Fandom rivalries, don't you just hate them?

[Eternal Rain]

My motivation for making this topic mostly stems from me seeing way too many YouTube comments of "oh X game is so gonna blow Y out of the water!" though this isn't limited to just games, it can go towards shows, books, and movies. I just personally dislike fandom rivalries because it really doesn't do anything except boost the ego of one side with their so-called sense of superiority over another, similar thing from the same form of media.

One I'll go ahead and say is "Old FPS fans vs. New FPS fans." In other works, Doom VS. Halo, Quake vs. Call of Duty, old Medal of Honor vs. new Medal of Honor. Get where I'm going? Now I'm not saying anyone's really "wrong" with their preferences, I don't mind if someone prefers older FPS games to newer ones, but geez dang can't I go to a single Quake walkthrough video without seeing the *sarcasm* oh so popular */sarcasm* "hurr durr this game is a billion times better than CoD!" It's just getting really annoying, if you prefer Quake then why not say something like "this game is still an all time favorite of mine and brings back many good memories" rather than feel like you HAVE to put down another series?

I also must say I'm quite flabbergasted I'm STILL seeing "Mario vs Sonic" (not the game series) comments on YouTube videos. You wouldn't believe how often I still read "Mario still owns Sonic in every way!" or "Sonic's latest games blow Mario out of the water!" comments (note that last one pertains more to Colors and Generations, not so much to 06 or Unleashed).

[MoldyClay]

I actually enjoy Sonic '06 outside of the fact the loading times are absurd... haha

But yes. I hate console rivalries the most. I rarely see specific game rivalries, but that may just be because I don't look at most online message boards anymore.

I think current gen vs. retro gen is stupid too. Classic games aren't infinitely better because they are classic and newer games aren't infinitely better because they are made with better technology.

But the biggest thing for me, like I said, is consoles. It's stupid. They're games. More importantly, it's just a console. And then that starts consoles vs. PC, and that's a whole different can of worms.

[Carbondog]

I often think that the reason why there are so many Mario vs. Sonic, Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band, Nintendo vs. Sony vs. Microsoft, and so on, is many people who enjoy games can only afford one system or one type of game. They make themselves feel better by putting down the other option so they believe they made the right choice. That being said for a long time I have only owned Nintendo systems. This year I have done away with that thinking. It started with a co-worker giving me a Atari 2600 with a bunch of games. Shortly after that I got a Genesis then a Playstation and a few weeks ago I got a PS2. I would gladly get a Xbox or any other Sega system if I can find them for cheap. But I only support Nintendo in current gen systems.

[zyxion1]

Some of it stands on outward personality of a company ie. blood n guts vs. casual. Im sure its more than just affording one console. I like Nintendo over the others because thats what I grew up with and I like their style and quality. Not to mention the way those other 2 trash them anyway. Graphics are good but thats not the most important part as most ps360 fanatics think.

[Devil_Rising]

When I was a little kid, I kind of bought into dumb gaming rivalries. All I had for the longest time was an NES (we were poor), and eventually got a Game Boy (didn't even get my own SNES till like 95, but played it elsewhere), and when I'd hear other kids talk about how MUCH BETTER Sonic was than Mario, or how MUCH BETTER Sega was than Nintendo, I'd get furious.

I had similar feelings back then about, say, the "rivalry" between Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat. When MK first came out, I was intrigued by the storyline and stuff, but I thought it was overly violent and bloody, and of course MK fans were saying how MUCH BETTER it was than "cartoony" Street Fighter, so of course I had to jump to SFII's defense, saying how it was a much more technical game, that you actually had to be GOOD to win, that it "didn't need all the silly blood", etc. Of course, deep down, though at a very young age I didn't think much of the fatalities and whatnot, I was impressed by the mythology of Mortal Kombat, and liked the characters. But I'd be damned if I was gonna let some MK fan trash the greatness that was my pre-teen crush of a game, Street Fighter II.

Naturally, as I got older, I realized such sh*t was stupid. Sega had some great games (though I'll always be a "Nintendo Guy" at heart), and MK of course was a great franchise (up until 4 at least).



I will say it really bothers me though, that even today, I'm well into adulthood, and I see dumbass kids, and even adults, still parroting the same "Nintendo's for kids" garbage that Sega of America's ads were promoting back in the EARLY 90s. Sony basically carried that torch after Sega dropped it, and then Microsoft took it and carried it when the Xbox came out. Sad really. You should just play what you like, and enjoy it.

