Ever since the 1980s, gaming has been a household verb for better or worse. Once despised by parents and now welcoming players of all generations, gaming as a medium has lived for over half a century for one sole reason: virtual entertainment.
Whether it was battling a magical kingdom, playing in the World Cup final, or going down a pipe as a plumber, gaming’s core lies in its fantastical elements. Much like what animation is to filmmaking, gaming elevates the board and physical games of the past into a whole new realm.
This dimension, however, was inevitably plagued by human doubts, fears, and anxieties. Instead of remaining an escape and a communal experience, gaming has now transformed into a measured, competitive, and toxic radiation field, and I cannot take it any longer.
Gaming used to be a proper media genre, but video games cannot be enjoyed peacefully anymore. Now, it’s all about cheap debates, console wars, sales comparisons, and – most annoyingly – hate-watching.
Hate-watching is a social phenomenon in which we pursue what we dislike to feel superior in a rewarding capacity. This supplies thousands with psychological catharsis and an outlet for everyday real-life struggles, inadvertently or intentionally passing those same hardships on to industry workers and, in the process, robbing other players of their escape.
This cycle of negativity has sunk its teeth into the world of gaming, bypassing the original exhaust valve, the gaming experience, and into a fourth-wall hell, the bashing of the gaming experience. Now, we are hooked on MMR for games we hate because of the Sunken Cost Fallacy: our stubborn refusal to quit, due to the effort and energy we have dedicated to them, despite our most obvious negative reactions to wins and losses alike. And that's only what we do to ourselves.
The addiction to cheap dopamine kicks in when queueing, ranking, trash-talking, and even crate-opening, constantly emptying and refilling the brain with stimuli. This leaves players feeling confusedly angry when the outcome is not what they expected, lashing out at "lazy developing", "trash designs", "mediocre game modes", and "stupid players", all rooted in cringe culture.
What baffles me the most will never be the barrage of criticism towards objectively poor deliverables, but the unequivocal right these gamers feel to voice their opinions on matters beyond their scope. The colloquial "Bean Soup Theory", or Main Character Syndrome, is a popular term for people who perceive themselves as the protagonist of everyone’s life, leading to victim complexes across many fields, including gaming.
"Who is going to buy this? People really like this? That's a new low even for them. I can't believe this is popular." This self-centered behavior makes forums, threads, and comment sections insufferable, especially when MCs say they’ll never play or buy the game yet voice their toxic opinions anyway, scaring potential players in the process.
Main Characters argue that if you are scared away by a rando’s comment, maybe you shouldn’t have read the comment section, looked for outside validation to try the game, or be allowed internet access altogether – deflection to gaming’s biggest problem, the gaming haters.
Of course, microtransactions hinder franchises. Of course, poor performance kills the vibe. Of course, gaming can suck. But it does not constantly, perpetually suck. We cannot put down an entire industry of passionate developers, publishers, content creators, and gamers just because of X amount of bad apples.
I’m not saying don’t have an opinion, I’m just begging anyone who feels this way to let gamers enjoy gaming. Whatever the genre, update, or release. If you don’t like it, it's not for you. Not every negative opinion needs a passionate outlet, especially if there are people who actually enjoy what you hate. Nobody likes being called toxic or miserable, but what if we are? Maybe we should try new genres or avenues within the gaming world. You could be tired of playing; maybe it’s time to shout about it.
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