"It's Just a Game"

[loc978]

I actually expect that of random people online. If you're competitive and play to win, you should probably find a group of like-minded people and organize some sort of... guild... or something.

Me, I'm not competitive at all, I like to mess around... and I avoid gaming as srs bsns like the plague.

 

[Anthony Wells]

Well most of the time..i play games to have fun..so i can say its just a game when someone is getting worked up..because..it is..in fact..just a game.. do i get angry? Sure when im trying to be serious and play.. but i only get angry when something outside of my control (like invisible walls i had no idea about. or randomly getting caught on scenery) gets me killed...but far as playing to win i think it really is silly to get overly worked up about it...plug in the game to play and wind down...


However...and i say this with the utmost importance of my post: i do take advice given and try to help my team the best way i can. But i will never get pissed off if we lose (though if its because of spawn camping i will...but thats because it sucks the fun out of the game)

 

[bullet_sandw1ch]

i only say that when my friends obnoxious friends [or kids on Xbox LIVE] scream at me for using a weapon/tactic they cant counter.

 

[bullet_sandw1ch]

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"

this reminds me of my uncle. starts mouthing off to me, when i did nothing while versing him in NHL. in person, dosent say shit to me cause he knows i would break him in half.

 

[Flames66]

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)

I seem to have a pretty much opposing position to you as I play games to have fun. I am not trying to say you don't, just in a different way. As long as I am enjoying myself, I don't care if I am winning or losing. Winning can be fun, but is not the only thing I enjoy.

 

[Stu35]

It IS just a game!

If more people realised that, about oh so very many things in life, maybe we wouldn't have football riots.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all about playing to win, but getting angry when something doesn't go your way or somebody does something that you didn't want, is just childish...

And don't get me wrong, I'm as guilty of it as anybody.

 

[HardkorSB]

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.

So?

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.

Yeah but here's the thing:
They want to play a game in their own way. You're telling other people that they should have fun in the same way you are having fun.
This is what pushed me away from football. I remember wanting to play with other kids when I was one but even during backyard matches, there would be someone screaming at me (or even wanting to fight with me) for not taking it too seriously.
These "serious competitive gamers" are doing the same thing when it comes to games. They're pushing people away fro gaming.

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).

If you're getting paid to play and win, you should take it seriously. If it's just a game fgor fun, take it easy.

 

[Jaloopa]

I just couldn't fathom why play a game if not to win?

To enjoy yourself. For some people that's tightly connected to winning, but others enjoy other parts of the experience.

I have to wonder how many people saying they're only giving helpful advice actually come across as massively condescending. If I'm playing something I'm not good at and feeling overwhelmed, the last thing I want when I can see I played a part in us losing is someone saying "what you should have done is kill that guy before he killed you" or whatever in a tone suggesting he thinks he's better than me rather than just better at the game than me.

I'm not really qualified to go on about it though. I've never played DOTA/LoL etc., and tend to avoid pretty much all competitive online play. Part of my dislike is because of people who take it too seriously though. When it comes down to it, it is just a game

 

[frizzlebyte]

"It's just a game" is an excuse I hear too often when I ask people to perform next time better because our defeat was in many parts their fault. Instead of just taking the advice (I always give advice how they can get better) they block with stupid shit like "It's just a game".

Please tell me you don't actually tell them that the defeat was their fault, but offer to give them this advice in a pleasant tone, rather than just...telling them straight up.

If not, no wonder they don't appreciate your "advice"...

 

[templar1138a]

In the case of MMOs, if a team member throws that at me when they're being an idiot and I'm playing a Tank/Healer, I warn them not to piss me off because they're going to have a hard time finding a replacement. If they continue to be a little shit, I say "Have fun finding someone else" and quit the group. Because they aren't worth it.

This leads me to my next point: I often have to tell myself it's just a game. Games are about having fun, so I try to keep track of when I'm having fun. I don't stick with just one game, instead going with the one I feel the most inclined to play with the least thought. And when a game starts to feel like an obligation (as MMOs tend to), I stop playing them because I don't want a game to feel like a job. If someone in the MMO group is being a little shit, I leave it and try to get a new group later.

And when I get angry at how the final boss is repeatedly killing me, I stop myself and take a breather until I've stopped thinking about the game and doing so doesn't make me resentful.

