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Just keeping tabs on aggressive behavior, that's all.

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WASHINGTON-While most research into video games and aggressive behavior has focused on violent games, competitiveness may be the main video game characteristic that influences aggression, according to new research published by the American Psychological Association.

In a series of experiments in which video games were matched on competitiveness, difficulty, and pace of action, researchers found video game violence alone did not elevate aggressive behavior. However, more competitive games produced greater levels of aggressive behavior than less competitive games, no matter how much violence was in the games, according to research published online in Psychology of Violence. The study was conducted by lead author Paul J.C. Adachi, M.A., a PhD candidate at Brock University in Canada.

In one experiment, Adachi had 42 college students (25 men, 17 women) play one of two video games, "Conan" or "Fuel," for 12 minutes. "Conan" is a violent game in which the main character battles for survival using swords and axes. "Fuel" is a nonviolent racing game. In a pilot study, both games were rated evenly in terms of competitiveness, difficulty and pace of action, but differently in terms of violence. After participants finished playing the game, they were told they were going to take part in a separate food tasting study. Participants had to make up a cup of hot sauce for a "taster" who they were told did not particularly like hot or spicy food. The participants could choose from one of four different hot sauces (from least hot to most hot) for the taster to drink. The authors found that there was no significant difference in the intensity and amount of the hot sauces prepared by the participants who played "Conan" and those who played "Fuel." The authors concluded that, in this study, video game violence alone was not sufficient to elevate aggressive behavior.

In a second experiment, Adachi had 60 college students (32 men, 28 women) play one of the following four video games: "Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe," a violent fighting game rated as highly competitive and very violent; "Left 4 Dead 2," a violent, moderately competitive first-person shooter game in which the main character battles zombies using guns; "Marble Blast Ultra," a nonviolent, noncompetitive game where players control a marble through a series of labyrinth-like mazes as quickly as possible; and "Fuel," the highly competitive, nonviolent racing game from the first study. Afterward, the students completed the same hot sauce tasting test from the first study. Electrocardiograms measured the participants' heart rates before and during video game play.

On average, students who played the highly competitive games, "Fuel" and "Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe," prepared significantly more of a hotter sauce than participants who played "Marble Blast Ultra" and "Left 4 Dead 2," the least competitive games. They also had significantly higher heart rates.

"These findings suggest that the level of competitiveness in video games is an important factor in the relation between video games and aggressive behavior, with highly competitive games leading to greater elevations in aggression than less competitive games," wrote Adachi.

Article: "The Effect of Video Game Competition and Violence on Aggressive Behavior: Which Characteristic Has the Greatest Influence?" Paul J.C. Adachi, M.A., and Teena Willoughby, PhD, Brock University, Canada; Psychology of Violence, Vol. 1, No. 4.

Paul J.C. Adachi can be contacted by email or at (905) 325-0871.
The American Psychological Association, in Washington, D.C., is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership includes more than 154,000 researchers, educators, clinicians, consultants and students. Through its divisions in 54 subfields of psychology and affiliations with 60 state, territorial and Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare.

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Playing highly competitive video games may lead to aggressive behavior

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Competitiveness as opposed to violenence in video games may be the main characteristic that influences aggressive behavior.

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Bing inferior to someone else mainly makes most gamers angry. When provoked enough, they will lash out and destroy their belongings.

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Rage is not an uncommon phenomenon for competitive gamers. Destroying devices is a common result of rage.

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The article displays how competitive gaming can be dangerous for everyone, even if only one person is playing it.

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eSports: The Downside to Competitive Gaming - ITonlinelearning

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With eSports having gained a lot of legitimacy as a serious competitive sport, it has also been beset by some of the negative aspects that plague the conventional sporting world. This includes illegal betting, player exploitation and the use of performance-enhancing drugs such as Adderall.

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Anger to realization. One outburst of anger can ruin the entire aspect of competitive gaming, yet people do it anyway.

