A fence dweller's opinion on fanboyism..?

... And I use "fanboyism" for a lack of a better term.

I remember the day my parents purchased my first console. And Atari. And although I cannot for the life of me remember which series it was, I do remember the first game I had for it. Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird 1 on 1. My brother and I played the heck out of that game. It was simple, but fun. But with my new console I remember recieving my first taste of the Console War.

Being the only kid on the block without a Sega Master System or NES, I was at odds with the other kids on which was better. I remember arguing about graphics, game selection and overall fun factor. Today the only details I remember are that they all sucked in one way or another on graphics. I mean, it was 1984 or so. Also, for a five year old without a bank account, no matter how many games were pressed out, in my world game selection was severely limited.

But was it worth it to bicker and fight? Heck no. We all rotated our summer days spending time thrashing through Super Mario Brothers, Choplifter or a slew of other games that passed through our hands. In short, we talked trash, but had fun playing video games.

Fast forward a few years (or decades) and I have had the opportunity to play just about every offering in the gaming community. And although every one of them has their drawbacks, none of them has ever disapointed me when it came to fun. It didn't matter if my light gun was orange and gray or sinsiter black. Or whether the controller lacked analog, rumble feature or just had four buttons and a D pad. Bottom line is they all do the same thing.

And what do we win when we shun all but one company? A severlely limited scope on an opportunity to have fun. We limit who we hang out with. After all, what diehard Big N fan would be seen talking to a Sega freak?? You also open yourself up to be viewed as, well, a dork.

Now for me, I will always have a favorite. It's likely I'd never part with my Master System. But I am also one to enjoy the massive selection of RPGs on my PS2. Or the great first party games from Nintendo. Heck, maybe one day I'll buy a replacement for my Comodore 64!!

Well, that's my rant. Feel free to comment. But keep it civil...

Re: A fence dewller's opinion on fanboyism..?

I'm going to go a bit more modern, where my friends appreciate games. First time I told my friends I got a Wii. "Holy crap, can we come play!?" First time I said I had a 360. "Holy crap, can we come play!?" First time I said I might get a PS3 with my job next summer. "No, don't do that, it's a waste of money, and there's better things." Not even kidding. Liking one system more than another is being horribly misunderstood as fanboyism now. Jack and I have mentioned we either have or are getting 360's, and are getting PS3's once the average person can afford them, yet we're both 'fanboys'. Not quite, people.

Re: A fence dewller's opinion on fanboyism..?

I understand fanboyism from children who can't afford multiple consoles, I was the same way myself back in the 2600 vs. Intellivision vs. ColecoVision days, but when it's coming from an adult I have very little patience for it.

Re: A fence dewller's opinion on fanboyism..?

When I was younger I had a Sega Genesis and a SNES, and no access to the internet to even know that there was a console war! :lol

As I grew up I favored Nintendo systems because of the games and because they were always reliable and affordable, and always had great multiplayer games.

When I had a job and could buy systems for myself, I got all three (GC, Xbox, and PS2) because all of them had games I wanted to play.

This gen will be the same. I already have the 360 and the Wii, and eventually I'll get a PS3.

I just don't like being limited to what I can play.

Re: A fence dewller's opinion on fanboyism..?

I think the animosity enters any console discussion when those who are forced to choose between systems enter the fray. If you can afford all three, there's no problem, but if you only have the cash for one of the three, you have to rationalize which one of those is going to give you the most bang for your buck. After you've made what you find to be a well thought out decision, and you overhear someone else who claims your decision was less rational than theirs... it's a collision course.

I enjoy the rationalizing process myself, to weigh the pros and cons and investigate what traits people value more than others, but I don't think that any amount of reasoning can determine which console will provide everyone with the most enjoyment. That is to say, you can never conclude the correct answer = Microsoft. For you specifically, maybe, but not for everyone.

In any event I can't afford any of the newer systems, but I have played each of them, and I would be happy to have any of them for free. I would consider myself relatively capable of keeping a certain objectiveness in any videogame discussion. I do, however, have a well documented chip on my shoulder towards Nintendo, but that is only because I see great potential in them utterly wasted. I think that with a few key decisions Nintendo could easily dominate the videogame industry on an unprecedented level, and the fact that they don't make those decisions really frickin irks me. :lol

Re: A fence dewller's opinion on fanboyism..?

I don't think you can judge another system unless you have it or have owned it. Sure you can point out facts and what not, but if you don't have one sitting in front of you, you really don't have much room to speak. I used to be a fanboy, but now, having owned all three current gen (360/Wii/PS3) systems, I'm just a lover of games.

Re: A fence dewller's opinion on fanboyism..?

I guess I never thought of myself as a diehard fan of a specific console or company. I have always leaned towards Nintendo because I'd be given games just about every other weekend when I had my first NES. But I have always loved Sega because the Master System was the first console I purchased with my own money. Months of jumping into dumpsters to dig out aluminum cans just so I could go down to the local toy store and blow every penny on a brand new console and eight games.

I do agree with Stealth on the fact that with younger gamers money is the reason they become avid fans of one console. But the only fault I see with that comes from my own experience. When I was a kid, all my friends and I would choose which console to play because we all had different systems. If we had the same, we'd bring our own games to boost up the selection.

@ Fhq, There is that fine line between having a favorite and being a fanboy. Personally, I don't see you, or Jack in the fanboy catagory.

All this talk about my early days of gaming makes me wish I still had that Atari...