The "Screaming Children on Mics" Argument

[Void Droid]

I don't play COD and I have rarely come across it as with most multiplayer games I turn the volume down and put music on although while I say "rarely" I did have it happen to me today on Pixeljunk Shooter 2. It felt like we were the only two people online because in 5 straight games (which is all I played) it was him and myself.

I beat him 7-0 every time (beginners luck or he was very bad, although I did just play through PJS 1) and it got worse with every game, eventually he called me a "gay twat" and suggested I "go fuck a dying dog". After I went to single player I got 3 inbox messages calling me quite a few things. I found it quite amusing and replied to each one with "lol" only, didn't receive any after them.

 

[CJ1145]

*Please note that I don't give two rats testicles about which is better, it's just an observation, if anybody takes offence to that statement, then you are a massive baby.

Please, don't ever accuse someone of hypocrisy and then make this sentence. We're getting into Inception levels of hypocrisy right here. Hypocrisy within a post talking about someone else's hypocrisy. I mean, read through it again, you are saying, translated into standard Troll speak "LOL I'm gonna say I don't give a shit so nobody can call me on it, but if you disagree with my opinions you're an idiot."

Seriously, dude. Also for the record, as an avid TF2 player I can promise you that screechy children, and indeed mic users in general are not that big a portion of the population. Same can be said for most games, and about 70% of those that do use a mic are perfectly level-headed, sensible people.

 

[SammiYin]

*Please note that I don't give two rats testicles about which is better, it's just an observation, if anybody takes offence to that statement, then you are a massive baby.

Please, don't ever accuse someone of hypocrisy and then make this sentence. We're getting into Inception levels of hypocrisy right here. Hypocrisy within a post talking about someone else's hypocrisy. I mean, read through it again, you are saying, translated into standard Troll speak "LOL I'm gonna say I don't give a shit so nobody can call me on it, but if you disagree with my opinions you're an idiot."

Seriously, dude. Also for the record, as an avid TF2 player I can promise you that screechy children, and indeed mic users in general are not that big a portion of the population. Same can be said for most games, and about 70% of those that do use a mic are perfectly level-headed, sensible people.

All Iwas saying with that sentence was that I didn't want to be misinterpreted into caring about the whole PC vs Console war, Hence the very helpful * after Pc games, and the other * at the bottom of the page. So my whole don't take offence thing was aimed at the people who get upset about the whole argument, not at the person I was quoting. Savvy?



OT: The best screaming 12 year olds are the ones that are about 25, and get really annoyed when you ask them who won the last game. Or you could just call the whole lot of them Justin Bieber, they don't like that. Both examples are much funnier than simply muting them.

 

[Harlief]

It kinda makes sense that you'd get loud pre-pubescent children making an arse of themselves in games they're prohibited or discouraged to own by the state: they're the kids who whine so much that their parents give in to their every demand.
Australia's ridiculous censorship laws aren't helping any either.

 

[Slash Dementia]

I've played Halo 2, 3, and Reach all on Xbox live, and it's been around 4 or 5 years since I've had Xbox Live, but yet, I haven't really heard that many "screaming children" online--or immature people. Sure I've had people team-kill, quit, be frustrated and yell, and lots of other stuff, but that's rarely. most of my games are quiet, people having a conversation, helping, and forming small strategies. I've only muted around 10 people in that entire time.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

So. We've all heard this before, the console fan-bases are shit because most of the people who play them are children who swear and shout inanely into their mics.

Ok, what does this have to do with anything? Yeah, sure, they're annoying, but there are mute buttons.

I just read a reason why (apparently) Black Ops was bad as being "screaming children and campers galore". This makes no sense. Sure, campers can be annoying, but screaming children do not affect the game or how it plays.

Seriously, learn what a mute button is and how it works.

Well since i used to play Black Ops i never had to deal with screaming kids because on Xbox i'd be in private party chat so i never got annoyed by them.

But there is one problem with your argument and i know we can just mute the screaming kids but you forget those screaming kids were supposed to be brought up with a decent set of manners and the kids in general aren't supposed to be able to play BLOPS because it's an 18+ game so if they aren't 18 and had their parents buy it for them then the parent's have clearly failed in their upbringing, also screaming kids can affect how a game plays because if someone is concentrating on shooting and suddenly a kid keeps on screaming then he could easily put off the person who is trying to concentrate.

 

[Dogstile]

That's the thing. I shouldn't have to mute anyone. Let's just put a couple of games side-by-side here. When I play TF2 I never mute anyone, everyone is polite (as far as gamers go), funny and interesting to talk to. When I play COD on the other-hand, I routinely have mute-all on purely because I don't want to deal with the immature bullshit that comes out of those kid's mouths. I shouldn't have to deal with that shit, and yet there seems to be a huge concentration of those sorts of people in that player-base.

Why should they have less right to play COD than you?

Being younger than the age rating is a fair argument for that.

 

[auronvi]

This is where I lean more and more towards removing anonymity from online games. What if you had to use your 'real' name like on a social networking site. I mean, when you have your name on the line, I would say close to 80% of the assholeness stops and only the real assholes continue to behave that way.