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This shows how how competitive gaming can benefit human beings, ranging from better hand-eye coordination to better at problem solving

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To date, competitive gaming has not been widely researched or recognized in the scientific and professional literature on video games. As the name suggests, competitive gaming comprises players who regularly compete in tournaments organized and run by the gaming community, often for large monetary gains. Secondary benefits include the recognition and admiration of other gaming community members. Such tournaments are now often run by companies that host the events at large convention centers in major cities (e.g., New York City, Los Angeles, Seoul, etc.).

Despite three decades of worldwide growth in competitive gaming, little empirical investigation has catalogued these activities. Although empirical studies are lacking, studies have noted that competitive games now use Internet radio coverage with play-by-play commentaries, large-screen televised projections of game footage, sizeable live audiences, and cash prizes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. For elite competitive gamers (i.e., professional gamers), the activity is a full-time job. Many games played competitively appear to demand high levels of sophistication in strategizing, planning, multi-tasking, and timing to master.

Academic studies have shown that certain competitive games, if used properly, can also promote prosocial behaviour and skill development. Furthermore, professional success in competitive gaming seemingly requires persistent practice and sophisticated skill sets. It is likely that these positive effects are more substantial than the effects of games played on a casual level. Numerous studies have demonstrated the benefits of gaming more generally in lieu of the positive effects of competitive gaming, particularly in relation to improved spatial cognitive benefits. Studies have also suggested that video games can provide an enriched medium for strategic problem solving. Other studies support the differences between novice and advanced levels of play in video games. For instance, research has demonstrated measurable differences between novice and expert game players, the latter group often demonstrating enhanced short-term memory, executive control/self-monitoring, pattern recognition, visual-spatial abilities (e.g., object rotation), and task-switching efficiency, along with more efficient problem-solving skills.

Competitive gaming has the potential to change the dynamics and motivations of gaming. For instance, if a player can make a financial living and career from playing a video game, it becomes an occupation rather than a hobby. This raises interesting questions about the role of context in excessive gaming and potential addiction. Although there is ongoing scientific debate on the nature and extent of adverse consequences associated with excessive digital technology use, I have noted (in a 2010 issue of the International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction) that long hours of video game use alone do not indicate video game addiction (i.e., heavy use on its own is not a sufficient criterion for addiction). Therefore, in order to evaluate problematic video game use, researchers must consider possible negative consequences players are experiencing in their lives. When video game players are capable of financially supporting themselves from their play, this matter becomes more complex. For example, how would one categorize a professional video game player who was making over $100,000 per year playing video games, but was also experiencing social difficulties as a result of excessive video game use? This point is not meant to imply that a successful professional gamer is incapable of suffering pathological effects from game use, but rather to raise the distinct possibility that professional gamers will view their use as non-problematic due to the success they experience.

When it comes to competitive gaming, many players will play excessively and spend hours and hours every single day either practicing or competing. For many competitive gamers, their whole life is dominated by the activity and may impact on their relationships and family life. However, this does not necessarily mean they are addicted to playing the games because the excessive game playing is clearly a by-product of the activity being their job. However, it could perhaps be argued that they are addicted to their work (and in this case, their work comprises video game playing).

Workaholics have been conceptualized in different ways. For instance, in a 2011 review I published in The Psychologist, I noted that workaholics are typically viewed as one (or a combination) of the following. They are (i) viewed as hyper-performers, (ii) work as a way of stopping themselves thinking about their emotional and personal lives, and (iii) are over concerned with their work and neglect other areas of their lives. Some of these may indeed be applied to competitive gamers (particularly the reference to 'hyper-performers' and the fact that other areas of their lives may be neglected in pursuit of their ultimate goal). Some authors note that there is a behavioural component and a psychological component to workaholism. The behavioural component comprises working excessively hard (i.e., a high number of hours per day and/or week), whereas the psychological (dispositional) component comprises being obsessed with work (i.e., working compulsively and being unable to detach from work). Again, these behavioural and psychological components could potentially be applied to competitive gamers.

