Aggression in Online Games

[dammit]

I'm a psychology honours student at UCT and have recently conducted a study on how people interacted in different online game settings. I was particularly interested in how aggressively people interacted (sending rude/hurtful/sexually inappropriate messages for example) when in a competitive environment (Team Fortress 2 was used here) versus a cooperative environment (Left 4 Dead 2 was used in this case). I also experimented with gender cues (the voice of a female and male player were used).

So far, the results of the research have been insignificant (ie: none of the variables have much of an impact on aggression and, in fact, little aggression was witnessed overall in any game setting).

I would love to know your thoughts and opinions on this. Do you feel you act more aggressively (ie: send more aggressive messages/say more aggressive things) in an online game than you would in real life? Have you experience aggression or received aggressive messages from other players? Do you experience more aggression from players using VoIP or from players using only text messages?

 

[w1z4rd]

Play Heroes of Newerth.

Your perspective will change.

Games that dont rely on every person performing have low rage quit counts (like team fortress and other fps`s), games like Dota and HoN require five players to all perform. If one of the players does not perform the team fails and you have just wasted 45 min of your life. You want aggression... go play HoN. Specifically play with South Africans, they rage more than most.

In HoN you get it voip and text style. Its full frontal nerdity at its best. In front of their pc`s, HoN players really become inhumane and debase with their raging (more than any other game I have played).

 

[luxe]

+1.

After 12seconds of HoN, you will have been called everything under the sun. I read a quote about HoN a while back, that stuck, and its oh so true:

" Heroes of Newerth? There are friendlier communities in prison."

 

[Acid0]

I would say, look at you age in players closer.

You will see that the younger people are more aggressive and using foul language than the older players.

There is a lot of factors playing here, testosterone levels aggressive behavior.

But FPS games are not really the field you will find a lot of success as all know you play in a group but you have to look out for yourself, thus you don't rely all on the guy next to you to perform hes job.

As previous posts say rather focus on pure team play as HON and DOTA.

 

[Off-The-Chart]

in BC2 I get so agro that it is a miracle I still have a pc

a lot of times it is due to the gameplay of the enemy, but other times it is cause of the "bugged to hell" dynamics of the game.

 

[HavocXphere]

I only get angry when someone is ruining the game for everyone. e.g. Via hectic spawn camping.

I reckon you're using the wrong games for your study. TF2, L4D and BF put a strong emphasis on team-work and aggression levels are super low & stay that way unless something triggers it (e.g. spawn camping). You'll get better aggression levels in say COD4, or by the sounds of it HON (no 1st hand experience there).

 

[benitok]

I would say, look at you age in players closer.

You will see that the younger people are more aggressive and using foul language than the older players.

+1 So true. I've stopped playing COD due to the swearing and bitching from younger players. They should not be playing it in the first place (18 age restriction)

 

[Spykertjie]

Try EVE online and join a pirate corporation. Their main aim is to extract tears from carebears.

 

[thisgeek]

Battlefield Bad Company 2 also tends to provoke aggression from time to time. Thankfully voice chat is mostly broken.. or perhaps it's because of that.

 

[Albereth]

Battlefield Bad Company 2 also tends to provoke aggression from time to time. Thankfully voice chat is mostly broken.. or perhaps it's because of that.

Maybe it's me but I find shooting people in the face to be quite relaxing?

 

[drukkie]

I've lost my top only a once or twice in COD...same for BC2...

but ya it normally happens due to a few reasons...hectic day....and freaking noobs...lol
98% of FPS is aggression free...for me that is...

I have no experience on strategy games...

 

[S8n]

Hehe, we second the Eve Online comment. The ammount of hatemail we have received, and comments is quite impressive. We've had everything from the day to day name calling, to people threatening to hunt down and kill our mother.

 

[Ripykin]

I would do a test with Black Ops, people who play tend to be quite serious about it, and when they die or things dont go there way, all sorts of evilness gets spewd at other players, ive seen the C word plenty, once these two players were having a go at each other, when the one guy told the other to go lick his grans balls, i must admit, i found it rather funny at the time, but ya it can get quite nasty sometimes.

 

[hungrybeaver]

In BC2 voip is broken so I only chat with my clan on TS. I'm pretty sure it's an age thing. We used to have a lot of under 18s on TS and they would go ballistic when they got owned and would cry HACKS! BS! all the goddamn time. We've since got rid of them and the avg age is now 25 and its a lot less agro for sure. You still hear the occasional fsck or **** or whatever (i say it too!) but theres no constant OMG FSCK HACKERS BIATCH LOSER any more. I rage inside when I get killed without getting the opportunity to engage in a fight with the guy shooting at me, but thats just me.

What I find interesting is when you get in a battle with 1 other player on the server and you two are constantly taking each other out, there's a sort of mutual respect that develops between you both. Made a few gamer friends this way and we always join up or welcome each other to the game.

I would love to know your thoughts and opinions on this. Do you feel you act more aggressively (ie: send more aggressive messages/say more aggressive things) in an online game than you would in real life? Have you experience aggression or received aggressive messages from other players?

I feel I act the same way in a competitive online game as I do in a competitive rugby/soccer/cricket match.

in BC2 I get so agro that it is a miracle I still have a pc

a lot of times it is due to the gameplay of the enemy, but other times it is cause of the "bugged to hell" dynamics of the game.

You are one hard mother****** to kill!! Always a good battle

 

[Zyraz]

Yep , I also curse on the odd occasion. Damn F^&@%^$ Predator UAV !!!!
Been playing Xbox live: Modern Warfare 2 lately.

Im no more aggro than I am in traffic normally .

 

[luxe]

None of this compares to the epic racism, bigotry, stereotyping and pure unadulterated HATE that happens in HoN.

 

[Off-The-Chart]

then you haven't played BC2 yet luxe.

earlier stage there were a few individuals that was epically hated because they were bickering and moaning and constantly bringing racial comments into the game.

@hungrybeaver oo oo I will take that as a complement with what do I usually take you out? CG aka newb weapon?

 

[w1z4rd]

None of this compares to the epic racism, bigotry, stereotyping and pure unadulterated HATE that happens in HoN.

Agreed

then you haven't played BC2 yet luxe.

earlier stage there were a few individuals that was epically hated because they were bickering and moaning and constantly bringing racial comments into the game.

@hungrybeaver oo oo I will take that as a complement with what do I usually take you out? CG aka newb weapon?

Ive played both and BC2 is child like compared to the insults in HoN. If you play badly in HoN, without a doubt, you will get flamed to hell and gone. Its the worst gaming community Ive ever come across (so far as decency is concerned).

 

[PsyWulf]

+1 for HoN and Dota

Lawdy what an ill-tempered bunch,nerdrage to the extreeeeeme

 

[luxe]

then you haven't played BC2 yet luxe.

Actually, I have been playing BC2 since it launched

As mentioned, BC2 is kindergarten compared to HoN. This is not a " my game is more sucky than yours" e-peen fest. If you have played HoN (and played badly), you would have been subjected to the worst kind of flaming I have ever seen.

HoN makes me crazy lol.