Trash talking: do we REALLY need it?

[PrimeSynergy]

Yesterday after arriving back at my dorm with my brand new copy of Street Fighter 4, I decide to pop it in and give it a go.

It's fun, but one problem...I'm losing terribly. It's the first fighting game I've ever (roughly 18 years of gaming under my belt if you start from when I was born lol) really sat down and tried to play and the only one that's not really button mashing-friendly. But I don't care. It's amazingly fun. My roommates decide to join me and I don't mind at all.....at first.

About 3 hours after I got the game, I'm already tired of it. Why? They don't shut up. It's a constant stream of "OMG, you suck so hard", "you'll never be good", and "pass the controller." I stay quiet and continue keeping to myself. One roommate quickly picks up on my annoyed state and decides that it's gone to far and slowly becomes quiet. The other, keeps yapping away and even with my continuous "dude, shut up.....just please," he still continues to go on.

Later on, after I unlock the awesome Cammy, I begin to turn the tides. I start winning match after match, BUT never do I once say anything insulting(or rather, at all) mostly because I never have and never will. I just don't insult people when playing games unless I'm playing with just my a friend and it's just me and that friend(no one else) joking around on XBL or some random MMO. I just don't see the point of looking like an a-hole. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the constant back-and-forths I have with my friends because it's friendly and its a back-and-forth, however I don't agree with constant insults when one party hasn't said anything and the person at fault keeps going.

Rant over. I needed to vent. QUESTION TIME W00T

So how do you feel about trash talking/insulting in gaming and just in general life? Do you do it? Why?

If you don't talk trash then how do you feel about people who do?

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

I never trash unless it's someone who seems to kill me a lot, and I get my vengeance. But I only say it to myself to create a sense of self satisfaction.

 

[ellimist337]

I think a certain amount of trash talking is good, or at least not bad. As long as it's friendly in nature, and not truly spiteful (like many on XBL) it encourages competition and it's just fun to do. I throw some out, so I expect to get some in return. For those who don't like it, I would recommend "mute all" online, or playing with people who won't do that.

 

[CeeJay]

Are you playing games with real mates? Taking the piss is half the fun. Gay

 

[Slightly Live]

If you think about it, maybe after 3 straight hours, with no reported breaks, playing a highly competitive game, you're getting abit stressed out over nothing?

Throw into the mix the expect bullshit any person should expect when playing such games if they don't meet up to the standards of their pals and there ya go.

Trash talking is never needed. Never will be. Should be expected though, offline and online. If you don't like it, simply change who you play with.

 

[PrimeSynergy]

Are you playing games with real mates? Taking the piss is half the fun. Gay

LOL @ taking the piss. In the case with SF4 I was playing with real friends. Like I said, I don't mind losing but sometimes people need to learn when to shut up.

 

[Clashero]

I trash when playing Soul Calibur III with my friends. We're moderately good, and competition is rather close between us. We trash talk to each other ALL the time when playing that game, but it's always friendly and fun. Never a personal joke or something like that. Just friendly stuff like "I'm way too good", stuff like that.

 

[XT]

Trash talking is an awesome way to get the other team to make mistakes due to blind rage.

Has worked in BF2, CS, CoD, etc etc.

 

[CeeJay]

Are you playing games with real mates? Taking the piss is half the fun. Gay

LOL @ taking the piss. In the case with SF4 I was playing with real friends. Like I said, I don't mind losing but sometimes people need to learn when to shut up.

Punch em!

 

[SplattererRoss]

I really hate trash talkers but I try to keep my cool by just completely ignoring them. For example, if I'm playing halo 3 with my friend and we go into matchmaking we usually get made fun of for our young age, but just ignore them and talk like they aren't even there. The easiest way to stop trash-talking (and insulting, bullying, etc. in general) is to make the trash talker think they aren't affecting you.
Being overly nice to a trash-talking also stops them pretty fast, like offering a power weapon or asking if they want a flag, etc.

I only really trash-talk with my friends and that's only like "I'm the best" and "Can't see me".

 

[SimuLord]

Good trash talk is an art. It's Muhammad Ali sayin' "That all you got George?" before knocking out Foreman in the eighth round. It's Scottie Pippen sayin' "Mailman don't deliver on Sunday" right before Karl Malone missed two free throws in the '97 Finals. It's the Psyche Outs from BASEketball. Good trash talk is an art and a science and can give you a real edge.

Trash talking on XBox Live, or trash talking where the talker is just talking to hear the sound of his own voice, is one of those things where you just want to get even and put the dude in his place. When someone trash talks me and I turn around and beat his ass, my usual response is "Game over, if you need me I'll be at your house bangin' your mom." Always fun to see a big mouth get put in his place.

 

[joystickjunki3]

I don't like, but it's a form of psychological warfare.

 

[Ballistic Bum]

Trash talking is good sometimes.
Basically, it just depends when and why it's used.

 

[Podunk]

Only to people of a comparable (or better) skill level. If I'm better at a game than someone, I feel bad about winning... If they're as good/better than me, or if they started the trash talk... then it's onn!

 

[Freedon Nad]

I do not play that much multiplayer, but still remmember insuting turks on Trackmania Nations... Was fun.

 

[Charli]

Well if you need that kind of self ego-stroke... All it does is bore the other person if they have half a brain. So no, not really.

'Trash talk' is precisely what it eludes to. 'Trash', un-needed, drivel, crap.
Thats why it's /called/ ...okay you get the picture.