One of the most amusing features of this industry is the fanboys. On every forum they strut their stuff as the world experts on everything. Yet in reality they know very little, just what they glean secondhand from the internet. And they all want to grow up to be game designers, yet they have no idea just how few game designers there are in the world and how much dedication and sheer hard work it takes to get there. They don’t even know what a game designer actually does.
A feature of the fanboy is their irrational love for a brand of game console. An unconditional love that will suffer no criticism, no matter how fair and how slight. A blinding love that prevents them seeing any virtue in any other brand, no matter how much it is deserved. A part of this love comes from their emotional and financial investment in their console and the games for it. This represents the bulk of their income and the bulk of their leisure hours. Another part of this love comes from the fact that they haven’t discovered girls yet. When they do, and this can happen as late as their 20s or even 30s, they desert their console overnight for a new love that is even more demanding and even more expensive.
Another feature of fanboys is that they are keyboard warriors with unbounded aggression and disdain. This is all down to hormones and adolescence. Their bodies are telling them that they are men yet society tells them that they are still children. So they strut their stuff online, where they can’t be seen, like they are on some tribal rites of passage. Not realising how ridiculous they appear to those who are older and wiser.
There is much fun to be had from fanboy baiting. When the slightest insinuation will start a flame war imagine what a deliberate, well placed insult will do. They take the bait hook, line and sinker. In fact it is so much fun that I am sure that a good percentage of what appear to be fanboys aren’t fanboys at all. Just wind up merchants having some good sport.
But these fanboys serve an important function. They spend every penny they can on this industry. They are also the self appointed schoolyard experts who inspire many of their peers also to invest in gaming. And they are the people who create the online buzz that is so exciting and which helps to make this industry so dynamic. So don’t mock them too much.
30 comments ↓
I think that you covered that one pretty well. I think that a lot of gamers start out as fanboys until maybe they can cover larger ground.
I think that everyone is biased though and that is one thing that is more evident than fanboys on the internet. I always am frustrated with the bias that I read on internet forums.
I’m not sure what to think about your comment on fanboys not finding girls. I don’t think that mixing with girls correlates to fanboyness. The two are related but they don’t influence each other (well very much anyways). Seems like a bit of a low blow to me though Bruce.
After reading the article I found myself what kind of bigot would even post something like this. I am not really sure if you intended this to be satirical or a really low-blow- but you failed at both.
Gamers, “geeks” and several other groups are cool now man- you need to understand this. I have been an avid fan of gaming for over 20 years now… I own several consoles ranging from a Famicon all the way up to a PS3, yet contrary to your close-minded opinion I know a lot about every one of them. So a person can not be affluent on one subject (gaming) and be a generally well-rounded person?
Unlike a “Game Industry Marketer” (not even sure if thats a real job) I have a well-paying upper management position, children and a wife. I STILL find time in my week to enjoy all the games I possibly can, I even attend conventions and other functions. I guess that makes me the absolute picture perfect version of your little stereotype.
Your blog is useless- and it’s my opinion that you should focus more on your own life rather than scratching up some idiocy about how fanboys are all idiots with no social life. The pitiful attempt at redeeming any saving qualities you may have had near the end of the post is ridiculous- it seems to me you enjoy poking fun at an individual or company based on some hearsay you might glean from your hours of “research” (UK resistance is almost word for word blatant plagiarism readers)
I don’t even really know why I got so angry at reading this drivel- I really don’t care how you see people, just don’t try to generalize a group of individuals based on what little facts you may have thought up while surfing the internet.
I’m a PS3 Fanboy.
The fact that lots of gamers are fanboys for a particular console is often irritating, but hardly surprising given the demographics. And fanboys are easy to ignore because they wear their biases on their sleeves.
Much more surprising to me is how much bias there seems to be among industry pundits and “experts”. It is often difficult to get thoughtful and objective analysis from the pundits covering this industry — many appear to be more interested in advocating for a particular console or viewpoint than in providing solid analysis. In some ways, biased pundits are more harmful than fanboys because gamers often think the pundits are providing objective information even when they are not.
Poted by Gamingisfornerds on N4G.
Wikipedia: “Fanboy is a term used to describe an individual (usually male, though the feminine version fangirl may be used for females) who is utterly devoted to a single fannish subject, or to a single point of view within that subject, often to the point where it is considered an obsession.”
“Fanboys remain loyal to their particular obsession, disregarding any factors that differ from their point of view.”
