How to Not be a Fanboy.

You wanna know what the most insipid and cancerous thing in gaming is?

Fanboyism.

It destroys the gaming industry and, more importantly, your enjoyment. 

"Fanboy" is term that's thrown around a lot but what is Fanboyism really? 

"Fanboyism is the fervid and unquestioning acceptance of a product and then defending that product against all reason and logic, with the end goal being a universal acceptance of that product as being indisputably better than everything else." - Spekter Gaming (2016)

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The error in fanboy logic; 

NO product is ever better than all other products in every way.

The problem with fanboyism; 

If developers and publishers can make money out of fanboys that they know will eat up new titles no matter how bad they are, they don't care; for us it's about the game and the experience; for them it's about cold hard cash. 

More fanboyism = Lower standards = worse experience for us. 

Fanboyism also divides the gaming community by creating pointless rivalries and arguments between fellow Gamers. As a Gamer, YOU are part of a global subculture that YOU have been a part in creating; fanboyism puts a black mark on this subculture and on you.

SG's free 'Don't Be A Fanboy' starter kit:

A simple kit to carry with you wherever you go in the gaming universe

• Demand more; Don't just suck it up if you don't like something.

• Have a voice! Review games; write blogs, make YouTube videos and give reasons why you do or don't like a game and more importantly; make suggestions on how things can be improved.

• NEVER get on the hype train. Because the only station is Fanboy Central; once you're on it, that's where you're going and it's a one-way ticket.

• Don't defend one or a few developers/publishers. As your "favourites" or as being better than all the others. Instead, defend gaming as a whole. 

• Don't favour one platform over the others. Even if you don't play the others. Everyone has their preference and they are entitled to that. Instead of bickering about which platform is (supposedly) the "best" enjoy the fact that no matter what platform, you are all Gamers and you share that in common.  

• Support Independent Game Developers and Modders  These are the future of gaming and on the whole they don't get enough recognition. Do your bit by buying their products if they are charging for them, give feedback on them if you like them or not; just swing an email to the devs. Promote their products to your friends and the greater community via social media and forums if you like them.

• Defend your fellow Gamer! Put aside your differences and pointless rivalries and stand together on the issues that affect us all. So if they play Battlefield and you play CoD, instead of arguing about which one is (supposedly) "better" find common ground in the fact that both of you enjoy first-person shooters. 

We need to show a united front to get the things we want from game developers and publishers and show them that we won't just take every underdeveloped, buggy, unfinished game they throw at us lying down. 

You are a Gamer, so am I , so are all those other people you talk to on G+ or Facebook or whatever you use. So instead of fighting each other, stand together!

#GamersUnite 
#GamersAgainstFanboys

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