In my time here at Binge Gamer, I’ve been verbally assaulted in just about every way imaginable (aside from Shakespearean-style insults—that would just be impressive).
Here are a few of my favorites:
The author hates home because said girls are actually guys he can’t hit on and date offline. He loves the G.I.R.L.(Guy in real Life) he met up in home.
Also, the article author is a moron… What an idiot.
fuckkk u who ever said †i hope killzone 2 suckkks—â€
fuckkku you haterrrrrrr
go fuck yourself
I SURE HOPE THE LOSER KILLS HIMSELF!!!!!!!!
I think you get the gist.
While I’m certainly overjoyed and even somewhat flattered that people take the time to read and respond to my opinion, I’m having a bit of difficulty understanding where accusations of my being an “Xbot” or an “Xbox Fanboy” stem from. These accusations have been plentiful, and I’ve not the slightest idea of their origin.
Okay, so I have a bit of an idea.
Maybe it was my jesting remarks about Killzone 2 (more of a commentary on over-hyped titles than anything).
Or perhaps it was my open contempt towards PlayStation Home Beta, something I recently revisited, reinforcing my prior comments on the “interactive social networking platform”.
I know a quite few people were pretty peeved by my Re-Review of LittleBigPlanet, as I awarded the title a 3 out of 5 (which is apparently a bad thing). It’s as though people were blind to my repeated claims that I actually like the game despite its inability to maintain my interest. To quote the great James Walker, “You may want to try actually reading the review before you get all butthurt over an arbitrary number.”
To tell the truth, I’m actually a very avid supporter of Sony and their fine products. If you knew me, you’d see that a good number of the electronics I own are made by Sony. Hell, even the computer on which I’m typing these very words is a Sony product.
And why’s that?
Because these products give me exactly what I’m looking for. I love my PS3, and I love the games for it, but here’s where I differ from other PS3-lovers who would rather conduct sexual intercourse with their console than play it: when I think Sony is fucking up, I’m going to call them on it.
The same goes for any company, really.
The logic behind this practice is actually quite simple: as a supporter of Sony, I buy their products. And as we all know, money doesn’t grow on trees (I learned this the hard way when all the silver dollars I planted in my garden didn’t flourish into a dense thicket of $100 bills like I’d hoped).
Now seeing as I’m a consumer with limited funding, I am obviously going to speak up when I see something I dislike coming from the company that is trying to earn my money. Sony works for us—not the other way around—and it seems to me like a lot of people are forgetting this.
Lately, the gaming industry has been pulling some really shady shit. “Scamco” is charging for stuff you already paid for. Microsoft’s just now getting the kinks worked out of the Xbox 360 so it’ll stop winking at gamers with that seductive red ring of death (how sexy). Even Nintendo is guilty of bullshitting gamers, selling millions of Nintendo Wii consoles, and not releasing jack shit for the thing. How does that work?
Seeing as I own multiple Sony products, I am far more inclined to be affected by the business decisions made by Sony than I am by those made by Microsoft and Nintendo (I don’t even own a 360 or a Wii). Therefore, I’m obviously going to pay more attention to the actions taken by Sony, as my life has the potential to be influenced by these actions.
“So if you like Sony, why do you talk shit about them?”
If I don’t like what I’m seeing, I’m going to say something about it. Likewise, if Sony were to pull some sort of miracle out their ass (like, I dunno, finally bringing backwards compatibility to all PS3 models instead of showering us with a dozen different SKUs), I’d definitely praise them for it.
But instead, I’m seeing crap like this.
I’m sure a number of you look at these things and say, “What’s the big deal?” On the contrary, you’d much rather blindly support Sony on whatever crusade they drag you through. It’s like you’re in a sort of abusive relationship that you refuse to escape. Instead, you’d rather wear a black eye and a toothless grin that says, “At least the sex is good.”
As for me? I think all of these things are bullshit:
- A UMD-less PSP means I won’t be able to upgrade further than the 3000 model, because I’m not sacrificing my old PSP games just to have the next big handheld.
- How is the price drop of the PS2, a ten-year-old platform, is Sony’s idea of a “BIG ANNOUNCEMENT”? What a waste.
