Valve Guy Says British Gamers Need to Speak Up

[jackanderson]

That's Valve for you! Insulting their fan base one lot at a time! To be honest I don't like much of their games anyway. Portal's great, Team Fortress is ok, Left 4 Dead I would love to play but can't cos it's not on PS3, but I never "got" Half-Life. I never thought the story was that good and the game got a bit boring later on.

On topic, I never use a mic cos I sound stupid and am not prepared to converse with 13 year olds who play their Hip Hop music at 164db!!!

 

[Versago]

Last time I (as a British person) said something in an online game (Call of Duty, I believe), I had my accent taken the piss out of. Sorry, but you guys are "notorious" for that kind of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of American friends, but I've met some reeeal pricks.

/rant.

Its true, my brother (for we are both Brits) said that on COD4 American gamers took the mic. As soon as they heard his accent they went "oh! Crumpets and Tea, Crumpets and Tea!"
FYI we aren't all post bastards, and those who are tend to get ridiculed by the rest of us.

 

[electric discordian]

Why don't Valve just employ Boris Johnson as there PR consultant? He seems as able to insult everyone almost as well as Valve manage to!

I have been abused sworn at and been called gay by people online. I can take this I work in retail but don't want it at home! So I only game with friends! Who I do talk to.

Im sick of trying to make thick illiterate twits learn english!

 

[MasterKirov]

Why don't Valve just employ Boris Johnson as there PR consultant?

Because Boris would bumble that job over too! And he'd bumble into a escape ^_^

 

[Agayek]

They always talk when I play Counter-Strike:Source.

What game's the picture from by the way?

Giant's Citizen Kabuto. One of the most hilarious games of all time.

 

[CuddlyCombine]

I love it when Americans generalize British people.

 

[NickSettle]

Eurgh...
Firstly, I am British and have eperienced the typical "Hey Limey/Tera Drinking Toff" insults.
I have no problem with this, as has already been stated, the moment one individual reveals their gender/ethnicity/nationality upon the XBL/PSN system, a torrent of insults comes their way regarding this. (I'd say 75% of the time)

I am not branding 'Squealy twelve year olds' as the only culprits here. (although they seem most common)

Many people find their trash talk combined with voices annoying. I emphasise "Trash Talk".
For example, a scenario on XBL only a few days ago.

*Just playing COD4 TDM*
Default 12 year old child (with annoying voice) : "Hey Guys"

Lovemedo93 (myself) : "Hey"
Other Players: "Hey" "Hello" "Bonjour" "Oh god.."

12Yo: "Guys, Guys, Guys everyone go sniper."

*No Reply*

12Yo: "Hey (insert other player name) Why arn't you sniping man? Why?"

*No Reply*

*12Yo gets a kill*

12Yo: "YESSS, Hey Guys, Guys, Did you freakin' see that? Sweet! Did you see that, I powned that guy"

*Game Ends, Returned to lobby*

12yo: "I won that for us guys"
"Skip this map"
"Skip it"
"C'mon guys Skip it"
"Who hasn't voted"
"Skippppppppp!"
"n'awwww, tards"
"What gun shall I be?"
"hmmm, sniper, hmmmmm shotgun"
"Hey you guys got golden shotgun?"
"Dummm Dum Dum Dum *sings*"
"Hmmmm, Red dottt?"
"I know, I'll get mini Uzi"

*Game Starts, 12Yo gets a kill*

12Yo: "YEAH I ALREADY! SWEET! HEY, HEY LOVEMEDO YOU SEE THAT? YOU SEE THAT?"

*No reply*

12yo: "Lovemedo did you see that? Heyy Lovemedo!?"
"Fine Jackass"
"Just because you don't get any kills"
"Why are you called Lovemedo?"
"Hey? Why are you called Lovemedo?"

*12yo sends me message repeating the last question*

----------------------------------------------------------

Things Like that, Just, Trash Talk.
No one responded for fear of him carrying on the godamn conversation, but he did anyway, With himself. It was jsut the unecessary talking, If he wanted to talk to friends keep it to a party. If he wanted just to have a conversation and play, then so be it, just get the message if no one replies.

