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Console Wars: Why do they exist?

jaypah

Member
As a child it was because I could usually only have one current gen console at a time. Once I was able to own multiple consoles the whole thing seemed dumb as fuck, lol. Even now, I own a WiiU, PS4 and a nice PC. I don't own an XB1 but I feel no need to shit on the console or its customers. What would be the point?
 
Yeah, it is justifying purchases but it is doing so by tearing down the console that is not owned. It isn't, "Sure, console X and Y are pretty good but I just think my console Z is better". It is, "Console X and Y are terrible and, as such, it automatically makes my console Z far superior".

Everything works in extremes. So, it leads me to believe it also stems from the inability to coherently discuss the specifics without letting it get muddled by whatever biases one may have.

I greatly prefer the PS4 and I am aware of how my bias may influence discussion concerning X1 and Wii U. However, I have no qualms acknowledging several strengths the X1 and Wii U have over the PS4 without downplaying them.
 

Kansoku

Member
sports.png
 

pablito

Member
I guess people just want to feel justified in liking what they like, as much as they like it.

People will argue which Final Fantasy or Persona is the best, and put down games they probably like if it supports their narrative.
 

BigTnaples

Todd Howard's Secret GAF Account
Because many people can't afford all the consoles/platforms others can.



If someone only has enough for XBO, or PS4, they will dislike the opposite.


Notice people who own all consoles don't seem to care one way or another.
 

foltzie1

Member
Competition is a good thing it drives companies to work harder for your dollar.

Imagine how lazy a company would let themselves become if they didn't have any competition.

"Wars" are an unfortunate side effect of an otherwise healthy market.
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
Yeah, it is justifying purchases but it is doing so by tearing down the console that is not owned. It isn't, "Sure, console X and Y are pretty good but I just think my console Z is better". It is, "Console X and Y are terrible and, as such, it automatically makes my console Z far superior".

Everything works in extremes. So, it leads me to believe it also stems from the inability to coherently discuss the specifics without letting it get muddled by whatever biases one may have.

I greatly prefer the PS4 and I am aware of how my bias may influence discussion concerning X1 and Wii U. However, I have no qualms acknowledging several strengths the X1 and Wii U have over the PS4 without downplaying them.

You are no fun.




....I'm still waiting for Sony to give the PS4 external harddrive support....
 
Same thing with any other x vs y product/brand. One gets a good impression of x product and becomes a 'fan'. Decides then to consider it superior to its competitors and make fun of them.
 

RedSwirl

Junior Member
Why do POP wars exist?
Why do Sports wars exist?
Why do wars exist?

People like wars.

But at the same time you don't get wars between like, fans of movie studios, or fans of authors. Not that I know of anyway.

The most comparable thing is really wars between Mac users and Windows users, or Android users and iOS users.
 

Tigress

Member
Competition is a good thing it drives companies to work harder for your dollar.

Imagine how lazy a company would let themselves become if they didn't have any competition.

"Wars" are an unfortunate side effect of an otherwise healthy market.


Yeah, but thing is when fans take it too far that they refuse to see when their side isn't doing good, then competition no longer helps cause the company can just rely on the fans liking whatever they put out.

I think people who like a product should realize they should also still be able to criticize it and see where it is weak (or where another product does something better). I mean even if you want to choose sides you do your side no good by accepting everything they do even when it really isn't good.
 

Clockwork5

Member
Because one system is always superior to the others and the people who bought the inferior system need to know what a terrible mistake they made.... Every day of their lives.
 

jaypah

Member
Same thing with any other x vs y product/brand. One gets a good impression of x product and becomes a 'fan'. Decides then to consider it superior to its competitors and make fun of them.

But why not stop at the "becomes a fan" part? You don't gain anything from shitting on the other thing.
 

Elandyll

Banned
I think even though there are tons of superficial explanations, from immaturity to self reassurance for an investment, the "real" reasons are more basic.

I think it all goes down to the need to define one's identity, which often comes with the need to belong to a group, which itself often manifests by an opposition of us vs them, instead of defining one's intrinsic values and attributes.

Sports or politics work a lot like that.
 
Because I'm better than you and you need to know it.

I mean, I guess in seriousness, psychologically, it's about purchase justification.
 

