Why Is Fanboy Such a Dirty Word?

posted by papi blez

Tue Oct 10, 2006 at 05:53:32 PM EST

I want to expand on the topic that made it into the Gearheads faceplate contest.  And that's fanboyism.  Fanboy is a dirty word on gaming forums, blogs and message boards these days.  The implication is that someone can't view anything from an unbiased standpoint because they're blinded by their manlove for Peter Moore/Ken Kutaragi/Reggie Fils-Ame.  

The truth is that we all view the gaming business through our own subjective prism.  None of us are completely unbiased because we're human beings.  We are by nature, subjective creatures predisposed to biases.  

I can say that I'm jaded by everything Sony from my experience with the PS2.  I'm what Cliff would probably refer to as the Halo gamer.  The guy who loves shooters, sports games and more casual games.  I'm not the type to delve into a 40-to-100 hour experience like Oblivion.  Oh, I picked up Oblivion and I tried it for about an hour and half, but I was genuinely bored by the experience and probably even a little intimidated by the massive size.  I think it's also that I have a hard time getting into a fantasy-type setting with elves and dwarves.

So the PS2 and all of its Final Fantasy-type of experiences weren't my cup of tea.  I found that the system didn't have the kind of games that I enjoyed (I was a huge original PlayStation fan when it was released).  At least until God of War was released.  Therefore I became an Xbox fanboy, selling my PS2 on eBay along with my games in favor of a system that I felt fit my needs better than the PS2.  Many of you might feel differently, but that's the beauty of gaming in general.  We all have different tastes and things we love.  I love a great shooter, sports or action game.  Prince of Persia was one of my faves from the last generation.  Halo and Halo 2, obviously.

But the ultimate question is that yeah, I've become a huge fan of the Xbox system.  I love what I see coming down the pipe from Microsoft and I never got into the biggest franchises that Sony has.  I might be getting a Wii because I've enjoyed my DS experience.  There's just no question that people would probably call me an Xbox fanboy.  Yet, that just doesn't strike me as that bad of an insult.

Do you view it as a dirty word?  Are you insulted if someone calls you a fanboy?  Do you consider yourself a fanboy?  Obviously people could all call us Gears of War fanboys...heh.

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Comments Disabled | 23 comments

  •  A fanboy is in the eye of the beholder... (none / 0)

    Ya, people would definetely consider me an Xbox fanboy...but there are just very few things Sony and even Nintendo has to offer that I would enjoy. I have a 360 track jacket, polo, system, games, etc. Heck, we have 2 360's in my house and an xbox. My family even joins together for a family game of Halo to work out our differences...lol ya I'm a fanboy

    by SweetTea023 on Tue Oct 10, 2006 at 06:00:08 PM EST

  •  Fanboyism (none / 0)

    isnt a dirt world really. I love it. It brings on great debates between people where they can express their opinions! ;)

    I myself am a strange case.

    I love my PC and my 360 and My DS alot! I had a PSP but quickely sold it, and i have had 2 PS2's breakdown. Though this isnt the real reason i am not fond of Sony.

    Like Papi said, i really just generally dont like the types of games PS2 is famous for (Minus SOTC and God of War. I really dont care for japanese RPGs or anything like that, i like to play shooters and platformers like what is on the DS.

    Would i consider myself an exclusive 360 fanboy? Maybe. But i think it would be better to label me under the types of games i play instead of what system they are on.

    Shooter Fanboyism ftw! ;)

    Not all who wander are lost

    by Zoso Fan on Tue Oct 10, 2006 at 07:40:37 PM EST

  •  Nothing Wrong With Being A Fanboy. (none / 0)

    The only thing I can't stand is when said fanboy thinks he knows more and feels his system is the end all, be all of videogames.  I think sometimes critics can be the worst type of fanboy.  Case in point Shane Bettenhausen!  Nothing bad about liking Sony products but damn man come up for air from all the butt kissing.  I thought I left the Fanboy nonsense on Aint It Cool!!  Like the system for the games you love to play and for the good times and experience you get and not for the fact that it's Sony or MS or Nintendo!!  

    by madness3030 on Tue Oct 10, 2006 at 08:16:14 PM EST

  •  I have nothing wrong (none / 0)

    with being a Gears of War fanboy. My g/f calls me that all the time. But, damn, if there was ever a game that deserved fanboys, it's this one. I don't consider myself an Xbox fanboy, however, and I make fun of Microsoft every chance I get. That's probably because most people would call me an Apple fanboy, yet this hasn't stopped my from purchasing an xbox and a 360. Bottom line is that I don't let my biases get in the way of what is good and fun. If the PS3 comes out with some gotta-have exclusives, maybe I'll pick one up. But for now, the 360 is where it's at.