This is one of the many things that put me off playing all together. Yes I can block them, but why should I have to do that?
This isn't the only annoyance, you also have the unecessary swearing*/racism/etc, and even worse, the 12yo combined with the swearing. Or Worse? A 12yo mouthing off to another 12yo. .

*Swearing isn't great, but it happens, jsut no need for it out of context.
"Wallis mate what a fucking grenade" - Said whilst laughing, not necessary, but acceptable.
"Shit, we're getting owned" - "" "" ""


Another thing that has been mentioned, co-op with a stranger. 50/50
Not my favourite, but when entering a game, I won't just dive in. I'll just say hello and ask a few questions, not like some sort of blind date. Just like, "What gun will you use?" "Where shall we go?" etc, not being unfriendly, but from these questions I can tel if this guy/girl is one of the many 12yo's/in it for fun/serious/friendly. I rarely ever leave because of difference in skill level, it merely adds as a challenge.
If I want to play co-op, I'll 9/10 play local or with a freind.

I find many of these issues do not occur during PC gaming. From experience, text chat was used for chatting and occasional messages, and voice chat similar but with more tactics etc.
I believe this is due to the ability to Ban/Warn/Kick players and the supervisation of admins, god save these men.

I could go on longer. But I'm Hungry.
If you couldn't be bothered to read, it's no problem, no skin off my back

 

[Banter]

I'm British (Scottish) and I hate it when I'm in a group of non-talkers.
Which happens a lot so I just swear at everyone else on my team constantly. Half the time it makes someone start talking, though the first words are usually 'shut up'.
It usually is Americans that talk, many pre-pubescent boys, the sound of which scrapes my eardrums and causes temporary insanity...

 

[Karlosdj86]

You know, I played in a clan that was nearly half Europeans, and half of them were British, and I've got the say, the Brits are pretty talkative, minding that there are rules like "treat all gamers with respect."

Anyhow, the argument by the people posting in this thread seems to be that they don't talk because of the trouble they receive in terms of their accent. So here's some helpful pointers to help Brits get through the rough times:

1) Try a new accent. Obviously, doing an American one would be best, but if you can't do that, here's a list of countries known for speaking a form of English whose asses Americans don't believe they saved in WWII:

Canada
South Africa
Australia
Ireland
New Zealand

You could also try doing another European accent, as though you were from a non-English speaking country but could speak English (***WARNING*** DO NOT use French or German. You think you've got it bad? We actually DID save the French's ass in WWII, plus we equate Germans with Nazis, and we beat them. Other countries to consider avoiding are: Ethnically Slavic countries, like Russia and Ukraine, where you'll be considered a Russian, and thus a dirty commie, or Spain, where you'll sound vaguely Mexican)

2) Failing a complete change of accent, why not try to emulate American gaming speech patterns? This is very simple: Every time you say something, put down a minority group. For gamers, gays and blacks are the primary targets, but don't forget to work the Mexican and Asian angle. And if you're playing a military game, you can probably get away with bashing liberals (or, for bonus points, famous black liberals, like Obama or Al Sharpton. Triple score if you claim Obama is also gay). This way, Americans will know that while you have a strange accent, you share their rabidly offensive ideology.

3) Don't play with Americans. Sometimes you just have to throw in the towel and accept that the US often ruins everything. We put Disney World in Paris. I mean, it's f***ing Paris. The two most commonly known words worldwide? "Okay" and "Coca-Cola." Yah, that's right, the second most well known word is an American brand name. We did that. When you reach that point where you've given up trying, you'll have to take advantage of the few games that allow you to play with your friends, and not with just random strangers.

I hope this helps out my fellow gamers on the other, less American, side of the Atlantic.

Funnily enough i have used your first suggested technique, although sometimes it's not needed as i have a northern british accent and the yanks mostly seem to believe you aren't english if you don't sound like Stephen Fry.

