As we all know, people that are fanboys are automatically the lowest common denominator of the internet. After having the joy sucked out of nearly every gaming website, gaming blog, or gaming whatever, I do have to wonder one gigantic thing. What drives a person to become a fanboy for their certain system of choice?

Is it a lack of belonging to something, so that one clings on to their console of choice as if it were a friend, defending it at every turn and so on and so fourth? (the irony lost, that consoles don't defend their owners.) Could it be a certain supressed "bigot" drive that instead of taking aim at the homosexuals, the African-Americans, the Hispanics or the Asians, it takes aim at consoles and rules them out based on it's outsides rather than what it's for? So, what are your opinions as to what drives a person to defend their console as if it were a child?

Nerds are usually hyper defensive about things they have opinions about. It's because they aren't used to disagreeing with people without feeling personally attacked, because most of their social experience is in personal attacks (which is usually because they're being hyper-defensive douchebags in the first place, thus a vicious circle.) They translate "i have a different opinion than you" to "you're wrong." They then try to pre-empt what they believe to be a personal attack with one of their own.

kingofsnake has summed it up pretty nicely. But I was also thinking of whether age demographics play a tremendous roll. While I am not saying that every pre-teen/teen is an ignorant fanboy... the wide range of fanboys do usually coincide withing them.

And I've said this before, Why can't we all shut up and play our games? Well, we can do that but there will still be morons scouring game sites bashing each other's systems... So what is there left to do? To accept fate and live on with our lives?

Truly, these are questions to mull upon.

This is why we have fanboys. end of story.

really though no matter what you will do there will always be fanboys simply because they liked a game or game system far to much. some may not even like the game and are simply trying to fit in. some are just crazy. and some are just stupid. fanboys are generaly people with no lives or no girlfreinds who are always used to playing video games and wining and that has spoiled them so that whenever someon proves them wrong they have to lash out at that person simply because they feal degraded.

I think its because we hold on to that precious memory of playing that first videogame on our first console. And when a fanboy/girl sees a other console coming out with better features or has something that they're console doesn't, they get afraid that they're console might get left in the dust (Dreamcast incident). So they react by making fun of the other systems.

Now I'm a Nintendo fangurl myself, but I'm not going to kick some boy in the nut if I see him carrying a psp. Just don't make fun of my favorite system and I won't make fun of yours.

FanGurlZ
I think its because we hold on to that precious memory of playing that first videogame on our first console. And when a fanboy/girl sees a other console coming out with better features or has something that they're console doesn't, they get afraid that they're console might get left in the dust (Dreamcast incident). So they react by making fun of the other systems.

Now I'm a Nintendo fangurl myself, but I'm not going to kick some boy in the nut if I see him carrying a psp. Just don't make fun of my favorite system and I won't make fun of yours.

I'm agreeing with this person 100%.

I've been always a Sony and Nintendo fan. I've always loved all the consoles that Sony put out.. the playstation 1... the playstation 2. I remember when people actually based the Playstation 2, saying it would never make it far and stuff... basically the same things they now say about playsation 3.

I'm sure all the hate media about it is just because of it having such a high price than about the actual game-playing and the way the console works. I've played on it before and it wasn't a demo game or a dummy set up in the store. A friend of mine actually got it and it seems to work very well. If they wanted to be honest about which console would have the most problems in terms of hardware, then choose the Xbox series for the highest hardware failure rate. Since my bro has it and it has a lot of problems at times. (ring of red death, anybody?)

I'm the same way with Nintendo and their consoles, such as the SNES (which I still have). Why do I like those consoles with such a passion? Because they produce The type of games which I grew up with, even if the graphics are considerably improved ever since my childhood. I'm a huge RPG fan, a Racing fan, adventure games... that kind of thing. So I guess it's just about sticking by what we're used to, although trying out different consoles and such isn't so bad.

Second reason is all about supporting the company which suits your tastes so well, even if they do occasionally put out a few duds in terms of games, etc. After all, if you're a huge Halo fan for instance... then why wouldn't you want to support the company who made Halo so that they could continue to produce that type of game in various forms?
Not to mention you want your preferred company to "win" over a company that keeps on producing games that are less than stellar and not to your tastes. because if your preferred company who makes the consoles and games "lost" to the cruddy companies, then that means them losing money and producing less. Which in turn leads to less choices for us, especially if the "winning" company known for it's crappy games pretty much takes over the industry. (oh the horror!!)

and of course Maturity has to come into key if you want to be a reasonable fangirl/fanboy, rather than the annoying type.

fern
but there will still be morons scouring game sites bashing each other's systems...

