In Another Castle: Fanboy-ism

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SavingPrincess

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Feb 17, 2010
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From zero to hero in seven days; I recently went from having no consoles as of this time last week, to now being the proud owner of an Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3 (with a possible [color=sky blue]Nintendo Wii[/color] on the way). Now I am totally inundated with top-tier 'AAA' titles:
  • Final Fantasy XIII
    Heavy Rain
    Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
    Fable II
    Blue Dragon
    Lost Odyssey

Now let me pause for a second... if you even remotely noticed that I placed all the PlayStation 3 titles before the [color=sky blue]Xbox 360[/color] titles, then you might suffer from what some would call a case of "Fanboy-ism." This is a horrible affliction to have in this day and age of videogaming, but has been around for quite a long time. Brand Loyalty has been around for ages; some people will to this day only buy a Ford or a Toyota despite the hundreds of cars available on the market. Some people believe that Whirlpool makes the best washing machine and that Bunn makes the best cup of coffee. The differentiating factor between Brand Loyalty and Fanboy-ism is that Brand Loyalty usually goes to a certain point and stops psychologically, where as Fanboy-ism seems to know no bounds.

When I told some internet peoples about my upcoming purchase of a [color=sky blue]Playstation 3[/color] (before I knew the Xbox 360 would be coming into my possession), I was remorselessly blasted for choosing that particular console.

  • Them: "What the hell would you get a PS3 for?
    Me: "I really want to play Heavy Rain."
    Them: "Whatever, that games dumb..."
    Me: "It's not even out yet, how can you say that?"
    Them: "I can just tell; if they thought it was going to be good, they'd release it for 360 too."
    Me: "It was published by Sony's in house team."
    Them: "Yeah see? If it were good, they'd have gone with a 3rd-party publisher so they could release it cross-platform."
    Me: "I really liked Shadow of the Colossus; that was published by SCE."
    Them: "Whatever, that game looked boring."
    Me: "So you never played it?
    Them: "No, I had an Xbox."
    Me: "Would you have played it if it came out on Xbox too?"
    Them: "I think so, probably, I'd have given it a shot..."
    Me: "But you just said it looked dumb?"
    Them: "Yeah, but if they made it for Xbox, that means that more people wanted to play it, so it might have been good."

I've come to the conclusion, as a lot have already, that this type of mentality is a result of justification of the acquisition of a product or service that is financially beyond their means, forcing them to choose only one particular product or service rather than have the entire gambit available to them. I'm old enough to remember the SEGA v. Nintendo wars from the 80's and 90's before Sony came into play. Later on, I owned (and loved... and miss) the [color=ff6600]Dreamcast[/color] and felt very betrayed by the industry as a whole when that platform went the way of the dodo (or Jaguar for those paying attention). When the finances are available to me, I always try and spread my system purchases out as to have access to the exclusive titles as well as the ability to play games on my controller of choice (I also have a very game-worthy PC). Back in the SEGA v. Nintendo days of the late 80's, early 90's, I often said that the [color=6633FF]Super Nintendo[/color] was the superior console because I had both and always found the graphics on the Genesis to be too pixilated, the sound tinny and the controller squishy. That did not mean the Genesis did not have some fantastic games, it completely did, but I thought mechanically and interface wise, the [color=6633FF]Super Nintendo[/color] was a superior machine.

Those differences were easy to spot back then... now not so much. I can honestly say, now owning both consoles, that there is little to no difference between graphics and sound quality between consoles. Every sound is being pushed out at 48khz and above, graphics are running (around) 1080p, texture compression is almost a moot point... the graphics are more determined by the amount of time a developer puts into the title and not by the system it's running on. With those being equal, I like the thumbstick placement of the 360 controller and the D-Pad/Buttons of the PS3. I don't own any Blu-Ray movies but see the advantage now that it's the standard format, and I did like the built in WiFi of the PS3 just to have to not spend the extra money on the 360's adapter. People do need to realize however that these are the major (read: only) differences between systems and bring themselves to a point where they can start judging the games based off the games and not the system it's on.

