"It's Just a Game"

[Rastien]

The phrase above seems to be the get out of jail freecard i am seeing more and more of for people doing badly in most games.

Generally i see this used, in my case when im trying to offer advise in dota 2 on how someone could improve there play. For example trying to convince an Anti-Mage to keep back as hes just gonna get cc'd down. All i got in reply was "LOL Nerd! its only a game don't take it srs"

Kind of irritating as for me personally when i play a game i like to win and i am competetive, especially in games built around competetive play.

I couldn't really muster a counter argument to his accusation but on reflection rugby is just a game but i will play that with a much higher degree of ferocity than say dota 2 (mainly as loosing your head in dota 2 just breaks you further, the occastional red rage in rugby can be shrugged off).

So whats your guys opinions/experience on this word being batted around and used to try and belittle you?

-captcha deep thought (probably not but who knows)

 

[Smooth Operator]

Well it points out the people you don't want to play with, so it is pretty useful in that respect, the goal after all is to find a community you can play well with.

There really is no point in retorting as he obviously chose to be ignorant in that game, so the only sensible thing is to weed him out of your circle.

 

[Rastien]

There is a single scenario were ill accept someone going "its just a game"

If a guy goes into a bar and bumps into a man 2 times his size and fucks up his pool shot and then says "Its just a game" before the pool cue goes up his ass, then ill allow you to say it to me when playing.

Otherwise its the good old "internet courage" at large.
Goes into the large pile of "shit you wouldn't dare say to a guy in person"

Hehe this is true, and a good example =). Normally i shrug this stuff off but this dude really hacked me off x). I just couldn't fathom why play a game if not to win? i think the basic princple of games is to have a winner and looser although this may well be changing now x)

 

[Fishyash]

"Just a game" is a perfectly valid way to attack someone who is getting pissy at you for whatever reason.

But it's a poor way of defending yourself... and deflecting advice.

Personally I don't tend to take team based competetive games very seriously. It only results in frustration if you are trying to play seriously with random people as teammates.

 

[Fishyash]

"Just a game" is a perfectly valid way to attack someone who is getting pissy at you for whatever reason.

But it's a poor way of defending yourself... and deflecting advice.

Or stopping a football riot.

Heh, indeed, you are right on saying it's a very hit and miss thing to say in real life... people who get pissy IRL can be pretty harmful.

Personally I don't really say that. It's a bit of a cop out to be honest.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

But it is man. It is just a game. You see way too many people in multiplayer(Especialy on DOTA type games...) given into a massive fit just because they have a noob on their team. I can sort of understand this when its a ranked game, but social games are supposed to be just for fun. Remember fun? Its why you started playing videogames back when you were a kid.

 

[Ando85]

I do hear the "It's Just a Game" phrase thrown around a lot. I do think it is one thing to approach the game strategically and try to use teamwork. It is a totally other thing to threaten to come to someones house and kill them because of a Call of Duty disagreement.

 

[Dandark]

It's really damn annoying a lot of the time. Most of the time it's fine although I usaully think of it as "It's just casual play" however when you go into a competitive and team based game like DOTA and say that kind of stuff then it's annoying.

If it's just a game then go play Cod or something else where matches only last for 5 or 10 mins rather than a MOBA game where the average match lasts for about 40 mins and can drag out much longer. You are ruining other peoples fun and wasting their time if you don't play seriously in a competitive game, if you want to play casually then go play a casual multiplayer game.

I am not even going to start on the idiots who want to go into a competitive mode and play casually when that game already has a CASUAL MODE! Many people want to play competitivly, if you play with them and don't then you are activily ruining their fun just to have yours, remember that.

 

[Grivahri]

It's similar as saying "It's just a car" or "It's just tennis". It is your hobby and it makes you happy. So the phrase is completely retarded. People who thinks that games doesn't matter needs to remember than nothing really matters, we are only stardust. We create purpose for ourselves.

 

[Rastien]

Generally i see this used, in my case when im trying to offer advise in dota 2 on how someone could improve there play. For example trying to convince an Anti-Mage to keep back as hes just gonna get cc'd down. All i got in reply was "LOL Nerd! its only a game don't take it srs"

God fucking damn it, I hate it when someone does this in DOTA. Look, yes, its just a game, but most people want to win and you can single handily make that impossible by acting like a dumbass again and again.

If you don't care about winning, don't play MOBA games. Thats just my two cents.

Lol! this is how i felt when i read the statement to a tea. I havn't raged at someone in game for the past 4 years, but holy shit was i close to exploding at this dude hehe.

 

[AndrewF022]

I don't mind it as a defense if someone is playing poorly unintentionally, I see it a lot in Counter-Strike because the skill gap between veterans and newer players is so large (given how long the game has been out), as it seems was the case above. However, if someone is fucking around and intentionally causing other people grief or ruining their fun, because 'it's just a game', then we have a problem.

 

[dyre]

But it is man. It is just a game. You see way too many people in multiplayer(Especialy on DOTA type games...) given into a massive fit just because they have a noob on their team. I can sort of understand this when its a ranked game, but social games are supposed to be just for fun. Remember fun? Its why you started playing videogames back when you were a kid.

Pretty much this. There doesn't seem to be much sportsmanship on multiplayer games these days, just people raging at their teammates or their opponents when they lose a game.

I guess part of it can be blamed on DOTA type games having a strong reliance on each teammate performing well, whereas in a shooter or even some MMO raids/dungeons you can get by with a few shitty teammates. But in the end, you're only losing half an hour. There's no need to lose your dignity and your sense of sportsmanship too!

 

[Jaksteri]

When playing competetively and for victory playing seriously is a must, but no one ever said you could not have fun at the same time. If you can't have fun at the same time you are simply playing a bad game.

Now don't take that the wrong way, some may like playing games that aren't seen by others as fun. And few can take critiques or constructive feed back in any case, others just have separate games for serious and fun, the conflict comes when some one else is playing that game seriously.

Odd I have the same feeling as when people bring up HArdcore and casual gaming, and despite what majority might say, it is all about the attitude.

Oh and before some one calls me in I also play miniantyre wargames, boardgames(not family games, but the longer, harder and more advanced games) both competively and for fun. So my point of view isn't limited to just video games.

 

[Emiscary]

Go to a hockey game, intentionally piss off everyone playing- and then try and use that line.

See how fast you get your ass kicked. The same thing would happen in online games if only we had the means to find the little shits fast enough -.-

 

[Aerosteam]

I really hate it when someone says that, but only when it involves user-generated content.

If someone rages from dying and being a single kill from acquiring a MOAB, and another person says "it's just a game", that's okay with me.

If someone spent a lot of time building their own creation on Minecraft then someone griefs it and says "it's just a game", that's not so okay.