The next time you're around one of your friends, or someone online, it doesn't really matter who, call them out for raging.
Don't pour fuel on the fire though. Make them aware of how their acting. How silly it is. Be respectful about that and try to reach them.
Try to help them realize that they shouldn't be raging.
Losing is fine. A challenge is a good thing. The world isn't going to end because you got screwed over in a game.
Calm down.
The more people we can help to see the error of their raging ways the closer we'll come to a world without gamer rage.
This is my challenge to you: The next time you encounter someone who's raging (especially if you have the chance to interact in real life) try to calm them down and let them realize the futility of raging and freaking out at a game.
Things are done a bit differently here at It's Just a Game. I want you to be happy. That's pretty much the whole point of this blog.
So i'm trying something new. I'll keep doing it if these work out.
I don't do game reviews here at It's Just a Game. There are enough of those out there to choke a thresher maw.
I'm going to start writing up Happiness Guides for games.
Think of Happiness Guides like a strategy guide, but rather than showing you all of the game's secrets and tips, you'll be getting tips and tricks on how to get the most out of games when it comes to happiness and really enjoying yourself.
I want you to be happy, and I'm pretty sure that you want you to be happy too. Always keep that in mind when playing games, or doing anything for that matter. you're playing them for your enjoyment, not to fuel frustration.
What games would you like to see happiness guides for? Are there any games that really get to you that you wish you could be happier playing? I need your input so I can pick which game to write a guide for first.
Please tell me in the comments.
Is the name Happiness Guide too cheesy? If it is do you have any other suggestions?
Stay tuned for the future of Happiness Guides.
You could be like these people!
Senior man happy winning computer game, raising arms, laughing, looking at camera.
Ok this kid's a little creepy. What is he playing?...
Haha ok. I was just having fun with cheesy stock images of people faking being happy playing games. Note the watermarks... That caption under the old guy was what it was described as on the site.
But seriously. I want you to be REAL happy. Not fake stock photo happy.
Welcome, Knights in the Army Against Rage, to your first Objective in The Quest, a cause to rid gaming of Gamer Rage.
Not a Knight yet? No problem! Joining is as simple as emailing me that you want in! joe.lutovsky@gmail.com Visit THIS PAGE for more info on The Quest and the Army Against Rage. You should become a Knight. It would mean a lot to have you in our army.
If we want to eliminate Gamer Rage from the world of gaming we first need to make sure we've eliminated it from ourselves. Just as the Jedi must do their best to keep the dark side out of themselves, so must we do our best to keep from raging at games.
Gamer Rage can sneak up on all of us, so we need to always be aware of Gamer Rage in ourselves. If you feel like you are getting annoyed or frustrated by a game, just relax, and breathe.
The first, and best step to flushing that rage away is breathing.
Something as simple as breathing can do wonders in every aspect of your life, not just gaming.
If you're getting stressed or frustrated at a game, just breathe. Be aware of your breathing. It'll calm you down.
Remind yourself that It's Just a Game, and that there is really no reason to be bothered by what's happening.
You got pwned by someone.
So what.
Breathe.
Something unfair happened.
So what.
Breathe.
Someone is trying to get at you.
So what.
Breathe.
Enjoy your game.
We play games for lots of reasons, most importantly to be happy. I don't think anyone plays games, or does anything, to frustrate or irritate themselves.
Being angry will never get you anywhere or do you any good. Ever. So be happy instead, it'll do you a lot more good.
Remember that when you start feeling the rage building up inside you.
You should always be conscious of how you're feeling. If you are aware of harmful negative feelings rising up, you'll be more equipped to get rid of them or shrug them off, and continue being happy.
You're in control of your emotions. Don't let them consume you. That leads to the Dark Side. To Gamer Rage.
Breathe.
Remember to have fun.
Learn to laugh at what's happening rather than yelling at it.
Someone greased you in an online game.
So what.
It happens to everyone.
YOU ARE NOT THE BEST PLAYER EVER. YOU WILL LOSE NOW AND THEN.
Don't be mad about it, laugh at how you got smoked, respawn, and hop back in the fray.
A very close friend of mine has a serious condition. I grow more concerned every time I see this condition flare up.
He has been living with it for a very long time. With your support, we can cure him and the multitude of others who share his terrible condition.
It's Just a Game is dedicating itself to completely eliminating this awful affliction.
I'm going to need your help.
