I’m not a frequent player of online games. The ones I enjoy most are those I can share with my close circle of friends. Online interactions can be negative, and I’m a sensitive person who often finds the games themselves uninteresting, both in concept and execution. Consider that as context for this article about Dota 2! Now, let’s swiftly move onto a related topic: Gabe Newell. As a co-founder of Valve and a known Dota 2 enthusiast, he apparently faces his fair share of online heckling while playing the very game his company developed.
Newell recorded a message for this year’s Dota 2 International, starting as one might expect: “Hello, I’m Gabe Newell.” He then described his deep appreciation for the MOBA, stemming from the initial International event. But he also stated, “It’s not only the game I appreciate, but also the community.”
“Sure, people sometimes talk trash in chat, and around once a week someone tells me I’m a noob, to uninstall, and [explicit language removed]. But I believe that comes from their passion and excitement. That’s why, after all this time, I continue to play Dota daily.”
I think it is necessary to point out that this approach can be seen as subtly endorsing potentially harmful behaviours that people often encounter in online gaming environments. Enthusiasm isn’t an excuse! We’re all there to have a good time, right? How about offering friendly tips before resorting to toxic behavior.
However, I also find it a bit amusing that we’re often unaware of who we’re interacting with online. I truly think that Newell regularly experiences criticism from strangers, and it’s interesting to think about how their actions might differ if they were aware of his identity.
This is not to say that they would likely be kinder with more context, but I do feel like there is a message to be understood here in how certain types of communication are encouraged in game spaces. It is something Valve, even now, should probably work on doing better.