Ah, let them bash each other away. I'm content with playing games that are fun, no matter what system they're on. Of course, if they start bashing me for not having a "favored" console I've got a sledgehammer closeby... :)

Its in our nature to be competitive and we are also very social animals, because of this we constantly feel the need to be accepted by some kind of group of one form or another. You can see this sort of thing anywhere with politics, religion, lifestyle, sports, music, clothes, video games, furniture, if you can name it there will always be someone out there who is more than willing to argue it. Humans in general are a compelx mass of easily swayed emotions and the business world knows how to use that. Big business today thrives on competition more than anything else. So they hire people to come up with new ways to mass manipulate society into thinking that their products are the best and that you simply can't live without it.
Ultimately whichever product a person chooses, which will be dependant on an individuals past experience with a similar product or company, they will be much more willing to defend that product. Even more so if they discover there is a group of people that think like they do.

"hey, you are an idiot and your life is worthless, my multi-million company is better than your so called multi-million dollar corporation."

Okay, some of you have probably seen me bash the Wii. This is because I genuinely dislike the system. I THOUGHT I would like it before I got it, just because it was Nintendo, and Nintendo had always been my friend. When I finally DID get a Wii, however, I really did not enjoy playing it. I felt betrayed "Nintendo, how could you do this to me?" "Why must I swing my arm like a moron just to get Link to stab?"

I still love Nintendo. They have great games. The Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Metroid series are wonderful. I just don't like this "Alternate Controller" kick they've been on. I like my button pushing.

Oh, and the reason I like the PS3 over the 360 is just because the PS3 is from Japan. Most of the games I play are Japanese. So I prefer the PS3 because it will have more of the types of games I want on it.

Edit: Something else I didn't think to say before is that Nintendo seems to be making their games FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE of using the Wiimote, without any real thought to storyline or graphics or anything else that makes a game good (Twilight Princess excluded, it had a great storyline).

I have some issues with the term "fanboy". It seems to be the word people use for a person who holds allegiance to a console for no rational reason. The problem is, I think it's okay for people to have favorites. Some people act like everyone has to be non-partisan when it comes to consoles, but the truth is that we have opinions and tastes in games.

I have a special love for Zelda and Metroid games. It just so happens that those two games always appear on Nintendo consoles. Some people have used this fact to call me a fanboy, as if I had no good reason to like Nintendo. Aren't those a pretty solid reason? Isn't love of Halo a good reason for people to like Xbox? It's just important that these fans realize that they shouldn't let their love of one console keep them from trying and enjoying another console's games.

While I think people should be able to have favorites, I think it's useless and stupid to bash the ones you don't like. That is the "fanboy" I think needs to die. Everyone has their personal tastes and there's no reason your tastes are more correct than somebody else's.

Lord Shplane
Okay, some of you have probably seen me bash the Wii.

How could we miss it? I think this is probably the fifth thread you've brought it up. You're perfectly justified in your opinion, but...

WAIT FOR THE GOOD GAMES TO COME. We've been seeing ports and Gamecube carryovers so far, but soon come the designed-for-Wii games. If those don't do it for you, by all means buy a PS3.

Hawk
WAIT FOR THE GOOD GAMES TO COME. We've been seeing ports and Gamecube carryovers so far, but soon come the designed-for-Wii games. If those don't do it for you, by all means buy a PS3.

See, the thing is, I like the ports MORE than the designed for Wii games. As the system gets older, and they design games for it, I'll just start to like it LESS.

And I love Zelda and Metroid too. I just hate what Nintendo is doing to them.

This is actually the first time I've seen gamers being referred to as "fanboys" I think the term just applies to people with a set interest. If there was a "fanboy hierarchy" then I think gamers would be the creme de le creme of the whole mix. I think gamers rock, that's all.

My take on systems is that I haven't owned anything non-Sony since 2000. This is a little sad because my PS2 ceased to function and I found myself removing the warranty tape and unscrewing everything that held it together. I ended up with a broken and screw-less box that I had to buy the new slim model --- because why? I'm addicted to all the games for the psone and now the playstation is obsolete.

Pretty much, know which consoles you like the most but don't criticize other people for the consoles they enjoy the most.

I'm not attached to any particular console or system, but I know a friend who thinks Apple can do no wrong.

kawaiidaigakusei
Pretty much, know which consoles you like the most but don't criticize other people for the consoles they enjoy the most.

Thank you for saying that, I never bash PEOPLE for liking the Wii. I just bash the Wii itself because I dislike it.

When I start going "OMG j00 r fag!!11!!one!! j00 liek teh Wii fag!!11!!!!!11!!one!!!" please kill me.

Seriously.

Do it.