From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For a Wikipedia essay on the topic, see Wikipedia:Griefing.
A griefer is a player in a multiplayer video game that purposely irritates and harasses other players.
Overview
A griefer is a player who does things in a game to deliberately cause grief for their own enjoyment. Such players are a particular nuisance in online gaming communities, since they often cannot be deterred by penalties related to in-game goals. The term originated in the early 1990s, when online games were growing in popularity.[1]
Exact griefing methods differ from game to game. Common methods include:
Griefing shares much in common with laming, another term in online gaming, though the former tends to have stronger connotations. The term is sometimes applied more generally[2] to mean a person who uses the internet to cause distress to others as a prank,[3][4] or to intentionally inflict harm, as when it was used to describe an incident in March 2008, when malicious users posted seizure-inducing animations on epilepsy forums.[5][6]
Combating griefers
Griefing was originally tolerated by game developers, but the practice has come under scrutiny. Many subscription-based games actively oppose griefers, since they drive away business.[7] It is common for developers to release server-side upgrades and patches to annul griefing methods. Other companies, such as Blizzard Entertainment, have resorted to mass bannings in order to bring griefers to heel.[8] Many online games employ gamemasters that reprimand offenders. Others have opted for a crowdsourcing approach, where players can report griefing. Malicious players are then red-flagged, and are then dealt with at a gamemaster's discretion. As many as 25% of customer support calls to companies operating online games deal specifically with griefing.[9]
See also
References
- ^ Martin Davis (Thursday June 15, 2006), Gamers don't want any more grief, The Guardian, http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/jun/15/games.guardianweeklytechnologysection2
- ^ Dibbell, Julian (2009). "Mutilated Furries, Flying Phalluses: Put the Blame on Griefers, the Sociopaths of the Virtual World". in Johnson, Steven. The Best Technology Writing 2009. Grand Rapids, Michigan: University of Michigan Press. pp. 9–19. ISBN 9780300154108. http://books.google.com/books?id=6r-pcB5WL8wC&pg=PA9&dq=best+technology+writing+2009+Julian+Dibbell&cd=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false. Retrieved 10 February 2010.
- ^ Nick Douglas, Internet's Most Wanted: A Rogue's Gallery, Jan 25 2007,
- ^ Craigslist Griefer Ordered To Pay Up Over Both Copyright And Privacy Violations (accessed April 26, 2009)
- ^ Kevin Poulsen, March 28, 2008, "Hackers Assault Epilepsy Patients via Computer", Wired.
- ^ Cory Doctorow, March 31, 2008, "Griefers deface epilepsy message-board with seizure-inducing animations", Boing Boing.
- ^ Pham, Alex. (September 2, 2002) Los Angeles Times Online Bullies Give Grief to Gamers. Section: Main News; Page 1.
- ^ Frostbyte (Sunday December 21, 2003). "Blizzard disbands STAB and BSer". http://infoceptor.net/site/news/archives/news-archive-12-2003.shtml.
- ^ Davies, Martin. (June 15, 2006)The Guardian [1]
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