 

[Someone Depressing]

When people say, "It's only a game", when complaining about people hating games for irrational reasons, I think that, if games are going to progess as art, they have to deal with the shit without people babishly defending them with that phrase.

But, when someone tells me to not take games seriously, usually in competition or co-op, I tell them that, if it "only a game", that they're making quite a big deal about me taking it too seriously. I once told this person in a multi-player match this, after I started getting a bit frustrated over being sniped the kabillionth time by the same 2-people (honestly, who wouldn't get frustrated about that). I wasn't cussing or yelling into my headphone or anything - I didn't even have a headset. I just typed in chat, "I keep getting killed by the damn snipers", or something along those lines, and some guy, probably in high-school, said, "Ha! Dude, it's only a game, stop getting worked up about it!". I said that I play competetively (which is why it's called a competetive match), and it's just a habit. He didn't respond, at all, and left the lobby after saying, "Dude, you take things way too seriously", and left, which was weird, because he was there long before I had joined - he had played a couple of matches, and ending abruptly like that led me to beleive that he didn't want to start an argument, which wouldn't happen. Who was taking games too seriously, then?

Really, the semi-existant morale of the story is that, no matter what, we as humans will always take things seriously, or act competetively. So, I don't like it when someone says it, really. It just sort of annoys me.

 

[DoomyMcDoom]

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)

I will agree that it is a bad response by idiots who don't want to improve their game.
However I've used it and variations of it, to get irritatingly irate people to stop slagging on someone constantly for not being good enough when they're obviously trying to get better, because it IS in fact JUST A GAME, not a reason to blow your top at someone who's not perfect all the time, like when someone in world of tanks decided that I must have been the reason we lost, when I was in the smallest weakest thing in the battle with a gun that couldn't harm anyone, at that point the rest of the team asside from like 3 people had gone "lonewolf" and gotten themselves killed... I didn't care about whether we won or lost, sometimes the matchmaking system in that game royally fucks you, and it's a loss before it even starts.

Just putting it out there, even though some people replying with "It's just a game" are whining because they don't want to bother trying to play better, sometimes it's perfectly valid point, I'm not going to let a loss every now and again due to someone not playing perfectly enough, raise my bloodpressure, and stress me out, because really, what bearing does the outcome of a non professional level match in a game have on my life? I'll tell you the answer, NONE.

 

[dimensional]

Well I think most people are aware its just a game they dont need to be told it which is what can make it so annoying.

Games are about having fun if you dont have fun playing something dont play it but also games have an objective if you are not going to bother to play towards that objective dont play with others who do seriously this is really F*king annoying people who join your game on left for dead (as an example) when you are playing on expert shoot everybody on the team then start laughing and when you thank the idiot for being a complete prick and ruining everyones efforts only for them to respond lol its only a game noob or some shit well thats a little annoying (yes they do get kicked but the damage is done).

Some people do take games to seriously honestly I will put up with people 99% of the time as long as they are trying and you know actually playing the game I will even offer advice if I think I can as long as they show a willingness to play the game and not have an abrasive personality I dont care if they are rubbish. If someone is having a go at you for not playing brilliantly even though you are trying hard well sod em these people are just as bad in my books ruining peoples enjoyment of a game by belittling their abilities.

I usually hear the phrase calm down its only a game from some family members when I am playing a game and they are about, if I so much as sigh or say ffs calmly in an even voice because the game is slightly annoying me (in some tricky part) I will hear that phrase and damn how annoying it is now im not just a little annoyed but super pissed off especially as some of them are extremely hypocritical bastards try telling them football/rugby etc is just a game when their team loses and they will go off into a rant if their not already in tears because it was an important match aw diddums.

 

[shrekfan246]

Actually, I'm fine with people saying that.

Not everyone is hyper-competitive. If you're getting genuinely pissed off at someone over their performance in a bloody video game then you might want to consider calming down a bit, maybe taking a nap.

If you only want to play with serious business types then join a team. Don't expect randoms to be as hardcore and uptight as you.

This right here.

I'm a fairly decent WoW player and I can pick up most of the classes pretty easily and get proficient with them quickly. It's easy to gear up, most of the classes have pretty obvious talents to spec into, and it's generally not really all that difficult to keep up with people who out-gear you provided you know what you're doing.