I have also noted that there are those who differentiate between positive and negative forms of workaholism. For instance, some (like myself) view workaholism as both a negative and complex process that eventually affects the person's ability to function properly. In contrast, others highlight the workaholics who are totally achievement oriented and have perfectionist and compulsive-dependent traits. Here, the competitive gamer might be viewed as a more positive form of workaholism. Research appears to indicate there are a number of central characteristics of workaholics. In short, they typically: (i) spend a great deal of time in work activities, (ii) are preoccupied with work even when they are not working, (iii) work beyond what is reasonably expected from them to meet their job requirements, and (iv) spend more time working because of an inner compulsion, rather than because of any external factors. Again, some or all of these characteristics could be applied to competitive gamers.

Furthermore, competitive gaming is not the sole means by which proficient gamers can financially support themselves. Researchers (such as Dr. Edward Castranova) studying the economics of synthetic worlds (e.g., digital gaming environments) have observed that gamers also procure income by marketing virtual objects in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). These digital objects often include avatars, or characters controlled by players that interact with gaming environments and other players. Each avatar has unique physical attributes and skills that a player may select, purchase, and/or develop over many hours of game play (e.g., the gradual enhancement strength, speed, weapon-wielding abilities, etc.).

As noted above, competitive gamers are likely to play for extended periods of time and sacrifice other areas of their lives if they have the potential to make a living from gaming. This single-minded dedication may become a problem for some players because the goal of becoming a professional gamer is often unrealistic. There are currently no precise figures relating to the number of competitive game players, but anecdotal evidence suggests that few professional gamers generate sufficient income to support themselves financially. Although viability may change in the future, at present, the great majority of competitive gamers have little chance of becoming successful and financially independent professionals. For this reason (i.e., the motivation to become a professional), competitive gamers may be more susceptible to excessive use than the average video game player. Additionally, even successful professional gamers are likely to play for extended periods of time, as playing less than eight hours each day could mean that they are not practicing enough compared to other professional players. Those who work with (and treat) problematic video game players should keep this factor in mind (especially given that excessive video game use may increase as competitive gaming receives more bona fide recognition as a possible career choice).

Competitive gaming, as with video game playing more generally, has psychosocial advantages and disadvantages and is thus an important area to consider when evaluating gaming as a whole. It may be critical to include questions about competitive gaming (and context more generally) in measures evaluating the degree, extent, and "addictive" potential of video game use. Furthermore, it would appear essential for psychologists to inquire about competitive gaming in a clinical interview during which a client reports playing video games. If clients turn out to be competitive gamers, this will likely distinguish them in many ways from a person who simply plays video games excessively for fun and/or escape.

Various approaches and strategies could be used to stimulate research into competitive gaming. For example, studies could compare the abilities of professional or high-level competitive gamers with everyday or far less experienced gamers to better understand (a) similarities and contrasts in capacities, and (b) whether skills transfer to other domains. Another possibility is to utilize case studies of highly successful professional gamers. Such in-depth studies can generate descriptive information that can help in formulating hypotheses about potential differences between these individuals and non-competitive gamers and lead to better informed and more rigorous empirical investigations. How and why are some competitive gamers able to succeed while so many other players try and fail? Are some of these characteristics and skills (e.g., persistence and speed of mental processing) similar to those seen in professional athletes or others who are extremely successful in their occupations?

Competitive gaming may offer numerous benefits that could be more pronounced than the positive effects found when games are played casually. It may also be problematic, as competitive gamers might be more likely to sacrifice other areas of their lives if they believe they can become professional players. Most importantly, those researchers in the gaming studies field might keep in mind that competitive and professional gamers are a distinct population and may differ considerably (both psychologically and/or behaviorally) from casual gamers.

Additional input: Kyle Faust and Joseph Meyer
References and further reading
Andrews, G., & Murphy, K. (2006). Does video game playing improve executive functioning? In M. A. Vanchevsky (Ed.), Frontiers in: Cognitive Psychology (pp. 145-161). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publishers.

Boot, W. R., Kramer, A. F., Simons, D. J., Fabiani, M., & Gratton, G. (2008). The effects of video game playing on attention, memory, and executive control. Acta Psychologica, 129, 387-398.

Castronova, E. (2005). Synthetic worlds: The business and culture of online games. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.