My scottish is incredibly convincing, although some daft sod actually asked me if i was billy connolly. (i'll let everyone decide how foolish this is for themselves)

 

[The Ewan JF]

I'm British (Scottish) and I hate it when I'm in a group of non-talkers.
Which happens a lot so I just swear at everyone else on my team constantly. Half the time it makes someone start talking, though the first words are usually 'shut up'.
It usually is Americans that talk, many pre-pubescent boys, the sound of which scrapes my eardrums and causes temporary insanity...

I totally agree.
I wouldn't say that all British people since I'm British(Scottish) and I have many friends from the UK who do actualy talk. I do get pissed off in pretty much every match of TF2 I play since NOONE TALKS!(on the 360 version anyway) I am getting pissed off over the whole fight between the Americans and British over this idea of who saved whos ass. IT WAS A JOINT OPERATION. Both Britsh and Americans working together! We won it together!!!
I hate the internet.

 

[nought_0]

Answer me this, America:
Is everyone in the 'States who joins the Ku Klux Klan or the ANP automatically issued an XBOX Live account along with the Clan robes and cross-burning kit?

AND IT ISN'T JUST THE YOUNGSTERS.

 

[PhantomCritic]

Last time I (as a British person) said something in an online game (Call of Duty, I believe), I had my accent taken the piss out of. Sorry, but you guys are "notorious" for that kind of stuff. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of American friends, but I've met some reeeal pricks.

/rant.

I'm afraid I will have to agree with you there, I would prefer to think there are genuinely nice people online, but when I put that mic on, all I get back are insults and relentless questions about my accent from pricks.

 

[PhantomCritic]

I'm British (Scottish) and I hate it when I'm in a group of non-talkers.
Which happens a lot so I just swear at everyone else on my team constantly. Half the time it makes someone start talking, though the first words are usually 'shut up'.
It usually is Americans that talk, many pre-pubescent boys, the sound of which scrapes my eardrums and causes temporary insanity...

I totally agree.
I wouldn't say that all British people since I'm British(Scottish) and I have many friends from the UK who do actualy talk. I do get pissed off in pretty much every match of TF2 I play since NOONE TALKS!(on the 360 version anyway) I am getting pissed off over the whole fight between the Americans and British over this idea of who saved whos ass. IT WAS A JOINT OPERATION. Both Britsh and Americans working together! We won it together!!!
I hate the internet.

Glad to see fellow Scotsmen on the Escapist! -gives a cookie-
OT:But yes I see what you mean, I hate when either British or Americans eventually resort to the old "who saved whos ass" excuse, that WW1/2, wake up people! Thank you for listening XD

 

[Silva]

What a stupid generalisation. Please, this is the kind of ignorance that gets people into deep trouble. As if you can actually monitor every server UK players play on, to see if they do chat.

In other words, he's either working with an assumption that everyone within the UK is exactly the same, or his personal experience has told him this. No level of personal experience justifies an assertion of that magnitude.

By the way, this article was clearly created to be a troll thread. It was never going to end well.

 

[The Atomic Irishman]

I honestly don't know what Americans you guys play with, but, my own countrymen get on my nerves too. Hah, but Ive met some aggravatingly stupid Brits. You can meet stupid people on VOIP any game you play, not just "Us Americans." I digress though, we just like to work together, chat, we may blast each other, hate on one another and sometimes even get a little brutal, but hey, were still working together to get the job done, right? I'd rather be with a bunch of mild idiots and hooligans than one or two huge effing retards.

 

[cardinalwiggles]

*Doesn't talk, is British*.

haha, i see what you did there

 

[Insanum]

The mic is usually on. Ive given enough abuse to americans to be able to handle myself if they become assholes, Although most of them are alright.

 

[Tenchan]

"You can go into a random 360 game on US servers and it's crazy talk. It's fun,"

If trash talk, immaturity and aggressiveness is Chet's idea of fun...

The guy is low on my sympathy scale already anyway, but that sentence invalidated any point he might have had.

 

[Spongebobdickpants]

brits if they talk (me being scottish) get bombarded with stupid questions like
"where are u from cause youve got a funny accent"
"do u eat haggis every day?"
"do u wear skirts"
ect so its best not to talk