In economics its the job multiplier effect.  The more money your neighbor makes the better off you are.  Microsoft, even though it outsourcing manufacturting, is still an American company based in America, so most of the money comes back here.  Sadly, a headquarters full of CEO's office workers has a much larger job multipler effect due to large incomes than Chinese workers who have small incomes.  So when you buy a Microsoft or Sony product, after they pay off all their workers, the profits and big income makers are either in America or Japan, and thats who wins the economic game.

Here's a quick link on the subject, they refer to it as Spending Multiplier:           http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiplier_(economics)

I wish you were right mike.  It would be nice if the current market put everybody on a equal basis regardless of nationality and location, but it doesn't.  If what you said was true then America, Japan, and Europe wouldn't be any better off than Africa.  Buying American Ford or Microsoft or buying Japanese Toyota or Sony would help out an average American or Japanese person just as much as it would help out a Nigerian, sadly its not true.

@libellule

Wrong, look at my sig.

I can't put my finger on it, but something is definitely missing in translation. 

Madskillz does have a few points there, I myself have not purchased a PS3 yet because the buy is not justifiable to me yet. This, however, does not mean I'll never get one (which was his point, I think). In fact; I'm buying one this summer, as my favourite franchises are being grazed with new installments around that time and the price will probably dip on that occassion.
Same with the Wii for me, if MarioKart is cool, I'm getting one. But I don't want one right now.

See my fanboy'ism stems from logic. I generally agree with madskillz in disliking people that put money down for no reason, doing very little research. I've seen numerous 360's purchased merely because their cheaper (or so they think), yet completely putting aside what their HD counterpart is capable of.

I'm perfectly happy with the Wii's sucess, they offered you a cheap (cost) product that really doesn't do much aside from playing games, hell it doesn't even play DVD's. But I'm fine with that because I believe in the term you get what you pay for (in most regards).

The PS3 is on the opposite end of the stick, you pay a hefty amount, but should you be willing to use the features, you'll get MUCH more than what you pay for. These features aren't for everyone however, but great for many in my opinion. The fact that you get online play for free is amazing for me, same with the DVD up scaler and PS1 and 2 support (should you buy the 20, 60, or 80 :P ). With the inclusion of a hard drive and wifi support, remote play, etc etc. Many tools at your disposal if you will.

Then the 360 -_- The 360 to me is a lie so to say, the 360 has slightly more functionality than the wii, but is nowhere near the cost (well the arcade is nowadays :P), the games look better for sure, but Microsoft made many a boo-boo's with numerous aspects of their product. I don't like that you have to pay for online support, I REALLY don't, I'm not one to go online very often, but I do like the occasional multi player, having to pay $60 a year (non eBay Mad :P ) to "occasionally" play with other people can suck it, and whats with the PS3 having a higher player count with online games?

I don't like not having a hard drive as a standard, It's just something I REALLY liked about the first xbox, I don't for the life of me know why they didn't include this.

No high def player :( This is really only a personal problem (but then again so are the above), I love having it, we've watched so many high def movies, and the list of titles just keeps populating. I HATE watching DVD's now (I'm so spoiled :3)

Quality of games, this one's PURELY opinionated, but after playing certain games on the PS3, it's REALLY hard to look back. Once I saw the facial animation in Heavenly Sword, ALL 360 titles just looked off to me, same thing with the color and texture of Ratchet and Clank, same thing with the natural flow of things like Uncharted, which had a great energy and color to it. Bioshock came close, but to me it still doesn't hold a candle to the "wow factor" I get with PS3 exclusives. I guess so to say, I've seen things that can't be done on the 360 (or seemingly so) like ratchet and clank (Huge game, 60 fps, 720p, 5.1 surround, high res textures etc etc), or Uncharted (game is so pretty ;-;), but I haven't seen one the other way around. I just feel like the 360 doesn't quite have the stopping power that I've seen from the PS3, and with 2008 titles hitting stores and being a year behind on dev time, I can't help but wonder what future exclusives will be like :P

I dunno I just feel like in the end, Microsoft is the company that offered so much, but delievered a fraction of it :/ whereas Sony packed too may damn features in that many may not have a use for (yet :P), and Wii is just too past it's prime for me to be interested (I'm a huge tech freak :( ) and I don't like the direction Nintendo generally takes. So my "fanboyism" stems from things I don't quite understand, I generally like to put money twards something I find valueable, and well the Wii is cheap, but I don't like the games and it does little to nothing else, and I just can't seem to make any ends meet on the 360.

