Gamers who are' terrible at games'

[JagermanXcell]

But that means I finally get to bring this up.... what you describe as a "terrible gamer". ONE man comes very very close to fitting this criteria, and my God its cringe worthy.

Spoiler

My god...
I don't know who that guy was, but damn was that terrible.
It's not even that he is bad at MGS. I can forgive people doing stupid things in a game.
But he was just so loud and obnoxious. Even during cutscenes. Also the friggin popups that cover 90% of the screen. >.>

The pop ups are there to expose the original uploader's constant hypocrisy and lack of intelligence. The actual uploader of this video montage is actually a nice guy. As for the guy playing I won't even mention his name or his channel, its better if no one on the Escapists knows unless they're interested enough to do research.

 

[Glongpre]

^^I hope people realize that DSP does comedic videos and he isn't actually that bad at games. He was actually very good at SF2 with DeeJay, I believe.

 

[Silverbeard]

Some good thoughts in this thread!
Thank you all for your inputs, arguments and assessments. Rarely do idle thoughts of mine produce discussions as healthy as these.

What makes a gamer in the first place?
While you are free to disagree with his idea of fun, if he enjoys buying games and not playing them it's his prerogative. If you want to take the title of "gamer" away from him because he is terrible but still enjoys playing them... well you my friend are spending way too much time deeming what is and what is not a "gamer".
Honestly I find the entire idea "gamer" being some title to be utterly stupid, if you drive a car you're a driver, if you watch TV you're a viewer, if you play games you're a gamer, all equally worthless titles that mean nothing more then to describe the action an individual has previously taken.

Next you're going to say a Veteran isn't really a Veteran if they did poorly in war.

This seems to be a common notion that irks me slightly; I have no interest in stripping titles from anyone. A 'gamer' is a 'gamer' if he/she applies that label to self. The same is true of drivers or TV viewers or whatever else. These are different from titles that one must earn by proving oneself to society or the law, like doctors (academic or medical), engineers, policemen and so on. Those titles can be stripped if circumstances require- for example if the holder is no longer a good exemplar of others who bear the same title.
'War veterans' are similarly codified by a specific achievement that varies from nation to nation. The Indian Army defines a veteran as one who has survived two instances of hard contact in the same deployment without displaying cowardly behavior. There's even a medal associated with that achievement.
Point being, 'war veteran' is not a self-assigned title- it is one that is granted pursuant to achieving specific things. This is unlike gaming, which has no entry exams, certification tests or legal requirements beyond considering oneself a member of the same.

 

[gyrobot_v1legacy]

But that means I finally get to bring this up.... what you describe as a "terrible gamer". ONE man comes very very close to fitting this criteria, and my God its cringe worthy.

Spoiler

My god...
I don't know who that guy was, but damn was that terrible.
It's not even that he is bad at MGS. I can forgive people doing stupid things in a game.
But he was just so loud and obnoxious. Even during cutscenes. Also the friggin popups that cover 90% of the screen. >.>

The pop ups are there to expose the original uploader's constant hypocrisy and lack of intelligence. The actual uploader of this video montage is actually a nice guy. As for the guy playing I won't even mention his name or his channel, its better if no one on the Escapists knows unless they're interested enough to do research.

I was planning to mention him, but I could probably take note of "failstreams" like Tobygames and iJustine. I never was a big fan of such failstreams your video validates that point. Bloody hell, watching really terrible players in League Of Legends gets me into a rant which has cost me a couple of friendships.

For me, I can go up to the second hardest difficulty since most of the time the final difficulty becomes a case of endurance rather than skill.

 

[Gunner 51]

Wow, this thread is a bit snooty.
Just because someone may be less skilled than a seasoned gamer doesn't make them any less a gamer than self proclaimed pros. This is the 21st century now, almost everyone is a gamer and as Rev Raptor said "It doesn't really matter how good a gamer is, all that matters is that they are having fun."

I may suck bigtime on Black Ops 2, but that doesn't mean to say that I ought to have my copy taken away from me or that it makes me less of a person. Just because I like to play games with my chums and that I don't derive all that much pleasure from winning all the time doesn't make me less of a gamer.

C'mon OP, don't be so salty toward the less skilled. Without them, you don't have anyone to win over so you can crow about it.

