Online gaming has become one of the world’s most favourite pastimes. While it’s been popular for years, the recent global lockdowns meant that more people than ever have had no choice but to stay at home and find a way to entertain themselves. From Call of Duty, to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, League Of Legends, and so much more, online gamers are truly spoiled for choice in an otherwise difficult time.
Despite all the incredible games available, not everything always goes as planned. We’re talking about those days where it all goes wrong—where you’re ready to spend a few hours upping your rank, but you keep encountering that annoying kid, or the lag spikes are simply out of control.
Know what we’re talking about?
Check out the biggest annoyances online gamers face, and be glad that you don’t go through it alone!
It’s great that kids enjoy video games. It gives them an entertaining way to spend their time, it allows them to socialize, and it can even help them develop and build important life skills.
But not all kids—especially if they’re young—can fully process what it means to lose a match, or die a few times in a row. It can be frustrating for them, and the only way they know how to vent their emotions is by getting angry at everyone around them. There are few things quite as jarring as having a 9-year-old yell expletives at you just because you got a really good headshot.
Camping has long been a part of the online experience—those players who like to find a secret spot and gank everyone who comes close. It’s truly beyond annoying, doubly so when everyone else is constantly on the move. Even worse is getting down to the last person on the other team, and you and your teammates spend hours trying to hunt them down just to put an end to the match.
We understand that games are laborious works of art. They require thousands of hours of coding, and it’s expected that a few glitches are just part of the experience. But game-breaking bugs have that name for a reason. Nothing can put a stop to your good time like suddenly dropping through the floor, or not being able to get that kill in against the person you’ve been after for ten solid minutes.
Cheating is never acceptable in any video game, whether or not it’s online. Everyone is there to have a good time, and cheaters detract from that, often to the point where it becomes stressful. They come in all shapes and sizes, using loopholes, scripts, and exploits to shift the game in their favor—almost always at the expense of everyone else’s fun.
While it’s great that more people around the world are enjoying video games, it’s also meant a tremendous increase in the amount of time spent waiting in lobbies. Whether it’s for the next round in CS:GO or an instance in Guild Wars 2, it’s always dreadfully boring to sit and wait your turn.
Trash talk has long been something of a given when it comes to the online world. Players like to talk trash to each other, but it’s usually out of a place of mutual respect and poking fun at your friends. There are those players, however, who tend to take things too far—cursing, swearing, and bringing a level of discomfort to the experience that no one really asked for.
Paywalls are something of a more recent invention. Developers will intentionally cut out parts of the game, forcing players to spend money if they want access to specific content. It’s a practice that’s criticized by millions, but it’s still common enough that it can seriously detract from the experience. It also means that those players who happen to have more spending money than others can start the game with an advantage over those who have to play from the bottom and earn their rewards.
Video games aren’t really true games unless there’s some kind of state of failure inherent in the gameplay. So, it’s expected that no matter what you’re playing, you’re not always going to win. For most people, this isn’t much of a problem; there are days when you and your team just can’t always win against your competitors. For a few select others, though, it’s preferable to cut and run before admitting defeat.
It’s a real kick in the teeth to have finally beaten an opposing player or team, only to have them suddenly disconnect and prematurely end the match before you get your rewards.
Griefers are there to do one thing and one thing only—to make everyone else have a bad time. These are the players who go out of their way to kill the noobs, hunt down the amateurs, and cause chaos wherever they tread. There’s no rhyme or reason behind the things they do. They’re usually bored with the game and are looking to get a rise out of the people they’re annoying. While they’re present in most desktop computer and console games, it’s the MMORPGs where they’re most common, forever on the hunt for the unassuming.
While lag isn’t quite as common as it once was—most gamers today have access to high-speed broadband and powerful machines—it’s still enough of an annoyance to make your blood boil. Lag can change the nature of a game in a heartbeat, taking it from a fast-paced shooter to a slow and broken mess that leaves you angry and frustrated. If there’s one thing that all gamers around the world can unite over, it’s a universal hate for lag.
For 95% of the time, gaming online is a never-ending source of constant fun. It’s safe to say that while we all get annoyed every now and again, nothing will stop us from playing.
This article was a guest post by Robin Underwood, a freelance editor at multiple online outlets where she delights her audience with fresh ink angles on topics like E-learning, IT and gaming.