Hazmat

Member
Insecurity. It creates a need to assure yourself that your choice wasn't just right for you, it's literally the right choice for everyone.
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
But at the same time you don't get wars between like, fans of movie studios, or fans of authors. Not that I know of anyway.

The most comparable thing is really wars between Mac users and Windows users, or Android users and iOS users.

With what I posted about Android...I left out:

Phone manufacture vs phone manufacture. Thats at least 4 areas of ppl fighting about something....all under 1 product..

I would not be surprised if there are wars between movie studios, authors.
 

Tigress

Member
But at the same time you don't get wars between like, fans of movie studios, or fans of authors. Not that I know of anyway.

The most comparable thing is really wars between Mac users and Windows users, or Android users and iOS users.

Ford vs. Chevy
This team vs. that team (sports is really bad about this honestly)
Politics honestly (there are plenty of people who just go with one side cause that's their side. I think a lot of people are honestly more prone to this than they think).
Electronics (who has the better tv).

It really is not that special to gaming as some of you would like to think. It's pretty human nature. Especially in a materialistic culture (and I'd wonder in a culture that isn't so materialistic if they don't find different things to take sides about other than products).
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
But at the same time you don't get wars between like, fans of movie studios, or fans of authors. Not that I know of anyway.

Of course you do. There is a war going on between fans of two movie studios right now (Warner Bros vs Marvel).
 
Because kids often would only get one of the consoles and marketing was like "the other console is shit ours is awesome", so kids would hop on that and try to get their friends on board / justify their choice as the "cool" one.
 

Eusis

Member
Brand loyalty and passion, just like in sports
In the worst cases it's this. In smarter cases you at least had a personal grievance with one of them and would like a company that suits your tastes better to capture at least ENOUGH of the market to serve you well. I've been frustrated with all of them for one reason or another, and that's also waned when those issues went away (I was more anti-Xbox around... Uhh, the latter half of last gen to when their always online got solidly trumped in the marketplace and they started steering the ship in a better direction.)
 
The people that engage in console warring are literally kids themselves or adults that have not been able to shake the childish mindset of being irrationally invested in "their side." Get a group of kids together with a soccer ball, football, baseball, and basketball and before long you'll have tribal warfare over which to play.
 

Ogodei

Member
Because Atari Jaguar sucks and people who believe otherwise need to be exposed for what they are.

You know how you are!

Do i need a sarcasm tag for this?
 
Back in my day it was C64 vs Spectrum or Amiga vs Atari ST. I never got involved in the school yard computer wars and have always found them rather pathetic. I had the better platforms but loved it when I got to try a friends Atari, NES or MasterSystem.

Nowadays with the aid of the internet, people have become much worse in displaying their allegiances. All fanboys are morons but Sony fanboys in particular.....ughhhhhhh.

Sony fanboys are like the religious fundamentalists of the gaming world. The genuine hatred and hypocrisy. Jesus, grow up.

#nintendo4life :)
 

Mindlog

Member
I like to remind myself that the Internet is the great equalizer. Race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, disability unrelated to job requirements, genetic information, military service, or age shall not be a reason to treat someone with disrespect. Most console warriors are under 12 to me and so you just smile and nod knowing their shitty artwork will never be on my refrigerator.
 

cereal_killerxx

Junior Member
That's a bingo for me.

Same reason sports are so popular. Picking a side and placing ludicrous and unjustifiable meaning on whether that side succeeds or fails is just inherently a fun, interesting thing to do.

It amuses me how bent out of shape people get when an Xbox One game is 900p and the PS4 version is 1080p. The difference is so negligible and yet people go off the rails lol
 
Because tribalism. It's the same in sports. You pick a team (your tribe) and feel connected with likeminded people. It's pure human nature. We are tribal animals, we need our tribe to thrive and succeed in life. Humanity is flock mentality. We like people who like the same things as us, we hate people who don't like the same things as us.

Console wars are nerdy tribalism. And every war is tribalism. We need to compete to feel superior over others, we need our clan to win.

Basically it's evolution, psychology and primal instincts.
 

Clear

CliffyB's Cock Holster
Gaming culture is sadly stuck in a state of arrested development. And its not going to get beyond this adolescent stage because there's no will for it to grow while most of the media panders-to and exploits it for cheap clicks.

What''s worse is that is that noone seems to call-out this sillyness anymore - they'd rather just push pieces that emphasize platform/performance differences in order to rile people up.
 
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