Dissillusioned Young Gamers

I’m constantly saddened when I look at competitive gaming from an outsider’s prospective. I’ve always felt that there are those, leagues and players, who aren’t doing anything to really help the younger crowd. People see dollar signs and sponsorships, in some cases spend hours isolated while practicing, and show up to an event only to go home empty handed. “Why is this happening to us,” some players might say … “What are we doing wrong?”

I was so stirred up by a question someone sent me on Facebook, so I wanted to kick off my Weekly series giving advice on how to correct whatever it is you are doing wrong as a team and/or player. But, before I continue, please stop here if you are not interested in changing. It’d be a waste for you to read this and then just go back to whatever it was that you were doing. Proceed with “care.”


To those who continued, thank you. I’m happy to know amidst all the chaos, that there are still people out there who want to do good. So, someone asked me on Facebook if I thought being an MLG pro “was all I wanted it to be.” I thought about it for a quick second, and a quicker, “NO” immediately surfaced in my mind. Why? Because when representing MLG, our team AmazYn wasn’t able to better serve young, newcomers to gaming. Our time was cut short, and so we weren’t able to finish our message. Thus, we STILL continue to see young folks ask questions and get shot down by overly angry and immature forum-goers. STILL we see pros not using the spotlight they’re given to make a real difference. STILL we see a stereotype placed upon our young gamer friends because of a flawed logic, all the way from the top-down. How can we change this? Young people please read carefully:

Don’t buy in to the money & fame

“1st place 20k we can do this!” That’s the wrong start folks, and if you or your teammates are saying or thinking that, you have to correct that. You don’t always need some check to measure your success. If you think that, you’ve been infected and disillusioned my friends. As soon as you start seeing the dollar signs in your head, you’ve already lost. Sure, you might place well once and celebrate over the money, but you’d better not place worst at that next event. Otherwise, it’s game over … there’ll continually be no gain. I bought it in 2007 and got burned! Burned! Burned, folks! After an early 4th place finish, put our entire MLG 2007 season in peril. Why? $$$$$’s replaced my pupils. May as well have been blind. And don’t only be motivated by those currently atop the leaderboard, because next thing you know, they’ve gone, changed teams, and are no longer relevant. Look to, and inside, yourself for motivation. Change why you play the game, amongst yourself and your teammates, and you’ll begin to see better chemistry, better communication, better results.

Ask Questions

If your team is practicing for hours and hours, you’re basically all that those people have contact with during that time period. You’re practically brothers, sisters, family. If someone is going through a rough time in their life, cheer them up. Talk it over, talk with the team and let those issues be known folks. Break-ups, girls, movies, jobs, school … whatever it is, if someone needs help it’s your responsibility to help. Don’t let that person spiral downward, it’ll improve your teamwork, and it’ll improve your lives. This is how you build lasting relationships with people — you never know how you or any of your teammates might meet again in the future.

Stay Humble

Your team may have just won first place, but that doesn’t mean that you can just limit yourselves to “top teams” now, folks. Keep an open mind and continue to practice against those same teams that helped your team to place well. It may surprise you, but you’ll find that teams off the radar often times have some of the wildest, best strategies you’ve ever seen. Your team will learn a little something from others who aren’t “top teams,” and those are the ones that you want to keep practicing against.

Help Others

I don’t believe that helping others stops with your own teammates. If a newcomer to the community has a question, answer it. If a newcomer to the community sends you a message, respond. If a newcomer to the community wants to practice against your team, play them. If a newcomer to the community wants an autograph, sign it. If a newcomer to the community wants an invite to the LAN, invite them. Do you see where I’m going folks? You’ve just got to help out. You never know how benevolence can come back around to you or your teammates with a real benefit.

I don’t know, I might continue this next week with a part two. Really, I just get flustered thinking about what competitive gaming could be, and the reality. I want to leave competitive gaming after Reach, look back, and see leagues, teams, and communities that follow these principles. Only then will the stereotype cease to exist, and young folks who go through competitive gaming come out as BETTER People.

That’s our AmazYn mission folks, so please, join us.

Courtesy of ReflectzYn I thought it needed to be heard.