Castronova, E., Williams, D., Shen, C., Ratan, R., Xiong, L., Huang, Y., & Keegan, B. (2009). As real as real? Macroeconomic behavior in a large-scale virtual world. New Media and Society, 11, 685-707.

Cheshire, T. (2011, July 4). Career gamers: Inside the world of modern professional gaming. Wired. Retrieved from http://www.wired.co.uk/magazine/archive/2011/07/features/career-gamers?p...

Faust, K., Meyer, J. & Griffiths, M.D. (2013). Competitive gaming: The potential benefits of scientific study. International Journal of Cyber Behavior, Psychology and Learning, 3(1), 67-76.

Goodale, G. (2003, August 8). Are video games a sport? They may not break a sweat, but these competitors say they are tomorrow's athletes. The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0808/p13s01-alsp.html

Griffiths, M. D. (2010). The role of context in online gaming excess and addiction: Some case study evidence. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 8, 119-125.

Griffiths, M.D. (2011). Workaholism: A 21st century addiction. The Psychologist: Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 24, 740-744.

Hong, J-C, & Liu, M-C. (2003). A study on thinking strategy between experts and novices of computer games. Computers in Human Behavior, 19, 245-258.

Hutchins, B. (2008). Signs of meta-change in second modernity: The growth of e-sport and the World Cyber Games. New Media Society, 10, 851-869.

King, D., Delfabbro, P., & Griffiths, M. (2009). The psychological study of video game players: Methodological challenges and practical advice. International Journal of Mental Health Addiction, 7, 555-562.

Lee, Y-H, & Lin, H. (2011). 'Gaming is my work': Identity work in internet-hobbyist game workers. Work Employment Society, 25, 451-467.

Reeves, S., Brown, B., & Laurier, E. (2009). Experts at play: Understanding skilled expertise. Games and Culture, 4, 205-227.

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To date, competitive gaming has not been widely researched or recognized in the scientific and professional literature on video games. As the name suggests, competitive gaming comprises players who regularly compete in tournaments organized and run by the gaming community, often for large monetary gains.

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Competitive gaming can be even more addicting that casual gaming, and some people completely rely on tournaments to live their lives.

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Esports has become big business. BagoGames/flickr, CC BY

We are mid-way through the annual esports calendar and South Korean team SK Telecom 1 recently scored a resounding victory at the Mid-Seasonal Invitational. The MSI, as it's known, is a tournament where teams compete to win the video game League of Legends. This year, for the first time, there were world-class players from 13 regions across the globe battling for a US$1.69m prize pool. SK Telecom 1 skirmished through three weeks of matches to retain their title, taking home nearly US$700,000 (£544,000) in prize money.

As the esports market of professional gaming grows towards an estimated US$1.5 billion in 2020, it is expected that world-class players will see further increases in their earnings. There are already prize pools of up to US$20m dollars available and some already earn millions of dollars through lucrative sponsorship and signing bonuses, as well as prize money.

It is easy to be seduced by these large numbers. But beyond the glitz and the glamour of the esports arena, there are some serious questions that must be asked about how its economy works, and the impact that this has on player well-being. For example, research shows that the professional context of competitive gaming needs to be understood as a precarious form of work. And players are the most precarious labourers in the ecosystem of esports, which includes sponsors, managers, publishers and many others.

This is partly to do with the age of players. As in physical sports, youth is an important requirement of professional gaming. Gamers struggle to maintain their dexterous abilities past the age of 30 and many retire before that point. This leaves professional gamers in a state of career anxiety similar to that of physical sports.

Most professional gamers rely on tournament income and live a subsistence life, dependent on how well they perform. It's an income stream that is uncertain and fragmented due to the varying scope and size of competitions. Few esports groups pay salaries, though some have started to.

artubr/flickr, CC BY

Esports is also precarious because of the way the industry is structured. There is a pyramid where a very select group of successful elites such as SK Telecom 1 earn a disproportionate amount of money when compared to the tens of thousands of players who have seriously committed themselves to the pursuit of professional gaming as a career. The result is that professional gaming is characterised as a risky career path that is difficult to pursue. It relies on thousands of hours of unpaid labour and the expectation that new starters will fund their own training, travel and subsistence costs.

