I have mixed feeling about griefing. The first griefing videos I ever saw were Minecraft ones -- and based on them griefing seemed like a form of bullying. I mean, people spend a lot of time and effort on their little houses and such. It just seems petty and mean when people go and destroy stuff that took time and effort to make. Plus, I think in some cases they can't get their stuff back, but I don't play much minecraft so I don't know for sure.
In contrast, Call of duty griefing seems less serious to me because no one really invests a lot of time and effort into one match. It's easy to just leave and find another game or just goof around for one round. It doesn't seem like a really big deal in that game. Definitely annoying, but not really all that serious of an issue.
Then there are games that encourage griefing = for example, Demon's Souls/Dark Souls. Lots of people like those games and like invading other people's worlds so they can essentially grief other players. In other words, it is considered acceptable entertainment in some games. So its not like griefing has no place in the gaming world.
I know a kid that griefs people and likes to watch griefing videos (that's how I found out about griefing videos). And, sorry to disappoint you all but he's not a basement dweller and he doesn't have any personality defects. In fact, he is a popular kid at his highschool, belongs to sports teams, and you would consider him a nice guy if you met him in real life. Why does he grief people? I'm not sure. It seems like it amuses him and he likes trying out things he sees in the videos.
My theory is that he griefs people because he doesn't take games that seriously. To him its just another way to have fun by changing the game up. I've seen him get griefed, and he truly doesn't mind. He usually just laughs and griefs them back. And to be honest, most people that he griefs just grief him back and often times they end up friending each other. It's definitely not a malicious act from his point of view. And most people don't get that upset by it. I think it is similar to when people make up their own rules for mp games, and play Michael Meyers and such -- its just a way to change the game up to keep it fresh.
Of course, there are also a few people who get very upset when they are griefed. They seem to take games very seriously and/or they take things very personally. I could engage in armchair psychology and say that they are probably stressed out in their real lives and use games to give them a feeling of control -- so they get very upset when someone griefs them and takes away their control. But I don't know for sure because I don't know any real life people that freak out when they get griefed.
So yeah, I have mixed feelings about griefing. I think there is a place for it. But not in every game -- for example in Minecraft and games where griefers are costing people significant time and effort. I get annoyed when I am griefed. But the most I will do is leave the game. I don't scream into my michrophone or send nasty instant messages to the griefers. I think the people who get overly personally invested in a game are more annoying/scary than the griefers. I'm sure that there are some griefers who are mean and nasty and the basement dwelling cliches. But I think most griefers are just regular people who don't take gaming seriously and do it to keep the game from being boring.
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