- And as for selling EMPTY Patapon 2 cases at $5 more than the game costs on the PSN? Ugh.
Granted, at this point the UMD-less PSP thing is merely speculation, but if it bothers me, of course I’m going to say something.
I hope you realize that not for one second am I saying, “I’m not an Xbot, man. Xbox is teh ghey. PS3 rules, baby!” I respect the Xbox almost as much as I respect Sony, and I actually hope to nab one for myself sometime in the near future. The Xbox 360 is a solid platform with tons of exclusives that I’d love to add to my ever-growing collection of games (e.g. Beautiful Katamari, Star Ocean 4, Lost Planet 2, working versions of the Orange Box and Fallout 3, etc.). But just like the PS3 and the Wii, it’s not without its set of flaws (and believe me when I say it has plenty).
That’s the other thing—if a company makes a better product or offers a product I want, that’s the one I’m going to get. Why sell myself to senseless brand loyalty? Taking the time to research a product before buying has always worked in my favor. Then I get what I need rather than settling for something because of a name.
And did you know that it is completely acceptable to own multiple consoles? That’s right—you can have an Xbox 360, a PS3, and a Wii in the same room together, and it won’t tear a hole in the spacetime continuum or nothin’. Knock yourself out kids. Go play all the games you’ve always wanted to play.
The point I’m trying to make is this:
By playing the role of a mindless fanboy, you’re committing an act resemblant to that of the Germans when Hitler rose to power (though much quieter). It’s as though you’re so desperate for that perfect gaming console, you rabidly cling to the prettiest one and ignore its faults, gunning down anyone willing to step up and say, “Uhh, there’s something wrong here.”
Ultimately, by sporting those blinders and mindlessly defending a company, you’re only hurting yourself—the consumer. By refusing to call attention to a company’s mistakes, said company will only make make those same mistakes again and again.
A similar concept applies to ridiculous DLC such as extra costumes, dishing out an extra five bucks for content already on the disc (oh, Scamco), and the silly add-ons for PlayStation Home (which still makes me sick to my stomach). But, that’s a conversation best left for another day.
Still, there are a lot of things I’ve noticed over the last year or so regarding Sony fanboyism that really has to stop:
- I’ve noticed that Sony fanboys tend to be some of the most vicious beings on the web (I beg you to correct me if I’m wrong here).
- If you speak one word against Lord Sony, it’s straight to the guillotine for you.
- When Final Fantasy XIII was announced to be ported to the Xbox 360, I witnessed an internet rampage. Who cares if people other than those who own a PS3 get to enjoy what looks to be a great game?
- All PS3 exclusives are defended by Sony fanboys like they’re the Holy Grail.
- The only defense fanboys have for PlayStation Home are the words “Beta”, “free”, and “Xi”.
- Fanboys are sore losers.
So stop being so damn ignorant, because all you’re doing is hurting the very industry you claim to love. Do you really want to own a faulty piece of equipment, or would you much rather speak your mind and actually see some changes made? Fanboyism is a childish waste of time, and all it does is make you look like a damn fool.
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Couldn’t agree more on virtually all points. It’s unbelievable how blinded some people let themselves get when it comes to products they like.
Fanboyism lowers the bar of expectation for a company and its products, which is why most PC games get released in what would have been considered a beta state only a few short years ago. And console gaming is quickly catching up thanks to digital distribution methods becoming increasingly integrated into on-board software. The acceptance of patch culture is obviously only one facet of this problem and newer issues like DLC shenanigans are equally despicable, and yet fanboys still sit back and defend these practices. By defending they condone, by condoning they enable, and by enabling we all end up with inferior games. It needs to stop.
“Fanboyism” is something that isn’t just relegated to Video Games. In the US, look at the last presidential election. There were so many misinformed opinions about the candidates and people were willing to put reason aside to argue their point of righteousness.
It’s a trend that is following society in all different facets, not just video games.
