Let me preface this by saying I'm in no way a psychologist, and these are just feelings based on my own personal experience.  None of this might even be relevant to fanboys in general, and I may just be posting this to sort out my own thoughts.

Now, I've never considered myself a fanboy (by the implied sense of the word) for any console.  I've always been partial to Nintendo, but that's only because they offered the most of the type of experience that I personally enjoy.  Before this gen, I've had an NES, SNES, Playstation (1, 2), N64, 'Cube, and Xbox, as well as most of the handhelds.  I never really even knew what a fanboy was until I started going on forums in the middle of last generation.

 Now, among other quirks, I have been known to obsess over things I enjoy--especially video games.  It used to be that I needed every single console as fast as possible.  I know this sounds stupid, but before the Xbox and Gamecube came out (I already had PS2), when it looked like I wasn't going to be able to get either of them, despite knowing how trivial and irrelevant it was, I cried a few times.  I knew I was being stupid, and I didn't like that I was crying, but I couldn't help it.

I accepted the fact that I wouldn't get the other two systems, and decided I'd just be happy with my PS2.  Now, Christmas rolls around, and my parents got me a Gamecube.  I LOVED it!  I had a great time with Smash Bros and Pikmin, and many more to come.  I bought an Xbox with my own money that summer, and I was very happy with all three.

Now, this generation (before anything was known about the new consoles), I decided that I would buy two consoles max.  I bought an Xbox 360 on launch day, and, like many, I was absolutely enraged at Sony when they unveiled the specifics of PS3, and delighted with the idea of the Wii (then Revolution).  Needless to say, my second console was Wii. 

At first, when it seemed that 360 games were far superior to their PS3 counterparts, I felt a great sense of pride in my purchase.  Like some others, I was GLAD that the PS3 was failing (when it wasn't doing very well).   When good news popped up for PS3, like a big game, or that it sold well, I felt sick.  I was like Crazzyman for the 360 on forums, even though I hated myself for it.  I knew it was irrational then, and I know it's irrational now.  But I couldn't held my feelings.

 Fast forward a few months, and my mom bought me a PS3 for my high school graduation.  Rudely, I only acted polite ("I appreciate it a lot.") instead of acting excited.  Again, I knew it was inappropriate, as my mom had just spent $600 on this item in the hopes that it would make me happy.  Now, maybe my feeling was that I was being hypocritical, saying that I wanted the system to fail while simultaneously owning one, but I felt REALLY bad about owning it--even more so when I was very disappointed with Resistance's gameplay.  I knew even at the time that I was acting inappropriately and probably made my mom feel bad.  Eventually, I got better and  thanked her more sincerely.

To ths day, I have about 25 360 games and about 15 Wii games, but only 3 for my PS3--all exclusives, no multiplats.  But now, my position has changed from hating the PS3 to hating Sony themselves and liking PS3.  I still prefer both other consoles, but PS3 is now an acceptable alternative to me, if only for its' exclusives.  If you check my posting history here, I don't think you'll find much that could be taken as trolling or being a fanboy.  Please let me know if I am and I'll try to stop it. 

I think my point here is, I think fanboyism stems from a need to justify your beliefs and your purchase.  I'm a more extreme case, because of my obsessive-ness, but I think this is a reasonable assumption.

I don't know why I feel so strongly, and I don't know if all 'fanboys' do, but I know that it serves no purpose other than to get people pissed off at you.

whew!  Thanks for reading, guys!  I don't know if the preceding rant/wall means anything, or if it's just me babbling on, but I needed to say it, if for no other reason than to get it off my chest and sort out my feelings, irrational though they may be.

Any thoughts?

I agree to a certian extent. I want to see the Wii succeed. I enjoy the play style and believe that if properly designed, that any control style can be adapted to benefit from the Wiimote's capabilities. My reasoning isn't so much to protect my investment, but to fulfil my desire to play more games in this style. Of course, I only spent $250 on it, so I don't relaly feel put out. right now, with the games that are currently out just in this first 2 years, I've already recoupped my investement. If the Wii DID somehow magically drop off the face of the earth and never have another game made for it, I wouldn't be upset over my investment, but upset over the loss of such huge potential that I see this console as being capable of.

I'm not sure if this would be teh same for the other systems though. Being more expensive, teh financial issue would be of greater signifigance.

Likely it is a combination of the financial aspects, but also wanting the direction that console is heading in to continue.

I'm only a Sony fanboy because my dad worked at Sony for a decade during most of my childhood.

i don't have any next-gen console...

I think you got a lot of things right.  However, I am a different story.  I'm pro XBox 360 and pro Microsoft because being so helps the American economy and thus helps me.  America's economy is floundering, almost all of our major industries are posting huge loses year after year, they are being bought out, or they are forced to outsource to stay competitive in the global economy.

Japan is currently dominating America in many industries such as electronics and automobiles.  American automakers cant compete with Japanese automakers because they owe their past workers huge amounts of benefits and pay their workers more whereas Japanese built factories in parts of the United States were they dont have to worry about unions so they can pay their employees less and give them less benefits.  This is why America needs to adopt universal healthcare, so we can help everyone with healthcare costs while simultaneously bailing out our autoindustry among others (Ford not paying billions for healthcare would save them money plus make them more competitive by making them have more equal footing with their competitors).  But thats another story altogether...

Its not that I super patriotic or anything, its just that Japan is one of the most protectionist countries in the world.  I love seeing European, South American, African (not many of them) and other Asian countries doing so well, but its because we buy their products if they are good and they'll buy our products if they are good.  Heck, I'm more of a European fanboy when it comes to PC games (go Ubisoft and Paradox Interactive).  On the otherhand, its very difficult for foriegn companies to integrate themselves into the Japanese market.  Japan shuns foriegn automakers and many other industries, and even if you got past personal loyalties you would still have to deal with Japanese family of companies (I forget the Japanese word that economist use for it) that favor supplying other Japanese companies rather than foriegn competitors.

So you can see why having an American company defeat a Japanese company in the billion dollar gaming industry would make me happy.

I would sort oi consider myself a Nintendo fanboy. My second favourite would be Microsoft, followed by Sony.

Fanboyism usually does stem from cognitive dissonance.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance


This can even be the case when you have three systems though if you've chosen to activly favor and identify with one.

Same here ... I had the same reaction when I got my GC as a present ... luckily I can now see that all 3 consoles have good sides , but neither is perfect ...

@ thekitchensink

Excellent post - I know it took guts to admit that on the Net ...

I know a lot of people consider me an MS fanboy, and that would be further from the truth. I don't like Sony's direction, nor did I like the way Sony shafted video gamers and focused on HD. What's really bad is - folks continue to buy PS3 without doing any real research. I am not talking about folks who do the math, like the games and the like. I am talking about folks who will toss down their Visa and pick it up - and don't have a real reason to.

Nonetheless, you've got heart and I applaud you for it.

@ Madskillz: thx mon

@GreyAcumen: I was thinking that as well. It's better for everyone if you support the company who you feel is taking the industry in th eright direction, and not supporting the opposite.