There are "highly-skilled" players out there who play the same game all day, day in, and day out. And it's fine if they do. Some question if they "have a life," but the real problem is when they have no respect for others who play their favorite game casually. Recently, one of the cooler dudes I met on Xbox Live gave me an invite to battle with one of the world's best players on Lost Planet. Now, I'm not the best at the game, and it's not one of my favorite Capcom series. I play the game to carry-on the legacy of games like Spawn and heavy Metal on the DreamCast hardware from back in the day. I enjoy getting out the heavy artillery and blasting away at the other team. Even sniping can be fun. Point is, I don't play the game to prove anything.

From the beginning of the battle, it was already apparent that this "highly-skilled," high-level player that everyone worships had it out for me. At first, I thought it was just coincidence that everywhere I was, he was. But it became clear after he and his cohorts were taunting and all that other crap after each time he killed me. I was level 5, and he was level 90, so what exactly does this prove? That his incredible skill can defeat a signigicantly-lower level player? That he can beat a player who plays the game occasionally? Sure, he killed me many times, but I got him, too. Sure, not as many as he got me, but if he were so incredible, then why was I able to get him even a few times at my skill level?

I killed him, and consequently taunted him in the same manner. Others acted like I made some sort of mistake. What? It's ok for him to do it to everyone else, but not for others to do it to him? Bullshit. When I killed him, I didn't taunt or anything, and then when he kills me, he does it for no reason and I'm not supposed to do it back? Fuck that, and fuck him. I don't care if he's one of the top-raking players in the world or not; he's a fucking dick. End of story. There's a respect issue here, and he's the cause.

When I play lower-level players, I don't completely obliterate them because I want them to have fun with the game. After all, that's what it's all about, right? Games are supposed to be fun, and getting better at them takes time. Me beating on a lower-level player proves nothing, and accomplishes nothing except making them not want to play the game. The idea is to keep others in the game, wanting to play (experienced and new alike), so that there are people supporting the game. Treating players like shit now is only killing support that the game needs later. These assholes won't be able to find anyone to play with after deterring everyone from playing it. Nobody wants to be around inconsiderate pricks.

Again, what does this lack of respect prove? No one's impressed with the lack of respect. Was he trying to "teach a noob a lesson" just because of my low level? Guess because of my low level they thought I had never played the game before. And exactly what does "teaching noobs a lesson" accomplish? Making them never want to play the game again? Nice; considering the fact that players need to be retained for the game to exist. Then you got some geek loser motherfuckers who call this scumbag, "The Boss," fighting over who gets to suck his dick next. Calling this asshole, "The Boss," is borderline retarded. No, scratch that; it is retarded. They hang his nuts so high; seeing people worship some online bastard-ass motherfucker is sickening. The problem with hanging someone's nuts so high is that eventually you lose your own.