Rage Quit (verb) – The inability to cope with a crushing or unforeseen defeat at the hands of an opponent who is either much better than you or known to be of less skill; the moment that you realize that you may not be as awesome at a given video-game as you once thought; unable to accept defeat at the expense of your pride and woman/manhood; to cry uncontrollably after losing a match in an e-gaming platform.
Rage Quitting has gotten a lot of publicity in the recent years with the inception of online gaming, especially being able to talk to your opponents and teammates. Before the creation of PlayStation Network or Xbox Live, we sat shoulder to shoulder on our friend’s couches playing Street Fighter, Golden Eye, and NBA Live 95. It was a different time and for the most part a different experience. It was more personal.
When you beat the shit out of a friend or family member it was gratifying and even funnier to see the build-up to when the controller gets tossed or the cord gets ripped out of the console. You almost fed off of it, drinking in the energy being dispersed by your victim as you pushed them closer and closer to the point of rage.
Why do you think gaming tournaments are full of shit talkers? Videogames like any other competitive sport is about having the mental edge. The breakdown of e-sports is 20% preparation, 5% red bull, 2% Japanese anime, and 73% fucking with your opponents brain – whether you know you are or not.
How many times have you sat playing with someone and they complain about you camping in a corner, spamming a certain move in a fighting game, or these days…the damn lag? These are the most common instances that serve as the catalyst to most online rage quits. But is this rage misplaced? Are the rage quitters mad at their opponents or themselves?
Let’s face it, I’ve been the little brother who finds a way to beat my older brother (6 years my senior) because I have found a weakness in either the game or his mental resilience. Imagine playing someone of less skill but they somehow find that one move or that one spot on a map where you are going to run into either an ankle kick or a hail of bullets, every time you come close.
There’s nothing you can do or more accurately, you’re too frustrated to use your damn brain correctly. Now in some instances there are situations where the game is broken and people take advantage of poor design. Take Tecmo Bowl for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for example. Bo Jackson could not be stopped. People set up house rules that stated that no one was allowed to use the Oakland Raiders because Bo Jackson will wreck your shit the entire game. Or what about Double Dribble? You could shoot three-pointers all game if you could get to the sweet spot in the corner.
Scrubs could get buckets all night. Some would call this plain old cheating but I know those on the winning side of this are more than likely saying “I’m going to keep doing this shit until you figure out how to stop me”. These are the things that make older siblings throw controllers, scream out in a blind rage and then torture their younger counter-parts.
The sick part that you notice about rage quitting is not the actual rage quitter, it’s the opponent. They sit there while the rage consumes their rival, smirking, with that sick grin spreading across their faces.
You dare not speak to a person going through a rage quit episode but you relish in the epic downfall of another human being and fellow gamer as they lose their sense of self. The feeling of holding down laughter as they throw controllers, punch television screens, use racial slurs and speak words through lips that a mother wouldn’t dare kiss. They essentially turn into the Incredible Hulk without the gamma rays and green skin.
Do you all remember that first time Vegeta fought Frieza on Namek? Vegeta, is the perfect example of raging in a duel only to look like a fool in the end. As strong as he is Vegeta always succumbs to his rage because he thinks that he is stronger than he actually is. This is usually happening while his foe laughs. Frieza laughed as he beat him senseless. Vegeta thought that he was a Super Saiyan, but he was sadly mistaken.
He apparently didn’t know that gay men actually fight very well. His ass was thoroughly beat that day. Vegeta’s fight with Android 18 was no different. Vegeta thought he was putting in that work but then he realized he wasn’t hitting it right (so to speak). She laughed and then broke his arm; then she let Krillin, the weakest of all the Z fighters, hit it and knock her up (think about that for a minute).
So maybe rage quitting doesn’t stem from a momentary lapse in skill but rather misplaced arrogance. So to all the rage quitters and Vegeta’s out there in the gaming world…Chill the fuck out son. Play to win and stop being so arrogant. There is no way to win every match and there is always going to be someone better. Hard Truths…