Harsh training regimes

In the case of the game League of Legends, teams have raised the issue of financial hardship with the developer and tournament organisers Riot Games. Late last year, a joint letter was sent to the co-founders of the company by 18 of the top North American and European teams calling for better job security, fairer compensation, and an appropriate infrastructure to support longer player careers.

This call follows a series of high-profile documentaries that have highlighted the negative impact that this uncertainty has on player well-being. For example, research suggests that players are expected to train for 14 to 16 hours a day within spaces organised like factories. They sit in semi-private cubicles or rows of PCs with the sole purpose of maximising playing hours and minimising distractions. These "distractions" include contact with family, friends and intimate partners, due to the unsociable hours that gamers work.

Andy Miah/flickr, CC BY-NC

Some esports commentators argue that professional players must prioritise their training regimes over interpersonal relationships, acknowledging that the demands of other hobbies are detrimental to the focus needed for success. Eating, sleeping, and regimes of personal hygiene are subject to the same processes of efficiency. And this commitment to the game is valued precisely because it's broadly understood that this is what is needed to make it within this highly competitive field.

Taking the fun out of play

Esports blurs the distinction between play and work by changing how players value the goals of gaming. Gaming does, after all, have many positive effects on human psychology. People express feelings of joy, happiness and satisfaction from overcoming the challenges present in gaming.

Research shows that players find themselves completely immersed and engaged in their play - in a way that many forms of work cannot offer. It is competition that gives players a sense of this energy and fullness: they derive purpose, meaning and contentment from unravelling the puzzles of games, and developing strategies to win. Games offer players obtainable goals that generate a sense of achievement and motivation. From this perspective, esports should have a positive effect on mental health, by helping to boost players' confidence and self-esteem.

But where there is instability and uncertainty, the focus of play switches away from these positive benefits of gaming. In my research I've found that it switches to winning and the need to secure prize money. The result is that players are speaking out about the sense of disenchantment that follows from trying to make it as an esports professional. And many feel that the odds are stacked against them as a result of the precarious system of employment that characterises the field.

Play is no longer an escape from work. Rather the way the industry is set up appears to push esports players towards gaming the system they are in. Indeed, cases of cheating, match-fixing, and most recently, doping, have begun to emerge. This is the kind of activity that fits a bleak picture of the future of esports, where equanimity is lost to unbridled competition.
Hear Tom Brock talking about the esports industry and life as a gamer on The Anthill podcast All the world's a game.

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The problem of treating play like work - how esports can harm well-being

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We are mid-way through the annual esports calendar and South Korean team SK Telecom 1 recently scored a resounding victory at the Mid-Seasonal Invitational. The MSI, as it's known, is a tournament where teams compete to win the video game League of Legends.

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One of the negative results of competitive gaming; DDoS attacks are mainly committed by anger at someone superior or at others in a type of video game.

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Have you ever experienced a suspiciously well-timed connection drop while playing an online game? Maybe you were just about to round out that royal flush or take down the mid-lane tier 2 tower, when suddenly your ping spiked and it was game over. If that sounds familiar, there's a good chance that the game that you're playing was the target of a denial of service (DoS) attack.

If you're a fan of Xbox, PlayStation or any popular PC game, you've probably heard of DDoS attacks on the gaming networks. The denial of service arms race is currently raging across the globe, and the weapons of would-be attackers are strong, widespread and simple to use. As a consequence, it's now easier than ever to launch a DDoS attack against individual users, and gamers are paying the price.

Thankfully, you don't need to hire Microsoft's network security team to defend yourself.

We'll answer some pressing questions about DDoS attacks on gamers and offer some tried and tested steps you can take to protect your network and stay safe as you enter the digital battlefield.

How Do DoS and DDoS Attacks Work?

Can I be DDoSed?

How Do I know if I'm Being Attacked?

What Should I Do if I'm DoSed?

What Other Basic Steps Can Keep Me Safe?

What Are Advanced Solutions for Stopping a DDoS Attack?

