Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – The Vet & The n00b Trash Talk – An Accurate Reflection of the FPS Community?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – The Vet & The n00b Trash Talk – An Accurate Reflection of the FPS Community?
The latest COD MW3 commercial featuring the “The Vet and the n00b” has been released and it is spot on in its observations. However for me, it is paradoxically very amusing but at the same time quite tragic. This is because once the humour of the situation dissipates, we are left with a rather unflattering observation about the behaviour of a substantial part of the FPS gaming community. It is also one that a lot of people will confirm. I like many other gamers was playing multiplayer MW3 on launch date and within minutes of being online, the usual suspects were back on, trolling, behaving poorly and generally ticking every box.

I have discussed this topic before in relation to MMOs and have often been accused of being elitist etc. to which I reply unequivocally “yes”. Take any gaming community and you’ll find a microcosm of real life, populated with a diverse group of people who are participating in a common experience for different reasons. All have varied expectations and concepts about what is acceptable behaviour. All have personal and distinct morals compasses. Society in reality is a seething mix of people at odds with each other, so why should gaming be any different?

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – The Vet & The n00b Trash Talk – An Accurate Reflection of the FPS Community?

It would seem that some people believe that the gaming community should some how be utopian meritocracy where everyone is valued and of value. “And when Bagpuss wakes up, so do all his friends…” (For those unfamiliar with this term, it is a quote form a popular childrens TV show and common parlance round my way for incredulity). A minority of assholes in-game, just like in real life, fuck things up for the majority and therefore to minimise our dealings with such persons, most gamers will voluntarily segregate ourselves. We draw lines in the sand and we stick in our personal social circles. Let’s face it human beings jump at the chance to do this. We do it in every other aspect of our lives. We choose where we live, where we work, who our friends are, all as a means to make life easier and to filter out assholes.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 – The Vet & The n00b Trash Talk – An Accurate Reflection of the FPS Community?

MW3 unfortunately is an dickhead magnet. Although an amusing game, it’s based around themes that attracts young adolescent males, seeking to prove themselves in some capacity. One cannot expect miracles from such a community. At least COD BLOPS had the combat training facility , which allowed you to multiplay against bots. Although not ideal, it gave the world weary player a brief respite from the unrelenting stream of trash talk, cock waving and general semi articulate preening that is common place online. It is at this point that nice gamers sigh in a sagely fashion and say “Well it takes allsorts…” to which I reply. “I wish it fucking didn’t”.