I say THIS or they need better moderation. I mean that player rating is nice on XBOX live but it doesn't mean or do anything. If a player is rated 1 star, that just warns you he's an asshat but there is nothing really you can do about it. In COD specifically there is no way to vote-kick someone. This would be another way to stop the screaming little children and the trolls. I have been on servers where there is that one guy or kid that is just either screaming in the mic or playing music or just making noises and NO ONE in the server wants him there but can't do a god damn thing except leave the match.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Better idea: don't play CoD because it's so simplistic that only a child would be attracted to it in the first place.

.

Steve Reich and Philip Glass would like a word with you about your 'simplistic = for kids' argument.

 

[teisjm]

That's the thing. I shouldn't have to mute anyone. Let's just put a couple of games side-by-side here. When I play TF2 I never mute anyone, everyone is polite (as far as gamers go), funny and interesting to talk to. When I play COD on the other-hand, I routinely have mute-all on purely because I don't want to deal with the immature bullshit that comes out of those kid's mouths. I shouldn't have to deal with that shit, and yet there seems to be a huge concentration of those sorts of people in that player-base.

Well, you have to, it's eitehr that, or friends based voice chat only, like ventrillo or it's console counterparts.
Just cause you happen to like the TF2 crowd doesn't mean everyone does, while i've rarely heard people using voice chat in TF2 at all, I wouldn't always welcome otherwise good talk over TF2, for the simple reason, that i don't want to listen to half a conversation, regardless of whether it's serious stuff or childish rage. Then again, at other times, it can be refreshing to listen and talk to people about random stuff, or actual in-game tactics.
So either way, i'd have to mute people, or if it wasn't so, unmute. It's not a big problem, it doesn't take a lot of time, or inconvenience you otherwise.

Most games should, if they don't already, have a "disable voice-chat" function in the audio options, that you'd have to change back, to hear stuff, which didn't reset each time you joined a new server. Sasme with text chat on PC, cause in the case of COD, i see tons and tons of whining and flaming there, and not over voice chat.

For the record, i think i've heard more voice whining from adults than kids, it's just easier to pick out the kids cause of the high pitch.

 

[Alcamonic]

I want to thank the whiny little kids for sticking with CoD games.
Sure, I won't be able to play it without hate spewing out in text or voice, but at least most of them stay with CoD.

That leaves me with a lot of other good games that I can enjoy with more... civilized people (yes, I dare say that gamers can be civilized and nice to eachother. Feel free to call me an 'elitist prick').

I am currently enjoying League of Legend a lot right now. People I have played with are mostly quiet if they don't have anything to say, verbal bashing is at a minimum and most people are rather nice and helpful. Or maybe I am just luckly.

 

[XxSummonerxX]

1. Age rating.
If someone asks me if their 10 year old "Who's very mature for his age" can play COD, the answer is still no.

2. I shouldn't have to use mute.
I'm not saying anyone prepubescent shouldn't be allowed to play games, but they should at least not scream profanities into their mic.

 

[devotedsniper]

I generally don't use microphones anymore due to the amount of little kids which play and shout down the microphone, i tend to just private chat to someone. It's not like you need microphones theres usually 3-5 ways which they'll tackle something and depending which way they go you can usually narrow it down straight away.

 

[Tobalt]

No longer can I resist to observe, I have to contribute something.

In response to Stall

So Elitism is an belief that a select group (the elitist's group) is superior to others, and has a greater, more important opinion.

When used pejoratively, it is implied that the elitist belief is wrong; that they are not correct.
An elitist is not in fact elite, but believes they are.

Though those who imply others are elitist may be wrong as well.

 

[Ace of Spades]

I don't understand why people complain so much about them. When I repeatedly kill the same extremely angry 14-year-old, it is absolutely hilarious to listen to him rage at me over the mic.

 

[joemegson94]

It's annoying that I have to mute people. It'd be better if we could have an actual conversation.

Then again, it's sometimes a lot of fun to argue with stupid people, so it isn't all bad.

 

[No_Remainders]

The arguement is that if a child plays the game properly, uses good manners and benefits the game why shouldn't he play the game? I've played with adults who scream and swear and it annoys me. For the record, I'm 13 and have been for a mere 3 days and if people are going to assume i'm a screaming kid just because of my age then i'm going to get annoyed. Age over maturity, remember that.

Very well spoken considering your age. Props for proving your own point.

 

[Jfswift]

It's annoying having to mute people every time - I prefer halo which has built in filters which group 'like' people.

 

[PixelKing]

The arguement is that if a child plays the game properly, uses good manners and benefits the game why shouldn't he play the game? I've played with adults who scream and swear and it annoys me. For the record, I'm 13 and have been for a mere 3 days and if people are going to assume i'm a screaming kid just because of my age then i'm going to get annoyed. Age over maturity, remember that.

Very well spoken considering your age. Props for proving your own point.

Thank you. I am very well spoken on this topic and have discussed it before, I'm not going to pretend some of us don't scream and shout but the ones capable of some intelligent thought are out there.

 

[scorptatious]

I agree. Just because a game has screaming children that play it doesn't mean it's bad. It's not the developers fault that some parents let their children play M rated games.

That being said, I have met some pretty cool children/pre-teens on some of the online games I've played. Hell, when I first played XBOX Live, I had a friend on there who happened to be quite a bit younger than me, and he and I had fun playing together.