8 stupid things gamers do that have no real use whatsoever


Don’t we love videogames? They can get quite immersive at times. So immersive in fact that the lines between virtual and real are blurred to the extent that we fail to see the difference between them. This in turn compiles us to carry out real life actions while playing them with the rather absurd idea that it somehow impacts the outcome within the game.

Does it make any bloody sense? Nope. But does almost every gamer end up doing it anyways? Hell yes. This is the beauty of games, you tend to get so invested that you don’t bother making a fool of yourself by doing such things.

Today, we look at 8 such common things that we have all done at some point while playing our favorite games and then looked back only to realize how stupid we are for doing them. Then we go and repeat them all over again. It’s an endless cycle. No really.

Pressing X while at the loading screen

mobile-gaming-on-sony-xperia-with-a-ps3-dualshock-controller

This is perhaps the most common thing we tend to do. Games, especially current-gen ones, often come with huge open worlds or complex algorithms that requires loading screens between sequences. This can be termed as being a necessary evil and they tend to create a disconnect from an otherwise immersive experience.

No one likes to encounter a loading screen which…well…refuses to load quickly. The best way to ensure it does? Repeatedly pressing the X button of course. Many independent researchers have concluded that it actually tends to work as hundreds of gamers have claimed in the studies, that by pressing X continuously at the loading screen, it loaded faster.

Of course, the studies have no proof that not pressing it would have made it load any slower, but try telling this to the gamers.

Shouting at players while playing Football Games

Source: Gamerfitnation.com
Source: Gamerfitnation.com

This is just a dumber version of shouting at real life football players while watching a match. We’ve all had that intense FIFA session with our pals when our virtual avatars make a terrible mistake resulting in the opposition getting an upper hand.

The quickest way to fix such a situation is of course shouting on top of our lungs the choicest of abuses aimed towards the guilty player inside our TV screens. The virtual guy who is the result of someone’s code is definitely going to improve his play due to it. And hey, we’re definitely not the ones controlling his in-game actions. Tsk. Tsk.

Did anyone mention logic? Such a pity. We all know it always works and no matter what anyone thinks or says, we’ll continue to do it.

Trying to lean in real life to look through corners

448686203

Realism and videogames go hand in hand. With shooters such as Battlefield 4, Crysis 3 and Black Ops 3 blurring the lines between virtual and real, it is only natural for us to carry out some real life movements while playing them.

The most common of these is when we’re trying to look through corners, rather than pressing the button that enables us to lean (if the game allows it), we often end up trying to lean in real life, hoping against hope that it’ll give us a better view in the game that we’re playing.

It’s a pity it doesn’t work and we quickly vow never to repeat such a stupid action again, only to end up doing it again in the next round that had gone a bit too intense for our liking.

Pressing the button harder while playing fighting or racing games

Need-for-Speed-2015-BMW-M2-2016-Zeitfahren-Xbox-One-Gameplay-1000x600

Another extremely commonplace occurrence. I daresay almost all of our readers have done it at some point. If you’re old enough to have been part of the hipster group of gamers playing the original racing hits such as Need for Speed: Most Wanted or even Ridge Racer, you must have pressed the buttons harder in hopes of getting that extra bit of speed added to the mix.

It never worked nor will it ever do in future but we’re still guilty of doing it even to date while playing the most cutting-edge of racing games (Gran Turismo 5, I’m looking at you). It’s fun to do and actually makes us feel like we’re doing better. Which in fact makes it useful I guess? Only it doesn’t.

Tilting your controller while controlling your vehicles

unnamed

We’ve done this one while playing the choicest of racers to games like Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row. Every game which features vehicles that can be driven has compelled us to carry out such a real life reflex action at some point of time.

We’re not to be blamed for doing so either (no matter how stupid we look due to it) since some situations demand such drastic measures. That tough corner or sticky situation isn’t going to fix itself unless we tilt the controller adequately.

The beauty of is that a PS4 game called Driveclub actually paid homage to all the souls that tried doing it millions of times without noticing any kind of difference in-game by actually implementing it in the game.

Closing your eyes while playing Horror Games

amnesiathedarkdescent3

This one only applies if you’re one of the brave enough gamers to actually play horror games. You’re a hero for playing them in the first place but being brave enough to play them does not necessarily mean you’re man enough to actually see everything that it throws at you.

We’ve all come across that one horrifying sequence that is just too much to swallow. The best way to detach from what follows is to put up your hands on your face trying to avoid seeing whatever horrors the game has in store for you.

It usually ends up with your character being brutally murdered but hey it at least saved you from the trauma of going through the process yourself. Too bad you once again resume playing the game and the horrors can’t be avoided for long.

Trying to hold your breath in real life while doing underwater sequences

Jolly_roger_underwater

You’ve all done it. Playing Mario 64, in one of the many underwater levels. You jump in and instinctively hold your breathe in real life. Why? No one knows! There’s really no reason at all for it, but there you are, holding your breathe while Mario traverses through the water.

The same applies to while playing countless other games as well. Nothing would make us stop believing that it actually raises our chances of surviving these levels by doing so.

Hitting various buttons while trying to catch a Pokemon

Un Soonano!

Quick! Hold B on your Gameboy! 1 shake.. 2 shakes.. 3 shakes.. GAH IT BROKE FREE! You and I both know that as a child, you were told by your brother, friend, or somehow conjured up the idea yourself that holding down buttons while trying to catch a Pokémon would help. You probably still believe it to this day!