With utmost and all due respect, you misunderstand my position. I have no personal issue with 'terrible gamers'; I view that as a self-proclaimed title rather than a judgement. It just baffles me how anyone could want to be a gamer if one derives no success (and thus little enjoyment) from the hobby. 'Terrible drivers' still drive because they need to. They might hate driving and fear for their lives every second they take to the roads but they'll do it because mass transport is not always an option. But gaming is a voluntary hobby. Why would one invest substantial money into it if one considers oneself poor at the hobby?

Just because one loses a game doesn't mean to say that they don't have fun. I die quite frequently on Dark Souls, but I've never once got angry about it, far from it, I still find the game to be fun. (Even Ornstein and Smough.) I've never completed it, but I'd be quite happy to sink some money into another sequel. Because despite the beat-downs, I liked it.

Winning doesn't always mean a good time, and conversely - losing doesn't mean a bad time. People just enjoy the game for what it is. (As Taoist and perhaps slightly condescending as it sounds.)

The people who don't rage at games when they are getting beaten are real level headed and lion hearted folks. But having said that, I think maturity has a lot to do with this. When you get to my age, you realise there's so much more to gaming than conquest.

 

[JagermanXcell]

But that means I finally get to bring this up.... what you describe as a "terrible gamer". ONE man comes very very close to fitting this criteria, and my God its cringe worthy.

Spoiler

My god...
I don't know who that guy was, but damn was that terrible.
It's not even that he is bad at MGS. I can forgive people doing stupid things in a game.
But he was just so loud and obnoxious. Even during cutscenes. Also the friggin popups that cover 90% of the screen. >.>

The pop ups are there to expose the original uploader's constant hypocrisy and lack of intelligence. The actual uploader of this video montage is actually a nice guy. As for the guy playing I won't even mention his name or his channel, its better if no one on the Escapists knows unless they're interested enough to do research.

I was planning to mention him, but I could probably take note of "failstreams" like Tobygames and iJustine. I never was a big fan of such failstreams your video validates that point. Bloody hell, watching really terrible players in League Of Legends gets me into a rant which has cost me a couple of friendships.

For me, I can go up to the second hardest difficulty since most of the time the final difficulty becomes a case of endurance rather than skill.

Honestly I can give a pass on Toby and iJustine for having at least a small amount of fun with what they do, even if it is cringe worthy (I specifically went after this guy in the video cause all he does is whine, and complain like a manchild because he can't win, and blames the game to the point of calling it a bad game... don't even get me started on the time he played Demon's Souls). As for bad LOL players, they and the community in general are why I never went back to that game, its a shame cause LOL is great.

 

[Silverbeard]

*Snip*

When you get to my age, you realise there's so much more to gaming than conquest.

Then perhaps you can enlighten me. Do tell, from an academic/psychological standpoint what else there is to gaming aside from conquest and the satisfaction of having navigated a challenge. Surely you would enjoy Dark Souls more if you'd completed it and felt the glow of having faced a game made to be 'unbeatable' (I use that term loosely) and beaten it anyway?

 

[GoaThief]

*Snip*

When you get to my age, you realise there's so much more to gaming than conquest.

Then perhaps you can enlighten me. Do tell, from an academic/psychological standpoint what else there is to gaming aside from conquest and the satisfaction of having navigated a challenge. Surely you would enjoy Dark Souls more if you'd completed it and felt the glow of having faced a game made to be 'unbeatable' (I use that term loosely) and beaten it anyway?

Interactive storytelling? Feeling like you can change the story or have it react to you, or actually placing yourself in the character's shoes and role playing.

I think what he was also hinting at that once you have seen and done so much you may find fine learning of the game's nuances via the method of repetitive tasks something of a bore as you know it's ultimately meaningless and won't apply once you move on to the next title. Dark Souls I found especially tedious and is a fine example of the above, the trash is very easy to clear yet time consuming only to face a boss that will certainly kill you on several attempts at the very least as you figure out the weakness that enables you to beat it. The game was made with online guides in mind and reading them whilst playing is really counter intuitive to the atmosphere they've lovingly created. For the most part the game is a slow paced slog as you grind through everything only to be punished for not having the metaphorical key to the gate's lock.

