The "It's just a game" Theory

Reforrmed·3/27/2018, 6:20:02 AM·10 votes·1,128 views

Here's what I find amusing, when I go into a game and someone blames their lack of skill with "it's just a game".

What's the whole point of a game.. to win right? To win and have fun? I mean, you play Connect 4 as a child and you had fun, but deep down you wanted to win the game. I find it annoying how people can say "it's just a game" or go into online on a champ they never use and INTENTIONALLY FEED and say "it's just a game".

Inters often times I've noticed have said "it's just a game" in order to excuse their unorthodox methods of trolling and lack of skill, frankly.

So here's my question, why even say it? The whole point of a game is to win and yes, have fun. I understand that, however, a lot of fun comes from winning your matches. Dardoch doesn't have fun when he loses, neither do any of the Professional players in the LCS. It's all about winning and with winning, comes fun.

21 Comments

Unker1393/27/2018, 6:27:33 AM5 votes

Yes, a lot of fun comes from winning, but you will only win about half the time. If a game is only half fun, whats the point of playing. I have fun playing...and more fun when winning, but fun either way.

Zero Shingetsu3/27/2018, 6:24:08 AM5 votes

While I'm not a fan of the references in the last paragraph, you have a point. Gaming is a hobby, and competitive hobbies exist for two people to try and win against eachother. "It's just a game" is a fine argument against flaming and general toxicity, but as an excuse for why you're intentionally feeding it's about as sturdy as plywood in the Amazon.

Scary Door3/27/2018, 2:58:55 PM3 votes

{quoted} The "It's just a game" Theory

That's not a "theory". It is just a game. It's not life and death, it's not an object or a tangible item, it's not family or friends... it is, literally, just a game. So, when people say that they are trying to put some perspective into your mind so that you can better understand that there are bigger things in this world than League. With that having been said, let's continue...

Here's what I find amusing, when I go into a game and someone blames their lack of skill with "it's just a game".

Everyone has a different level of skill, I'm guessing you've been stomped in a game or two and someone on your team got frustrated with you... maybe you should let them know that it is "just a game".

Now, that doesn't excuse people from intentionally feeding or trolling, but if someone plays to the best of their ability and tries to win, but is just not skilled enough to do so, there's no reason to get overly upset with them.

So here's my question, why even say it? The whole point of a game is to win and yes, have fun. I understand that, however, a lot of fun comes from winning your matches. Dardoch doesn't have fun when he loses, neither do any of the Professional players in the LCS. It's all about winning and with winning, comes fun.

Maybe you don't have fun losing a game, maybe professional players don't either, but guess what? None of us are pros here, so comparing ourselves to them is a bit silly. They get paid to play (and win) games, therefore it's a different situation. If you play in a local baseball/softball league do you go breaking your bat and smashing coolers in the dugout when you don't get a base-hit? Probably not, but pros do because there is big money on the line and it is literally their job to do those sorts of things.

We are all playing at a level that is for entertainment, enjoyment and/or relaxation----we are all, by definition, casual players... so it REALLY IS just a game.

Awf Meta3/27/2018, 4:29:30 PM3 votes

Game - a form of play or sport, especially a competitive one played according to rules and decided by skill, strength, or luck.

Compete - strive to gain or win something by defeating or establishing superiority over others who are trying to do the same.

Actually, League is not "just a game". It is also a competition, a community, a business, and a spectacle. So right off the bat, people who say, "It's just a game", are ignorant.

There are a few directions we can explore.

This first is (paraphrased): games are not a life or death matter. Thus, no need to take them seriously. There are a couple problems with this perspective. One, you are not alone in this game. We should attempt to be respectful of other peoples time. Two, we should attempt to be respectful of our own time.

Another common perspective is, "just having fun". For this perspective, I would direct your attention to the definitions of "game" and "compete". Games that are "just for fun" do not have a deciding factor. There are no winners and losers. They are not competitions. Therefore, the only reasonable situation wherein this game is not a competition, is in predetermined custom matches. Every other mode has a competitive foundation.

The last perspective I will address is (paraphrased) "you should have fun while losing". While true, it is also irrelevant. We already established the foundation of a competition is to attempt to win. Thus, the players goal should be to "have fun while attempting to win". If either parts of that goal are not met, a player should look elsewhere for their entertainment. One should play this game because it is fun trying to win. In this manner, players can enjoy themselves while losing and winning, without undermining the foundations of competition.

Dysnomia3/27/2018, 6:58:32 AM3 votes

I just wish to get out of this elo hell i am in atm. Nothing else regarding this game. No fun, no nothing. Just narrowing down the possibilities to have clueless people in my games.

