The (non)Logic of Fanboyism

[eggdog14]

The Escapist, if you would do the kindness of pardoning the shameless ass-kissery, if somewhat of a requiem for me. I can finally take part in a discussion of relative depth and intellect, which is a breath of fresh air from the forums where every third post is some variation of "OMFG haloRULZ! MasterCHEIF PWNs ALL!!!"

Having been exposed to legions of pre-pubescent 13 year olds telling me, and everyone else on the planet for that matter, that Halo and its various counterparts should change my perspective on life, one question has often bothered me: why do fanboys exist?

To put some perspective on my view of the matter, I'm part of a minority that-**gasp!** -does NOT watch sports. I don't find them particularly interesting. There are only two possible outcomes and the interim steps are all one and the same. You might as well grab a beer or three and gaze into a fish-tank for a few hours. On top of that, talking about sports essentially consists of listing facts. I'd rather do my math homework.

Ultimately I've come to the conclusion that televised sports is just a form of population control. After all; if people spent nearly as much time having sex as they did watching sports, we'd have quite a crisis on our hands! (This is statistically accurate, research says there is a spike in births nine months following any given power outage, "woohoo!")

Regardless, being a fan of say, your state's team, is understandable. Other than that designation I've never grasped the idea of "liking" one team over the other, as a team has no personality or morals. Yet I?ve seen grown men reduced to tears over the results of a football game.

The same applies to games, though obviously to a far less drastic extent. People latch on to one particular game, and defend it for all they're worth.

The most prominent of these is Halo. There are enough Halo fanboys to start a small country, and they get violently upset when someone even suggests that perhaps another game, (say. . . any other shooter) could be equal or even, by come twist of fate, BETTER than the revered title.

So, to restate the question, why do so many base their opinions on anything other than quality? why do fanboys exist?

Give your thoughts, opinions, and ideas!

cheers,
-eggdog

 

[WraithGadra]

Generally, it's a matter of peer pressure. You hear all this buzz about something or other, and you don't want to be ridiculed for not being on the bandwagon.

IMHO, fanboyism about anything is stupid simply because it promotes mindless conformity, which is always something to be railed against.

Snippet removed for your benefit. - Friend Moderator

 

[soladrin]

wow, someone who shares my views on sports the only good thing about sports are the accidents if you ask me, at least those are exciting.

Anyhow, adressing fanboy-ism (types this while playing an online game of halo 3 ).
The fact that about 95% of the Halo fanboys i encounter are around the age of 13 points me to logical reason, puberty, they are just coming into puberty and like we all (should) know, by that time, you start to look for things where you can fit in. So i guess Halo's growing popularity makes something easy to jump into and once latched on the bandwagon, they will just defend it without even thinking of anything else, offcourse im not saying this counts for everyone, but it seems common for them to act like this (them = gamers around age 13). I dont want to come off as an ancient being here, im only 18 myself, but this is just something that constantly slaps me in the face.

My oppinion about fanboy-ism: It's completely useless, all it does is narrow their own vision, i dont really care, they make for easy targets when your bored, but, they are missing out on a lot for no reason at all.

I myself am a Halo fan, but being a fan of a game, and fanboy-ism is a BIG difference, and this is something i am finding often to be confused with each other, wich is anoying me. I'm a fan of Halo but that doesnt mean i swear by Halo and only Halo and wouldnt dare think of playing a different game. Whenever i state that i like Halo there will be at least 10 guys ready to proclaim that halo is shit and the xbox 360 is a crappy console, this is something that is getting on my nerves. I know i shouldnt care and really, i dont, but its just annoying when you have to get through this every day anywhere you go these days on the internet. But i think in the end it'll resolve itself, or some other game will come around the corner for the kids to latch onto, either way, its not something we can stop short of giving them all a "visit" wich isnt a real financial option.

 

[Arbre]

I'm not sure coming to the Escapist is the right place to understand what fanboyism means.

That said, to the complaint that reads as "I hate Halo 3 fanboyz on gamespot and haloplanet forums"... the quick answer: don't go to these forums.
If this is what made you come here... hey! welcome!

 

[cann3dheat]

I agree with your whole 'requiem' mindset, and I think that whole idea is why there are fan boys.

A large portion of the gaming community doesn't visit game sites every day looking at news, reviews and the like. They play games that they hear about from their friends, and rather than knowing the ins-and-outs of the gaming industry and what the gaming community decides to be 'good', they just play what their friends play.

I'll tell you with a straight face, I enjoyed Big Bumpin', it was fun when I played with my friends. However, the gameplay was broken and the graphics were so-so at best. By no means was it a 'good' game, but it was fun.

Now to go with your team analogy, I believe it goes along with my fun game/good game idea. Some people pick up their favorite sports team from their parents. Some pick the team because of the players. Like I mentioned above, most gamers just play what their friends are playing i.e. liking the same team as their parents.