When I used to PUG heroic dungeons or raids, I would use "It's just a game" more times than I can count, because there are just so many people in the game who throw massive hissy fits if everything doesn't go exactly their way. I've had people rage at me because I was doing better than they were, I've had people rage at me because I was actually paying attention to boss mechanics, I've had people rage at me because I was doing exactly what I needed to do and they were the ones doing it wrong. I've had people rage at me because they died from their own stupidity, I've watched people on the bottom of the damage meters rage out at everyone else for screwing up if we died on a boss, I've been 25% of the total damage in a 25-man raid and watched everyone else bicker at each other for being bad.

And what do I do in all of those situations? Tell people that it's just a game and they should calm down. The internet gives people these massive, over-inflated egos that run rampant and unchecked even while they're being deflated by people who are legitimately better than they are. It's absolutely ridiculous, and especially in WoW where a lot of the people are so elitist and uptight about everything that new players are afraid of trying to get in to raids, because they know that if they screw up they're gonna get chewed the hell out without even getting any useful criticism on how they could improve.

EDIT: There are the obviously hopeless cases of people who do get helpful criticism and just go "LOL relax d00d, I kno wut Im doin!", but I typically just ignore those people outright because getting mad at them isn't going to do any good anyway.

EDIT The Second: I bet I probably come across with a pretty over-inflated ego in that post, so to self-deprecate a bit, let me just say that I would be laughed off of the entire server if I tried applying to join any of the top 50 raiding guilds in World of Warcraft. They wouldn't even think before denying me, because Dragon Soul already has a 20% nerf applied to it and my guild is still only 6/8 bosses killed in heroic mode.

 

[mikeybuthge]

I admit to using "Calm down bro, its just a game" to troll my friends, but really, there's never a reason to rage at a person for playing a game how they want. If its game-breaking for you, find others to play with, or report that person for fucking around in a ranked match, no biggie

 

[Nexxis]

I've seen that phrase used in situations where are a game touches on a serious issue (ie racism, sexism, religion, etc) and someone gets offended. The offended person rages about it, and another person says that their rage over it is unjustified because "it's just a game" and should not be taken seriously.

As for the phrase being used on the competitive side, I have mixed feelings about it. Personally I enjoy playing a game, winning, and improving, but only when I do it at my own pace. So I don't mind when another player gives advice. Just as long as it's not in the "n00b learn to play" attitude. I think a lot of people don't like to be treated that way.

 

[Vegosiux]

"Competitive gaming." If you want to game competitively, don't team up with random people; or rather, if you do, lower your standards for the occasion.

"It's a game. If you're not having fun, go play a more relaxed part a bit and come back later." is a legitimate comment to anyone who starts raging. Yes, even me. I actually wish someone would poke me with that if they noticed I'm losing my cool. A simple "Hey, calm down" carries a good chance of me doing just that. Especially if followed up by "It's only going to get harder if your nerves are bad". Cause...that's kind of true.

Now if they go "Lol, just a game, why should I bother to play well" or "Shut up"...now that usually makes the opposite happen.

Like someone who quoted me said: There is are many stages between perfoming good or bad. I just despise the lowest stage.

I don't know, but if I "despise" something, I go out of my way to make 100% sure it can't happen...such as not grouping up randomly, etc. And if I do group up randomly, I try to lower my standards for the occasion.

All in all I prefer singleplayer anyway...

 

[Savo]

Depends on the context in which they say it. If they are screwing around and are ruining the game for others, then its not a legitimate excuse. If people who take the game way too seriously are throwing a hissy fit because they lost, then yeah I have no issue with people reminding them that its just a game.

 

[Rednog]

This has been covered several times by many people, "it's just a game" is a bullshit excuse.
Why? Primarily because it never is just a game, it is people's time and enjoyment, and in some cases money. Your enjoyment of playing the game how you want to play, does not supersede the enjoyment of the rest of your team.

 

[The Pinray]

I will take advice seriously, but when I get with some ultra-nerd that rages and calls people noob then I will gladly drop a "Just a game." Because it is. Some of these try-hard neckbeards take video games WAY too seriously.

If I suck, then tell me how to get better. Don't drop all caps or yell into the mic like some complete freak of nature.

Because, as much as I hate to break it to them, it is just a game. Chill