It's unnecessarily time consuming and I'd rather be enjoying something new in my collection.

 

[Raikas]

Then perhaps you can enlighten me. Do tell, from an academic/psychological standpoint what else there is to gaming aside from conquest and the satisfaction of having navigated a challenge. Surely you would enjoy Dark Souls more if you'd completed it and felt the glow of having faced a game made to be 'unbeatable' (I use that term loosely) and beaten it anyway?

I know a couple of people who identify themselves as both being terrible at games but still love gaming, and it's usually about getting involved in the story or the atmosphere.

I have a friend who loves the look of the Assassin's Creed games, but mods them to make the combat bits super easy because he's terrible at them - he's there to enjoy the environments and compare the churches to the real thing. I have a co-worker who took two years to finish Dragon Age: Origins on easy and still loved it so much that she has a Genlock action figure on her desk - she's there to enjoy the world and the characters.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

It all depends on how much time you put into it and how focused of a person you are. If you spend a lot of time you will be good. People just don't spend the time.


Now for why it's still their hobby, well, hobbies aren't always things you need to perform at. You can't be "good at watching sports", it requires no skill. You can't be "good at listening to music" or "good at reading books", there's no measure. I feel lots of people who merely take games as just another hobbie are like this.


The people who care for games enough to be good see them as superior to any other activity. As more than just anything people do to kill time. They'd not interchange playing a game with doing sports or reading books or watching movies, gaming would be the primary activity and then the rest would follow.


Basically, there's the natural distinction of the casual hobbyist and the passionate participant. The latter will obviously be way better at games but the former will still derive some enjoyment too.

 

[Gunner 51]

*Snip*

When you get to my age, you realise there's so much more to gaming than conquest.

Then perhaps you can enlighten me. Do tell, from an academic/psychological standpoint what else there is to gaming aside from conquest and the satisfaction of having navigated a challenge. Surely you would enjoy Dark Souls more if you'd completed it and felt the glow of having faced a game made to be 'unbeatable' (I use that term loosely) and beaten it anyway?

I can give you a couple of anecdotal and empirical reasons.

Well, there's the story for games like Dark Souls. Drinking in the sights of places like Anor Londo, and the ambience of the Undead Burg or feeling of dread as one makes your way through the sewers is all good, but there's plenty of good lore in that game, too. Take Sigfried and his daughter for example. Not so much "prepare to die" but more prepare to cry.

Or if you're playing something like Black Ops, you will always find one guy who takes the game way too seriously. I'm sure you've met the fellows who always scream and swear if you beat them, listening to them screaming and raging impotently is always good for a giggle. It gives you a strange sense of perspective - it makes you realised that come what may, the game is just a game.

Then you can get the role play aspect of a game, you play it as you would if it were real life. It's pure escapism. Real life is unfair and most of us are little more than minions in the grand scheme of things. In games, we're powerful - the odds are tipped in our favour and we can all be what we want to be. A game like Skyrim as shallow as it is, is brilliant for role-playing.

Lastly, there's community. A game like Doom is a good example of this. It may not hold up as a bastion of good graphics or orchestral brilliance but it's community is one of the most welcoming I'd ever been part of. (Though I haven't played Doom properly since I started using consoles.) Though I'd nominate the Team Fortress 2 community for second best community I've seen.

In the end, it is my opinion that while combat is good, it's not the only part of a game that makes it enjoyable. At least for me.

 

[Silverbeard]

SNIP

A valid series of points and I agree with you fully.

I have a friend who loves the look of the Assassin's Creed games, but mods them to make the combat bits super easy because he's terrible at them - he's there to enjoy the environments and compare the churches to the real thing. I have a co-worker who took two years to finish Dragon Age: Origins on easy and still loved it so much that she has a Genlock action figure on her desk - she's there to enjoy the world and the characters.

I enjoyed the world and characters too. But I enjoyed winning the battles on hard just as much.
There is a certain joyous satisfaction to be gained from sending Zevran forward in stealth mode to spot the enemy group and relay targeting information to Wynne for a nice fireball- when they come running with their shoulders on fire, knock them around with shields and swords while Zevran uncloaks and gets acquainted with the enemy spellcaster's kidneys.
There is a sense of pride in such a feat, a feeling that I took on the challenge set by the game and defeated it soundly. I get less of a feeling like that from exploring Sten's dialogue tree, for example.
Still, I can respect your friend's stance.

