Trash talking culture in PvP gaming?

Submitted by MkLiam t3_10pobo0 in gaming

Somebody explain it to me. I don't get it. I am relatively immune to trash talk and I don't get triggered that easily. But I don't get why this is such a popular part of gaming. It seems to plague every pvp fps. Its far beyond gloating and bragging rights. Its just intentional toxicity. I understand this is the internet and we get exposed to all kinds, but I don't understand why people get off on it so much. What is this about? What's the point?

Edit: I found my answer. The gaming community is a bit unique compared to other competitions because you are physically untouchable. You don't have to watch what you say if there is no risk of getting punched. Its just like the internet but filled with, well, the type of person that can only flex in this type of playground. Thanks for all of your help.

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linkflame123 t1_j6ljvj1 wrote

there’s trash talk in anything even slightly competitive

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MkLiam OP t1_j6lktrn wrote

There's a difference between friendly trash talk and trolling somebody into rage quitting. The trash talk in gaming is much farther out than other competitions.

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Farmy t1_j6mm632 wrote

Ever play football, or basketball in a league..?

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THATDUDEROBO t1_j6lkzuz wrote

Never have to deal with it because I never wear a headset 😎

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GtiKyle t1_j6ljtsz wrote

Trash talking exists in all competitive arenas. People want to win. Talking trash is a tactic to get into the opponents head.

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MkLiam OP t1_j6ljw2o wrote

It seems to mostly happen after the fact.

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GtiKyle t1_j6ljzgk wrote

Yup. Celebrating a win is also a thing. Did you never play any sports growing up? This exists in everything in life.

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MkLiam OP t1_j6lk8tt wrote

I did. There was gloating, not the toxic stuff I see in gaming. This is beyond rubbing in a win. Its trolling people into rage quiting.

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LeLefraud t1_j6llfkw wrote

its online, everything is amplified beyond what people would do irl. the spirit is the same as irl sports though

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MkLiam OP t1_j6llnif wrote

That's fair. And there's that same disconnect that the whole internet has. You aren't looking that person in the face as you trash them.

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LeLefraud t1_j6lp07w wrote

You can look at almost any form of online toxicity and find a tame version of the same traits irl. Internet just let's out the extremes in people because there are no consequences

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Kamina_cicada t1_j6lk3so wrote

Because it pisses them off into a rematch. In which they will make more mistakes and loose again. Wash, rinse, repeat.

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Andrex2126 t1_j6ll4lh wrote

It’s not the game I don’t like it’s the community’s that play the game and are toxic about it. Every online game is fun, until someone ruins the mood by trash talking, and then more and more people trash talk. Ruining the fun of the game being online at all

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MkLiam OP t1_j6llg5e wrote

Right. And some games have a far more toxic following. But its a serious brown stain on the entire gaming community if you ask me.

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Andrex2126 t1_j6llwmh wrote

Agreed. Amazing online games that really had potential have been ruined by community’s. It really sucks to see

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katz201 t1_j6luqux wrote

Hiding behind a keyboard and mic, gives rude and immature people the opportunity to say what they want without any repercussions. It is not friendly banter amongst friends, it is simply poor sportsmanship.

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Cmdrdredd t1_j6lrnba wrote

It was always a thing in competition even at arcades with street fighter and mortal Kombat. It seems to have gotten worse with online gaming due to the anonymous nature of the internet. You don’t have to look the other person in the eye and I didn’t often see many kids playing arcade games back in the day. I’ve noticed a lot of kids have a playground mentality sometimes and will just trash talk and some will just say and do whatever they want because they know you can do nothing about it.

This is just what I have noticed and it can vary wildly from game to game.

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o0_bobbo_0o t1_j6n4ps8 wrote

Anyone here telling you “it happens in all aspects of competition….” are literally the people you’re talking about. Sure, trash talk happens, but not typically the shit you hear in a video game.

Salty they’re getting called out leads to all the downvotes you’re getting.

I agree. People need to take a step back. They talk shit if they win, if they lose, if you’re on their team and even doing better than them. Just a bunch of losers who didn’t get slapped around enough as a kid. They’re literally jus pouring out their insecurities right into your ears.

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ACrispyPieceOfBacon t1_j6lmc7n wrote

This has existed for many centuries.

Gaming is just another thing that is part of it.

