The Psychology Of Console Loyalty And Brand Fanboyism

Im a pc gamer who also uses a xbox controller. Only time I use keyboard and mouse is if Im playing a first person shooter or rts. Infact almost every game I tried the past 3 years(except for mass effect3) natively worked with the controller.

The few things I love at pc gaming is not only can you get the highest frame rates, Higher resolution,Newer directx features including tessellation. If your nvidia user physx, and the best part is you can go back to games only a year or two old and force on through your video card Ambient Occlusion, 16x AF, FXAA, sli 64x csaa, 8x super sampling. You can force a game to look better then it did back in the day.

I can agree though the investment cost can be astronomical in todays economy. I wish everyone on the world could afford a awesome gaming pc. but then again I wish people could afford housing and medical and all that jazz to.

I'll be a PC fanboy until we have neural interfaces. Right now at least, the PC can be your sole source of entertainment aside from physical activity. I can entertain myself by reading, playing games, researching, watching movies and shows. I can do creative things like create art, create games, interact with others and share ideas. I can literally explore the world I would never know out in my daily life. I have never looked into it, but I've wondered if it's more expensive to buy devices with specific roles instead of having them all in one device. People often cite the consoles as being more cost effective, but I wonder if it's actually true? The major downside to the PC of course, is the learning curve. I think though, that it's an incredibly important skill to learn in the 21st century.

With gaming pc tech becoming cheaper each generation you can now have a top of the line system with brand new intel 3750k quad core and nvidia 670 for $1400 total system. The price of a top of the line gaming pc is more affordable than ever.

This is exactly (though more in depth) my reasoning. PC is very multipurpose, and I needed one for university.

I used to be the biggest sony fanboy and while I could afford a ps3 at the time I quickly turned off to sony after seeing how they were treating hardware hackers. Ive been lucky to have a friend with a ps3 so I got the chance to try system exclusives like heavy rain but if I had the option I wouldn't give sony money.

Sorry I meant I couldn't* afford a ps3 at the time.

And backward compatibility don't forget that... oh wait windows 8...

and right there is the beauty of using a PC, im not FORCED to upgrade my systems OS unlike the consoles where every single update is forced on you

Why the specific comparison?

I pc more than I play my Xbox but the cost of pc gaming really offsets its advantages, especially since my pc is broken right now and I can't afford to fix it.

Also ironic comment on a post about how stupid fanboys are

PC's rule, consoles drool.

You people leave my Tiny alone.

Thank you, OdiousLupous.

Man game fanboyism is dumb, thank god us folks at Gr aren't like that... We are way too civil for this. When someone has a different opinion or are way to vague about their assumption we don't jump to conclusion.

SO THAT PATCHER! AIN'T HE DUMB? AMIRIGHT GRGAMERZ? THUMBUP! LOLZHAHA GW2 FTW!

It's just easier to say everyone is a @#$*() moron and get back to playing what you like. Nowadays journalists make more money flaming consoles or the fans themselves instead of actually writing what matters most; the damn games themselves.

I remember a time when whatever game you put in, it was still a fun experience. But now, people would rather read the preview before anything, they think the opinion of a reviewer will tell what his or her experience will be and i curse anyone who relies on the metacritique score.
I pity this generation and i hope the next one will just play in peace.

Not to mention there was a time where people actually got excited for new upcoming games shown at E3. Now? People just watch it to rip everything apart.

I found your generalization so silly that I really can't take the couple of valid points you made seriously.

You are right, no one cares what you buy.

If most devs/publishers wanted it, the PC would be the only console we would ever need.

Cool post,
I don't know if I agree with the statement that I "want to be part of something", it is more about aligning myself with a company that can best fulfill my needs as a gamer. I just feel that playstation fulfills that need more profoundly, because it seems that their focus is on what matters most... games. I think playstation was lost at the beginning of this generation, with constant blu-ray updates, or 5.1 dolby surround updates, a horrible UI for the playstation store and terrible online connectivity, but it seems Sony has overcome as is now "Focused". As stated, playstation fanboys often refer to the first party games. If someone were to ask me to name first party playstation 3 games, I would be able to answer: God of War franchine, Uncharted Franchine, Ratchet and Clank franchise, Resistance Franchine, Killzone Franchine, Infamous, Metal gear: GOP, Heavy rain and Little Big Planet.

