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Editorial: The Fanboy Never Wins

If you didn't already know, if you're too far lost in your parents basement, if you haven't stepped outside and sampled more of the real world (or more of the geek world), you probably don't know that the fanboy invades just about all entertainment venues. Oh, they're there, all right, and they work diligently to make things worse for everyone who simply loves that particular form of entertainment. But why do they seem to be so much worse in the game realm? And why is the new fanboy far worse than the old fanboy? To say fanboyism is just another adolescent superiority complex thinly veiled as "loyalty" is, in all actuality, an understatement. These days, fanboyism is more about making other people feel stupid than it is about blindly backing a certain brand or product. The fanboys lost back when they tried to prove "theirs" was better than "yours," and they're losing even more now by trying to browbeat everyone around them by accusing the "opposition" of being clueless retards. In the end, the fanboy, regardless of the venue or time period, never wins.

Thankfully, our loyal readers here at PSXE know very well we're not a fansite, and just because we focus on the PlayStation brand, we're not ignoring the bad news and only posting the good. We're a legitimate gaming site and we aim to keep it that way; we're the single best source for PlayStation-related news and content on the Internet (oh, 'tis true), but we do not endorse PlayStation over any other brand for any reason. I own a Xbox 360, just like I owned the original Xbox, and I never understood the fanboy idiocy even back in the golden days of the SNES vs. the Genesis. I had both, and even if you didn't have both (perhaps your parents couldn't afford it, and I completely understand that), it didn't mean "yours" was better than "theirs." Don't we have enough of this crap in the real world? And yet, generation after generation, era after era, we get the same bullsh**. Normally, I would've come to accept this as a matter of course in the industry, but like I said above, the reason they lose now is due to their unbelievable hostility.

Before, more people were likely to compare the best of "their" platform to the best of the "competition's" platform. You know, like the SNES and Mario and the Genesis had Sonic. That type of thing. But now, it's more like just slamming on another console's games rather than promoting the games on your own personal selection. Why is that? Why are the System Wars firmly cemented in aggression and negativity? I'd hate to equate this kind of behavior to video games (that'd just be more ammunition for the anti-game factions of the world), but I'm having difficulty understanding this relatively new phenomenon. And worst of all, it's nigh-on unavoidable. These people are everywhere . They even pop up on our site in the Comments section once in a while with the express purpose of slamming the Xbox 360 and/or Wii, even when the article in question has absolutely nothing to do with either console! They're just here to bash, and by the way, if you're thinking about doing that, bear in mind you'll be gone. Fast.

I love great games. I wouldn't care if I had to play GTAV on a freakin' toaster made by Milton Bradley. Logos and brand names mean nothing to me. I may say Sony consoles are far more reliable than Microsoft consoles, but that's not an opinion, and it's more like consumer intelligence and responsibility. But I'm not about to say the Wii is a piece of junk; it's probably the most reliable system out there. And that leads me to my primary point- the negativity, the hostility, the "new" fanboy losing in a new way…it all stems from a simple refusal to admit we're wrong about something. Nobody in this world ever accepts responsibility for anything, which is why the crux of this hostile fanboyism – pointing fingers; saying "your" big game is worse than "mine" – is easy to explain. To me, anyway. In the world of fanboyism, no concessions are ever made, which is why the debates are both mindless and ultimately pointless. Nobody on either side can ever be wrong.

And because they apparently don't know how to react in any other way, they simply attack the other person. Way back when, the fanboy promoted; now, the fanboy only attacks. And both times, they lose. But I'm far more upset about this new breed of fanboy, because rather than boastful, prideful, and egotistical, they come across as sullen, miserable, and nasty individuals. Before, I didn't mind being part of a group that included some ego-maniacs who paraded around in their Nintendo t-shirts and grinned mockingly at everyone else. Hell, it's better than dire personal threats and flaming all over the Internet when someone tells an Xbot that Halo isn't so great. And the person who said it likely runs around doing it all day long, just to get a rise out of the Xbots. It's ugly, stupid, and extremely disappointing. If you love games, great. If you prefer a certain console over another, fine. We all do. But when you come across someone with a different mindset, how about trying the approach of the olden days? The only slightly less stupid but far more civilized approach?

No attacking, just "yeah, I see your point, but the PS3 has this ." Not, "no, that game just sucks and so do you." You want to erase some of the stereotypes that are still stuck to us even after 30 years? Stop acting even younger than most of you are, and if you must be a fanboy, do us all a favor and stop threatening to beat the opposition over the head with a shovel. Seriously. You'll still lose – thus, the name of this piece – but at least it won't be borderline sociopath behavior.

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WaR_HaWk
WaR_HaWk
15 years ago

true

rjmacready
rjmacready
15 years ago

Nice article Ben, and I agree.

I personally don't care what console a good game is on, or what logo or brand name it has, who publishes it, etc. If it's a good game, I just want to play it.
End of story.

