As a gamer, I’d like to entertain the notion that we’ve evolved as a demographic of society. But every now and then I hear things or experience things online that make me think a little more about that concept.

As gamers we’ve helped to push ‘gaming’ into the mainstream. So much so that the billions of dollars earned by movie-makers and hollywood types could now be considered under threat by the billions that seem to be getting poured into making games. Like it or not, gaming is big business and gamers are, for the forseeable future at least, here to stay.

But unfortunately, like any other growing demographic of society, there’s a dark underbelly that every now and then, gets an opportunity to rear it’s ugly head. I don’t hold any one group of people responsible for this. I’ve been victim to some of these things myself and you’d be surprised to know that it’s not just the younger gamers that participate in what is commonly referred to as “Rage” or more specifically “Nerd Rage”.

The term “Rage” when used online in a gaming environment pretty much means exactly what the word relates to – a person who is filled with anger or rage taking these emotions out on another person or a game. When you “rage” at someone, it means that you’ve got a problem with that particular person or game or sometimes even their entire clan (as I’ve witnessed many times). “Raging” is all too common in online gaming environments, particularly between clans or even entire countries – I kid you not! I’ve been in online game lobbies where people from opposing countries raged at each other until the game started. And it’s not uncommon for racial tension to seep into these rage-fueled conversations. Australia vs New Zealand, other times it’s New Zealand vs the US, or Russia or even Germany! “Rage” cares not about international boundaries or gender for that matter and will likely take root in anyone, even the usually quiet or shy types. Nobody is exempt from getting their “Rage” on… nope, not even female gamers. I’ve heard some of the worst examples of gamer rage coming from the mouths of female gamers!

“Nerd Rage” is a derivative of “Rage” and is meant to specifically put someone down. If you call out “Nerd Rage” in vent at someone or type this in a chat channel, you are going out of your way to put someone down or make a fool of them. If you’re called out for being a “nerd rager” you’re basically being told that you’re a “nerd” or socially inept individual prone to verbal fits of rage. You’re worse than a rager, you’re a “nerd rager”. It’s kinda sad that we have developed a word for it but perhaps even more concerning that it’s an acceptable part of being a gamer these days and an acceptable part of game culture.

If you suddenly find yourself in the middle of a nerd rage fit, just make sure you’re the first to /ragequit – that way you’ll always get the upper hand!