Now, this is not an attack on x-box, I'm actually asking the following question. What does the xbox offer other than Halo, Gears of war and Fable? Please I'm ignorant and I want to be informed.
But so far, based on this idea that GAMING means the most to me, I would say that playstation allows me to satiate my gaming needs, no?

To be honest I have never, ever heard anyone ever say the wii is the best system

Can I somehow double thumbs up?

I think the Wii is the best system.

Do I really? I'm not telling! But now you can't say it's never happened. ^_^

Comparing consoles to PERSONAL COMPUTERS is silly.

I'd be all for PC gaming if it was as streamlined as console gaming though.

Bravo!! Only Nintendo fanboys say it's the best system and 10 year olds.

Only Nintendo fanboys say "10 year olds"? Weird. I guess you're saying that you're a Nintendo fanboy, then?

Me, on the other hand, I find my gaming fix on whatever platform that offers it. Right now, that's a mix of the Wii, the PS3, and the PC. Poor ol' 360, I don't see the point of it. It might have *some* exclusive games that don't appear on the PC, but I've never seen any.

I also have to say that I used to be a hardcore Sony fanboy during the PS1 and PS2 era. I did end up getting an N64, but I hated the Xbox will all my heart and soul. Because the PS3 was so expensive at launch I got a 360 and realized it probably is the better system this generation. I later got a PS3 and love them both for different reasons. I did end up selling my Wii because of all the terrible shovelware and it just sat for months untouched.

When it comes to PC I always buy the PC version unless the console is somehow better. Right now I only play consoles for console exclusive games. I even use an Xbox 360 controller for PC games unless the game is hand tailored for PC controls. I learned to grow away from console fanboyism and learned to like them all!

I've had a great time with different consoles but if I had the money I'd go PC for most games. The prices have gotten a lot better too then they used to be with online resources, but I have bills to pay. Also a big personal downside to PC gaming is the lack of split-screen or local based games (excluding turn-based pc ones) but even on console it seems to be constantly getting replaced with online only multi-player. Even if I had a nice PC I'd be buying Borderlands 2 on console so I could play with a friend or girlfriend.

On a side-note, have you ever seen one of those trash talking fps players talk **** in your living room playing against friends? I was surprised the first time it happened in real life and haven't seen the "bro" since

The PS3 and Xbox 360 are roughly EQUAL in terms of gaming power - with some online capabilities better on PS3.

I prefer the 360 because the PS3's controller is too small for my hands. The analog sticks are too close together and it's uncomfortable for me.

The thing is: I really believe SONY, Microsoft and Nintendo are working together to control release schedules so that there aren't "console wars" anymore. Back in the 80's, we had true console wars and ridiculously aggressive advertising. The console wars cost Sega their entire console share. Had Sega been competing today, they'd be exactly where Nintendo is now: releasing new games for an aging system very few people play.

As the prices on consoles steadily cheapen, there's no reason not to just buy all of them. Furthermore, the games are almost all clones now. You can get Battlefield or CoD on any system you want. Besides storyline, pretty much everything looks alike.

PC Gaming is probably the best overall choice. You can get a Quad core PC with a powerful graphic card for less than $600. You won't get the highest resolution or the ability to play on multiple monitors, but for what you can get for the price - it's the best option.

I also like what Microsoft did in GAMES FOR WINDOWS - allowing you to easily use 360 peripherals.

i like consoles for the fact that i can play them on a huge ass tv in a comfy as phuck couch while getting the controller dirty with doritos grease. pc gaming is great as well if you want state of the art graphics and a unique control system that is simply the best in a lot of genres.
but consoles have certain charm though, don't know what it is. i cannot imagine playing games like uncharted or rayman origins on a computer. it's all good though. except for nintendo. nintendo sucks so much dick.