After reading articles like these [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99098-Final-Fantasy-Fans-Boo-Xbox-360-at-London-Event] it's staggering to me that people can still push their personal feelings into a product with negligible differences over its direct competition, especially in such mass. I realize it's fun to be part of a club, but I still hold hope that we as a gaming society can mature and grow into a group of people that start holding manufacturers and designers responsible for their shortcomings and push them to work harder, rather than blindly forgive them for their faults because we decided to purchase the blue box instead of the green one.

All that being said... I can honestly say that gaming experiences on both platforms totally rock and suggest that people buy the system that has the games they like. If it is on more than one, pick up and hold a controller, find out what network all your friends are playing it on (if it's a multiplayer game), do a little research and make an informed unbiased judgment call.

Hopefully this one post on this one single message board can put an end to "Fanboy-ism" in the world once and for all.

... yes I am that powerful.

-SP

EDIT said:
The Last Story [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97900-Nintendo-and-Mistwalker-Team-Up-for-The-Last-Story] was just annouced for the [color=sky blue]Nintendo Wii[/color], now I have to get one of those too... see how this works?
 

XJ-0461

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Mar 9, 2009
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For the deciding factor, ask Them what they thought of Uncharted 2. If they say it was stupid then there is no hope for them.

Or alternatively, ask them why Halo was only released on the Xbox. Chances are that they'll say something along the lines of "Xbox is better nyah!", but if they do, accept that as proof of idiocy.
 

SavingPrincess

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Feb 17, 2010
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XJ-0461 said:
For the deciding factor, ask Them what they thought of Uncharted 2. If they say it was stupid then there is no hope for them.

Or alternatively, ask them why Halo was only released on the Xbox. Chances are that they'll say something along the lines of "Xbox is better nyah!", but if they do, accept that as proof of idiocy.
I generally don't like to beat my head against brick walls unless there's a chance that they might crumble... I just read a post about someone thinking that the release of Halo: Reach is going to nullify the PS3's existence as a console... I mean do people REALLY believe this stuff? It's amazing.
 

Hiphophippo

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Nov 5, 2009
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I'm generally a bigger fan of my ps3 and probably haven't turned on my 360 in 2 months. Doesn't mean I don't love it though. Really, I just think the ps3 is a slicker piece of machinery, and not having to pay out the ass for wifi on it is nice too.

Fanboy arguments frustrate me when it comes to gaming, but I'll argue all goddamn day long about good and bad coffee. I guess most people are fanboys about one thing or another.
 

asdasdasdasda

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Oct 17, 2009
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Always happy to argue, always happy to scoff at their stupidity for arguing over something so pointless. I guess I'm a hypocrite. By the way, that was a nice read.
 

MurderousToaster

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Aug 9, 2008
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[sub]I love the tag, too.[/sub]

Quite a nice... uhh... thing.


I must say, I dislike fanboys. While I only own an Xbox and not a PS3, I wish I owned both. It's more of a money issue than anything else.

"Patriotism Fanboyism is your conviction that your country console is superior to all other countries consoles because you were born in it bought one"
 

Arenari

Servant of Marvin the Martian
Nov 20, 2009
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I have to say I'm not really involved in the console wars here. i have 2 last gen consoles, but I mainly play on PC. I enjoy it more. Anyway, I try to avoid fanboy arguments as much as I can. They are really pointless to get into.
 

SavingPrincess

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Feb 17, 2010
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Hiphophippo said:
Fanboy arguments frustrate me when it comes to gaming, but I'll argue all goddamn day long about good and bad coffee. I guess most people are fanboys about one thing or another.
I can relate on the coffee thing (lives in Seattle). I also agree that hardware-wise, the PS3 does beat out the 360 in more subtle ways than the SNES was stronger than the Genesis. More to my original point, a few friends of mine have Soul Calibur IV on 360, so I felt no problem buying it for 360 instead of PS3, the differences are just not there like they used to be.

