The topic of which console is the best and why is quite possibly the most exhausted topic in all of gaming history. At 21, I've seen the age-long battle of Nintendo vs. Sega, then Nintendo vs. Sony, and now Nintendo vs. Sony vs. Microsoft. If there's anything about this particular subject of gaming that is off-putting and often times embarrassing, it's how gamers - particularly "fanboys" - address the issue with an incredible amount of ignorance, the exact brand of ignorance that gives every non/anti-gamer the ammunition to utterly dismiss video games as a wasteful, useless media form. For those who've ever wondered, like me, why video games weren't and aren't respected mediums for storytelling and engagement the way books and movies are, it's because of stupid comments like the ones posted on Gamespot's message boards.

The PS3 kicks the 360's ass in graphics, or the Wii is for kids and pu**ies are just some of the typical comments that are posted on a daily basis. I don't know about you all, but to me it definitely seems like gamers have reached the point of visual obsession, where everything has become graphics-oriented. This has to be the lamest excuse ever for claiming dominance over any console. What it comes down to is games, and games have stories, they have gameplay, they have audio, and countless other things that fall under these categories. But no, we love graphics. And also, to consider a console's "maturity" is pretty stupid. Sure, Nintendo produces family-oriented games for the so-called "casual market," but that's not to say that the Wii doesn't have games with more violent content, which brings me to my next point. The so-called "hardcore" gamer seems to mean someone who plays shooters, which would mean that the 360 or the PS3 as hardcore consoles comes from their having many shooters available. If a console's "maturity" comes from the number of available FPSs available, then we're reducing gaming to one genre. A hardcore gamer should really be someone who has an interest in a broad range of genres, and who has an appreciation for gaming beyond eye candy.

So for those who come to the message boards to bash Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo for their respective consoles, do it with informed, objective comments. Otherwise, shut the hell up.

-Jeff