An Old Gamer's perspective on New Gamers

Hey, I wanted to get some conversation started on the average player and try to understand the social dynamics of the League of Legends community. It's a big community and I wanted to understand just how the players of this game tick.

Before I give my little spiel, I'll introduce myself. I have been a gamer since 1995. I've played online games for about 14 years now and have seen the rapid growth of the video game from a geek's toy to a popular medium for social interaction. I used to be one of those kids who didn't have anything better to do and had no real guidance in his life. So video games were my learning and socialization early on. I also used to be one of those toxic ragey kids growing up then I mellowed out. Now I'm 26 and work full-time as a Behavior Interventionist. I've worked three years in behavioral reform ranging from Juvenile Hall to the School setting. My work involves trying to study behaviors, habits, intentions, and motivations of the kids I work with in order to develop effective plans in rehabilitating them so they can become part of society without causing significant issues. I have also worked with a couple gaming communities in the past to help improve player interaction.

So let's start. Why do people play games? A long time ago, video games were just for fun. It bought us time. Today, we can talk to real people across the city, state, and even the globe. Video games are still fun but now we can enjoy them with others from around the world. So how does that affect the average player? In my experience, the average player has generally been male and still in high school. Often times they have no direction in life and nothing else they are proud of except for the games they play. But why has there been a surge in popularity when it comes to video games? I can't tell you since I have no statistical data. I can only theorize based on what I've come across. And that is a need for role models and validation from our peers.

When I played Metal Assault, I worked with a small community of teenagers. Most of them were ragey and toxic. Many of them liked to brag about how good they were. So where does that all come from? Why the need to prove yourself? What insecurity lays beneath the bravado? I started to learn that there is some kind of normative, an ideal standard, that the community sets as a goal for its players. In the case of video games it is always about who is the best or who is skilled. In LoL, we all have a good idea of what is expected of us and what the normative is. Don't feed, kill people, get objectives done, win games, and get a good KDA. I can say this because of how popular many of the well-known streamers and pros are. People turn them into idols and inevitably they become role models for people to shape themselves after in the game (hence why you see so many copy-cats after something new is done by pros).

League is complicated and often times you need somebody to look at in order to learn. This is true of most people. We learn socially and are motivated socially. When I was able to reach the normative in past games, I experienced this phenomena and became a role model for others whether I liked it or not. Then I went through the whole phase of dictating what the META was and saw copy cats everywhere.

So that brings me to another question: What happens when you can't reach the normative? You may feel like you aren't worth anything. You may start raging at everything. You may feel you can never get any better. You may grow anxious to even play the game. You become stigmatized because maybe you're just a bronzie or just silver. There's alienation from the community and there's a blow to your self-esteem. So what can you do? Some people just man-up and try to get with the program. Some start trolling to save face. Some start to blame everybody else and get toxic. Others give up. If you can't reach what everybody else is aiming at, you're not really noticed in the community unless you can offer up something else like art, funny videos, etc. I think it is normal for a younger player to want the attention and when they can't meet expectations they find new ways to get somebody to notice them. That's the same with any kid.

How do we understand this need for attention? There's a lot of ideas and it goes beyond League of Legends. Maybe your parents or family don't really have interactive conversations with you. Maybe you don't have a role model and don't know what to do with your life. Some guidance, any guidance helps. But just having somebody validate your existence feels nice.

Keep in mind I'm not saying everybody is like this. I'm just remembering a lot of the players I have had to talk with in the past few years. In the end they all shaped up when you provided clear guidelines if they were toxic. If they felt like quitting the game, positive reinforcement helped them improve and enjoy the game much more. In either scenario, the behaviors they exhibited were fueled by a need to have some kind of attention and validation. Learning how to deal with it so it doesn't lead to further issues was the real trick. Thankfully my background in Behavior Reform has really helped out.

Anyway, to highlight the importance of what I've been saying, I used to be a lot like the kids I see today on League of Legends. When I browse the Player Behavior forums or look at the Tribunal I'm faced with my past and think of ways I can guide newer gamers to a better mentality. It's this ability to relate to others that's the trick to solving the problem with player toxicity and honestly all maladaptive behavior.

Anybody have thoughts, ideas, or criticism? I'd like to reflect more on this topic.