Fanboyism

I know the word doesn't exist but it's clearly become part of our lexicon. As the console race moves closer to a dead heat there is a new voice of moderation forming within the community. A voice decrying fanboyism and praising the merits of both systems. This may seem like the reasonable and mature perspective. Why not own all 3 systems and partake in the strengths that they all offer?

While I don't disagree I see fanboyism as a strength of the industry and a sign of it's growth. It marks a culture that goes deeper than the electronics themselves. I doubt anyone cares about the brand of toaster they buy or have loyalty to a producer of bread. However look at clothes and cars on the other hand, both of which have a deeper cultural context attached to brands. The brand says something about you and you associate yourself with it.

At worst it makes gamers look childish and perhaps marginally decreases sales of systems (which is unlike considering most fanboys can't afford all three, or bought an Xbox initially and want to justify not buying a PS3). At best it's free advertising and leads to less than perfect products being purchased just for the sake of the brand. It also stimulates a public interest in the inner working of the industry.

I see video games as an art form and as a culture. Whether or not you agree, it can't become either without a little blind passion. So as long as we keep the discussions intelligent, and avoid insulting remarks (also I personally hate trolling of the other side's news releases) I see fanboyism as a strength.

Also who are you trying to impress by being a neutral? In the words a wise space captain; "I hate these filthy neutrals Kif! With enemies you know where they stand but with neutrals? Who knows! It sickens me."

Just my humble thoughts on why I dislike the 360...

1) Any success Xbox enjoys came from one single fact. They released their system a year before the competition. This meant no competition for the initial install base, putting the onus on Sony to prove why you needed another 400 dollar console in your living room. More importantly, an extra year's worth of time to develop more games.

The price? Rushing a flawed, slightly inferior product to the public. Most Xbox fans don't seem to care but 13 percent failure rate (conservatively) at launch is unbelievable. There would be a national outcry if any other product was so poorly constructed. Could you imagine 1 in every five cars or refrigerators bricking within one year? So the cost of the 360's head start was laid entirely on the consumers who now they applaud them for their success. This makes no sense to me.

2) Criticisms of the PS3 - Most of them are entirely unfounded. Claiming it has no games when it is a year younger. You simply cannot program for a system that doesn't exist and Sony developers are expected to basically be a year ahead. Also there are more games for my PS3 than I can possibly play, especially coming Fall 2008.

Too expensive is the worst criticism. It is the same price as the comparable Xbox model. You can't use the completely stripped down version of the Xbox's price but the abilities of the highest model when comparing features and specs.

3) Online - I have to give Microsoft full praise for investing time and money into the development of Live while Nintendo and Sony ignored online features last generation. Now that online gaming is the future Nintendo still ignores it but Sony is desperately playing catch up. I don't see the Live service fee as a big deal, it's fairly cheap but I also don't see that big of a difference between the two since 2.41.

4) Culture of gaming - This is by far my weakest argument but at the same time my biggest reason. The whole culture(*see my other blog) behind Xbox irks me. A rich American company throwing their weight around and trying to buy their way into the gaming industry. I fully realize the irony since Sony did the same thing with the PS1 and Microsoft actually had their hand early on in the failed MSXs. But Sony bought in when the industry was young and has shaped it over the past 14 years. Also I have always disliked Microsoft but that's a whole other bag of worms.

The Xbox was marketed initially at impatient American youths with a lot of flash but little substance. Keeping along this path they've succeeded in winning them over but almost no one else in the world. Being Canada the American mass media is what I have to constantly digest. To me I see the Xbox as the pop rap music of the video game industry.

Over many years of playing video games I've developed a loyalty to Nintendo and Sony. Although it's hard to intelligently rationalize I think Xbox fans will feel the same way when they grow up in 5 to 10 years and Imperial Oil decides to buy into the gaming industry with a flashy new system aimed at the youth.

The American arrogance further infuriates me. Many see it as a success story that this mega-corporation threw their massive amounts of money around. I've read so many racist comments towards the Japanese aimed at belittling Nintendo or Sony. I've even read posts of people chanting "USA, USA" on pro-Xbox articles.

5) Lousy Xbox ports to the PS3 - This seems to be the trend. The PS3 is more powerful than the 360, more so than the Xbox was of the PS2. But we keep getting last minute ports and then unfair comparisons between the systems based on these games. Metal Gear is the only recent true PS3 game and it looks unbelievable. I know this is a ridiculous example but it similar to the PSP only releasing DS games ported, and never showing it's potential. But then again the history of the gaming industry has shown repeatedly that superior hardware does not win out the day.

6) Halo - Halo is the flagship of Xbox and Halo 3 is the single most overrated game of all time. Lifeless repetitive gameplay, horrendous graphics, weak story, a completely non-interactive environment. The first time I played it I laughed out loud as I was so shocked at how poor the game was. My favourite part is whenever the General played by one of the California Raisins appeared.

It's no secret that human faces are one of the most difficult things to graphically portray in a video game. However Halo side steps all of this, lazy as can be, by making the hero a shiny green suit and the enemies shiny pink and purple six year old children. The weapons are bland and uninspired (except for maybe the Hammer), embarrassing when compared to a game like Resistance.

There are many excellent games on the 360. Many of which I wish the PS3 had but Halo is not one of them. To each his own but I can't possibly see anyone justifying Halo2 or 3 as anything more than mediocre games (although I understand the multiplayer is much of the draw and I haven't fully experience it).

7) Copy cat and too little too late - These need to stop. How do you develop an online network for a gaming console that doesn't look or work even remotely close to Live? Also too little, too late is the ignorant cry of those that have seen the end.