I never understood what makes a "fanboy." I had only Nintendo consoles until Christmas of 2008, but I would be one of the first people to critisize the Wii and point out that it was very far from perfect. What brings this up is something I saw just now on IGN. They had the "Console Showdown 2010," which first of all I think is just in itself troll and fanboy bait. Sure enough, at the time of writing this the article has been up for 90 minutes and there are 802 comments. I'm not going to go through and read them, but I bet the majority of them are complaining about the 360 being named best console of 2010, or gloating.
So what makes a fanboy a fanboy? Is it defending your purchase? Maybe, but I assume many of the people who flame others for liking a certain console are at an age where their parents are still buying them the consoles and games. Are there any reformed (or current) fanboys out there that have reasons for it? I feel like you don't see this as much in other mediums, sure there are people out there saying "my car is the best all other cars suck Fords are the best!111!!," but you hardly see that in comparison to games. Maybe those people just don't know how to use the internet.
I never understood what makes a "fanboy." I had only Nintendo consoles until Christmas of 2008, but I would be one of the first people to critisize the Wii and point out that it was very far from perfect. What brings this up is something I saw just now on IGN. They had the "Console Showdown 2010," which first of all I think is just in itself troll and fanboy bait. Sure enough, at the time of writing this the article has been up for 90 minutes and there are 802 comments. I'm not going to go through and read them, but I bet the majority of them are complaining about the 360 being named best console of 2010, or gloating.
So what makes a fanboy a fanboy? Is it defending your purchase? Maybe, but I assume many of the people who flame others for liking a certain console are at an age where their parents are still buying them the consoles and games. Are there any reformed (or current) fanboys out there that have reasons for it? I feel like you don't see this as much in other mediums, sure there are people out there saying "my car is the best all other cars suck Fords are the best!111!!," but you hardly see that in comparison to games. Maybe those people just don't know how to use the internet.
Defense of purchase. Most often it's just people who can't afford to buy all platforms and just root for the platform that their mom could afford for their Christmas present.
I never got it either. Defending pieces of plastic that sometimes die on you. The worst part is sometimes the media feeds on this like you pointed out in your post.
If this is going to turn into a massive flame war about which console is better, let it be about something I can argue. Like how the SNES was better than the Genesis.
@GlenTennis: Being a passionate fan of a certain media or company onto itself is not a bad thing. The problem starts when said passion reaches a point where said passion blocks and blinds you.
@KaosAngel said:
" Halo "
I can't believe I actually got to use this in a meaningful way.
" Defense of purchase. Most often it's just people who can't afford to buy all platforms and just root for the platform that thier mom could afford for thier Christmas present. "
" P.S. If this is going to turn into a massive flame war about which console is better, let it be about something I can argue. Like how the SNES was better than the Genesis. "
how about the best looking console? I have much love for the gamecube's cube like design.
" P.S. If this is going to turn into a massive flame war about which console is better, let it be about something I can argue. Like how the SNES was better than the Genesis. "
how about the best looking console? I have much love for the gamecube's cube like design. "
Plus it has a handle, how sick is that?
@Mordukai said:
" @GlenTennis: Being a passionate fan of a certain media or company onto itself is not a bad thing. The problem starts when said passion reaches a point where said passion blocks and blinds you.
Agreed. Being a passionate fan can be a good thing. The only problem is when you either A) Become blind to any problems with said console or B) Start belittling others for choosing another console.
The only thing I feel fanboyish about is Bethesda and their Elder Scrolls games, and even then only slightly. As far as I can tell, fanboys are people who have had excellent experiences with a company or product and as such do not think that company can do any wrong, even if their stuff is absolute shit.
" The only thing I feel fanboyish about is Bethesda and their Elder Scrolls games, and even then only slightly. As far as I can tell, fanboys are people who have had excellent experiences with a company or product and as such do not think that company can do any wrong, even if their stuff is absolute shit. "
True. I didn't even think about software. I may have been a little fanboyish about Mass Effect 2 or the great "Fallout 3 vs Fable 2" debate in the past.
