I've got to say. I can take the kids that run around screaming "PWNED!", gets on my nerves when it was actually a lucky shot or a near victory. But nosir. My greatest annoyance are foul mouthed kids, particularly when they're playing Mature rated titles. The kind of high pitched shrill of a voice that shouts out over the mic, cursing every other word, or attempting to craft entire sentences out of them.

It's these kinds of kids that make me feel ashamed to be playing a game like Grand Theft Auto 4. I shake my head to great dissapointment, and will often just unplug my mic so I don't have to hear it anymore. And typically, to achieve that connection they were missing beforehand, they'll feel the need to continue their cursing tyrade in some manner of a text message.

What reminded and inspired me for this rant this evening was a kid in a Grand Theft Auto 4. I was getting in some Hangman's NOOSE, furthering my work toward the "Wanted" trophy. Fast method, 2-3 people play, one goes to grab a helicopter while the others defend petrovic and hold off the NOOSE. Helicopter arrives, takes us all to the drop off point.

Alas. Here comes the kid, who has opted to fly the helicopter destroys the thing for two games straight. Begins cursing at everyone else for being "stupid noobs" and then going on slew of curses. He goes through us one by one until finally - hearing no one say a word - I respond with telling him that there was no sense in anyone listing to a foul mouthed brat who can't accomplish the simplest of tasks and take responsibility for his own screw ups. What followed were the rest of the players in the game saying they were abandoning the kid for being a jackass, much to his shrills and cries.

As with most things, I have to step back and wonder why kids like this get me fumed so much. I think after some pondering i've gone and figured it out. I was born in California, but didn't experience much of my childhood there. Instead, I grew up in the south. Where, apparently, it's typical for parents to not discipline their children and bend to their every demand.

Why, I remember when I was a young child, a kid I knew - lived in my neighborhood - would often scream at his mother demanding some manner of drink or snack and end it with a curse. I'd look down awkwardly and shake my head expecting to hear him getting beat down any second. And it never happened. Not throught all my childhood was this guy ever beat down. I stopped talking to him and things continued as they go. Not a day goes by when I travel out into some shopping area that I don't see some kid around the ages of 8 to 12 that remind me of this guy.

Maybe that's just not how childhood is anymore. Maybe that's not how being a teenager is meant to be anymore. But when I was growing up, despite that maybe you slept around or occasionally got in a spot of trouble, you at least showed respect and generally acted like a normal person without severe anger issues.

And that, is my greatest multiplayer peeve. I can't stand foul mouthed people who think being this way will get them anywhere, or will cause me to suddenly do them any favors.

That being said, I give to you all my 360 and PS3 information. I consider Destructoid to be a great group of people, and it would be fantastic to have some folks to group up with from time to time. Work on some achievements or trophies, get some party games running and so on.

360: DennenTheHidden
PS3: Dennen