Thinking of getting into the professional mobile esports scene? Or maybe you're a hardcore mobile gamer who plays with nothing but the best? Regardless of the type of player you are, the ROG Phone 3 is the premium gaming phone you just might be looking for, with top of the line specs that give you bangs for your bucks.
The Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) - a well-renowned name in the PC market - recently pulled back the velvet curtains to unveil its latest third-gen gaming smartphone series. It goes without saying that the ROG Phone 3 packs a bigger punch than its predecessor, with the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 865 Plus giving more heft to the gaming phone to let you game in the highest quality possible while remaining stable. The GameCool 3 cooling system also keeps your phone, well, extra cool during intense, high graphic gaming sessions that strain most other smartphones.
You don't have to worry about battery life either, as the ROG Phone 3 comes with a giant 6000 mAh battery that comes equipped with in-phone power saving features, such as a hibernate function that limits background data and power consumption to prolong battery life. And finally, revel in its glorious 144 Hz / 1 ms AMOLED 10-bit display, with ultra-responsive touch latency so that the ROG Phone 3 reacts as quickly as your gameplay.
If you're looking to level up your gaming experience even further, the slew of ROG Phone 3 accessories introduces more ways to enjoy your games, including the ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad - which grants console-like gamepad controls - and TwinView Dock 3, with 144 Hz dual-screen capabilities for easier viewing.
Even if you aren't picking it up for gaming, the ROG Phone 3 is more than capable to handle everyday use. So, if you're looking to consider another powerful premium smartphone that isn't Samsung or Apple, this Asus device is worth checking out.
We could go on singing praises for the the ROG Phone 3, but that would turn into a 1000-word essay. Why not check out the ROG website for more info?
The Malaysian price of the ROG Phone 3 has yet to be finalised, but Asus assures that the price range of the third-gen series will be close to the ROG Phone 2 series, which cost RM4499 for the 12GB Ram 1TB version, RM3499 for the 12 GB Ram 512GB model, and RM2499 for the Strix 8GB Ram 128GB variant.
The Asus ROG Phone 3 launches September this year.
In a time of lockdowns and Movement Control Orders (MCO), the digital world has never felt more alive than it does today, with the world's people relying on content to remain connected with one another at home and pull through the COVID-19 pandemic. Well, #stayathome is going to be a lot easier now for us, because eGG Network's 360 Well Played returns tomorrow (2 Apr)!
With last season's hosts (Faraz, Shu Faye and Mu'adz) returning to helm the now-biweekly show, the wacky trio are looking to shake up the age-old formula and entertain viewers (that's you!) in wholly new ways. Previously described as "a gaming show" where new games and interesting products are un-boxed, plus "in-game challenges and ludicrous punishments", the latest season of 360 Well Played will instead feature discussions on the latest and greatest in gaming and esports across the world and why they matter to you, all done in a manner that'll be both entertaining and informative.
To get this show on the road, the first episode will feature a Topic of the Day that's extremely timely and relevant in the current world: how has COVID-19 affected the video games industry? With more people playing games than before, it's hard not to assume that the pandemic has had a lasting impact on the industry. But, how exactly has the gaming world been affected?
It's not for us to spoil the fun here, so why not check out what the fuss is all about tomorrow?
Now is arguably one of the most tense moments in recent memory worldwide. With Malaysia on movement control order (FYI not a full-on lockdown; essential supplies can still be acquired, albeit sparingly), things can feel pretty glum. However, corny but truthfully, there are silver linings among these dark clouds. With their previous on-ground attendees capping at 6,000, the now-online Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2020 (WWDC 2020) is now more accessible to millions of developers.
Set to take place in June, this is the first time that the formerly on-ground Apple event will be conducted online, most likely due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Fortunately, that wouldn't be the case - consumers, developers and the media are still able to get their yearly dose of updates regarding Apple's latest discoveries in the software landscape, plus new app development tools for their perusal.
The Apple Arcade, a subscription-based game service ala Netflix, was released in Sept last year.
To share their learnings and educate budding or professional developers, the 31st edition of WWDC will feature a fleshed-out program that comprises an online keynote and sessions with Apple engineers to learn the new software tools granted by the tech giant. No details of the program has been revealed yet, but they'll publicise it soon enough.
