The 'Fanboy', A Trend in Gamers?
By Otacon 18 Comments
Today a teaser hit for a gaming franchise you may have heard of, stating that the next metal gear is coming along with a cryptic message depicting a power button, a green power button. You can't blame most people for deciphering this as a hint towards MGS hitting the 360. I'm not here to evaluate this assumption being right or wrong, instead I am going to have a look at the general reaction that surrounds the wake of news like this. Of course there are those that believe the teaser as irrefutable evidence, I found this comment on Joystiq courtesy of a lovely unbiased user.
if you open your selective vision you'll see that I'm not the only person who thinks that this could mean MGS4 is coming to the 360.
Whether it's 4 or 5 I could care less. It's good news either way since sony and the ps3 crowd is losing yet another exclusive.
Fair enough, some guys are cautiously excited about the possibility of MGS on the 360, There are plenty of Metal gear fans who haven't played MGS4 yet because they don't have a PS3. A comment like this however, I find hard to understand. The guy doesn't seem fussed about the series yet his concern is in the field of putting down the console he himself doesn't own. I think here we have to ask where this mode of thinking came from, why it's grown and where it's going.
I would assume that 'fanboyism' has been around as long as the term 'geek' has. For example, I'm an absolute Zelda geek, therefore I'm an absolute Zelda fanboy right? Right. Not the same as our friends comment though is it? What we have seen above is the attachment to a console that ranges beyond being a fan, to having concerns about the business involved in sales, exclusivity deals and the like. Why should a consumer care?
The first time I myself noticed rivalry between consoles was with the PSX and N64. You had a choice as a consumer between two great consoles and went with your preference. Like today you would justify your purchase on personal grounds and stick by it. There was banter from both sides but the love still seemed to be focused on the video games. Consoles cost money and people like to make the right choice, then tell people about this choice, being a little annoying in the process.
So why has devoted love and allegiance for consoles grown? Well, looking at it, I don't believe it has. I think we are in the same situation we were in back in the 90's apart from one vital thing, the thing your browsing right now, the internet. Whilst back then we would have a little argument with our friends about why we chose a console, we can now create an anonymous username on a site and tell the world in a much ruder and blunt sense. Never has there been a better environment for twelve year olds and those that act like them anyway to spread their insecurities. Of course there have always been those of us who's palm has always met the face upon reading comments of such nature and who don't include themselves in petty elitism, we have always been here too. It seems the vocal fan has now just been given a louder voice and a name and guess what, he's here to stay.