Gamer Culture, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Wasted Hippies and Nintendo Fanboyism
Okay, so here’s the deal: when you read this, I want you to grab a beer, or whatever (I’m having some Beam on the rocks) and recline for a minute. I want to have what St. Louis radio commentator, Dave Glover, calls an honest, 3 beer discussion… about gaming console fanboyism. I think there needs to be a hippie-like conciliatory discourse with less patchouli. No, it’s not the most pressing issue of our time, but it is one that rears its ugly head all too often on social websites and the comment sections on Kotaku, etcetera. Most often, these arguments center around sales numbers, but I don’t think that the bandwagon argument is the most meaningful in quality debates… especially about video games.
So let’s start off the informal ramblings with this issue that plagues any discourse about your fellow man’s (or woman’s) gaming entertainment purchases. The constant clash of fanboys about the consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony needs to stop. I get that every person in the world has their own personal tastes and biases, but it just irritates the hell out of me that anytime I post a pro-Microsoft comment on Digg, I get dugg down by Sony fan-childs, and get some sad retorts to my lucid argumentation about the pleasures of gaming on the 360.
Yes, I am a 360 fan. I admit it plainly. But I refuse to ignore the other two consoles’ positive characteristics. I think they have their fortes. The PS3 has the most fluid dash out of the 360 or the Wii. When my folks were looking for a quality HD player, I told them they should get a PS3. The games, though secondary, do add value to their intended purchase. Plus, it’s just an all around fantastic Blu-ray player and quiet as a winter night. Sorry for the simile, that’s the Beam talkin’.
The Wii is what everybody wants. It’s the most fun with friends. I don’t know how many nights I have had that start with whiskey and end with Wii Sports. The truth is, I couldn’t imagine a better way to play with friends at 2AM. Parks are closed, at this point driving is not a good idea, and if the neighbors call the cops on you, then you have a good chance the cops and neighbors will wind up playing a round of Wii bowling. And I’m sure tripping hippies would have fun on a whole new level.
Now, back to that whole bandwagon thing. Whenever the Nintendo Wii is brought up, it’s championship over the other consoles is attributed to its sales success. Yes, Nintendo is making the most money. That doesn’t mean it’s the best console, but it is the cheapest. In fact, most of the Wiis my friends purchased were due to the bargain price compared to the PS3 and 360. The Wii is what gamers settle for when they can’t get the system they really want. It is the most fun for the price.
The real test of what people want would be to put all consoles out for the $200 price mark. Then, and only then, could we really have an idea of which system people desire. And even after sippin’ on all this Jim Beam and ice, I’m pretty sure that console would be the PS3. Whatever, I still snuggle with my 360 at night.
Tags: fanboyism, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, PS3, Xbox 360
Cute Website.
Anywho I would have to say your end comment is kind of moot. That’s like me saying “If I took the best car ever made and sold it to you for the same price as this Jellopy we’ll see which you like best.” I don’t necessarily like the best car ever made best but I do want the most I can get for the paultry sums I make :P.
I like the PS3 and indeed if they threw it at me for hundreds of dollars less than current market price I’d take it over my WII. But you’ll still find my putting about the same amount of time each month into each system.
Because frankly it’s easy to get lost in the bullshit about any console company, the real challenge is deciding for yourself and finding what fits for you. All 3 have a nice little group of great games and tons of bullshit (The PS3 is not free from this either).
It’s just that the WII happens to be dirt cheap to market for and admittedly most stupid people own one and will buy ANYTHING that comes out. Does this mean nintendo is at fault? No. It is just that stupid people aren’t smart enough to save up for anything more than the cheapest thing they can find. However there are also smart people who own the wii and they have probably got about 5-10 games they really enjoy. Which is for me, the same amount of games I own for any of the systems this generation.
Anywho before I get off ranting that was what I wanted to say, saying the real test is when you take 900 dollars and sell it for 1 compared to 2 dollars and selling for 1 is kind of silly. The savings between the two is astronomically different.
Most games these days are not that fun at all on any system period. It’s like all the imagination is sucked dry and all the game makers care about is $$$$$$.
These aren’t the same developers as in the 80s/90s when they actually cared about fleshing out the machine with game play features even though advertising was one sided then too.
Nintendo systems are mostly party games such as the dog game, brain training and too many rhythm games to count and now they want a Beatles rhythm game on top of that charing 50$$$.
Can’t stoop any lower then that.
There are a few decent titles worth renting first.
Super Smash Browls Brawl which is Super Smash Bros Malee deluxe and from what I’ve read a very slow online system and the level editor is awkward at best.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is SMG 2.0 and from the looks of it not a whole lot different other then re painted graphics.
We have YET to even see a real Mario game in full 3d that is set in Mushroom Kingdom with a twist plotting storyline other then Bowser has kidnapped Peach.
I am playing SMRPG right now and it really is better then the Paper Mario series by a long shot even though the graphics aren’t quite as good but they still are colorful enough to enjoy on a 16-bit system.
I am at Seaside town and am going in a sunken ship and have half the star pieces. Collecting them isn’t really boring and the dialouge is intresting without being naughty. Good job Nintey!
Halo from what little I’ve seen is pretty much the same game with different locations and some upgrades and the Xbox is mostly shoot-em ups but now that Banjo Kazooie is taking over maybe that will set a new course.
I’ve played and own Halo 1 and controlling the vehicles are awakard and they never seem to go where you want them to.
The Playstation has sooo many umoral games that are biased it’s sick……….really. I don’t see the fun in shooting cops…………………………………unless there is a COPS and ROBBERS mode then that changes everything but until then GTA is one sided as hell about killing police and (almost) should be banned.
Racing games are a joke where if you start your rivals seem to always have the boost on and you’re lucky if you can beat a race. To make matters more unbalanced if you get to the top your cars go faster then the AI (Artificial Intelligence.
If you say any of this at a message board you will be ignored or worse considered a troll for not agreeing with the majority. Majority rules in social forums and you do not.
Sorry for the typos. I was too busy focusing on my fanboy rant.
I just have a habit of blanking out important things when I am upset.
And to any anti whiner trolls who will ruin my comments. GET LOST!!! Don’t make me sic Satan on you trolls!