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Mojo647 t1_j6losjc wrote

I'd guess anonymity has a factor in this. It's easier to talk trash when people don't know who you are. It takes away the risk of being shamed for their bad behavior. Not that you can't be identified if someone knows what they're doing, but the average player won't bother.

Otherwise some people are just inherently toxic, and they take advantage of the communication tools in games to spew stupid stuff.

Also, it's just human nature when it comes to competitions. Some people are just bad sports and are not gracious at all.

Best not to dwell on it too much. It's often out of our control. Mute if you can, or have some fun trolling them.

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SquareTowel3931 t1_j6lp9rn wrote

Competition brings out the trash talking. If you don't like trash talk, then better to stick to the PvE and campaign games. The racial shit needs to go, nothing to do with the game and just plain ignorant. Like, you said, anonymous internetshock-humor tough guys. No one can hit you, and you prob won't get into any real trouble. The only trash talk that bothers me is from a teammate. I tried Rainbow Six Siege, and 7 out of my first 10 rounds I was executed by my team at spawn, because I was new and could only use the noob skinned operator. "Sorry, but we want to win". That's annoying. Like, your game is dying, but let's drive away all the new people cuz they're trying to learn. Nope. Uninstalled. Just a camping corner-peeker of a game anyway.

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Altheix11 t1_j6mwarq wrote

Sounds like an incredibly shit experience

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Mr_ACGamble t1_j6lulnc wrote

It's like they're all redneck cousin fuckers with the amount of racism and homophobia you hear.

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PandaEven3982 t1_j6myg17 wrote

It's an artifact of a violent, manipulative culture that has decided that winning is its own excuse for the path you took. Toxic aggression

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MiniTrain3813 t1_j6n4if0 wrote

I upvoted this causes its true and accurate and as a gamer I’ve seen it lots so if you downvote this your one of the people OP is speaking off

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scorpion2097 t1_j6lksvm wrote

It happens a lot in Mortal Kombat online because it’s a loser’s way of trying to distract you since whoever is trash talking doesn’t have any skill.

Honestly anyone who’s got music playing in the background, obviously streaming to an audience, or having kids screaming while playing is more annoying.

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[deleted] t1_j6ll1jp wrote

[deleted]

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MkLiam OP t1_j6ll9yy wrote

Well, you are talking about the person that's getting triggered. Its a whole other conversation about how to react to trash talkers. That's not the player I am talking about.

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BerghyFPS t1_j6lnzgv wrote

If you are talking about pro level teams shouting at each other it is all a mental thing. I dont like getting loud at LANs but even just hyping your teammates up after a good round will have an effect. you can feel momentum shifts especially with less experienced players. As for the cod lan personal type stuff, not a fan but still mental prolly.

Also keep in mind, talking to get into someone's head can be done much quieter on a field/court than through headset ear cups across a room. So you hear it more

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Famous-Tumbleweed-66 t1_j6lsmbp wrote

Getting opponents to tilt makes for an easy win. Win the mental game

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No_Thing_5143 t1_j6m1itr wrote

some ppl just love the trashtalk, even on ur own teammates lmao. eventually u just get used it and just play

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Nasssi t1_j6m393t wrote

Human nature + anonymity

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Grim-Reality t1_j6m83xg wrote

You can be immune to it at first but it will wear you down eventually sadly. Always, it will get you like that witch, gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha. Especially when people start to grief as in intentionally make the game much harder and less enjoyable for you as a way of trying to hurt you when simply trash talk isn’t enough. Actions speak louder than words, and griefing in games is a sad man’s game.

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Flanelman2 t1_j6mix0m wrote

Anonymity and ego.

What I've learnt though is it's usually middle of the pack gamers that talk shit and that's exactly why they're there, they don't improve because they shift the blame off to everyone else.

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Key-Composer5478 t1_j6lmcor wrote

It is human nature. People are competitive and they trash talk for a lot of reasons.

  1. To get into your head, you play worse, make more mistakes. They win.
  2. It makes them feel good (and makes you feel bad). See #1.
  3. It is fun (for some people). And entertaining for others.
  4. It is part of our culture (I'm assuming you are American.) Just listen to any sports team, basketball players are the worst (in my opinion) followed closely by football players. I recently was at a female soccer game, and I could not believe the things these young ladies were saying to each other (made me laugh by the way.)

