Editorial: Girl Gamers & Cheaters

Playing Halo 2 on XBOX Live leads to discovering many level-obsessed morons who go to any means necessary in order to win. What means are these? Well it used to be the many cheats that were available, but as Halo 2 has updated their matchmaking system several times whenever a new cheat has been found, these are becoming rarer. Recently they fixed the teleport glitch where people on levels such as Relic started going through the teleport when it had yet to be opened.
However, even once the cheats are fixed there are still those who continue to find new ways to win without having any actual talent. Many modded boxes can be found as they are quite obvious. It's usually a sign that someone has a modded box when they continually glide through Warlock scoring 3 bombs in under 2 minutes. One gamer who recently got banned for cheating claimed that he had never used a mod and he had never harassed people, so the only reason he could think of for getting banned was the occasional cuss word. That's funny since Halo 2 can't actually audit cussing and ban people for this. If enough feedback is left on a person, which I try very hard to leave all the feedback possible, saying that him or her has been cussing or harassing someone, then they can be adequately punished. Moderators at Bungie.net comment on this certain gamer's integrity and honesty and link to his previous games on levels such as Containment where he and one other guy were the only two to get any kills, or where he moved unnaturally fast, or even when he went outside of the level.

Why do so many Halo 2 gamers, as well as many other gamers, cheat? Now the answer to this question is only available in theory, but my theory is because they care more about their level and having some false belief of being "good" at a game than actually playing the game. I'm sure that many of those who have reached level 35 or higher from their constant need to cheat could be decent players... if they actually played the game rather than used all their energy on harassing and trying to show others up by their mere level status.
It's quite sad if you look at it. The need to prove to others just how good you are at a game that you don't even play because you're too busy cheating your way to the top. It takes all the fun out of the game. I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't video games made for having fun and actually playing?
Weird concept.

Now, I've also noticed that a large number of males on XBOX Live seem to be surprised by the existence of a female gamer. I have constantly been harassed when my gender becomes publicly known in the midst of a game. Sometimes it's corpse humping, sometimes it's being told that girls can't play video games (even from those who I have just finished beating in kill totals) but more often than not it's having to take part in a conversation that goes something like this:

"Are you a girl?" Asks drooling male gamer.
"Yes," replies girl gamer in a bored and slightly irritated tone of voice.
"Are you hot?" Asks male gamer as the drool slowly drizzles from the corner of his mouth.

No reply.
"Hey girl, are you hot?" Asks the male gamer again, coming up to her in the base of Zanzibar.
"Shutup, they're attacking now," replies girl gamer, running away from hormone driven teammate in order to protect the flag.
"I bet you're hot. What's your name?" Questions the same male gamer, chasing the girl gamer around.
"Leave me alone," hisses girl gamer, getting angry.
"Make me," male gamer says as he starts lightly shooting girl gamer.
Girl gamer shotguns male gamer in the face.

Now, although this is a constant conversation I must take part in when I play on XBOX Live, it is rather amusing. Yes it becomes annoying, but it's also a great way to distract the other team and then kill them.
But I often wonder about these male gamers. Do they have so little of a life that they don't know what a girl sounds like? Do they think that girls only exist in their wildest fantasies? Many of the conversations and treatment I receive from my fellow Halo 2 gamers can be taken as offensive, but I find it more embarrassing for the guy than for me. I know that I can play and I know that I have a life, but am I so sure that these guys have ever gone outside into the "real world" or ever even touched a girl (besides their mother)?

My next move is to interview someone from XBOX Live. I want to know why people cheat and mod their boxes (besides the understandable reason of being able to save games directly to the hard drive). I would also like to have a real, humane conversation with the next person who freaks out about playing with a girl.
And then I shall leave them with a shell in their skulls.

-Demosthenes