They don't want to admit that there are good games they don't know about (games on different platforms). It's easier for them to say "I didn't hear about X because it's on the worse console" than "I admit, I've never heard about X even though it's a good game".
Fanboys tend to have an over zealous desire to evangelise a product asserting that nothing is, has been or can ever be better than the thing they own. When other people want to get a thing that's different to their own then they will have to try and prevent this travesty and save this poor soul from making a mistake. I have come across fanboys that insist on people buying square pegs in answer to posts where the main issue is finding something to fill a round hole, even though the square peg clearly won't fit and a new hole can't be dug. Experienced it myself, and maybe been guilty in the past when I first started building PCs about 10 years ago.
There are also other people who tend to act a lot like fanboys, but more in a Purchase Justification Reflex kind of way, they've done their research, know this is the best and have test results to prove it kind of thing, They would usually post something like they could of got a getter peg, but this has the best finish for the price sort of approach, and they know becuase they checked on different sites and everyone agrees.
Me, I had always used round pegs up until this current build and thought I would go down the square peg route, it's been great up until now! ;)
There is still a fanboy in me somewhere, he gets out from time to time, if you see him PM and I'll try and cage the beast.
A fanboy can be that of most anything that he or she accumulates a personal body of knowledge of, and defends it as their private cache of absolute truth. There almost seems to be a siege mentality. Fanboys of consoles, of Pc's, of art forms or such like anime, or even sub-orders of gaming like JRPG"S.. it does seem you see them more in some areas than others. Probably because the knowledge is esoteric or regarded as cutting edge or niche. Whatever it is or why, it puts them both on a pedestal and on the defense. Show ignorance or worse, lack of value of their choosen field or component, they will freak and insult you in the worst way. When I first came here, some guy freaked out about something in the Persona 4 comments. Shocked me, I could not figure out why such depth of enmity..
that said, i want to be a Pc fanboy. Now is the best time because consoles have obviously come into their own, and I can know a little bit of a whole lot of something and can protect it from those 360 fairyboys to verily the armed colossal might of Microsoft itself. Everyone knows Microsoft wants to smother PC gaming so that their aid's ridden X-box 360's can get all the gloryhole..and of course the sales. Well I know it anyways. Reluctantly I will forge an alliance with the PS-3 crowd, and say that they too have a 2nd rate pc of sorts, an alliance I will readily break as soon as I have broken Ballmer's stranglehold of a operating system that I hate..for some reason.
I will be known!
Hey, I'm even going to build my first computer next month.
" A fanboy can be that of most anything that he or she accumulates a personal body of knowledge of, and defends it as their private cache of absolute truth. There almost seems to be a siege mentality. Fanboys of consoles, of Pc's, of art forms or such like anime, or even sub-orders of gaming like JRPG"S.. it does seem you see them more in some areas than others. Probably because the knowledge is esoteric or regarded as cutting edge or niche. Whatever it is or why, it puts them both on a pedestal and on the defense. Show ignorance or worse, lack of value of their choosen field or component, they will freak and insult you in the worst way. When I first came here, some guy freaked out about something in the Persona 4 comments. Shocked me, I could not figure out why such depth of enmity.. that said, i want to be a Pc fanboy. Now is the best time because consoles have obviously come into their own, and I can know a little bit of a whole lot of something and can protect it from those 360 fairyboys to verily the armed colossal might of Microsoft itself. Everyone knows Microsoft wants to smother PC gaming so that their aid's ridden X-box 360's can get all the gloryhole..and of course the sales. Well I know it anyways. Reluctantly I will forge an alliance with the PS-3 crowd, and say that they too have a 2nd rate pc of sorts, an alliance I will readily break as soon as I have broken Ballmer's stranglehold of a operating system that I hate..for some reason. I will be known! Hey, I'm even going to build my first computer next month. "
" Defense of purchase. Most often it's just people who can't afford to buy all platforms and just root for the platform that their mom could afford for their Christmas present. "
What about us who have them all? @teh_pwnzorer said:
" @GlenTennis said:
" So what makes a fanboy a fanboy? "
Personally insulting strangers on the internet, just because they *politely* criticize an electronic gizmo or computer software. "
I'm the other way, I politely defend my interest against people who insult what I like, and if they don't listen to reason I follow up by breaking their jaw. ;)
Tho a fanboy clearly exists in all of us, most of the time that I've seen someone called a "fanboy", it's by a fanboy of the opposing faction who has no proper argument to make.