So blaming “fanboys” for the raising of too high a bar is just the way it will be. Not because the bar has been raised, but because our society has lost all perspective and is willing to justify what they’ve read on some website by making it the know all end all, when in fact, very little of it is qualified information. This applies to video games, politics, product reviews, just about anything you can find someone’s opinion about on the internet.
This is just the beginning. And I honestly think the disintegration of society as we know it will peak during our generation.
Very nice point about the U.S. presidential election.
I definitely agree that fanboyism is a multiplatform plague, spreading across a variety of spectra, from video games to music to what have you.
I don’t see it as anything new. People have a tendency to affiliate themselves with certain symbols. Seeing as video games have fallen into the mainstream within the last 10 to 15 years, it’s only natural that people start to develop personal ties with the companies that provide them with so much joy.
I think it compares pretty well to the way an individual supports a professional wrestler or a sports team.
Not to mention the veil of the internet helps.
I read this whole thing and I’ll I got out of it is you are an Xbot.
lulz.
did you read the part where he said he doesn’t own a 360?
I now, don’t think your an Xbot after that article, I just think your a completely negative person with a slight case of narcism. You wright everything like your opinion is the only one that counts.
If home is not for you you say its not for you and give reasons why you don’t care for it, you don’t make comments like its complete crap. There are plenty of people who are enjoying it, the comments you make about it are like telling any one that likes it, they are complete idiots.
Little Big Planet is a great game, if a great single player game and the abillity to make your levels prety easily is not for you, just say its not for you.
I see great things coming from Sony all the time, they have great games, exclusive and third party. There adding new features all the time(I’m sure you’ll find something bad to say about that). PSN is pretty darn good, sure it can be improved and I think they are doing so, but as is it’s a very usable service.
I search the web and read the forums every day, and I don’t see no more negativity from PS3 fanboys than I do from Xbox 360 fanboys. Thats an Xbot argument, say something negative about Sony and the PS3 and then go on about the PS3 fanboys.
I own all three consoles and I will say I prefer the PS3 out of all of them, does that make me a fanboy. I enjoy the others too.
I wouldn’t say I’m a negative person, but you definitely got my number on the narcissist thing. Good job.
Actually, I believe I have given my reasons for disliking PlayStation Home—twice. Sure, other people are enjoying it, but at the same time, there are plenty who aren’t. I don’t recall saying anyone who likes Home is an idiot. I simply state that the program needs improvement (though in a far more blunt and angry manner than many would like).
You’re right, LittleBigPlanet is a great game. However, when I wrote my re-review, I decided people would probably like to know why LittleBigPlanet got the rating it did. A four word review stating “It’s not for me” would probably leave a lot of readers wondering what the hell the reasons are, so I thought I’d elaborate a bit. It’s a shame my desire to back up my opinion offended you, because I feel I made some valid points.
I too see great things coming from Sony, which is why I still buy their products. I love the PSN, and I appreciate its free-ness.
I don’t follow Xbox forums, because I don’t own an Xbox. Typically I’m spending my time reading news articles and working on reviews and features rather than carousing the forums. I have a job too, so that eats up a bit of my time. Maybe I don’t spend enough time reading forums. I guess I could cut sleep out of my schedule. Who needs that?
Still, in my experience using, reading, and writing about Sony products, I’ve found the some of the more die-hard Sony fanboys to be—how do you say—douche bags.
I too own plenty of consoles, and I feel you missed the point of my article. I also recommend investing in a spell-checker. It’d do you a world of good.
“I search the web and read the forums every day, and I don’t see no more negativity from PS3 fanboys than I do from Xbox 360 fanboys. Thats an Xbot argument, say something negative about Sony and the PS3 and then go on about the PS3 fanboys.”
Are you blind? Spend 5 minutes at N4G, then get back to us.
*yeah I know I quoted the wrong guy, shutup.
On your list of observations :
1.I’ve noticed that Sony fanboys tend to be some of the most vicious beings on the web (I beg you to correct me if I’m wrong here).
You’re wrong mate. Sony ‘fanboys’ ,as you like to put i,could only play a defensive game, the console sales, port comparison’s, software library and momentum favoured the other manufacturer’s…X-Box(MS) supporters are definitely the most vicious. The hardcore wii fanboys are non-aggressive and pretty fair in the comments on the web. It’s the fact that the tide is turning that is upsetting the xbox fanboys and they turning their annoying self-praise for choosing the “right” console into vehement verbal attacks.