Full AP Jesus3/27/2018, 11:53:46 AM1 votes

Hey, it's just a game bro. Lol jk

You're going to win and lose. You're basically saying you want to win every game, or a high percentage. If that were the case, then your enemies would lose every game or a high percentage which how could you have fun winning every game. It wouldn't have the competitive feel to it. Just accept the system for the way it is and enjoy the trolls. Most of the time they're funny people once you start talking to them. Wouldn't start off with f'ing troll blah blah. Lol

EL HAMSTERO3/27/2018, 2:03:26 PM1 votes

having fun is not necessarily tied to winning for all people.

Rmn33k3/27/2018, 2:41:52 PM1 votes

It is just a game

The Darius King3/27/2018, 5:23:35 PM1 votes

tbh some of the games I've had the most fun in are games I've lost. Due to varying circumstances.

aqours fanboy3/27/2018, 6:25:57 PM1 votes

It is a game. That's how you sever emotional attachment.

When attempting to improve at League if you bitch at every loss that comes your way (I used to be like this all the time) you will never improve and will instead be a bitter waste of space.

When I play a champ I am not yet familiar with, against a matchup I'm unfamiliar/not good against, or I see situations I did not prepare for, there is a good chance I will underperform. Knowing that, while still attempting to win, I am seeing what I do that causes me to die, or that causes a lost fight. If my team decides to flame me, I simply tell them it's only a game.

Why?

Because that's exactly what it is. You expect to win every single game you play. You will make mistakes, you will have bad games, and if I treated these as if my best friend stabbed me in the back, KNOWING it would happen eventually, that's as unhealthy as me flaming my 0/11/0 teammates.

I can let go of a loss because I know at the end of the day the loss does not hurt me or anyone personally. You don't die for missing one promotion. If you are good at League, you get there with a snap of the finger. A singular loss means nothing unless you make it mean something.

So, in short, when I say it's only a game, that's me helping me understand at the end of the day, while I want to win, I understand that always cannot happen, and that losing will not make me worse, in fact, it makes me better.

Telephone Booth3/27/2018, 11:45:58 PM1 votes

Hmmm I think it's more a "you're not hurting my feelings" type of response. Think about it. You insult someone for their lack of skill in a video game, obviously taking it so seriously that you're willing to risk your account by berating my skill in front of everyone. So just to show you that I don't put that much weight into video games in my life, I respond with "it's just a game"... as in, chill the fuck out you manchild, it's just a fucking video game. You may not even be a manchild, you might literally just be a child.

So Im telling you it's just a game, to remind you that not all of us put much priority on league of legends and it's pointless to sit there insulting me for it. You just look like a huge douchey nerd, thinking that video games are so important that people deserve to be berated for their level of ability to play them. It's completely assassinine to think that someone's lack of skill in a video game is a reason to insult them.

Of course this is in those situations where someone is calling you trash. If you just call me bad, sure that's fine. I am bad... I don't care, it's just a game. But to insult me as a person, that's when you go yeah it's just a game dude, chill out and have fun. Come to think of it, I guess it's appropriate to say in either case.

PopcornBunni3/28/2018, 12:16:06 AM1 votes

The trick is to play champions with mini games. That way you can have fun even if you lose [poppy-wink]

Thresh Veigar Bard Kindred Skarner Nasus Chogath Viktor Khazix Rengar

IainG103/28/2018, 5:49:07 AM1 votes

I am fine with playing for fun, and I am fine with tryharding; so are Riot, they even made separate queues for it... -If you wanna just dick around and try new stuff or practice stuff you haven't nailed down yet (like me and carry junglers), list in Normals, and have fun -If you want to compete, Ranked has you covered, where people should only play things they are relatively competent at (fuck you autofill) If you dick around in Ranked, expect people to get salty; if you go too tryhard in Normals, either by taking your challenger-level adc skills in, or by expecting others to try as hard as you and then flaming them when they don't, you may just be a prat. Respect that if you are in Ranked people primarily are there to win, and if you're in Normals they are primarily there to have fun.

Merevel3/28/2018, 11:29:52 AM1 votes

The problem is trolls use "its a game" to act like they can do whatever they want. They act like their "fun" means its ok to make the game bad for everyone else.

SangreDeNoche3/27/2018, 7:08:01 AM1 votes

Hey this is just a reference, a GAME reference. Thaaaaanks for reading!

Arammus3/27/2018, 8:28:31 AM1 votes

well you have to say... when the lcs has certain fun events, mainly the 1v1 allstar tournament, the lcs players have fun losing. some of them do.

SparklingLama3/27/2018, 11:20:24 AM1 votes

Its people excuse to not give a shit.

Raoul3/27/2018, 11:22:12 AM1 votes

I bet you were one of these kids who flipped the board and cried when they lost a game xD