean she's no good. This also doesn't mean she wants to talk about sex all night while pwning you in a deathmatch (especially if the only reason she's winning is because everyone's more concerned with what she said). You have met women before, right? You have spoken with them, right? You do know she's never going to meet you, probably won't want to if she could, and definitely wouldn't sleep with you under any circumstance, so why bother? Just play! Until we start treating our newbie gamers like rookies that need to be trained on a police force and our women like objects of harrassment or sexual objectivity, we're never going to get them to stop playing the damn Wii!

Then we get to online forums, which I've dealt with first hand. I was playing video games when some of you younger gamers were just a twinkle in your mom's eye. I was the ninja Ryu Hyabusa, infiltrated with Solid Snake, saved Zelda, and destroyed Bowser in 3 games before you could walk! Not much has changed, as just this year I did many of those things all over again in the next gen iterations. So how DARE you attack me for asking fun opinion questions in the "fun opinion questions" forum. Just because you put in 80+ hours a week in games doesn't mean I do, so maybe it took me a little longer to beat Resident Evil or God of War. Maybe I want to ask your opinion because I care what you think about something in a game, not that "this question sucks". Why did you write that? What did it add? The comment is ignored (with most rolling their eyes), the question and forum post still exists, and you still haven't offered your opinion. But I guess the latter is no big surprise, these flamers never talk about what they think, wouldn't want to get flamed themselves. And what's up with going to the guitar hero web site and getting on the main forum and posting "Guitar Hero sucks". Is this really what you do with your free time? Didn't a game to play, movie to watch, bike to ride, girl to talk to, life to continue living?

Now, if I were to badger or bash you flamers for what you're doing, I'd be no better than you. So instead I'm going to practice what I preach. Please, join us. Let the gaming community all become one. If you're hardcore, make a hardcore room, explain to newbies that they don't have the skill for where you are playing and ask them to leave. If they stay, kick em. If you have no opinion on a question or think it's dumb, ignore it and go somewhere where something you do agree with is happening. Go on to web sites that may actually be about something you like. Or hell, start a blog and yell at a community from your tower, just leave us out of it! If we all start working together, we can show that not only do we have the numbers, but the civility to be more than just "little boys playing with toys".