The Daily Grind: Will griefers ever evolve?

by Akela Talamasca on Apr 5th 2008 8:00AM

Culture, MMO industry, Opinion, The Daily Grind, Education, Kids

The MMO industry as we know it today hasn't been around very long, really. Still, we can see definite generational shifts, particularly between the current crop of foul-mouthed, immature children (of all ages) we might label 'griefers', and the older, more stable cadre of players who just want to enjoy their hobby in peace.

The generation of kids being raised on MMOs have the dubious honor of receiving input from both of these spheres. What will they become? Respect can be taught, but kids are mimetic; they'll copy behavior they find amusing. Is there a chance that griefers can grow out of their abusive tendencies and learn to behave? What will it take for that behavior to evolve?

Tags: children, evolution, griefers, mimetic, mmo-industry, tdg, the-daily-grind

Reader Comments (2)

I have actually met a griefer in real life who threatened to kick my arse. He was little oik who literally wet himself when he saw my size. Griefers are just online bullies who are no different than the neanderthal jocks who beat up anyone they don't like in high school.

I am not sure its possible to cure MMOs of these idiots. However, I have seen interesting attempts at making their life hell like anti-griefing guilds and groups of people who specialise in hunting them down and killing them.

Indeed, many griefers take the fact that they are anonymous, and that they "outrank" others in the game world, and take out their agressions on others, possibly the way that others take out their agressions on THEM in the real world. Judging by the fact that this kind of behavior has been around since, roughly, the dawn of time, I doubt we'll see this go away ever.

Even so, it's nice when the community at large takes a stand agains them. I remember in Neocron, when someone is ganked in the sewers of Via Rosso, all the victim had to do was shout that there was a PK in the sewers, and a massive wave of players would arrive and hunt the offender down. Often times, they'd kill them AGAIN after they spawned. It didn't prevent the griefing, but it sure took some of the sting out the getting ganked.