It’s Monday and time for Ask Kotaku, the weekly feature in which Kotakusites deliberate on one burning question. Then we ask for your opinion.
This week we ask Kotaku: Have you ever raced and thrown a controller?
Fahey
While I’ve never thrown a controller myself, I’ve been around someone who has. I even helped bring him into this world. My son, Seamus, currently nine years old, broke two different televisions by throwing Xbox One controllers in their general direction. While I haven’t seen it happen myself – the televisions were both in the nursery – his twin brother Archer chatted to him both times, which is bad from a brother’s point of view, but okay from a parenting point of view. vision.
Interestingly, neither controller throws were due to frustration with playing games. I think the first time was because the Xbox controller batteries were dead. That incident was followed by a lengthy discussion about how it was cheaper to replace a few AA batteries than a $ 500 television. The second time, the controller buttons got stuck with some sort of gross kindergoo. Melted chocolate, sticky juice, possibly some slime. All the reasons why I have my own controllers and can’t handle theirs without antibacterial wipes.
Maybe it’s not so much about the controllers as it is about the catharsis of throwing things that upset you. I’m saying this because Archer recently threw our Alexa off our second-floor balcony for letting it play “Cotton-Eye Joe” by the Rednecks one too many times. Maybe I should just stop challenging the kids.
Alexandra
I’ve never thrown a controller before, and frankly, I would panic if someone I was playing a game with suddenly got so angry that he started throwing projectiles. I wouldn’t be impressed either. Like, take control of yourself, you make me feel judicious. (Admittedly, not difficult.)
But I’ve definitely had my own little outbursts, I just turned back to 3 or 4 instead of 11. In my younger years, I would occasionally burst out with a frustrated expletive when eating shit in some high stakes games. OK, maybe recently too. In moments of particular frustration, I go so far as to hit my right thigh with a modest force. I don’t remember ever noticing bruises after that, but still my leg doesn’t deserve that. Sorry, buddy!
Sometimes when a game annoys me, and it’s not really at the level of thigh abuse, I’ll press the controller really hard and turn each side in opposite directions, like trying to take it apart. But as soon as plastic starts to crack, I immediately withdraw, because my mom raised me too well to break perfectly good gamepads. Damn things are expensive these days! However, letting go of that little bit of charged emotion before preparing myself for another try feels good.
Zack
Frustrated, I have tossed my controllers softly on a sofa or bed. I tried not to break them in these moments, but to free myself from the game. But, and I’m going to set a family member on fire, my brother threw out a few controllers.
An incident that stays with me occurred when we were younger. He was playing something on the Xbox 360, possibly one Madden or a FIFA game, and he got angry. In a moment of anger, he threw his controller across the room. We had wooden floors, and the controller left a big, noticeable dent in the wood. Shockingly, the controller still worked. The handles were a bit cracked, but some duct tape fixed that. Another time, he hit the controller against the floor with such force that it bounced back into his hands, even though the battery flew out.
In recent years it has calmed down a bit, which is good because controllers aren’t cheap. I tried to explain to him that breaking controllers wasn’t a great idea, but he didn’t care! The only rule I had was that he couldn’t play with my controllers. And he never did. Instead, he had a small collection of slightly broken gamepads that were more abused than one GTA Online NPC
Lisa Marie
I treat my controllers with the utmost respect. I clean them regularly and store them neatly. I would never vent my frustration on them. You are all wild.
Ian
I’ve never been one to throw game controllers myself – especially with the prices they charge these days – but I’ve been around some … say, passionate rage from my time at fighting game tournaments.
It’s not uncommon at events like the Evolution Championship Series to walk through the competitive area and hear a roar or scream when someone is handed their butt to them. And while it hasn’t happened in my area, pads and arcade sticks do happen, though maybe not as often as in the Smash community.
Don’t get me wrong, I totally get it. The frustration of losing something you love, combined with the fact that someone else may have just eliminated you from a major tournament, can bring out the monster of anger in everyone. I’d rather people count to 10 and take a little breath before going crazy, but as long as you don’t hurt anyone, do what you gotta do!
And you?
KotakuIt’s weighed in, but what’s your opinion? Have you gone completely into anger, or have a quiet life of meditation and contemplation dulled your lower impulses? Give your opinion! We’ll be back next Monday to deliberate and debate another geeky issue. See you in the comments!