The_Chimeran
The_Chimeran
15 years ago

Good article Ben. And yeah I'll raise my hand and say I'm a definite Sony fanboy, but just cause I love the Sony family doesn't mean I hate the Wii and the 360. I love the Wii, in fact and Wii fanboys actually don't push my buttons when they talk. It's the 360 fanboys that start to bug me. I've been known to say things at my local gamestops like "what's that i heard? more exclusives, free network, 10 yr support.". That's about the worst I've done. Which means I'm the first type of fanboy, the one who so proud of his/her ps3. but i'm not that bad. I can get along.

SerendipityDeus
SerendipityDeus
15 years ago

Eeeeehhhh, I'm somewhere in between, but nowhere near as bad as some 360 fanboys I come across at times, its pretty sad really lol

mikemclaughlin
mikemclaughlin
15 years ago

ben i completley agree with you. i wish people would just choose wich console or pc is right for them and quit telling me how inferrior my platform is. each console and pc is aimed at a certain crowd or audience. fanboys quit trying to tell me wich is right for me

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
15 years ago

Great Editorial
THE VERY THING why I registered for this site.

I might disagree with some points but overall this is very true.

Almost nothing on the 360 interests me except for the rpgs. But that doesn't mean that Gear of War or Halo aren't great games. Those who ask me why I don't own a 360 is basically a combination of things like I don't have money to just blow. But the overall reason is that there are certain kinds of games I've been following on the PS side that I know I won't get on the 360 side like Gran Turismo, God of War, Naughty Dog's games, etc.

Though I really really miss the rpgs 360 users are getting.

By the way I own a Wii, there are many games on Nintendo's side I've always followed and it's a great alternative. I think the Wii is the success they wanted it to be, they always dubbed it as the "alternative" and that's the very reason it's selling more. A good strategy, I'm just happy to own the best two consoles in my opinion.

Jove
Jove
15 years ago

ben is just being political guys. of course the fanboy wins.

the fanboy does win when he mentions 3.5million pixels minus the square root of the turbo graphics parralle corelation of the megapixels that the cpu plus the strenght to the 3d power equation of the gigapixels in the 3 million billion trillion floating spus .5% to the #5.

and thats the truth.


Last edited by Jove on 8/9/2008 12:21:56 AM

aaronisbla
aaronisbla
15 years ago

haha thats awesome, i love it when fanboys start arguing numbers to prove they are right.

Not calling you a fanboy since i know you were joking in your response

Scarecrow
Scarecrow
15 years ago

Specially when games like Super Mario World are considered to be better than a lot of today's games 😀

Jed
Jed
15 years ago

man, 32bit totally kicks 16bits stupid ass

Daedusian
Daedusian
15 years ago

I really get annoyed with fanboyism. Every single time I watch a video on GT for example, there are always people going against what was shown in the video. I like to read comments as I do here because you never know what you might find, whether it be helpful information or just something interesting. You'll see it on YouTube too.

I really cannot stand it. I don't care if people don't like games but please don't bash on others, its so friggin childish and rude!

Jed
Jed
15 years ago

This article explains why I cannot be a member of any other website. I love my PS3, and not my 360, but I don't want to start fighting with strangers that I will never see again about which is "better". For about the last 10 years I really liked gamepro magazine. when they started a website I signed on and got into it. But nowadays the forums over there are just garbage. Somebody who doesn't even read the article will just leave comments about how crappy (insert system A) is and how wonderful (insert system B) is. Just to piss people off. It makes me sick.
That really lets me appreciate sites like this one, where we can talk intelligently instead trying to aggravate everyone on the planet.

nickolars
nickolars
15 years ago

Dearest PSXextreme crew:
I've been coming to this site for quite a while now, i remember finding it waaaay back when I was going through final fantasy vii for the first time. which I want to say was like 1999? maybe? I don't really remember. Articles like this are the reason why I've always been a loyal follower of this site. I can't find this kind of stuff on any other gaming site and with your advice and the advice of many a kind user i've always been able to find exactly what I needed, and I've played many great games that I've seen recommended by you guys and by other users that I never would've even considered before. I just picked up Chrono Cross the other day in fact and I'm loving it. 🙂 Anyway, I just wanted to say thanks for always kickin' ass PSXextreme. You guys rock 🙂

nick.

Advent Child
Advent Child
15 years ago

All I can say is I don't give a crap. I know a PS3, I own an Xbox 360, I even own a Nintendo Wii even if only for Zelda and Smash Bros. I own a PSP, I have bought a DS, but at present don't own one. I also have a gaming PC that cost me $2000 to build from scratch. I prefer the PSP and PS3, simply because I have always loved the way Sony does things, plus there are just plain more games I have liked on that side. But no matter who says what or which console something comes out on, I am covered, and I will buy it.

orangpelupa
orangpelupa
15 years ago

im a game fanboy >_<

i dont care about the console/platform i just love the games 😀 😀

btw yeah, now "most" fanboy only attack each other, making baseless arguments and causing flamewar, fanboy war…….

and maybe this will be blamed to GTA again for using violence in gaming……..