    "The creatures were friendly and could see in four dimensions. They pitied the Earthlings for being able to see only three." -Slaughterhouse-5

    by StarborneRanger on Tue Oct 10, 2006 at 08:46:12 PM EST

  •  fdas (none / 0)

    It's a dirty word because Fanboys are ignorant.

    by Mel O Rama on Tue Oct 10, 2006 at 10:17:04 PM EST

  •  fdsa (none / 0)

    I think there are some fanboys here, I can't help but think that if Resistance was coming out on the 360 alot of people here would be singing a different tune about it. Same thing for gears, if it was coming out on ps3 I wonder how many people would swear it off as crap.

    by Mel O Rama on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 12:03:43 AM EST

    •  I'd probably approach it (none / 0)

      as the same way I approached Prey.  It's a nice diversion and an OK game until something like Halo 3 or Gears comes along.  At least that's how I'd look at it.

      by papi blez on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 12:07:39 AM EST

      [ Parent ]

    •  Not the case for me (none / 0)

      Resistance simply doesn't look interesting to me. It looks like Quake, it is far too fast paced. Gears, on the other hand, is slower paced, requires strategic moving, and is simply more of my kind of game. If resistance came to 360, I wouldn't really care. If Gears went to PS3, it would make me sad only in that now I wouldn't be guaranteed people to play LAN co-op with if they got the PS3 version instead of the 360 version.

      "The creatures were friendly and could see in four dimensions. They pitied the Earthlings for being able to see only three." -Slaughterhouse-5

      by StarborneRanger on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 02:27:30 AM EST

      [ Parent ]

  •  my point (none / 0)

    exactly, im sorry, but hounestly, Resistance looks like an okay game to me, but nothing i would buy at all. The guns are too wacky and out there for me (look at prey). Prey was an okay game as well> but i would never buy it.

    btw, i guess Prey 2 is suppost to come to PS3 and 360, idk if this is confirmed yet

    Not all who wander are lost

    by Zoso Fan on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 12:29:57 AM EST

  •  I am more (none / 0)

    A game fanboy.If its a great game I will buy it no matter what system its on.I will always have a special place in my heart for anything nintendo puts out its because thats the system that I grew up on.I agree with papi that my xbox got more out of use then my ps2 because their was not games that I realy liked on the ps2. I just was not feeling final fantasy  but that might because I was bitter that it was no longer on Nintendo  

    by Dan Foster on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 08:57:51 AM EST

  •  Here, found the perfect example. (none / 0)

    http://www.sonydefenseforce.com/

    by Mel O Rama on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 12:20:53 PM EST

  •  Shooters (none / 0)

      Yep, I am Mr. Halo Fanboy, and proud of it.  If you have delved into something that you enjoy that much then it just fills in a void in your life.  I think inside everyone's head is a puzzle, okay.  Now everything that is important to us, or takes a lot of time/effort/money, make up these jigsawed plates, the more t/e/m the larger the piece.  The fanboy thing can only go so far. So it isn't a very solid term really.  Since my girl is obviously the biggest piece of my puzzle would that make me a fanboy?  A fanboy of what my girl, of blondes, of girls with green eyes?  Because more than Halo I would defend her like nothing else, to the last line, to edge of the cliff with me about to fall off.  Hence a fanboy.............
    ?  

    Let's get it own!

    by Macaface on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 05:42:18 PM EST

    •  Good point (none / 0)

      I will also defend combination pizza to the death. You all-meat mofos don't know where it's at!

      ;-)

      "The creatures were friendly and could see in four dimensions. They pitied the Earthlings for being able to see only three." -Slaughterhouse-5

      by StarborneRanger on Wed Oct 11, 2006 at 06:08:47 PM EST

      [ Parent ]

    •  What? (none / 0)

      Fanboyism is like nerd racism and has absolutly nothing to do with your girlfriend.

      by Mel O Rama on Thu Oct 12, 2006 at 01:59:40 AM EST

      [ Parent ]

      •  Pizza! (none / 0)

          No man I'm focusing on how "fanboys" will go down swinging if you say "HEY Halo sucks balls because they need to make the rankings confidential from the public" which makes complete sense, then I say "It's better they way it is, the game RULES, it's perfect now shut up" the way one will go down in flames toward denying it's flaws is what makes a fanboy.  And I would do that for her.  And pepperoni pizza.

        Let's get it own!

        by Macaface on Thu Oct 12, 2006 at 05:24:04 PM EST

        [ Parent ]

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