Editorial: Gamers Replace Boasting With Hostility

This may be another one of those "it's just me" scenarios, so I'm wondering if others have noticed a disturbing - and relatively new - trend in the video game world.

Look, there have always been fanboys. Back in the day, when consoles were more expensive than they are now (taking inflation into account), and our parents were reluctant to buy more than one platform, we had to choose between the Colecovision and Intellivision or the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Rarely did I know anyone in school who had more than one system, which is what initially bred the very first generation of fanboys. Now, as everyone here well knows, I despise the word and I despise the type of person who assumes such a label; they're bad for the industry in general, and I typically want to jam a shrimp fork in their eye. Refusing to play certain games due to brand-name loyalty has got to the most irrational and idiotic sentiment in the entertainment world today. However, back then, it was kinda like, "yeah, I have the SNES and it's better than your Genesis." Then the two would argue as kids tend to do.

The problem is, those kids have grown up (well, that's debatable), and they're still arguing...except the difference is that instead of the aforementioned statement, it's "the Genesis sucks." It's about bashing, not boasting. It's about attacking. It's about hostility. It's about "you're an idiot because you bought that," not "I'm awesome because I have this." Some may not see the obvious distinction, but I sure as hell do. The bottom line is that I remember a lot of loyalists and debate in the old days, but I don't recall so much in the way of nastiness or ugliness, which seems to infest every message board on earth (except ours, of course ;) [www.psxextreme.com]). Why is it now hip to hate? All the crap floating around about system wars and all that is not only ignorant - it has always been ignorant - but now it's so disgusting, no normal human can handle it for more than ten consecutive seconds. It just seems to me that these people are so unhappy; it's as if they're secretly pissed that they voluntarily restrict themselves, and they need to take it out on someone.

Rather than explaining just how great Gears of War 2 is, Xbox 360 fans only want to bash the PS3. Rather than talking about great MGS4 is, PS3 fans only want to bash the 360. Why? Perhaps it's a reflection of the times; perhaps everyone really is more unhappy than they were 20 years ago, and maybe the Internet simply breeds and even cultivates hostile behavior. But while I'm quite certain we'll never get rid of the fanboys, I would much rather have the kind who love to boast rather than the kind who toss sh** at the opposition. Even here, where we attentively regulate the Comments - thereby creating an intelligent, informed community that typically debates and doesn't feature flame wars - those who sign up just to cause problems only use hate as their weapon of choice. No Xbox 360 fan has ever signed up to post something like, "LAMLAMLAM; the 360 has Gears 2, way better online, and at least it's affordable!" No, they sign up to post, "LAMLAMLAM, PS3 sales suck and nobody cares about Blu-Ray!" Both individuals will get the insta-ban treatment, of course, but one I despise far more than the other.

And sadly, all I see is the same type. The haters. What is causing this horrid streak of unbelievably rude behavior? I'd like to believe the theory I mentioned before; that the fanboys are starting to realize just how mocked and derided their lot is, and just how much they're missing by limiting themselves. You can't experience everything great this industry has to offer if you're a fanboy; plain and simple, and maybe they're starting to recognize this. Maybe they can't do anything about it, so they take their frustration out on others. Who knows? All I know is that I miss the days when taking pride in your choice vastly superseded bashing on another's. That's all. 'shrugs'

12/12/2008 Ben Dutka

http://www.psxextreme.com/feature/353.html

Personal note:  I humbly say that I'm the "go to" guy at work when it comes to a/v and console info.  I try to help those who have purchasing questions for their likes and needs.  Thanks, Ben.  There are only a few of us left.

The difference is that way back when, you were doing your boasting face-to-face. Hostility would likely get you a punch in the eye, which there doesn't seem to be an internet equivalent for.

The article did not mention about people who claim "The Wii is destroying the industry" though. That's the most hostile atmosphere I felt.

Normal person + Anonymity + Audience = Total Fuckwad (from a Penny Arcade strip). You can throw out human decency because it's the internet.

Also, Red Vs Blue had a video of internet life vs real life, and although the argument part was about politics, it wasn't that far off from what the article in the OP was discussing.

Also, looking back, that was largely what pissed me off about the HD format war. Almost no one wanted their side to win. They wanted the other side to lose. Why else start a thread about the other side dying, instead of a thread rooting for your side to hit the mainstream? And now that one side is out of the way, the blu-ray camp only intermitently discusses it. This came from the boneheaded fallacy that one side could not hit mainstream if the other existed. If that were true, DVD burners would still be niche.

Okay, that was a bit of a rant, but it seems to be going this way with consoles. Some just can't believe their systems do well unless the other systems do worse. It's not enough for any system to have AAA games. The other systems can't have any. Take the fury over the 360 getting FFXIII, even though it wasn't exclusive. And then they tool solace, not in that it was still exclusive in Japan, but that the 360 wasn't getting it there.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Well said, but people probably articulate themselves better in person. The veil of anonymity can bring out the worst in people, or at the very least, attract the worst sorts of people. Some things, if said to another person's face, would result in a swift fist in their eye. So in person, people probably try to actually make their case reasonably intelligently, but you can't expect too much from everybody.

My personal take is this: whatever I say online, I would be comfortable saying to the average stranger. And sometimes do. And no one's hit me across the side of the head with a U-Lock yet so I must be doing something right.

It is my personal hope that someday, the term 'fanboys' and 'fangirls' will bring images of people dressed up as anime characters to people's heads, rather than the current picture which is more along the lines of dyslexic ten years olds with personality disorders. No offense to anybody out there with dyslexia.

Screw offense. Don't give these jerks any excuses.

It's different all over. I try not to get involved period, but when i have to (quite often back at joystiq.com and its affiliates), i play the arrogant Nintendo fanboy and gloat, never really attack the PS3, 360, PC, or PSP. Indeed, i'll defend them also from unwarranted attacks (except the 360, because there are more than enough people willing to do anything for that machine, apparently). However, you find some fanboys who are like i am in this case, and will gloat about successes if provoked, rather than counter-attack. But in most cases, if i post something pro-Nintendo, i get a response about how i'm in denial about how Nintendo abandoned me and that i should just give up the ghost and go PS360

But it is true. It's rarely about how awesome your side is anymore, it's about how much the other side has no games/is going to start a fire/is a child's plaything etc, etc.