This condition is called Ira Feras* which is Latin for: the wrath of wild beasts, or more simply, Gamer Rage.
Although many are oblivious to it's terrible effects, in reality it is very serious. It affects one of the most vital aspects of a person's life and well-being; their happiness.
This affliction blinds a player to the fun aspects of a game, drawing the afflicted's focus only to things that they can get frustrated at, complain about, insult, or rage at. This makes it nearly impossible for them to enjoy themselves, which defeats the point of playing video games.
Through my research and experiences (I used to be a victim of GR myself) I have discovered some things to look out for.
Symptoms of Gamer Rage include, but are not limited to:
Yelling at the game
Yelling at other players
Yelling at the developers of the game for making a bad game
Sarcastically thanking either the game itself or the developers for something unfortunate that just happened
Squeezing the controller in frustration
Quitting the game in rage and or fury (both in unison can be a very harmful combination)
Throwing the controller any amount of distance
Angry or exasperated sighs
Team killing other players in the game if possible because they are "Not doing good enough" or some other excuse
Assumptions that everyone else in the game must just be terrible, and the player (the gamer rager) is really the only skilled player in the game. "I must be the only person who knows how to play this." "Why are you even playing this game?!"
Profuse swearing
Cranial combustion*
If you see a friend exhibiting any of the symptoms of GR, or you suspect they might have contracted GR, talk to them right away.
Tell them they need to stop. Raging does no one any good.
It is very important that you help them to realize how they've been acting towards video games. Let them know that it isn't healthy to be so angry at something so trivial. They play games for the joy of it, and raging gets in the way of that.
The effects of Gamer Rage are far reaching.
Gamer Rage can affect those in close proximity to the rager. It is difficult to be around someone demonstrating effects of Gamer Rage. It is hard for people to see friends and loved ones, people who can be so kind, overcome by the terrible effects GR.
Gamer Rage can also potentially affect people from any corner of the world. With online gaming (the main cause of Gamer Rage) allowing players all over the world to interact, Gamer Rage can affect virtually anyone, anywhere, making it all the more contagious.
Gamer Rage has gone unchallenged for far too long.
We must take it upon ourselves to combat this terrible affliction that ails so many of our fellow gamers, our friends.
We must let those who perpetuate Gamer Rage to realize the error of their ways and to make the world gaming a better, happier place.
We must show by example that games are nothing to rage about, rather that we should always do our best to enjoy them no matter the circumstances.
A life full of happiness and enjoyment far outweighs a life full of rage and frustration.
Recruit your friends to this cause, send them here if you don't feel like trying to convince them yourself. Let them know that we're out here, and we care. We want a world without Gamer Rage. A world where you can sit down and be happy with a game.
Spread the IJAG cause. Spread GR awareness.
We want to enjoy our games.
We want to enjoy our lives.
We want everyone to.
If you want to join the Quest for a Cure get in contact with me. I'm going to set up a roster of everyone who joins the Quest. We can build an army against the forces of Rage.
This is a very serious quest with potentially drastic outcomes if we can succeed.
Just in case you were wondering: I did try to make this article a bit funny, if not even slightly satirical, but I am also very serious about all of this.
I want to eliminate Gamer Rage.
This Quest is for real and I'm embarking on it. I'd be an honor if you'd join me.
*Ok I made up that latin stuff.
*This symptom has not yet been observed, but it is theorized that if one's gamer rage is left unchecked and unstopped, cranial combustion could occur.
In my very first post I talked about how you shouldn't let games get to you, and how feelings of anger and frustration don't do you or anyone around you any good.
It's best to just take a break from something that's driving you up a wall.
You need to be happy.
You can't enjoy your life if you're pulling your hair out over a game.
Which brings me to this...
WTF.
DON'T BE THESE PEOPLE.
EVER.
This commercial is painful for me to watch.
You shouldn't ever let a game get you to that point, I understand that it's a bit overblown, but still.
You're in control of your game.
Don't let it control you.
You are the one with control over your emotions, make choices that produce positive emotions.
One very simple way to avoid ending up like those poor sods in the commercial is very simple.
No, it's not to sign up for Gamefly...
Just do some research before you buy a game.
It's as simple as checking out a few reviews.
Games cost a lot of money, you owe it to your wallet and your emotional stability to do a bit of research on a game before you buy it.
I want you to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into before you buy a game.
I want you to be happy with your game and with your life.