Mihz00 said:
Always happy to argue, always happy to scoff at their stupidity for arguing over something so pointless. I guess I'm a hypocrite. By the way, that was a nice read.
I feel the same way. I'm an eternal debater and a sophist at heart, so no judgment there. Thanks for the compliments.

SirBryghtside said:
I'd defend my favourite game no matter what they said.
The thing with your Morrowind argument is that both statments are factual in context. I will readily admit the shortcomings of one thing even if it is my favorite. Final Fantasy is probably my favorite series of games ever, but I belive that everything after Final Fantasy VI (with Final Fantasy VIII being the biggest culprit and Final Fantasy VII & IX being slight exceptions) was pretty awful in comparsion and can cite concrete reasons behind that judgment. I think Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was a big $60 mod/expansion to the original Modern Warfare and not much more. I think that Halo was a slightly above average shooter that simplified shooters for a console world but did nothing truly revolutionary in the genre. These are logically defendable opinion-based statements; but they are not "facts," though I view them as factual based on my experience. Even when these statments are made, the defensive fanboys you speak of can go insane...

Make any criticism of the aformentioned games and watch what I mean.
 

fletch_talon

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Nov 6, 2008
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Funnily enough I noticed nothing about the console affiliations of your listed games.
I was too busy noticing the fact that you refrained from calling the Wii shit, going so far as to say you may be getting one.

Too often these kinds of threads have a good message until either the OP or first poster says:
"Except the Wii, its shit."
 

Lt. Dragunov

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Sep 25, 2008
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And so the fanboy wars continue...
Honestly it's been said before no system is better than the other and it does'nt make a game better just because it came out for a different system. I still dont see who MW2 was better on any system, I played both 360 and ps3 version and i saw no differance.
 

wooty

Vi Britannia
Aug 1, 2009
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I will admit that I am a bit of a fanboy when it comes to certain things, but would never get into heated argument over them, I would defend it as much as I can but never delve into the depths of going rabidly mad just because I own it.

Had an argument with a friend a few weeks ago about Heavy Rain myself. I said that it looked quite good, but couldn't decide whether to get that or save for FFXIII, his response perplexed me. COnvo was along these lines:-

Him- Get FF instead of heavy rain, heavy rain is shit
Me- How's it shit?
Him- Its on PS3
Me- FF is also on PS3, does that mean its shit?
Him- No, its on 360 too, so its gonna be good

I smacked him upside the head after that remark
 

SavingPrincess

Bringin' Text-y Back
Feb 17, 2010
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fletch_talon said:
Funnily enough I noticed nothing about the console affiliations of your listed games.
I was too busy noticing the fact that you refrained from calling the Wii shit, going so far as to say you may be getting one.

Too often these kinds of threads have a good message until either the OP or first poster says:
"Except the Wii, its shit."
I really want one. There are a ton of games I would love to be able to play on them. Nintendo has become easy to pick on because they're doing something different. They (more than Atari) started what the Xbox and PS3 have become today, and now instead of competing, they are starting different things for which they have no competition; and, as history repeats itself, you will see other companies trying to mimic that innovation (read: Natal & Move). I wouldn't say the [color=sky blue]Nintendo Wii[/color] is crappy because it's not. There's no argument that I've heard that can make me view it that way. I've already played with one.
 

almostgold

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Dec 1, 2009
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This isn't really on-topic, but you buy entire consoles because you hear of one or two games you want on it? That'd be nice...
 

blood77

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Apr 23, 2008
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Fans are fine, fans are good,
fans support products like they should,
but the one problem with fans still lies,
with the fanatical bonds they hold,
only to systems and games they have tried,
and leave all others out in the cold.