More info will be shared before June by email, in the Apple Developer app and on the Apple Developer website.
There's nothing immoral about devouring the plethora of electronics on display at the most anticipated consumer electronic trade show, the CES in sin city, Las Vegas. In fact, for those of an electronics persuasion, that's the place to be.
The recent CES 2020 packed a punch that chocked the world wide web with a range of goodies for the new decade, but here, we bring you some of the most exciting, trendy and far out tools and toys for computing and gaming geeks.
This is a portable PC that gamers never knew they wanted. The Alienware Concept UFO is clearly inspired by the Nintendo Switch. The main body is an 8-inch display, while controllers are attached on either side, very similar to the Switch’s Joy-Con. A kickstand is also included on the back of the device, allowing users to prop it on a desk or their lap, which is thoughtful ... though it won't hover.
According to Dell, this device is meant to run PC games at 60fps. It can be connected to an external monitor, and also, a keyboard and mouse can be hooked up to it, too. Battery life is a reasonable two hours, which isn’t too shabby given its performance and size.
Unfortunately, the sounds of engine whirring will not pierce the air anytime soon because the Alienware Concept UFO remains just that at the moment - a concept! Naturally, no release date has been set. Don't go to Area 51 looking for one.
Thin and light gaming laptops aren’t unique in the market anymore, but a cool one will always have its place. MSI’s GS series finally received a significant facelift after years of minor updates. The GS66 will be the latest installation for the company’s ultra-slim, yet powerful gaming machines.
The laptop will feature a jaw-dropping refresh rate of up to 300Hz on the 1080p IPS panels. The machine will most likely come equipped with Intel's latest 10th-gen H-series CPUs and NVIDIA's newest RTX graphics cards. It also comes decked with the largest possible battery (99.9 W), which will meet most flight regulations.
A more affordable option will be the MSI GE66 Raider, which sports similar specs.
Right after you've upgraded from a regular 60Hz, 120Hz or 144Hz refresh rate monitor to 240Hz display, the Asus ROG Swift 360Hz pops out of nowhere and teaches you the hard lesson that there is no limit to improvement.
True to its core value, the Asus gaming brand is constantly pushing the envelope. The ROG Swift 360Hz is the world’s fastest and first NVIDIA G-SYNC gaming monitor with a lightning-fast 360Hz refresh rate, which may or may not be useful to all gamers. It’s a monitor solely made for the highest competitive gaming scene, which has gained more traction than ever. Featuring a 24.5” display and Full HD resolution (1080p), the ROG Swift 360Hz may not be for casual gamers who plan to have a single monitor setup.
A 14” gaming laptop used to be niche for the gaming market, but that’s about to change with the release of the ROG Zephyrus G14. This laptop not only has a more compact form factor, but also offers the latest AMD 7nm Ryzen 4000 series CPUs, a real head-turner in this realm.
The design of G14’s top panel is, arguably, the most exciting aspect, its specs aside. Users can customise the LED light of the top panel to their heart’s content with different effects, including displaying the time, GIFs and other animation. Asus has definitely set the bar high with the G14.
It was one of the most ambitious Razer products at CES 2020. The Tomahawk is a fully modular desktop for gamers who appreciate minimalism and portability. Razer worked with Intel to conceive and birth the Tomahawk. The case is made of aluminum, with its sides crafted from tempered glass, catering to a spectacular view of its components, such as the GPU.
Most of the Tomahawk’s components are soldered on the motherboard, except for its power supply unit and graphics card. Its modular construction simply means taking your PC apart to replace components is a cinch. The convenience is unreal, since users can configure the CPU, RAM, storage and more from Razer, and then choose the desired GPU to go with it, making the entire process a snap for even novices.
The Tomahawk gaming desktop will be available sometime in the first half of 2020, though, expect a premium price.
The next generation of console gaming is looming on the horizon. Sony revealed the PS5 logo at CES 2020. However, the specifications and the price remain unknown.
The PS5 logo has the iconic heritage from its predecessor with one key difference - 5 replacing 4. The release date, on the other hand, will drop during the holiday season of 2020 (year-end). It will go head to head with its biggest competitor - the new Xbox Series X, which showed a lot of promise with its crossplay and backwards compatibility gameplay.
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