“Fanboys are noted for a very emotional attachment to their chosen subject, often taking negative remarks about it as a personal attack. They will readily engage in debates, but will fall back on emotional responses when challenged on facts.”
“For example, a fanboy may go out of his way to point out negative and often untrue statements about their obsession’s rivals. Fanboys are often hostile towards critical review of their chosen subject.”
“The stereotypical image of the fanboy is as an unkempt, socially awkward young man who may be perceived as a loud mouthed pseudo-intellectual. Fanboys are also typically aggressive and hateful towards the opposing brand or competition of their obsession regardless of its merits or achievements.”
I feel offended by that text.
360rulz=crybaby
i think the article was great, but i can also see i lot of fanboyism in myself, though i think there are great games on the 360 (gears, bioshock, mass effect), i would never own one, i already have a wii, and a ps3, and i favoritize my ps3, because my favorit games comes to the that…..and deep deep deep down i want the xbox to lose.. i know i’m more like a semi-fanboy than a real one
Well said, Bruce. I think this one hit a little too close to home for ol’ Jeff up there. My thing is, it’s OK to be passionate about one particular product, but when you start saying things that are irrational or illogical to make “your system” appear to be far superior, you have a slight problem.
Excellent article. Anyone who is pissed off about it is just a Sony fanboy who didn’t like the cartoon (which is very true btw).
I’m not really offended by the article, but is this supposed to be some sort of new revelation? It just doesn’t make much sense as to why you wrote it. Is your next new blog going to be about how humans need oxygen to live?
It’s not a rant, it’s not especially informative, it’s not a new look on the nature of fanboys, it’s just pretty pointless. You’d get more information reading the wiki/UrbanDictionary/ED articles on fanboys.
I don’t even know why anyone would be offended by this article… it’s just to poke some fun, right? I’m sure as hell tired of seeing showdowns between sony and 360 fanboys on forums and game sites.. it’s 1) stupid, 2) annoying, 3) ridiculous, 4) embarassing, and 5) stupid.
If anyone is a crybaby it’s Jeff. It’s sad really to find such fault with this article even if it doesn’t apply to you. I myself find myself in love with all consoles, because there is always a positive. Jeff seems to think that this blog is calling all gamers fanboys, which it is not. It’s just a blog about fanboys and their place in the world for people that either talk down on them, or are them.
People like Jeff need to stop being so self absorbed and look at the article for what it is, not how it can apply to them.
And yes, geek now equals cool, but people who shave console names into their hair and don’t bathe because they spend every free minute on WoW is still not. This tends to envelop the “fanboy” category. Those who are so devoted and closed minded that they obsess over their console of choice are still considered lame.
Great post, by the way.
That was pretty funny, fanboys tick me off, always have, always will. Fact is, there are both good and bad things about any console. All fanboys do is exploit the good of their favorite and the bad of the rest.
Being a fanboy can hurt, I almost made a sony fanboy cry when I told him the PS3 he waited overnight in line for, and paid $600 for was now $400, when it hadn’t even been a year, and he hardly even played it.
What I hate most, is when they hire fanboy’s as game reviewers, I recently read a review for Devil May Cry 4, where they gave the PS3 version a higher score, simply because the controller just “felt right” for the game. well, yeah, to him, what about everyone else?
Oh, and watch out for some fanboys, some aren’t even fanboys at all. Remember Micheal & Jeremy? Thats right, company reps. It’s called “Viral Advertising” and it’s getting quite popular. So if a fanboy brags about his console, consider him a reason NOT to buy that console.
i had an xbox 360, sold it because the games dont inerest me, and i was fraid of the rrod. then i bought a ps3 and i love it and cant w8 for the games to come out.
i previously owned a ps1 and still have a psp and ps2. does that make me a fanboy, even though i wish i could have both a 360 and ps3 so i can play gears and halo, but i want 360 to lose?
I in no way meant to insinuate I felt he was attacking me- he is attacking a generalized group of people. There is no reason for this other than to get page hits… he made a blatantly false statement(s) about a lot of people.
Sure- I would call my self a fanboy. I have a room in my house that I love to collect old memorabilia- along with the theater I play games on. I am just saying this article is really quite shallow.. why is it wrong to find a fault in an article that does not directly apply to me? what about all the other individuals out there that might come across this crap?