You heard me. This post is about dicks. Dicks are an almost unavoidable part of online gaming.
Dicks can be very annoying and hard to play with. If you're playing with a dick it’s very likely that the dick is just making you angry and ruining your experience, often intentionally.
You can't stand for this. You are playing the game for fun and to enjoy yourself (I hope). Therefore you shouldn't let any dicks you encounter online get to you and ruin it for you.
There are ways of dealing with dicks. I'm going to share with you some of the ways that I often deal with dicks I encounter while playing online.
The most effective way of avoiding dicks and all of the negativity they can bring to you is simple: just don't have contact with them.
Turn off your headset.
If you're not playing with anyone you know, you're not going to miss out on all too much if you turn off your headset, especially if the majority of what’s getting thrown into your ear is just the product of dicks. You don’t need that. You’ll be happier without it.
Alternatively you can just mute the dicks that you don't want in your ear. This way you can stay in contact with those in your game that are actually fun to communicate with. Also, if you're only talking with friends online, start a private chat up. This way it’s just you and your friend(s) talking.
You are safely sealed off from the dicks.
If you don't feel like completely isolating yourself from the evil dicks of the online world, there are still ways you can deal with them.
If I find myself in the situation where a dick is just being completely negative online and insulting me, I just laugh at him.
I have found that dicks can't handle being laughed at.
Don't let them get to you. If they are online just insulting everyone else, that is sad. I feel sorry for them because they are like that. I like to fill my life with happiness and do my best to make others happy. It’s a shame there are so many dicks who don't do the same.
So do what I do. Take solace in the fact that you are very likely a better person than the dick. You're not just out to insult others and ruin their time. At least I should hope not.
So just laugh at them (not with them). Also telling them how sad they are, or even telling them that you love them and other happy things like that will get to them. Of course the methods of dick pacification will vary from dick to dick, but just find the way of dealing with them that works best for you.
So remember these things next time you're online and encounter a big dick:
Don't be a dick back. No one likes dealing with dicks in their ears and in their games.
If you're reading this, then that makes me happy. This is my first blog post, on my first blog ever.
I hope you'll find something worth reading here.
Why do we play video games?
We play for lots of different reasons. I would guess that the main reason we play games is for fun and to entertain ourselves. Often we play to escape reality for a while. If we sit down to play games for fun, why is it then, that we so often find ourselves yelling at the television, or squeezing our controllers in frustration?
It’s just a game right?
Though I, as well as many others I suspect, would argue that video games are now more than ever more than just mere games, to some extent that will always be true.
So why let these games drive us to the point of extreme frustration or anger? Anger and frustration are not good for anyone, not for yourself or those around you. Yet I'm sure you still find yourself in situations where these emotions start to rise up.
I found myself in this situation a lot back when I played Gears of War 2 online regularly. If you've played that game online, especially back when it was first released, you'll know where I'm coming from when I say that it frustrated me to no end.
I often found myself in play sessions where my anger and frustration at the game would outweigh the fun I had playing it.
This bothered me.
I wasn't a professional gamer or anything. There was nothing depending on my performance in the game. Nothing bad was going to happen if I died or if I lost.
I decided back then that I wouldn't let games get to me anymore. I want to be as happy as possible as often as possible and letting games frustrate me gets in the way of that philosophy.
If you look back a month from now, a week from now, or even a day from now, you'll realize that getting mad over a game was just a waste of your time. Time you could've spent having fun and being happy.
This is why I don't let games get to me anymore. I don’t take it all as seriously when I’m playing online. I encourage you to examine yourself and how you treat games in this regard as well.
I love playing games online, and especially doing well online. But if I'm losing, it doesn't bother me, I'm in it to play it, not to win or prove to all of the anonymous people out there that I'm better than them. In most cases, whether you win or lose, you'll still bank yourself some XP anyway.
If you’re at the point where a game is starting to frustrate you, just quit. I do. Drop out right there, or just wait until the match is over, and go find something else to play. Or take a break from playing all together.
You'll feel better.
Gaming should be about positive feelings, not negative ones. That’s how I strive to experience the games I play and I think you should too.
So next time you hop into an online gaming session, remember that whether you do good or not, it doesn't really matter. Just play to have fun, I promise you'll enjoy the whole experience much more if you lighten up about it. And when you look back on it in the future, you'll be glad you decided to play happy rather than angry.
Objective 1: Breathe