It started out as a haiku and ended up like this^
 

Sakurazaki1023

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Feb 15, 2010
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I own a PS2, Xbox 360, Gamecube, DS, Wii, SNES, PSP and will be buying a PS3 within 4 months.

I really hate console fanboys that will rant on about a their console of choice and then openly admit that they never tried the alternative. I have played almost every console that has come on the market since I was born (1990), and I really don't understand why this topic seems to be such a one-sided argument.

Case in point, I own an Xbox 360 and can openly admit that the console caters to the completely wrong demographic and has an overly expensive online service occupied by a large majority of idiots. While at the same time, the Wii has been too busy selling baby toys to remember that it's supposed to be a gaming company and should really try to produce some actual games instead the the latest Scene It! adventure.

The point being, I will defend some of my favorite series and games at a moments notice, but the amount of console fury that is permeating the internet is really getting to sickening levels.
 

SavingPrincess

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Feb 17, 2010
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almostgold said:
This isn't really on-topic, but you buy entire consoles because you hear of one or two games you want on it? That'd be nice...
Are you referring to the The Last Story remark at the end or the Heavy Rain one in the dialog?
 

Brotherofwill

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Jan 25, 2009
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Good thread. Fanboyism is based on an inability to experience all games/ consoles usually dependant on the money factor just like you said. I doubt that it will ever go away and that the industry will grow up because:

1. Kids are still the center-stone of video-games.
2. Group-mentalities are extremely dangerous, potent and hard to get right of.
SirBryghtside said:
Them: Morrowind has awful graphics
Me: But they were cutting edge at the time!
Morrowind had amazing graphics for the time, but in my opinion the art design is abysmal.
 

CustomMagnum

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Mar 6, 2009
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wooty said:
I will admit that I am a bit of a fanboy when it comes to certain things, but would never get into heated argument over them, I would defend it as much as I can but never delve into the depths of going rabidly mad just because I own it.

Had an argument with a friend a few weeks ago about Heavy Rain myself. I said that it looked quite good, but couldn't decide whether to get that or save for FFXIII, his response perplexed me. COnvo was along these lines:-

Him- Get FF instead of heavy rain, heavy rain is shit
Me- How's it shit?
Him- Its on PS3
Me- FF is also on PS3, does that mean its shit?
Him- No, its on 360 too, so its gonna be good

I smacked him upside the head after that remark
Now, having no idea about your economic status I'm going to just give my opinion.

Get both of them. Preferably this second if you can managed it /jk.

Seriously though, Heavy Rain is awesome, but if you can really only afford one you might want to try renting Heavy Rain then. Did two playthroughs in about a week. Not that it's really something against the game, and considering the type of game it is you really shouldn't expect the same as FFXIII.

It's still ridiculously awesome though.
 

Sovvolf

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Mar 23, 2009
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Well I've had a X-box 360 since they came out and my brother just purchased a wii, I'm now trying to get a hold of a PS3 (So I can play heavy rain along with a few more console exclusives). I guess my reasoning behind not buying the other two consoles and sticking to my 360 after having it melt down 4 times is that well I didn't think the other two consoles were worth the money. I guess I have to qualify this even more. See most games are developed by third party developers so you could get most games these days on all three consoles, I didn't see much point of paying out more money to buy another console with the exact same games with a few exclusives. This isn't fanboyism as if I'd have originally gotten a PS3 my thoughts on getting a 360 would be the exact same.

What's changed my mind about this of recent is the price drop, PS3's can now be bought for £200-£300 (pre-owned) as opposed to the £300-£500 (pre-owned)of the past. Being that I can now get a console with a good amount of exclusives within a relatively reasonable price range I want to get one. Another reason would be so that I can at least speak on these discussions without any bias for my 360.

Though I've never really been one for the console wars and I think all fanboys(offensive)are stupid and need to take a chill pill. Most of there arguement often make little sense because they are wilfully blind and can't accept any fault in their texts.