The online gaming world is supposed to be a place where gamers can connect and bond over their mutual interests. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case, as a recent report has revealed that nearly 1/3 of online gamers are abused. Online bullying has been a problem for years, and its extension into the gaming world means that no one is safe.
According to a survey conducted by IGN, 33% of gamers shy away from online play due to bullying and abuse from other players. It seems that there is a lack of respect for one another in the online console gaming community, which has turned many players off of the experience.
“I’m not too big into the online multi-player experience unless I’m playing with my friends,” says one IGN reader. “They do not judge my lack of experience in this medium”.
Sony and Xbox have worked hard over the course of the past few years to prevent bullying from taking place on its online networks, but they have had trouble controlling this type of behaviour. Player abuse is beginning to spread, turning casual gamers off of online gaming as the behaviour continues into the newest generation of console gaming.