2. If you speak one word against Lord Sony, it’s straight to the guillotine for you.
Sony has made mistakes, there’s no company that hasn’t…on the PS3, they released a console that lack software features and lost some exclusives. But i’m personally happy with their hardware decisions, the price(you get what you pay for), the exclusives, the quality of hte multi-plat titles(don’t have an x-box to compare to, so i’m none the wiser), media capabilities and the over-all quality of the product! Sony got everything right with the hardware and that’s the most important thing.
3. When Final Fantasy XIII was announced to be ported to the Xbox 360, I witnessed an internet rampage. Who cares if people other than those who own a PS3 get to enjoy what looks to be a great game?
Agreed.
4. All PS3 exclusives are defended by Sony fanboys like they’re the Holy Grail.
Couldn’t care, but exclusives are a huge factor when choosing a console, and the Sony exclusives are highly impressive, why would any gamer want to lose that differentiation after paying for a console to secure that title ?
5. The only defense fanboys have for PlayStation Home are the words “Betaâ€, “freeâ€, and “Xiâ€.
This is quite a specific comment and a little pathetic, but there’s plenty of other words, like “different”…besides, why do we have to defend it, it’s a product, use it…don’t use it…your choice…I hate sub-titles on any of my media playbakc devices, but they all support it and I just don’t use it !
6. Fanboys are sore losers.
And sony fanboys are no worse than the microsoft, linux or nintendo fanboys. But there is one thing worse than the console fanboys, people like you that are obsessed by fanboys…you started by defending your every opinion with “he’s a fanboy”, the paranoia has set in and you find yourself in a hole…
Lastly, be a smart consumer, research and support companies that produce quality products that meet your needs. Purchasing a product does not give you the right to be a thorn in the manufacturer’s side…even in reviews, they should just be informative about your opinion of a product, not your holier-than-thou perspective when we all know you couldn’t put(for example) Little Big Planet together if we gave you 20 years and a choice of your 5 friends to help…
Oh, I definitely agree that Sony got it right (er—for the most part) with the hardware (which is why I ended up getting a PS3 over a 360). Still, I can’t say which is the better console overall, because that varies from person to person. So really, all I could do is look at which is the better console for me.
How is Home “different”? It’s been done before. The only difference now is that you can boot games from it (which in my experience, seems pointless). And nobody HAS to defend it. They CHOOSE to. And once again, in my experience, the majority of people defending home ride words like “free” and “Beta” like a mechanical bull.
Most hardcore, hyper-extreme fanboys are the same. In this article, I’m addressing all people who act this way (e.g. like douche bags). Really, this is a psychological profile we’re talking about here. The reason I reference Sony so much is because that’s where a majority of my experience lies. If someone comes to me with a valid point or an argument, I’ll listen, respect that opinion, and respond to it. But if someone comes at me with an argument as sharp as a rusted knife, I’m obviously going to bite back. Calling someone an “idiot” for having an opinion is not a valid argument.
Maybe it’s just me, but I like reviews to have a bit of spice and personality to them. I take pride in my reviews, so I try to be as fair and as informative as I can. Still, I’ve never been one for dry, mundane writing that is about as exciting as watching a homeless guy scratch himself. If I don’t like something, I’ll be damned if I don’t let the reader know it.
And yeah, you’re right. Me and five of my boys couldn’t toss together LittleBigPlanet in 20 years if we tried (especially considering MM has a staff of like, 30 people). I went to school to be a writer, not a game designer. But then again, why would we want to? Money, probably. But the lawsuit would be a bitch when Media Molecule found out we stole their idea 20 years down the line…
I respect Media Molecule, because they’ve given gamers a beautiful, innovative product that really has potential. But does this mean it’s perfect? Hell, no. And considering this product was designed to have limitless replayability, it certainly warrants a revisit from time to time to see if anything has changed. It’s not being a thorn in the manufacturer’s side so much as keeping people up-to-date on what’s happening in the industry. A lot of people don’t own LBP yet. Will a rave review of the game six months ago really hold just as true today? I highly doubt it.
