PS3. 360. Wii. Most will agree they are three very unique systems. In years past this would be looked upon as a plus for gamers everywhere. Since the days of the NES, we as gamers have had many options to burn free time. SNES vs Genesis. Game Boy vs Game Gear. PSX vs Saturn vs N64. PS2 vs Xbox vs Gamecube. Not to mention the countless other entrants into the framework (3DO anyone?) With this latest console war, we could be staring a golden age of gaming right in the face. And on behalf on myself and true gamers everywhere, we plan to embrace it fully.
However, the Nintendo/Sega rivalry spawned a new breed of gamer. A gamer who would not only pledge their allegiance to one specific console, but would also do everything in their god given power to convince any other gamer within reach to do the same. The name "fanboy" was the term of choice to describe such a gamer, but they were simply a nuisance in those days. My how things have changed. With the explosion of the internet, "fanboyism" has indeed reached a level of insane heights. I walked into Best Buy one afternoon and witnessed something I thought I would never see. A customer was interested in purchasing a PS3 and inquired about the availability. So he asks an employee if any are available and is rudely told, "you don't want one." After explaining to the employee that he has thought about the purchase for 2 months and decided it is the next gen system for him, he was then told, "PS3 is a system for spoiled rich kids and tech junkies who want something to show off at their next get-together."
Rich kids, this one's for you.
2 things struck me as odd about that comment. The first was that the employee was doing the opposite of what his job description says he should. The second was that I had either heard or read some variation of that comment about 7 times in the past 4 days. To choose choice over fanboyism is to invite ridicule into your life nowadays, especially on the internet. Dont believe? Log on to any gaming site and say that Gears Of War is the most overrated game of 06. Let me know how it goes. We as gamers should be well informed about the products we plan to purchase, but we should never be influenced. Seems some people didnt get the memo though. As for our friend at Best Buy? He left without the PS3 he so badly wanted and settled for 2 new PS2 games (Fight Night Round 3 and NBA 07 The Life.) I asked the guy if he knew those games were available for PS3 and he replied, "Yeah, but the guy at the counter says PS3 is a waste and he's the expert." No my friend, he is not the expert. He's the fanboy.
In my experience, there are 3 different types of fanboys. First, you have the in your face type. These gamers will attempt to verbally destroy anyone who doesnt share their opinion on anything gaming related. Their profanity laced tirades have ran many a gamer away from countless internet boards. They will defend their system of choice to the death and use the slightest misstep to expose the competition. The second type is the subtle fanboy. They pick and choose their battles wisely, only stating their opinion when it will either put their favorite system in a good light or show the competition in a negative way. They tend to not go overboard with their arguments though, and will occasionally admit that the competition isnt as bad as they say. The final type is the fanboy in denial. This fanboy will claim no allegiances, but their opinions will say otherwise. This is the type of person who would call Halo overrated, but still admit it is better than Resistance. They will occasionally claim to like a game made for the competition, but it's usually a game everyone likes anyway. Close examination of their comments will reveal where their heart lies, but they aren't troublesome for the most part. The latter two types aren't hard to deal with in most cases, but the first is a problem all its own.
Ever wanted to see life through a fanboy's eyes? Here you go.
A week after the Best Buy trip, I found myself back at the very same Best Buy ready to purchase my own PS3. Like the other gentleman, I too had put a lot of time and research into my decision. I wanted to confront the employee from my last visit and see how he would handle someone who wouldnt back down. So after a couple of minutes of searching, I found him in the Xbox 360 section. The PS3's were lined up on the floor this time, so there was no need to ask if any were available. So I politely asked him what games he would recommend I purchase with the system. As I predicted, he started one of his rants describing the inferiority of the PS3. Here is a slimmed down version of the conversation that took place between him and I.
Jerzee: Excuse me, could you recommend a couple of games I could buy along with my PS3? Employee: You sure you want a PS3? J: Yes, I'm sure I want a PS3. I just wanted your opinion on the games. E: Well honestly there aren't any games worth your money. You would be better off with a 360. J: And why is that? E: Because it has Gears Of War. J: I dont want to play Gears Of War. E: Well you must be a Sony fanboy, no offense. Only a Sony fanboy wouldn't want to play Gears.
No offense taken buddy. Only a 360 fanboy would make a statement like that. The truth is I love Gears, and I have played all the Gears I could ever want at my brother's house. So I have no need to buy a 360 and play it some more. Notice he never mentioned ANY of the other great games 360 has for purchase. Not to mention the online service which is top notch. If the conversation didn't last so long I would have posted the whole thing. But let's just say I proved how much of a true gamer I was by the time I left the store with my PS3. I ended up buying Madden 07, Resistance, and NBA2K7 that day as well. I couldnt help but think about my last visit as I walked out with my new system. Maybe I should have talked him into it. Or maybe it was best I left him alone. One thing is for sure though, a real gamer will always have a choice. Fanboys be damned. Until next time, game hard and live easy!