I think as a gamer grows with the online community, they lose their fanboy ways. It's just a matter of maturing with time.

Then, we have some people who just never grow up. That's what the mute button is for.

 

[Copter400]

I'd say it's because a lot of fanboys are school children. Pretty much everyone at my high school has a copy of Grand Theft Auto, most of them have a copy of Halo, and a small portion have Halo 3. There ends their forays into the world of gaming; unfortunately, the aforementioned students are also the big, burly sporty type who really find something interesting about cricket. It's hard to see the point of view of another person talking about another game if all you ever do is team kill and teabag all the time. So we must be patient with fanboys, at least up until the point we develop the technology to deliver throat punches through broadband.

 

[Russ Pitts]

There's an insecurity at play. We want to feel invested in a thing, that's natural. Some people, however, have to feel like everyone is similarly invested in order to give their investment meaning. That's where the trouble starts.

 

[Geoffrey42]

In my mind, fanboy's are a product of several things. One is the need for acceptance into a group to provide a sense of self (which we all have in one form or another). Then there is youth, though more specifically, maturity, of which there is a dearth amongst 13 year olds. And lastly, mix in a little of <a href=http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-34640480252896_1975_1255336>John Gabriel's Greater Internet Dickwad Theory.

To eggdog14's statement that teams don't have "personality" or "morals", I can only say I disagree. A team's personality may not be directly related to the franchise, but it does exist as an extension of the coaching staff and the individual player's personalities. Teams and their fans share a common history, and a certain culture, which are expressed in their style of play, and their level of sportsmanship. I have no favorite teams, and I've always been partial to playing sports over watching them, but it isn't that hard for me to see how people could enjoy following and rooting for "their" teams.

 

[Anton P. Nym]

What's "retarded" about fanbois of every stripe is the assumption that there are arbitrary and fixed definitions of "better" and "worse" with regards to games. This results in an insistant and vocal disregard for the opinions of those who disagree... because, after all, they know what's "good" and since you disagree you're obviously inferior.

It's this nihilism bordering on psychopathy that drives me nuts when encountering fanbois.

Oh, by the way, I love Halo. And I've seen the above phenomenon strike ALL stripes of game fans. And yes, I'm mightily tired of the HL2/CoD/Crysis fanbois' rhetoric regarding Halo's inherent inferiority. I disagree, but at least I recognise this as a personal preference and not TRUTH burned into stone tablets by my Personal Prophet.

-- Steve

 

[Kermi]

I like Halo. But I'd never attack anyone's right to dislike it.

That said, I do get annoyed when people insist that I should hate it too. That's fair, isn't it?

The fanboy exists because people have different opinions and for some reason a deep seated belief that everyone should share them. This leads to debates which spiral out of control thanks to the anonymity granted them by the internet, until we make such wild claims such as "if you hate Halo you're going to burn in hell with all the other faggots" (this is a quote burned verbatim into my skull after I made the unfortunate decision to visit the Gametrailers.com forums shortly before September 25th this year).

The counterattck is just as fierce and they're joined in turn by people who hate it because it's trendy to do so. Name anything that has been cool in the time since the internet because available cheaply and conveniently to idiots and I guarantee there've been people who hate it on the principle that if it's popular it's worth hating.
For instance, Green Day is one of the most hated bands in the world right now, people who'd never heard of them until the album American Idiot will now insist they listened to their original albums (which were released roughly the same time said trolls were being conceived) and they sucked forever and ever and ever.

This is only one example and I largely disregard it. It's carried over into videogames because videogames are probably about as mainstream as music these days. We pick our preferred console, we buy its games, we make a choice to like something. Then we wear or virtual heart on our sleeve and seek out others to share our feelings with on these issues. The rest is a struggle for dominance. No one likes to be told they're wrong.

But why can't the 360 fans and the Sony fans stay in their own areas and autofellate without encroaching on one another's territory? Why do Halo fans need to go into Sony forums and tell Lair fans how much they suck? Maybe it's a pre-emptive self defence. That's the claim made by most instigators of war, isn't it?

 

[Kronopticon]

sitting on the fence has never been popular, its a constant, them or us situation; tragic really, if only everyone could sit on the fence. stubborness is the key factor in why they stay fanboys, since they've supported them before, they arent going to change their opinion because someone brought up a valid point. such is life. *sigh*

 

[blackadvent]

I was under the impression that the words 'fanboy', 'fair', and 'logic' could not be in the same sentence short of causing the universe to rent asunder.

 

[laikenf]

Wow, are Halo fanboys that bad? Couldn't tell , I hate the game anyway. By the way, the same applies to consoles also, you know, you're M.S., Sony and Nintendo fanboys, now these guys are at each others throats (and I thought the Nintendo- Sega feud was bad back in the days).