"Fanboy" is no different than real gamer, hardcore, casual, lowest-common-denominator (and the list goes on and on), they are all replacements for legitimate points of conversation.
What makes a fanboy a fanboy? Not seeing the big picture. Aka, an Xbox fanboy will say this was a bad year for games, as only 1-2 exclusives came out. Even though like 10-20 top notch games were released.
People like competition and a feeling of superiority, and they also want to justify their own opinions and purchasing decisions. In general fanboys also usually carry a lack of open-mindedness and low intelligence.
" People like competition and a feeling of superiority, and they also want to justify their own opinions and purchasing decisions. In general fanboys also usually carry a lack of open-mindedness and low intelligence. "
I think this is a good way to sum it up. In many cases combine this with being at an age where you do not have the ability to look critically at something you love, or have the mind to not blurt out everything that comes to your mind on the internet. The later, some will never achieve.
" How is the first response not "his mom, to mcdonalds" "
B-B-B-BOOM!
Yeah I dunno why people feel the need to defend so aggressively some crap they bought. It's not like they themselves made it. Like if I made Halo, and saw people crapping all over it, I might be willing to sling a "fuck you" or two their way, but honestly... what's the big deal?
" How is the first response not "his mom, to mcdonalds" "
Zing! Also, three hours later, there are close to 1000 comments on the original article. Here's one of the most recent comments, it made me laugh, but not because it was funny.
" Wii is for babies. Have fun with your baby system, babies. Googoogaga."
Human 1 like game, human 2 dont like game, human 2 speaks negatively of the game, human 1 put's in a defensive position because the human brain dont like to acknowledge a bad purchase or be proved wrong. Threat level will vary from person to person.
When you can't argue about real subjects outside of video games due to lack of exposure to other people, you fall back on other avenues, such as defending plastic things on the internet.
" How is the first response not "his mom, to mcdonalds" "
Zing! Also, three hours later, there are close to 1000 comments on the original article. Here's one of the most recent comments, it made me laugh, but not because it was funny. " Wii is for babies. Have fun with your baby system, babies. Googoogaga." "
It's supposed to be read with the voice of Heavy.
BABY MEN PLAY BABY WII! AH HAA HAA HAA. WHAT'S THAT SANDVICH? KILL THEM ALL?!
1) Self-justification: "I got Console X and I couldn't get Console Y or Z. In order to justify my decision of getting Console X, I must say that Console Y and Z are bad. Because that makes me feel smart since I made the "right" choice!" 2) Identification: Some people feel the need to define themselves, to develop a personality and a fully realized persona. While others might place their political philosophy, their experiences, their religion or their culture or their moral ideals at the centre of that persona, some put their fun-fun electronic box of fun at the centre. Those people are idiots. There is really no other word to describe someone who holds a PIECE OF HARDWARE as a key part of their identity. Well, another word for anyone who does that might be "CHILD".
And as you can tell, most trolls and fanboys (also, fangirls!) tend to be either very young or very stupid, or both, and are usually too poor to afford more than one type of console. I too was a console fanboy once - when I was SIX YEARS OLD. I grew out of it by the time I was ten. As Yahtzee once said, it's usually down to their mum not willing to buy them more than one console or game.
I don't mind when people defend something they like, it's when they feel the need to shit on the other guy that gets me in a murderin mood. Ok you love your system/game whatever, that's awesome. Other people are allowed to like something different. Or both things. It is a possibility.
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