[Eternal Rain]

Another fandom rivalry I don't like is "Fans of every other cartoon vs. Bronies." So I happen to not be what would be considered the show's "target" demographic, is that really so bad? Lots of women went to see The Expendables and they weren't exactly the ones that move was made for (I mean come that film might as well been "Testosterone: The Movie"). I do realize there are some bronies out there who may not be good examples of most of the fandom, but sadly, just like furries, people tend to only focus on the "vocal minority" that tend to be embarrassments to much of the fandom just because the haters want to latch on to the few bad sides of the fandom and don't focus on the good majority. I'm not trying to speak for the fandom as a whole, but really most of us are just animation fans who happen to enjoy a cartoon just because it's good, not because it happens to be "My Little Pony." Hell if it was a Rainbow Bright cartoon that was of the same quality I'd watch it, because I watch cartoons for good animation, humor, and fun characters, and MLP:FiM gives me all of that. Still, I just really wish non-bronies who enjoy other cartoons would stop harassing bronies like we're the "scum of the earth" just because we enjoy a cartoon that's not theirs.

[MoldyClay]

I often think that the reason why there are so many Mario vs. Sonic, Guitar Hero vs. Rock Band, Nintendo vs. Sony vs. Microsoft, and so on, is many people who enjoy games can only afford one system or one type of game. They make themselves feel better by putting down the other option so they believe they made the right choice. That being said for a long time I have only owned Nintendo systems. This year I have done away with that thinking. It started with a co-worker giving me a Atari 2600 with a bunch of games. Shortly after that I got a Genesis then a Playstation and a few weeks ago I got a PS2. I would gladly get a Xbox or any other Sega system if I can find them for cheap. But I only support Nintendo in current gen systems.

I definitely believe this is part of it with some things.

For example, regardless if you're a big Nintendo fan, you'd have to be a fool to honestly go around trashing EVERY game that's not on a Nintendo console. It comes down to "If it isn't on Wii/DS, it must be garbage, I don't want it on here anyway, company who clearly hates Nintendo". I saw someone a while back call Castle Crashers "xbox garbage" and that he didn't want it on Gamecube (i.e. that prototype from forever ago) for no reason.

And then there are people excited for a game, but if it is announced for another console they're like "GAME SUCKS". Lots of Nintendo fans put down EVERY enhancement of the other consoles and act like every decision Nintendo made was golden. Not to mention, I love when something is on the other consoles (achievements, online, downloads, whatever) and everyone is all "GOOD. WE DON'T NEED THOSE. NINTENDO'S ABOUT FUN", but the second Nintendo adopts online, downloads, achievements, everyone is all "WHOA, NINTENDO IS A BUNCH OF GENIUSES!"

And while not a console, I am still trying to grasp the thought process of fans of Street Fighter x Tekken. The 360 doesn't get Mega Man or Pac Man. A bunch of fanboys are saying "GOOD. WE DON'T WANT CROSSOVER CHARACTERS THAT DON'T MAKE SENSE. THEY'RE JUST A GIMMICK. WE HAVE THE PURE VERSION OF THE GAME. YOU CAN KEEP YOUR CRAPPY 'BONUS CHARACTERS'". Ignoring the facts that:
1. You don't have to play them.
2. Not wanting crossover fighters... in a crossover fighter
3. Apparently it has to make sense, in a fighting game
4. Not wanting MORE characters in a fighting game

But whatever.

Some of it stands on outward personality of a company ie. blood n guts vs. casual. Im sure its more than just affording one console. I like Nintendo over the others because thats what I grew up with and I like their style and quality. Not to mention the way those other 2 trash them anyway. Graphics are good but thats not the most important part as most ps360 fanatics think.

Honestly, I think that the trashing of Nintendo is glorified. Yes, we see people trash them, and in the media, but that's only because it's posted here. We don't see people trashing the other consoles as much simply because this is a Nintendo site, so the only people trashing them are Nintendo fans.

I feel like I have rarely, if ever, actually seen tons of Nintendo trashing except from, surprise, Nintendo fans.

The people i see trashing on Nintendo the most, from my experiences, have been *fans* of Nintendo that are upset with how they handled this generation and how they are planning to handle Wii U and so on. Most comments from PS3 and 360 fanboys that I come across are "Aw man, why'd this have to be on Wii/3DS! I don't own that!". Sure, obviously there are a bunch who do piss all over Nintendo for waggle/kiddy jazz still, but those guys are just as abundant as Nintendo fans hating on PS360 for no valid reasons. Or games on those consoles.

But in actuality, all of the consoles have fans that hate their own flag as well.