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Not to be confused w/ XBL.
This is the pressure of a live event.
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Taking a win in “live” competitive gaming relies on more than just skill alone. A player's psychological game can often tip the scales.The following is an observation of the most common types of psychological warfare from the past 31 TGN events.
Turning up the Pressure
One approach to gaming is based on the impression created rather than a players actual skill. For example, let's say an extremely gifted Modern Warfare 2 player has been seasoned with hundreds of wins and thousands of kills on Xbox Live. "Knowing" they have what it takes to win a live video game tournament, they decide to enter an event such as 'TGN’s Louisville Gamerfest' 04/2010. Upon registering the team, they realize the "home field" advantage of their living room is gone, replaced by 250 gamers watching every move. They begin to feel a bit nervous as the pressure turns up in round one. A player on the opposing team senses the adjusting to the environment and decides to capitalize. The opponents begins to yell about the lack of skill (although at this point they are still winning). The superior team begins thinking about all of the players watching and start worrying what they will think. Becoming more nervous they eventually begin to change their winning strategy as they fall victim to their opponents psychological warfare. What started as a probable win, ends as an shameful defeat. They have now learned skill is not the only determining factor and are (hopefully) ready for the next round.
LOL!
Another approach to competitive gaming is "the laugh". Laughing in the face of an opponent often causes them to change strategies mid-stride (a horrendous No-No). Hearing an opposing player snickering about your game plan can have major side effects, causing gamers to lose focus on the game and become concerned that every laugh in the room is directed towards him. Unfortunately, this "psych" has the most notable potential backlash: if it doesn't work and the other team remains immune to the false ridicule, the jokers could be on the receiving end of the joke.
Wait to prove your skill
Unleashing brute force at the right time is always a plus. Numerous TGN events have spawned winners who held a slight lead rather than just obliterating opponents from the start. While you may have been nice to the opposing team or trying new unorthodox strategies, your next opponent will see you as merely a “hair” better than the team you have just set aside. The next opponent will judge the match against you as cake walk and so may try to use the game as a test run for a new strategy of their own. Players will often keep the score roughly even just to “unleash the beast” on the opposing team in the final minutes of the game. While your team has managed to keep your true skill on the down low, the opposing (and hopefully once laughing) team remains seated and stunned.
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| …2 minutes remaining, use this Game Face. |
Thankfully, the extreme level of douchebaggery displayed by gamers on XBOX Live and other online gaming networks is usually absent when playing in person.The atmosphere of live gaming events is extremely fun and inviting to all ages, backgrounds and skill levels... and subject of our next article.
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