Well Uncharted is a console exclusive. There is nothing stopping them from bringing it to the pc is the the agreement between naughty dogs and sony. You can also hook your pc up to your big ass tv. Push full 1080p(your console upscales from a lower resolution) get better frame-rates and graphics and still hook up a xbox controller that works natively in all games. Ive been playing games on my pc , with a controller, from my cough on my big screen for awhile now.

Hmm that reminds me I gotta start messing around with a ps3 emulator again.

you see, i can't because my computer is too far away from my living room where my tv is at. it's just too much of a hassle, and i'm betting it is for a large percentage of people. what sucked about this console generation were the often mandatory installs. what the **** was that

"...swear by a keyboard and mouse, a control option that wasn't even designed for gaming in the first place..." Yes, but it is an 106 button + 2D location interface that can be purposed for anything. When there's a controller that allows me that many inputs in a usable fashion, I'll concede. Oh, and with industry standards you can have any input device you want if it works on RS232/USB/Bluetooth etc. XBox and PS3 controllers are both wireless, why can't it use the same protocol so I can use what I want?

We should talk about how microsoft plans on combining xbox live and windows so that windows playing can play online with there xbox friends. It would effectly corner out a whole segment of the market. There is even talk of being able to buy a game and choose if you wanna install it on your new xbox(The one thats not out yet) or your new pc(Windows 8 only of course)

That would be nice for having a wider player base and being able to play with more of your friends. It seems like a pretty smart move for Microsoft, maybe Sony could counter by getting closer with Valve like they did with Portal 2 though. I'm actually kinda intimidated about having to play a fps on console against "hardcore" mouse and keyboard pc players though, faster and more precise aiming. I'm not calling it an unfair advantage but it still is a big potential one with an experienced player. I personally did terrible and didn't really enjoy my half hour experience with CS:GO but I still approve of the features.

It is an unfair advantage. A mouse user can turn 360 degrees in a split second, and aim sporadically, and still have precision. I don't play shooters on PC because it simply doesn't feel right. Nothing has any weight, unless I turn the sensitivity down.

yep it will never happen tbh, Microsoft did some tests and found the PC controls gave to big of an advantage

also theres a game called Shadowrun which allowed PC and 360 players to play together but in their attempt to remove the PC advantage they really butchered the game to the point where it sucked no matter what platform you were using

Even though mouse and keyboard have the potential advantage, I would still personally do better with a controller, which is why I'm hesitant to call it an unfair advantage, I'm just more used to it. I also like the weight feel, but I just don't have that level of skill or practice to be able to aim with such high sensitivity on a mouse. I'm well aware that other people can. It seems like the standard solution has been giving consoles auto aim but it doesn't directly solve the problem either. I'm pretty sure you can use mouse and keyboard with the right set up on console, but I'd rather not.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a "mixed" generation of gaming. As a kid, I never had ANY game consoles growing up, but I had the PC and it offered me a goldmine of DOS games. At the same time, I had friends that either had a NES, SNES, or Sega Genesis. I even remember playing the Sega Channel all night long. The fact of the matter is, I've enjoyed games from pretty much every console. My parents didn't officially buy a console until the Gamecube, and I love that thing to death. I also love the PS1, PS2, N64, xbox, etc etc. We love to play games, and we shouldn't judge quality for the reason that it's on a certain console.

Hell, I still hit up Arcades... I know I have to put money in that machine every time I play, but that doesn't matter to me.

I've been a gamer since the late 70's. Initially on Binatone (or similar) "tv games", then through the Sinclair Spectrum (I'm a Brit btw), Amiga, Amiga CD32, PS1 and N64, PS2 and currently Xbox360, with some, but not much, PC gaming back in the early 2000s.

I prefer a controller over mouse/keys, but that aside, my choice of system has been largely dictated by affordability, nothing more.

I have been a gamer since the day I could walk (almost true) I now play pc, xbox, ps3, and so on I seem to prefer keyboard a lot of times over controller unless its fps fps i feel controller is the way to go. Thats all I got.