Jerzee Email - jerzeeballa@gamersblock.net Forum Name - JerzeeBalla www.gamersblock.net
started by mroca1 on 30 Jul 07
However, the Nintendo/Sega rivalry spawned a new breed of gamer. A gamer who would not only pledge their allegiance to one specific console, but would also do everything in their god given power to convince any other gamer within reach to do the same. The name "fanboy" was the term of choice to describe such a gamer, but they were simply a nuisance in those days. My how things have changed. With the explosion of the internet, "fanboyism" has indeed reached a level of insane heights. I walked into Best Buy one afternoon and witnessed something I thought I would never see. A customer was interested in purchasing a PS3 and inquired about the availability. So he asks an employee if any are available and is rudely told, "you don't want one." After explaining to the employee that he has thought about the purchase for 2 months and decided it is the next gen system for him, he was then told, "PS3 is a system for spoiled rich kids and tech junkies who want something to show off at their next get-together."
Rich kids, this one's for you.
2 things struck me as odd about that comment. The first was that the employee was doing the opposite of what his job description says he should. The second was that I had either heard or read some variation of that comment about 7 times in the past 4 days. To choose choice over fanboyism is to invite ridicule into your life nowadays, especially on the internet. Dont believe? Log on to any gaming site and say that Gears Of War is the most overrated game of 06. Let me know how it goes. We as gamers should be well informed about the products we plan to purchase, but we should never be influenced. Seems some people didnt get the memo though. As for our friend at Best Buy? He left without the PS3 he so badly wanted and settled for 2 new PS2 games (Fight Night Round 3 and NBA 07 The Life.) I asked the guy if he knew those games were available for PS3 and he replied, "Yeah, but the guy at the counter says PS3 is a waste and he's the expert." No my friend, he is not the expert. He's the fanboy.
In my experience, there are 3 different types of fanboys. First, you have the in your face type. These gamers will attempt to verbally destroy anyone who doesnt share their opinion on anything gaming related. Their profanity laced tirades have ran many a gamer away from countless internet boards. They will defend their system of choice to the death and use the slightest misstep to expose the competition. The second type is the subtle fanboy. They pick and choose their battles wisely, only stating their opinion when it will either put their favorite system in a good light or show the competition in a negative way. They tend to not go overboard with their arguments though, and will occasionally admit that the competition isnt as bad as they say. The final type is the fanboy in denial. This fanboy will claim no allegiances, but their opinions will say otherwise. This is the type of person who would call Halo overrated, but still admit it is better than Resistance. They will occasionally claim to like a game made for the competition, but it's usually a game everyone likes anyway. Close examination of their comments will reveal where their heart lies, but they aren't troublesome for the most part. The latter two types aren't hard to deal with in most cases, but the first is a problem all its own.
Ever wanted to see life through a fanboy's eyes? Here you go.
A week after the Best Buy trip, I found myself back at the very same Best Buy ready to purchase my own PS3. Like the other gentleman, I too had put a lot of time and research into my decision. I wanted to confront the employee from my last visit and see how he would handle someone who wouldnt back down. So after a couple of minutes of searching, I found him in the Xbox 360 section. The PS3's were lined up on the floor this time, so there was no need to ask if any were available. So I politely asked him what games he would recommend I purchase with the system. As I predicted, he started one of his rants describing the inferiority of the PS3. Here is a slimmed down version of the conversation that took place between him and I.
Jerzee: Excuse me, could you recommend a couple of games I could buy along with my PS3?
Employee: You sure you want a PS3?
J: Yes, I'm sure I want a PS3. I just wanted your opinion on the games.
E: Well honestly there aren't any games worth your money. You would be better off with a 360.
J: And why is that?
E: Because it has Gears Of War.
J: I dont want to play Gears Of War.
E: Well you must be a Sony fanboy, no offense. Only a Sony fanboy wouldn't want to play Gears.
No offense taken buddy. Only a 360 fanboy would make a statement like that. The truth is I love Gears, and I have played all the Gears I could ever want at my brother's house. So I have no need to buy a 360 and play it some more. Notice he never mentioned ANY of the other great games 360 has for purchase. Not to mention the online service which is top notch. If the conversation didn't last so long I would have posted the whole thing. But let's just say I proved how much of a true gamer I was by the time I left the store with my PS3. I ended up buying Madden 07, Resistance, and NBA2K7 that day as well. I couldnt help but think about my last visit as I walked out with my new system. Maybe I should have talked him into it. Or maybe it was best I left him alone. One thing is for sure though, a real gamer will always have a choice. Fanboys be damned. Until next time, game hard and live easy!
Jerzee
Email - jerzeeballa@gamersblock.net
Forum Name - JerzeeBalla
www.gamersblock.net