Stay Secure and Game On

How Do DoS and DDoS Attacks Work?

In a denial of service (DoS) attack, unwanted traffic is sent to a target IP address to overwhelm it with data, either to take the network entirely offline, or simply slow it down. Since one network connection is unlikely to be able to send enough data to properly flood its target alone, attackers use distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks instead to bring down the site. Gamers encounter denial of service attacks typically.

In a DDoS attack, multiple computers are used to flood the target IP address, ensuring that enough data is sent to overwhelm its network. This is typically done by using a botnet, or a group of computers that have been infected by a virus allowing attackers to initiate network traffic from that device, often without the owner's knowledge or awareness. When gaming servers are victims of DDoS attacks, the game is unavailable to gamers.

Botnets are so common that attackers can literally rent one to carry out a successful attack without any specialized knowledge or technical ability.

Can I be DDoSed?

Anybody can be the target of a DDoS attack, but only if the attacker knows your IP address. Fortunately, your IP should be hidden automatically if you only play online through official servers and platforms like the Xbox or Steam networks. However, if you're a PC gamer who plays games that support private third-party servers (like Minecraft or Team Fortress 2), your IP may be visible to server administrators or to the public when you're connected.

Third-party voice chat programs are the most notorious weak points for attackers searching for your IP address. Skype, which was consistently identified as having very poor IP security, recently added the ability to hide your IP address.

Whichever voice program you use, follow basic security practices, keep your program updated with the latest patches and adjust your settings to ensure that you only receive calls and requests from players on your friends list. Your user profile and identifying information should also be kept private. Procedures for adjusting the relevant settings are different for every program - and change frequently - so you'll need to consult help files or the program's support site for the most up-to-date information.

How Do I Know if I'm Being Attacked?

Often, sudden outage and unexplained disconnect is the only sign you'll have that you're experiencing a DoS attack. To confirm that it's an attack, you first need to rule out normal network errors that might be impacting your internet connection.

1. Start by unplugging your modem and/or router, both at the power source and the network cable.

2. Turn off your computer (or console, if the modem is connected to it directly).

3. Leave everything off for five minutes, then plug everything back in and turn the equipment on.

If your internet connectivity isn't restored, you'll need to call your ISP for technical support. Many ISPs have automated messages alerting callers to service problems in their area, but if you don't have that option, or don't have a service alert, ask to speak directly to a support technician. They can walk you through troubleshooting steps for your network, and in many cases can find out directly whether suspicious traffic is being sent to your IP that might be a DoS or even DDoS attack.

What Should I Do if I'm DoSed?

Obtaining a new IP address is usually an effective way to stop an ongoing attack, since attackers often configure their botnet to operate automatically for as long as the target IP remains active.

Use a site like whatismyip.com to verify that your IP address has been successfully reset before and after taking any of the following steps:

Reset Your IP Address

Resetting your IP address every few days is a good habit to develop if you've been the target of multiple DDoS attacks, or if you're a streamer or highly visible gamer. While doing so won't prevent an attacker from searching for your new IP address, it can delay the process of finding it.

The easiest way to reset your IP address is to unplug your modem and/or router. Depending on your ISP's procedures, you may need to leave the devices unplugged for anywhere between 10 minutes and 12 hours, at which point your existing IP address should expire. You'll be assigned a new one when your hardware reconnects.

Using your router console

To reset your IP address when your computer is connected directly to an ISP router, navigate to your router's Admin Console, usually by typing "http://192.168.1.1" into your web browser's address bar. Consult your router's manual to find out how to access Admin functions if that doesn't work.

Consult the Admin Console's help files or your ISP's support site to find out how to release your IP. In most cases, the appropriate settings can be found under a "Network Settings" or "Network Identification" section. Note that some ISPs won't allow you to reset your IP this way.

If unplugging and using the Admin Console doesn't work, you can try the next steps to reset your IP address if your network is connected through a Windows PC or Apple computer.

