The Stupid Gamer

PlayStation 3. Xbox 360. Wii. The major players in the videogame industry are gearing up for a major battle. While Microsoft has already launched the first volleys in the war with its Xbox 360, Nintendo and Sony are still stockpiling arms and readying themselves to enter the fray this holiday season with the Wii and PlayStation 3 respectively.

While Sony is taking Microsoft in a head-on full frontal assault, Nintendo is hoping to make strides in the battle by conquering new territories in the land of gaming. The fanboy faithful from each front have begun to dig trenches and prepare themselves to do battle for the next 5+ years; praying that the banner they fly may one day be hoisted above the others.

Typical fanboy recruitment propaganda

There are others, however, that choose to remain neutral in the console wars. A few, like myself, have managed to survive many notable wars (Atari vs. Colecovision , NES vs. Master System, SNES vs. Genesis, N64 vs. PSOne, GCN vs. PS2 vs. DC vs. Xbox, PC vs. everything) without being pulled into one camp. It is these gamers that reap the benefits and harvest the spoils of war. While fanboy factions bicker and blast each other across segregated forums, the neutral gamers simply enjoy everything that appeals to them regardless of the system it is exclusive to. These gamers are able to choose the finest version of each release, and are able to admire and respect the individual attributes of each console on the market.

With a new round of consoles being launched, it’s a great time for fanboys of any faction to venture out of familiar territory and investigate the competition. I’ve already got my 360 resting beneath my TV set and I have space reserved for both the PS3 and Wii. Most people who actually sit down in front of an unfamiliar console and try out some of the more notable releases on the system find that there are features that they like that their preffered console lacks. A Sony gamer will usually find that Xbox Live provides an online experience that they can’t match (currently) with Sony’s offerings. Xbox gamers often find that there is still a valid place for 4-player games that don’t need online play to be enjoyed when they get sucked into a few matches of Super Smash Bros. or some Mario Party. Nintendo gamers usually discover that there is (intelligent) life outside of the Mushroom Kingdom, Hyrule, and Zebes.

So with a major war on the horizon, find a way to fly a neutral flag. You’ll be much happier as a gamer if you do.