But if it really bothers you, don't play those games. There are also a lot of single player games (I kind of lean that way). But there is nothing like fragging some nube, and rubbing his/her face in it with a sharp, witty barb.

It's always been that way and it always will be that way, probably.

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MkLiam OP t1_j6ln4ed wrote

Well there it is. I just don't get off on fragging a noob and rubbing it in his face. Sure I like to win, but I don't want crush your soul.

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Key-Composer5478 t1_j6lo5x8 wrote

I'm so old that I actually played some of the original video games. And I have never played a multi-player pvp game that didn't have it's share of ass-hats. And the more popular it is, the more soul crushers there will be.

I didn't mention it, but you are probably playing with people that are not that mature, so you have to take that into account. Be the bigger person and ignore them if you can.

So you have to decide, either you can handle it, you can ignore it, or you choose another type of game to have fun playing. I don't want to write a book, but I should tell you about the time someone griefed my Minecraft world. I thought I was safe and sound, just building stuff in the woods. But no, someone blew my whole world up. I just started over again and laughed about it.

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MkLiam OP t1_j6lot62 wrote

Coping with it is not a problem. I am far older than most of these gamers. Just trying to wrap my head around it.

I met a new friend on a game I had just started playing tonight. He seemed to know a lot of the other players online. After a while we got beat pretty badly and the whole opposing team entered our party and trash talked him until he just logged out. I just sat there silently listening to the whole thing.

I guess its just been a while since I got on a mic.

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Key-Composer5478 t1_j6lq5v2 wrote

I think sometimes it can be difficult playing with younger players who have a different idea of what respect is.

And as you can see being anonymous makes some people brave. People online will say things to you that they would never say to your face.

In the pvp world there is a lot of blaming, and belittling behavior, esp when you loose the game.

But there again, that is human nature.

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curious-pandaad t1_j6ln3zs wrote

It’s just hilarious saying the most outrageous taboo stuff you would never shout in public.

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The_Bagel_Fairy t1_j6mhx74 wrote

Because you're a trash noob/hacker/bot. Duhhh. If you didn't live in your mom's basement where I f***ed her last night you would know already!!!

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TheNikoShow t1_j6n342h wrote

This isn't exclusive to video games at all. It is extremely common in sports, even at the highest levels, for there to be a lot of trash talk. Every game is just as much physical as it is mental, and talking shit can give you an edge if the person you're talking at gets distracted. Get them to focus on what you are saying and they are wasting energy on that instead of focusing on the correct move to make next.

Edit - Spelling

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yeahthis01 t1_j6mnz3s wrote

I mean you have the ability to mute individuals So …

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MkLiam OP t1_j6mo39q wrote

Dealing with it is not a problem. I'm asking about the people that do it.

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[deleted] t1_j6ln4by wrote

[deleted]

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o0_bobbo_0o t1_j6n5sle wrote

Sooo, being annoyed is considered to be weak? Like, they can say they fucked my mom all day, shit doesn’t bother me and really just shines a light on how sad they must be, but god damn does it get annoying.

Having to exclaim something ridiculous after losing or winning is honestly the weaker person if you think about it. Very low impulse control. Having to try to offend someone instead of say GG. What a bunch is sad individuals.

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RealEyesRealize420 t1_j6lkq81 wrote

Soft peeps like you make me laugh tbh

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MkLiam OP t1_j6llvnn wrote

Aah, I think you just gave me the real answer. Its just because the trash talkers aren't at risk of getting their teeth knocked out. So they don't have to watch what they say. Thanks man. You might have cleared this up for me.

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SlamminJaminDavis t1_j6ln6t4 wrote

Alright Liam, settle down. Way to prove it doesn’t get to you

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MkLiam OP t1_j6lndh9 wrote

I am the definition of calm.

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speckledpotatocunts t1_j6m8irq wrote

You just talked about wanting to punch a guy for calling you soft homie.

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MkLiam OP t1_j6mlwhd wrote

You are putting words in my mouth. That's not what I said.

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o0_bobbo_0o t1_j6n5yf2 wrote

No they didn’t. Learn how to comprehend what you’re reading.

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o0_bobbo_0o t1_j6no7hl wrote

The guy said a made-up scenario. He didn’t say he wanted to do anything. It’s your fault you don’t understand what TF you’re reading.

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