Well, you're right about one thing. You're no psychologist!

Seriously though, I think you have a valid argument, and Kasz216 is correct to point to cognitive dissonance as a typical symptom of fanboyism, but I think that is only part of the story.

Take me for example. I don't even own a console and yet I consider myself SDF through and through. I simply prefer Sony's approach to hardware and software to that of the competition (I agree with pretty much everything Mummelman said). I don't need to justify a purchase, and I don't need to filter out good news about other consoles to confirm my preferences. I am perfectly willing to admit that the 360 has a better library of games or that the Wii has better... er... sales. It certainly isn't enough to make me change my opinions.

Before this generation began, I told friends that were considering buying a 360 at launch to just wait for the PS3. I told them the Xbox2 would be another gimped PC in a box, while the Revolution would be a pimped out Gamecube with a Power Glove attached (now with pitch and yaw control!) After they purchased a 360, I would get bomabarded with every bit of bad news about any division of Sony they could find (e.g. the Sony BMG DRM fiasco, exploding laptop batteries). It's not like I own shares in the damn company, I just happen to think they make more rewarding consoles, and yet I constantly found myself under fire for holding such opinions. It was clear that, for whatever reason, there was a massive (and largely unjustified) backlash against Sony. That's why PS fans are referred to as the Sony DEFENSE Force. Sony fans feel the need to constantly justify their beliefs in the face of rampant criticism (admittedly, it's died down a bit now).

I think some people have strong allegiances to a particular console because they just find it difficult to appreciate alternative views. For instance, I CAN easily understand why the Wii's motion controls appeal to mainstream consumers, but I still CAN'T understand how anyone who knows how they work could still be amused by the novelty over a year later.

I also think that people just enjoy the competition. In this respect, supporting a particular console manufacturer is no different from supporting a particular football team. VGchartz exists primarily to fan the fanboy flames by providing statistics to compare against each other. As I've already pointed out, I don't even own a games console, so why the hell would I come to a site dedicated to videogames? For the fanboys of course!*

@ madskillz

What makes you think people that buy a PS3 aren't doing any research? I think ignorant people are just as likely to buy a 360, if not more so. If they did research they would know why the PS3 gets the short straw when it comes to most mulit-platform titles and also why the 360 has more "console exclusives" (the short answer to both of these is DirectX). They would also know that Sony has more internal developers than MS and Nintendo combined and that this is ultimately what will count the most (although Tekken going 360-exclusive would probably be enough to sway me!)

* I'm also a PC gamer. But hardly anybody ever slates the PC (and for good reason).

You have some awesome point's Played_out, I generally just like to go with one rule of thumb, theres only 3 consoles on the market, whichever you end up buying WILL have good games. Some people around here love to flame the PS3 for it's game library, yet it has good games >_>; the same can be said of all consoles, I personally don't like the 360 or Wii exclusives much, but thats all opinion. And I do have some bias, when people talk up a 360 game (AAA), I expect performance, and well... that's left me pretty empty handed so far :/

Gazz, watch the insults, this is your warning.

I don't think he meant that none of them research before buying.  He specifically said that he doesn't like the PS3 owners who buy it just because it's Playstation and having no other reason--he's completely fine with people who do their research, say 'hey, there's a lot of games I like for PS3.  I think I'll buy one," or "Hey, I like the cheap BR player." 

@Played_out:

"Take me for example. I don't even own a console and yet I consider myself SDF through and through. I simply prefer Sony's approach to hardware and software to that of the competition (I agree with pretty much everything Mummelman said). I don't need to justify a purchase, and I don't need to filter out good news about other consoles to confirm my preferences. I am perfectly willing to admit that the 360 has a better library of games or that the Wii has better... er... sales. It certainly isn't enough to make me change my opinions."

