I Game, Do you?

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Written by Frank R | 26 November 2008
Posted in SOMM Blogs - Gaming

A little known fact, not all gamers are complete basement living, minimal wage working, pimpled and pale faced people and another fact, not all are extreme zealous fanboys (or girls). We do live in a world filled with extremes (i.e. extreme sports, extreme WoW gamers and extreme Bed-Wetters), but the game industry's consumer base are amongst the most devoted I have ever seen.

For the uninitiated, a fanboy (or girl) is a gamer "juiced" by the "superiority" of his or her preferred platform, usually dwells on many internet forums and/or chat-rooms, spewing rhetoric about how his or her platform of choice is better and will engage you in verbal flames if you dare form an opinion outside of theirs. These gamers know developers by name, sleep on video game themed bed sheets they made from scratch, could recall from memory their favorite platform's third quarter fiscal earnings from three years ago and think the Nintendo Wii is for the elderly. There is not much that can stop a Fanboy once you have gotten him started, not even the idea of being banned (they don't care; the site wasn't that cool anyway). So how do you stop them?

The internet appears to give a web surfer a notion of complete anonymity, this notion contributes greatly to the large number of fanboys and fangirls that stalk the web. This perceived anonymity gives fanboys the ability to act like jerks, shout racial remarks and other obscurities without consequences. Besides doing the unthinkable (finding the fanboy and beating the crap out of him), the one way to stop fanboys is prevention. Everyone has an opinion about something and the fact of the matter, fanboys, often are people that feel others don't value their opinions and thus force (or try) their beliefs onto others.

Even the wisest can be wrong and that is the inherent cause of a gamer becoming a fanboy. No one wants to be wrong and even proven wrong, some will still debate how they are right. This may sound crazy, but someone might disagree with your opinions and you don't have to flame them because they do. Some games are perfect in the eyes of some and crap in the eyes of others. The following are five ways that can help you become a true gamer and even more so, a better person.

1.) Opinions vary like people vary. More often than not, you won't agree with the Original Poster (OP). Feel free to voice your opinions, but do it in an intelligent and civil manner. If the OP is a jerk, just ignore him/her, they'll stop posting when no one replies to their threads.

2.) Keep your focus on the subject at hand. If everyone is talking about a particular game or console, don't belittle the opinions of others and change the subject to why a certain game or console is better. You won't change anyone's opinion, most likely, you'll validate the person's opinion that you are a jerk.

3.) Don't join if you won't behave. Don't join the Xbox forums if you are a hardcore Sony freak or vice versa if you're an "Xbox". You already know beforehand that 95% of the people on that message board is devoted to the opposite of your favorite console and going around saying that Killzone 2 is better than Halo 3 (especially when you haven't even played it) isn't going to make anyone value your opinions/views.

4.) Online gaming is for online gaming. No one wants to discuss other games, platforms, and/or your opinions when they are playing online, especially when they get double-teamed by the opposing team because you weren't watching their back. You will be avoided or blacklisted by many and you don't want that do you?

5.) Play game for enjoyment. Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo are not going pay you anything because you are "spreading the word" about their respected consoles. Bill Gates is not coming to your house and giving you a million dollars, since you were a devoted fan since the release of the original Xbox. There companies don't want your opinions but the money in your pocket.

Video games are an interactive experience unlike any other and should be enjoyed for what they are. Just because you cannot afford every console and/or game, you don't have to make yourself feel good about your purchase at the cost of others and their opinions. I play games, not the console...you should too.

RaGeSet

P.S. I know this blog post is going to go over the heads of many fanboys, but I had to write it.

Note: Contrary to popular belief, most fanboys are not 13 year olds. Most of the fanboys I have encountered are over the age of 18.

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Tags: Fanboyism, Gaming, I Game, SOMM