[Poll] Should this site cover death stories in your opinion?

zenomex

In the last year or so I've seen death stories come by more and more often. They never make me happy, and that's what I look for on this website. Games make me happy and so does reading about them.

I know that the death of a person is a tragic, but I believe this is used as a pretense while the actual consensus is about politics, laws and opinions which often hit too close to home. This website does not allow us to talk about politics, for the obvious reason that people victimize themselves when they debate about trigger-happy subjects. 

So let's assume that we all do what the moderators, content-writers and site administrators want from us. I think that the only comments that are really wanted are very conformist: "it's a tragedy, it's sad and we feel for the family related to the person that died". And that's something plenty of people disagree with for the reason that we've never met this person and just because we have a little bit of common ground (games) we don't have to feel stronger for this person's death compared to any others'.

A website that strongly discourages people to state their opinions (even if it's hurtful) promotes looking blindly at reality and closes people off to each other.  Why can't we just keep listening even though we're hurt?

And not to mention that often when these death-stories happen they blame and sue the game company and try their very best to convince everyone around them that they're right. I mean come on, how many stories have we heard where someone died because of some World of Warcraft thing? How many times have we criticized this? I can't press enough how silly this is... We have debated it for decades and now suddenly the opinions switch? Really guys, [b]this is all about political correctness and you know it[/b].

Before things get too melodramatic, let me just emphasize this point once again. This website is about games, their news and the community's opinions. This website used to be about the development about games, not anything else. If we see a post that goes very closely with politics and you guys don't like us sharing our opinions, don't post them here.


Maybe, in a far future, everyone will have a thicker skin and see things more clearly.

cameltosis

Couldn't care less really. 

People dying whilst playing video games.....its not news, its entertainment, unless the game caused the death (but, to my knowledge, thats never happened). It doesn't affect us at all, its just another story of someone who overdid a hobby and suffered the consequences. 

If MMORPG want to cover it, thats their choice. I think I'd actually like to see more editorials about psychology within gaming - both in terms of game design as well as positive and negative effects on gamers. It is an area that is largely ignored by the public and often also ignored by developers but is of critical importance to a genre that relies on player retention. Only time it ever gets talked about is addiction (when someone dies) or gambling habits (with lockboxes). 

Forgrimm

Where's the poll?

Nanfoodle

As long as it game related sure. Some random kid get shot while playing a game and he didnt get shot because he was playing the game, no. A beloved dev dies for whatever reason, yes. If the mmorpg.com staff feels its relavent, they should post it. If I dont think it is, I will make fun of them. No ones toes are stepped on either way. Getting offended over a story, IMO most times is just because of thin skin. 

zenomex

Forgrimm said:

Where's the poll?

madazz

Nope. It's sad when someone dies. Life is too short to know if the guy who welded my muffler on the assembly line is dead or not, and for me to be upset over it.

Plus years ago we had an issue where a mother wrote a book to capitalize on her daughters death. The site was overwhelmingly against her dirty exploits. Her daughter was a gamer, not a super popular one either, but she wrote and did some interesting stuff. The uneducated mother wrote a self help book regarding her daughter, that was for sale less than a year after her daughters death.

While it's sometimes interesting to know... it sucks where news threads like that go. Like if Smedley died, you'd have a bunch of fakes who would pretend they always loved him (even though they only saw the PR side of him), and people that will go out of their way to insult others. Not to mention it could lead to that greedy mother again.

rojoArcueid

Only if the news is related in some way to video games. This is a gaming site.

Remember Gamebreaker.tv? i was a big fan. They got desperate for money and started covering everything in the universe, and now they don't exist anymore.

Stick to your guns mmorpg.com, the gaming industry.

My opinion.

TyranusPrime

madazz said:

Nope. It's sad when someone dies. Life is too short to know if the guy who welded my muffler on the assembly line is dead or not, and for me to be upset over it.

OMG Earl died?? But.. who will work on my car and provide mad DPS on Saturday night raids now??



But seriously.. My heart goes out to fellow gamers who took part in MMOs and then passed away.. I see no reason not to tell their tale.. Compassion is never wasted..

JDis25

On the contrary, I think they really spice up the place! Jk, I think they are strange...

SirBalin

zenomex said:

In the last year or so I've seen death stories come by more and more often. They never make me happy, and that's what I look for on this website. Games make me happy and so does reading about them.

I know that the death of a person is a tragic, but I believe this is used as a pretense while the actual consensus is about politics, laws and opinions which often hit too close to home. This website does not allow us to talk about politics, for the obvious reason that people victimize themselves when they debate about trigger-happy subjects. 

So let's assume that we all do what the moderators, content-writers and site administrators want from us. I think that the only comments that are really wanted are very conformist: "it's a tragedy, it's sad and we feel for the family related to the person that died". And that's something plenty of people disagree with for the reason that we've never met this person and just because we have a little bit of common ground (games) we don't have to feel stronger for this person's death compared to any others'.

A website that strongly discourages people to state their opinions (even if it's hurtful) promotes looking blindly at reality and closes people off to each other.  Why can't we just keep listening even though we're hurt?

And not to mention that often when these death-stories happen they blame and sue the game company and try their very best to convince everyone around them that they're right. I mean come on, how many stories have we heard where someone died because of some World of Warcraft thing? How many times have we criticized this? I can't press enough how silly this is... We have debated it for decades and now suddenly the opinions switch? Really guys, [b]this is all about political correctness and you know it[/b].

Before things get too melodramatic, let me just emphasize this point once again. This website is about games, their news and the community's opinions. This website used to be about the development about games, not anything else. If we see a post that goes very closely with politics and you guys don't like us sharing our opinions, don't post them here.


Maybe, in a far future, everyone will have a thicker skin and see things more clearly.

What?  This is the most odd write up I've seen.  They should feel free to write whatever they want, it's their site.  Not everything in life is peachy and nice.

Noxias

@zenomex  do you need a safe place on the internet now as well? you play games about killing people get over it. 

observer

rojoArcueid said:

Only if the news is related in some way to video games. This is a gaming site.

Remember Gamebreaker.tv? i was a big fan. They got desperate for money and started covering everything in the universe, and now they don't exist anymore.

Stick to your guns mmorpg.com, the gaming industry.

My opinion.

I remember Gamebreaker, and yeah, they started getting ridiculous towards the end, and were even begging for money.

@Noxias
It's not about "safe places" to me.  If the article is trying to make a point about video game related deaths, then i'm fine with it, but if it's just for click-bait and sensational stories, then there's really no value in them for some of the people on this site, including myself.

Loke666

Game developers and people connected to this site in some way (like posters or writers we know) is fine here.
Someone killing themselves by walking off a cliff playing Pokemon go (Not that I know of any case like that) or some guy playing Wow for 56 hours and dying because of it feels less important unless it is included in an article with a valid point. Trying to shock us how lethal a game is just because someone does something all of us know is a really bad idea is just annoying click bait with very little point.

Vrika

I think that some of the Pokemon Go related stories would have been better not written, but when an important developer or important member of some gaming community dies then it's a good idea to write a story about it.

Kyleran

Noxias said:

@zenomex  do you need a safe place on the internet now as well? you play games about killing people get over it. 

You missed his real complaint, that he can't discuss political topics on this site.  He used this veiled complaint to basically say don't post news stories such as those about death which naturally might lead to a political conversation.

Scot

If the politics effects games then yes. Otherwise no, you have social media to whine on endlessly about your concerns and issues. There are those who want want every medium of communication to be filled with their concerns and agendas, to push them forward politically.

Lets keep gaming out of that quagmire.