What people need to do is be civil, understanding and look outside of the box. Far too often fanboys speak without any regards to anyone else or anyone else’s point of view. I hate Nintendo as a company but that won’t deter me from playing some of their games. I think Sony has done a lot for the industry but that doesn’t mean I’m going to remain loyal and stand in the rain overnight to buy a PS3 for $600 on the day of release. I think Microsoft is like Gary Bettman for the NHL where they water down the market by focusing on the Playstation too much and not really having their own identity. However you have to hand it to them for creating a user friendly online service that really caters to console gamers.
Each console offers various forms of entertainment and value. What really needs to be focused on are the games and not so much who created the platform to sell those games onto. I myself don’t think 3rd party developers should try and control the market however. When you have too many exclusives like we saw last generation there is too much influence which leads me to believe Sony and their arrogance could sell a $600 console. With that name recognition and momentum for two previous generations nearly got them to pull it off. They did manage to garner the new format blu ray out of using the Playstation brand. However by not holding control on the game market and keeping key franchises exclusive they have failed to redo what they did with previous Playstation consoles. But that’s fine with me but I also don’t like seeing Nintendo on top again. However I think we are starting to see the novelty wear off.
Why is it that no one realises that gaming is subjective..
I mean come on, just because someone doesnt share your opinion on a game doesnt make them an idiot or a Sony/Xbox fanboy.
And to agree with Perry, I love LittleBigPlanet but I do find it hard to keep playing after more than half an hour before I start getting bored with it.
And before all the fanboys jump down my throat, know that I own both a PS3 and a 360. Gears of War 2 (besides all the glitches of course) also happens to be one of my favourite games alongside MGS4 and COD4.
And of course, no console is perfect, no matter what you ignorant fanboys may think.
Playstation 3: Price – of course. $700AUD is just way too much to pay. And I know that when you buy on all the add-ons for the 360 they’re roughly around the same price (or maybe the 360 ends up more expensive, I’m not too sure). But what about someone who doesnt want Blu-Ray, or built in Wi-Fi. All I’m saying is that the 360 would look more attractive to the average consumer based solely on price (and of course the great line-up of games already available)
Now most people would say that theres a lack of great games for the PS3, but I say thats a load of crap. Anyone who can say that LBP, MGS4, Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank, Heavenly Sword, Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 etc. arent great games is obviously very ignorant. Although I have to point out (now this is just my opinion so settle down fanboys), that of those games i mentioned, most of them are lacking something. To me I think its an addictive multiplayer mode. I’ve tried Metal Gear Online and just joining up was a pain in the ass with all that Konami ID crap I had to go through. Resistance 2 was fairly fun but I thought that 60 players was just too many people and it all felt too disorganised, no matter how hard Insomniac tried. And of course Killzone 2. I thought the multiplayer was fun, and the idea of putting all the different game-modes together without ending the match was brilliant. But the thing that ruined it for me was of course, the controls.
Xbox 360 – Hardware reliability. Where to begin. The 360 has now been out for how long? (3-4 years now?) and STILL I read stories about 360’s crashing (its now moved on to the so called E-74 error now, which apparently isn’t covered under warrenty). Now I myself have gone through 4 Xboxs in the last 2-3 years and to be honest I’m getting sick of it. I’m surprised that Microsoft is still able to even get away with selling these things despite having an abnormally high failure rate (33% apparently) compared to the Wii and PS3’s 1-2%.
The only reason Microsoft was able to get away with this is because, of course, their great line-up of games, not to mention in my opinion, the best online service of the three.
Add-on Costs – this here is what really gets me. Microsoft charging $100 for a Wi-fi adaptor, $50 for rechargable batteries (although I do like the fact that you can just change batteries when they die instead of buying a new controller like you’ll have to do eventually with the PS3), or the price of upgrading the hard drive (I think its about $120 for 120GB), which is just ridiculous considering you can buy a 320GB HDD for about $100.