I could care less what the dudes opinions are. He looks to be about 90 and obviously has no idea what to think when he sees a person who dedicates time and money to a HOBBY. I could care less that he tries to make another group of people feel insignificant to heighten his own self esteem- I am just pointing out that he is no better than a racist, summarizing an entire group of people into one mass and pinning his little cartoon on them.
Jeff,
My article is not aimed at gamers. Not even incredibly keen gamers. I have been totally dedicated to hobbies myself in the past.
It is aimed at those who display sociopathic behaviour because of a lump of plastic. And who go to war on the internet against a legion of imagined enemies.
And my article is not racist. It is humour. Fanboys are there to be laughed at. Because they are very funny.
I knew when I saw this post it would get a lot of comments. I think the problem some people have comes from it being based on a specific definition of fanboy. Some people differentiate between a ‘fanboy’ and a so called ‘fanboi’ (although I dislike such deliberately misspelled words).
Many games elicit strong positive emotional responses in me because some of my fondest memories growing up were playing them. People who know me call me a Halo fanboy (and I agree) because I love the game and love to talk about it at every opportunity, but I am able to see its faults and discuss it reasonably.
The last paragraph in particular seems to equate the highly negative fanboy concept with normal core/hardcore/gamers-gamers. I think there are many people who aren’t fanboys who are described by this section.
A part of me didn’t want to post here and become a ‘keyboard warrior’ but I think I can justify it since I have read every article posted here and it’s not the first time I’ve commented.
Jeff you still don’t understand what a fanboy is do you? You can have all the consoles in the world, walk around in a mario outfit and have inflateable Sonic in your bed. It still wouldn’t mean you’re a fanboy…
I see the american “freedom of speech” aplies here as well.
I vet all the comments and approve or delete them as I see fit. My tendancy is to approve wherever possible. However this thread has received a lot of typical fanboy comments which are totally unsuitable for the target audience of industry professionals. These obviously have not been approved. Who would want to read such rubbish?
Fair enough good sir.
My humble apologies.
Fanboy videos (bad language, obviously).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBGZMA0RbPA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYhNXFRj4Ks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilqMUqWB1pI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gFOFbqJ6lQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99B33utBJb4
Great article, and it looks like it hit a little close to home for some people. It is annoying how every discussion about a particular game turns into a “console war. The foot soldiers for each console carry their flags onto their forum-posting battlefields. It gets old and tired for the normal, rational, objective people to read day in and day out.
I liked the article and take it for what it is…An accurate assessment of fanboys described in a humourous manner. Great pictures too.
As for Jeff’s comparison of this viewpoint to racism, he clearly doesn’t understand racism, or incredibly sensitive to all forms of critisism.
Actually I don’t think that fanboys are even real gamers. They spend far too much time online engaged in keyboard warfare against the enemy.
But as a fact, PS3 is most powerful gaming system ever and there’s coming plenty of good games for it soon so i believe that it will going to be #1 gameconsole after this year.
Anonymous cw that is a typical fanboy statement, it is not a fact.
In the real world the PS3 has a more powerful CPU and the 360 has a more powerful GPU so for gaming they are pretty matched.
However the design of the PS3 makes it difficult to develop for (hence the delays in many PS3 games) whereas the 360 is far easier to write for. So games developed for both systems tend to look better on the 360.
Now those are the facts.
Great article Bruce- speaking as a self-confessed Star Wars and Nintendo fanboy (”the first step is to admit that you have a problem…”), you hit the nail on the head. But my favourite part was the commenter who took the lead from your paragraph about fanboy baiting.
But I’m not sure if the follow up post was continuing the joke, trying to bait someone into violating good old Godwins Law, or just inadvertantly revealing that actually it wasn’t a joke at all though…
Excellent blog, though somewhat biased in opinion. Yes, there are a lot of crazy people who try and make their console of choice seem better than the others by using made up information and nasty comments (Jeff), but not all of them do.
Fanboy’s (and fangirl’s) lives often don’t revolve around the console/game/other object of choice. Some fanboys even have two systems in their house, I know lot’s of people who have both a Wii and a PS3, yet are still very powerful SONY fanboys. It sounds weird, but it’s true.
Never trust a fanboy, they’re probably lying.
I’m a gamer gal who likes xbox AND sony.
AND wii
AND pc
And guess what! The world doesn’t end when you like more than one brand!
Haha, personally, I think the fanboys/girls are slightly disturbed and are missing out on a lot by just sticking to one system and ignoring the existance of all the rest.
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