FallenClyro
FallenClyro
15 years ago

Man, why don't you guys write magazines? 😉

firehahahahaha
firehahahahaha
15 years ago

I always try to be as little fanboyish as possible when talking about game systems, even if I do prefer Sony over the other systems. I have all the systems from the last get (Dreamcast ftw) and I'll probably do the same for this gen, cept now it's harder cause I have to buy them myself, lol. But I was thinking about getting a 360 when I first bought my PS3, it's just that there hasn't been too many games other than Gears of War and Dead Rising to peak my interests at the time, and that would just be a waste cause I don't wana pay just to play gears like 3 times online.

AscientDire
AscientDire
15 years ago

Solid article. I think there's a difference between buying something and liking what you buy because of the resources available to you and just blindly walking off loyalty cliff like a fanboy lemming.

infekt
infekt
15 years ago

Nicely put. Like the parents used to drill into their offsping: If you cant say anything nice, dont say anything at all.

Cavan
Cavan
15 years ago

the internet is to blame for the sudden rise of fanboyism, 10 yrs ago noone would argue about the nes or megadrive ( the genesis was called that in uk) as you would get a punch in the arm, now all you have is websites with forums with idiots on there, goin on just to annoy ppl, as they know there annoying ppl on the other side of the world and wont be able to do anything about it.

Thinker
Thinker
15 years ago

Actually, I don't think it's the Internet's fault. You don't actually blame a tool or the ease of use of a tool. (If you get burnt by fire while trying to warm your hands by shoving your hands into the fire :), is it the fire's fault or yours?)

What I think is – people have always been like this. If they can get away with something with impunity, they will – dismal view of human nature, I know, but nowadays it's the truth, in my view anyway.

In this case, you have egocentric kids (and even adults) who have their ego invested in a console. They know they have anonymity while bashing others, so they indulge in ridiculing others who happen to think differently.

Bugzbunny109
Bugzbunny109
15 years ago

I hate when people say a system sucks then has no proof to support their insolent statement. Especially on youtube, i would usually flame them lol. But i could careless about what fanboys say, and i think you guys should ignore fanboy statements also.


Last edited by Bugzbunny109 on 8/9/2008 11:16:08 AM

QuasarSquirrel
QuasarSquirrel
15 years ago

I get so frustrated with forums and comment sections sometimes. The whole system x vs system y was seriously old before it started. This site is a blessed oasis…..mostly 🙂

Ben Dutka PSXE
Ben Dutka PSXE
15 years ago

Thanks everyone. I knew our readers would certainly understand this article. 🙂 I've never understood it, but now it's like people want to beat you to death if you say you don't like Mass Effect (like me).

QuasarSquirrel
QuasarSquirrel
15 years ago

ZOMG you didn't like teh Mass Effects 😮

j/k, I loved it but my Brother in law didn't like it at all and I can absolutely respect that.

chaosrunner
chaosrunner
15 years ago

I wonder when people lost sight of the simple fact that different people have different tastes. I'm a gamer who can't stand most FPS games. I'm bitterly disappointed that the Japanese publishers won't import more of the turn based strategy games to the US market. But I don't think people who like Halo or Resistance are morons. Well, some of them are, but not because of their choice of games. It's just that I don't care for them myself. Yet I still get crap from FPS fanboys about not being a 'real' gamer because I'm not pissing my pants in excitement over yet another FPS, despite having been playing video games since before some of them were an itch in their daddy's pants.

Kids…

AceTatsujin
AceTatsujin
15 years ago

i'm bored, i'm gonna go piss off some xb360 fanboys. hahahaha!~

Fabi
Fabi
15 years ago

I agree, I get all my Playstation news from here. It's the first site I visit every time I get online.

I was a bit thrown off once though. When Arnold made the statement that the PS3 would catch up to the 360 in 12 months, no doubt about it. It sounded a bit too fanboyish. He was really quick to bring up all the "PS3 exclusive" arguments in a really protective way and adding that GOW3 was coming early 2009. He knows better than that. Those GameStop dates are never right, it just seemed like he was throwing everything out there without caring if he was accurate, just to prove his point that the PS3 will catch up in 12 months.

Aside from that, the site is great.

psxjunkhead85
psxjunkhead85
15 years ago

Thats exactly what I do fabi. I be at work wondering what new info psxextreme got for me. This is off the subject but did yall know they got homebrew games for the ps3 that can be played through the a usb in played on the xmb? Ben should make a article about it They got pong and a couple other games.

Minishmaru
Minishmaru
15 years ago

I don't even remember fanboyism back in the sega genesis and snes days honestly…was it cuz the internet wasn't a big thing or around at that time? After all, with the internet…everyone voices their opinions and its alot easier to have it spread across the world than when it was just regular snail mail and writing.

SpinningBeat
SpinningBeat
15 years ago

Haha the internet has really made fanboyism worse. Everytime I think about fanboyism it reminds me of the patriots in mgs 2 talking about how some people are given so much freedom to spout garbage.

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