1. To reset your IP address on a Windows PC:

2. Open the Start Menu, then open a Command Prompt by typing "cmd" into the search/run bar.

3. In the Command Prompt window, type "ipconfig /release" and hit enter. Then, type "ipconfig /renew" and hit enter.

4. To reset your IP address on an Apple computer:

5. Open the Apple Menu, then select System Preferences, then click Network.

6. Select your network in the listed DHCP services.

7. Click Advanced, select TCP/IP, then click "Renew DHCP Lease."

8. It may be necessary to restart your computer and modem or router to complete the process.

Request a New IP Address

If you're not able to reset your IP address on your own, you may contact your ISP directly to request a new address.

If you're a frequent target of DDoS attacks, you can ask for a "dynamic IP," which changes your IP address on a regular schedule. However, many ISPs don't allow consumer-level users to hold a dynamic IP and it often is not effective against a determined attacker. Additionally, a dynamic IP may lead to technical difficulties with your chosen streaming site if you're a regular game streamer.

Note: Depending on your set up, ISP and home network, you may need to check with your service provider to find out what specific steps you need to take.

What Other Basic Steps Can Keep Me Safe?

While an antivirus program and software firewall won't stop determined attackers, they're still a good first-line defense to stop casual IP detection. They can also prevent you from being caught up in a larger DDoS attack directed at game servers you're connected to.

Additionally, a robust firewall and antivirus are the best ways to make sure your own devices don't become infected by a Trojan virus and turn into members of a botnet themselves. Make sure you have a firewall and antivirus installed on all computers connected to your network, and be sure to configure your security software to automatically download important updates.

What Are Advanced Solutions for Stopping a DoS Attack?

If you've reset your IP and taken care of the network basics, but are still experiencing DDoS attacks, here are some more advanced solutions to look at.

Use a Virtual Private Network

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) effectively hides your IP address behind a virtual wall. In a VPN, all of your internet traffic is first routed to the provider's network before passing to the open internet. For would-be attackers and their IP-detection tools, your IP is the VPN's IP. DDoS traffic will hit your VPN's servers first, where it is screened out before reaching your home network.

The downside of a VPN is that its ability to safeguard your IP is dependent on the provider's procedures, and the addition of a new "hop" in your network path can lead to latency and higher ping times in-game. To avoid those issues, look for a VPN provider with experience providing low-latency connections to gamers and that can guarantee your IP will stay secure.

Upgrade Your Home Network

If your network hardware is provided by your ISP, it should be up to date and secure. However, if you bought your own third-party modem or router, or if you've had the same hardware from your ISP for more than four years, it's time to upgrade.

Some routers and hardware firewalls are available with built-in safeguards against DDoS attacks and other network intrusions. They can automatically block heavy bursts of network traffic, especially if it comes from many sources, which could indicate a DDoS botnet in action. Another feature is a "blacklist" that blocks incoming connections from known botnet IP addresses.

Advanced network security can sometimes impact your internet usage and game playing, so consider hardware upgrades to be a last resort, unless yours is significantly out of date.

Stay Secure and Game On

The bot wars may be raging across the internet, but your home network can avoid becoming a casualty with the safeguards mentioned above. By regularly updating your security software, taking steps to secure your IP address, and using a VPN, you can ensure that your gaming time continues without interruption.

As a part of the gaming community you understand the importance of an uninterrupted gaming experience. Let your game provider know if you are having trouble and request them to provide a better and more secure gaming environment.

We'll be covering how gaming companies can protect themselves against attacks. If you work for a gaming company, find out more about infrastructure protection and how it can keep your players safe on the digital battlefield.

If you work for an ISP, you can read more about using GRE tunneling to provide fast, secure VPN services.

Would you like to write for our blog? We welcome stories from our readers, customers and partners. Please send us your ideas: blog@incapsula.com

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Protecting Gamers from DoS and DDoS Attacks

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Have you ever experienced a suspiciously well-timed connection drop while playing an online game? Maybe you were just about to round out that royal flush or take down the mid-lane tier 2 tower, when suddenly your ping spiked and it was game over.

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More anger outbursts to show how fragile one's mentality can be while playing competitively.

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He almost broke it when his anger lashed out, but the rage cycle will continue if he continues to play these types of games