I can give you a couple of anecdotal and empirical reasons.

Well, there's the story for games like Dark Souls. Drinking in the sights of places like Anor Londo, and the ambience of the Undead Burg or feeling of dread as one makes your way through the sewers is all good, but there's plenty of good lore in that game, too. Take Sigfried and his daughter for example. Not so much "prepare to die" but more prepare to cry.

Or if you're playing something like Black Ops, you will always find one guy who takes the game way too seriously. I'm sure you've met the fellows who always scream and swear if you beat them, listening to them screaming and raging impotently is always good for a giggle. It gives you a strange sense of perspective - it makes you realised that come what may, the game is just a game.

Then you can get the role play aspect of a game, you play it as you would if it were real life. It's pure escapism. Real life is unfair and most of us are little more than minions in the grand scheme of things. In games, we're powerful - the odds are tipped in our favour and we can all be what we want to be. A game like Skyrim as shallow as it is, is brilliant for role-playing.

Lastly, there's community. A game like Doom is a good example of this. It may not hold up as a bastion of good graphics or orchestral brilliance but it's community is one of the most welcoming I'd ever been part of. (Though I haven't played Doom properly since I started using consoles.) Though I'd nominate the Team Fortress 2 community for second best community I've seen.

In the end, it is my opinion that while combat is good, it's not the only part of a game that makes it enjoyable. At least for me.

So does this boil down to 'story and visuals can justify a purchase?' Rather than challenge, I mean.
Your escapism example was especially significant and has led me to my own realization: I use games for escapism as well, but success in the face of the challenge is where I get my proverbial kicks, as it were. Skyrim is as good an example as any: I could probably kill one man with a knife in the real world if I had to, but taking on six or seven is beyond my ability. I can do that in Skyrim and win- and thus satisfy my need to feel powerful. Does that not reinforce the notion that a challenging game produces a better payoff in terms of elevating ones self-worth?

 

[Dante dynamite]

Well I love RTS and grand strategy games but I suck like crazy I can't beat Civ 5 on any level above prince and when I check online people complain that the game is too easy.

You can love to play games and suck if you just play on super easy mode all the fun none of the trouble whats not to like?

 

[Total LOLige]

I am a shite gamer. I can still have fun playing games with friends, I'm shit at football too but I still enjoy playing it. Being shite doesn't automatically mean you're having a bad time when playing.

 

[jensenthejman]

To quote Adventure Time: "Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something". So if you're terrible at games, but still enjoy them, then by all means keep playing what you like to play.

 

[Generic4me]

I suck at most videogames, though I still usually enjoy playing them.

For FPSes, I cannot for my life get a positive k/d ratio, RTSes, I never want to expand my bases, I'm downright terrible at platformers, hell, even in single player I usually only get by by exploiting cheap tactics.

I was pretty good at a game called Ghost Recon Future Soldier back in 2012, I even joined a clan and was playing semis competitively, but the community died before anything happened.

You can still enjoy it for what it is, even if its hard for you.

 

[Racecarlock]

Let me tell you something, once you pop in nascar thunder 2003, disable yellow flags, and kamikaze the whole friggin' race your definition of proper gaming will be turned on it's head.

 

[A BigCup of Tea]

I'm terrible at sewing and always mess up but I still enjoy it and my lopsided, badly stitched plushies.

I think people have different definitions of good and bad at games. If you struggle while playing a game you're not a good gamer. If you play on normal that's average, if you're good at games you should be playing on hard or above. There's also expectations to deal with, if you say you're bad you don't have to amount to anything. If you say you're good then you have to prove it.

Among all my childhood friends I always was the worst at games, so I still feel like I'm terrible at games even though among my current friends I'm one of the best.

i want a lopsided, badly stitched plushie!!! they can't be that bad

OT: I'm god awful at call of duty but i still enjoy it as i just run about and mess everything up for the other team ( like on domination i'll cook a grenade and run into a big group capturing the post and ruin the score streaks) i'm generally not good at games i think the only games i'm ok at are forza horizen and halo 4