 

[PurpleRain]

I'd say it's because a lot of fanboys are school children. Pretty much everyone at my high school has a copy of Grand Theft Auto, most of them have a copy of Halo, and a small portion have Halo 3. There ends their forays into the world of gaming; unfortunately, the aforementioned students are also the big, burly sporty type who really find something interesting about cricket. It's hard to see the point of view of another person talking about another game if all you ever do is team kill and teabag all the time. So we must be patient with fanboys, at least up until the point we develop the technology to deliver throat punches through broadband.

I just got out of grade 12 a few weeks ago, and YES there are people like that at my school, but you are also steryotyping us. The majority of kids at school couldn't give a flying damn about Halo and GTA. I've never owned Halo, I did (for a very short period of time before I got bored of it and traded it in) owned San Andreaswhatchamacallit and disliked the game.

 

[Testing]

wow, someone who shares my views on sports the only good thing about sports are the accidents if you ask me, at least those are exciting.

Anyhow, adressing fanboy-ism (types this while playing an online game of halo 3 ).
The fact that about 95% of the Halo fanboys i encounter are around the age of 13 points me to logical reason, puberty, they are just coming into puberty and like we all (should) know, by that time, you start to look for things where you can fit in. So i guess Halo's growing popularity makes something easy to jump into and once latched on the bandwagon, they will just defend it without even thinking of anything else, offcourse im not saying this counts for everyone, but it seems common for them to act like this (them = gamers around age 13). I dont want to come off as an ancient being here, im only 18 myself, but this is just something that constantly slaps me in the face.

My oppinion about fanboy-ism: It's completely useless, all it does is narrow their own vision, i dont really care, they make for easy targets when your bored, but, they are missing out on a lot for no reason at all.

I myself am a Halo fan, but being a fan of a game, and fanboy-ism is a BIG difference, and this is something i am finding often to be confused with each other, wich is anoying me. I'm a fan of Halo but that doesnt mean i swear by Halo and only Halo and wouldnt dare think of playing a different game. Whenever i state that i like Halo there will be at least 10 guys ready to proclaim that halo is shit and the xbox 360 is a crappy console, this is something that is getting on my nerves. I know i shouldnt care and really, i dont, but its just annoying when you have to get through this every day anywhere you go these days on the internet. But i think in the end it'll resolve itself, or some other game will come around the corner for the kids to latch onto, either way, its not something we can stop short of giving them all a "visit" wich isnt a real financial option.

XBOX sucks. :]

 

[PurpleRain]

XBOX sucks. :]

DEVIL WORSHIPPER!! Do not listen to his lies!

 

[Testing]

XBOX sucks. :]

DEVIL WORSHIPPER!! Do not listen to his lies!

Says the Mortal Kombat fan. :]

 

[PurpleRain]

XBOX sucks. :]

DEVIL WORSHIPPER!! Do not listen to his lies!

Says the Mortal Kombat fan. :]

(Fingers in ears, or eyes would be more correct) LALALA Not listening!

 

[Zoidbergio]

On the opposite side of the fanboy is the hater. The hater is exactly the same as the fanboy except they derive their feelings of self-worth from knocking down something rather than propping it up.

Often they adopt this attitude against a solid product if it becomes popular before they played it. If they played it before it got super-popular, then its okay with them. But if it has already achieved popularity before they get their hands on it, then it's dubbed "mass-market crap" or some such and "only a rabid fanboy could like it." Also, the people that like said product are 13 years old and need to hit puberty, etc.

I don't mean to diminish the idiocy of fanboys, but the flipside is equally bad.

Sure there are games other than Halo that are also awesome, but some people just love to knock Halo and the people who like it.
I am a fan of Halo, but I haven't touched it in weeks, there are too many other great games to play right now.

And even as an ardent Halo fan, I will say i think I like Call of Duty 4's multiplayer better than Halo 3's.

As to The Escapist being a haven from rabid frothing fanboyism. The Escapist is an enclave of monocle-wearing, highly-literate fanboyism. The elitism and disdain for opposing opinions is as prevalent on these forums as anywhere else; it just lacks the vulgarity of the 1ups and other similar places.

To summarize:
Fanboyism is a blight.
As is Haterism.
Halo Rules. But other games rule as well. And there are other games that rule more so than Halo.
Escapist-dwelling fanboys = "Bnet" fanboys wearing tuxedoes.

 

[Quistnix]

People like to feel superior. That's the same reason people pull pranks: we like to show people we can get to them, we playfully suggest they don't mess with us.

The best way of feeling superior is by uniting. Form a team of Us, and we can assure each other we're better then Them. That way, we can blame Them for all the bad stuff so We are free of guilt.

Doesn't matter if We call ourselves Halo-fans, or Believers, or a Nation. Just be secure in our group so the bad Them can't get to us. If we can use Our greater number to overpower or humiliate Them, so much the better.

Yeah, a couple of psychology classes from a very bitter professor quite turned me cynical.