And that's exactly how it should be! Of course it's perfectly understandable to prefer one console over another, and that doesn't make you a 'fanboy'. Acknowledge that other systems ALSO have good points, and enjoy your system of choice.

I admit I'm a fanboy, but with reasons. I owned all consoles last generation without choosing one console as the favorite. The more and more I got to play them the more I got to hate some of them. I ended up favoring the PS2 over the GC and the Xbox mostly because of the games. Some of my personal top 5 games were on the PS2, and the Xbox and GC just weren't delivering what I was hoping for.

In this generation I still hold a grudge against Microsoft and Nintendo, but that doesn't mean Sony is delivering what I'm expecting either. To break it down in a bit more simple way:

Nintendo

• Other than the Wii-mote, there isn't any innovation that I am looking for. I mean new IP's that interest me. Since the Super Nintendo, I've been really let down by Nintendo always rehashing its same characters, like Mario, Samus, etc. That's okay, but I wish they really targeted me. To be honest, I'm not fond of any IP lasting more than three games.
• I'm a guy who can afford an HD TV and surround sound system, so it would have been nice to me if Nintendo released a beast like Microsoft and Sony.
• Remember, this is just my opinion. One thing I particularly hate about Nintendo is their toy-like product. The GC and the N64 were notorious for this type of style. To me they felt almost no different than the knock-off video games they sold at the flea markets.

Microsoft

• First and foremost, I don't want to pay for online gaming. I am a firm believer of buying a game and not having to pay a subscription for gaming--whether it be on PC or any console. It only seems even more pointless when you see XBL crashing because there's too many people on the servers. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought the fee was to prevent that from happening.
• It's Microsoft. These are the same guys who made that OS I couldn't stand? I went through such a burden trying to clean my PC and make it run smooth. Keep in mind that I didn't even use it for gaming. Anyway, they make a crappy OS; but I do love Microsoft Office.
• The hardware failures. I have a few friends who just couldn't dodge the RROD issue, and I must say that it is a bit annoying when they have to come to my house to play my PS3 while I'm doing homework. Having a good working console is an unalienable right for gamers. After that, I follow a simple logic I think to myself: Why buy hardware from a company that makes crappy software?
• The first Xbox really left a bad taste in my mouth. The graphics were great, but everything else just wasn't right for me. The controllers, the software lineup, and everything else about it. All I liked about it was Halo 1, and that's it.

Sony

• Delaystation 3. I just really, really hate it when they delay games. I know, I'd rather get a quality game than a half-cooked game, but why set dates that get the fans worked up and then dissapoint them? Either hire some more programmers or keep your mouths shut, Sony.
• Price. $600 hurt me.
• They don't fight fire with fire. Microsoft isn't in the business to compete; they are in the business to take over. It's their goal in just about every industry they lay their hands on. I understand when a Japanese gaming company says that they would work with them if they had more merit. Microsoft buys exclusive after exclusive in hopes that it can finally kill off the competition. Sony, however, is too passive and hopes that their picture album of the time they went to a karaeoke bar with the guys at Konami is enough to hold their business relationship together. I appreciate their merit, but they need to understand Microsoft is fighting dirty really early. It's great that the PS2 beat the Xbox fair and square, but times are different.
• Slow. They are just slow in every aspect of the gaming industry. The Duashock 3 takes so long to manufacture, so I got to import it from Japan. The in-game XMB firmware update is nowhere in sight--even though we've been asking for it since launch. Games are taking forever to make because they aren't working close enough to the developers.

All and all, it seems like we'll never have a perfect console. It sucks that I have to choose the lesser evil instead of a great one, but oh well. I decided I might as well be a Sony fanboy. Microsoft and Nintendo don't have the software that attracts me personally. I just wish Sony delivered at the aggressive rate the PS2 did. I wish Nintendo delivered at the way the Super Nintendo did for me. I wish Microsoft...went away. lol

So, yea. I'm a Sony fanboy, but not just because I'm trying to justify my purchase. I'm a fanboy because I favor one product over the other. No different from a guy who favors a baseball team over another.