The Big Picture: Fair Game

[Cadapalo]

I tend to be fair because that who I am in real life because when I look at something/someone with disregard I tend to look at myself first. Though I will admit I was a Nintendo fanboy for quite some time. Eventually that changed once I got into PC gaming,Playstation, and Xbox and found games I liked for all these systems.

Also I'm still waiting for my PS3 blu ray/BBQ console system.

 

[Twinmill5000]

I'm a PC fanboy

My opinions on, say, Mario, are invalid because I'm obviously biased in what I like, which sure as hell isn't Mario, so I'm bound to say a bunch of wrong things about it.

 

[Sir Prize]

A good point there.
I think the idea that everything must be treated equally is a little pointless. No-one is completely free of basie and everyone has an opinion, therefore people shouldn't believe others will see their side of any given discussion. It's differing opinions that make the world such a...wonderful place.

 

[Ukomba]

Nice Ep, I think this is best shown in the whole Star Wars vs Star Trek nerd battle.

 

[Kadoodle]

I dunno, I think Bob is a bit off this time around. I generally havn't seen people getting called fanboys unless they post un-constructive criticism of something. For example, someone who simply goes ranting things like "XBOX SUCKS, XBOX F@G!!! YOU THINK YOU"RE BETTER THAN ME CUS YOU BUY CHEAP GARBAGE GET A REAL CONSOLE!!!!1!1", then they will surely will be called fanboys (if not assholes), and they will truly deserve the title.

However, if someone says something along the lines of: "I personally prefer the PS3 due to the less obnoxious online community and free multiplayer; combined with the excellent assortment of console exclusives. I find that the XBOX 360 has only 2 truly amazing exclusives, and they are Halo and Mass effect 2; the latter soon coming to ps3.", then they aren't going to be called fanboys.

 

[Ukomba]

Not Fanboy... You're a Halo sheep.

 

[Koshok]

Thank you, MovieBob, for discussing this.

I personally never play anything on any system other than PC. I would also hate to be called a "PC fanboy" or "PC elitist" or anything along those lines. The reason I don't play any other systems is because I don't have a TV. It most certainly is not because I dislike any console, and I would never make a generalization of the fan base of any one console, as is an implication of being called a fanboy.

 

[awatkins]

Fair Game

This week, Bob weighs the pros and cons of playing fair.

Watch Video

I really liked the topic, however, I am saddened that your 'The Big Picture'
segments aren't longer. I hunger for more. And I doubt that I'm the only one
who could literally listen to you all day. When the crew @ Extra Credits mentioned
that you had a YouTube persona - The Gameover Thinker- I watched them all that night.
With popcorn and vodka and all that happy stuff, it was like a double feature at the
drive in.
What I'm saying is: Is there any way you could produce longer episode, perhaps in the same manner as you do with the Gameover Thinker??

You rock, keep it up

-Definitely a Movie Bob fanboy
Awatkins

 

[icyneesan]

Fanbois! Fanbois everywhere!!

 

[Sethzard]

I really want to watch all of the superhero movies coming out.
There are some people who really are fanboys but I agree that it is overused. I admit to being a Yahtzee and Bob fanboy and I'm bloody proud of it.

 

[Tohru_Readman]

Part Quote from militaryspartan:

Does anyone else find this a little hypocritical? I mean literally his first episode was to troll/show his hate for the Halo franchise and laugh at the legion of "Fanboys". We understand Bob, you do not like Halo, but do we think you hate the Xbox and FPS in general?

I completely agree on that point, I only tend to refer to someone as I fanboy if they bash a game, game series or genre without playing it, for no reason.

 

[robinkom]

Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one... even fanboys, as uninformed as they might be.

I'm a biased gamer. I'm biased for the facts. My favorite games/genres/systems don't even enter into it because it's a moot argument. I only reinforce facts in sales figures, game/console design, company philosophies, etc.

Everyone can see the Sega logo in my Avatar and, yes, I am a Sega fan but I am NOT a fanboy. Fanboys are a detriment to a company's fanbase because they'll never accept reality.

The Sega fanboys will never accept facts like the poor sales figures of the 32X and Saturn were chiefly the result of corporate in-fighting between the Japanese and American offices (among other things). They'll never accept the fact that Sega is NOT going to make a new home console anytime soon. The capital necessary for that is tremendous at this point in the industry and they simply DON'T have the money for it to be a feasible business venture.

The best way you can support a company as a fan is to buy the software that you want, not to settle for what they think you want. Give them more than just sales numbers to look at. Send them constructive feedback in large volumes for the kind of games you'd want to buy from them. If it makes enough noise, it'll be sent upstairs to corporate and they may adjust their business road map accordingly. As it is, we leave a lot of publishers guessing what we want and it's usually hit or miss. They try to make "me too" titles that copy the formula of something that did well by another publisher but the majority of us always crave something new and different.

That got a little off-topic but I'm demonstrating my original point. If you're a self-respecting fan of a certain developer's franchise, let them know what is and isn't good about it, HONESTLY. Don't fan-tard rage at them. Grow up.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

I don't think people who say good things about stuff are fanbois, I do think a large percentage of people who hate on things without qualification are fanbois.

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

I'd like to thank Movie Bob for pointing this out. At first I didn't know where he was going with this topic, but when I did something struck me. I agree with it, but I also realized that I'm like that. Whenever someone claims they love something, I instinctively think that they hate the opposite. I never actually called anyone out on it, but I would always think it. Usually, this is because most people who like one thing usually DO hate the other, but I didn't factor that there are people who prefer chocolate, but still enjoy vanilla. From now on, if someone says they like something, I will banish any assumption that they hate the other.

Thank you for teaching me this Bob.

 

[K_Dub]

Definitely a subject that I think deserves more than a five minute discussion time.

 

[Spoon E11]

so true. SO god damn true.

 

[Dastardly]

Fair Game

This week, Bob weighs the pros and cons of playing fair.

Watch Video

We're in the age of the disclaimer. Everything you say has to be littered with disclaimers of all shapes and sizes so that you don't accidentally offend anyone. It's like the little brother Randy from A Christmas Story--our opinions are so bundled up with padding they're left feebly shouting, "I can't put my arms down!"

In an odd juxtaposition to this, while we insist that everyone adhere to strict moderation and mediation, we are in a culture that has not properly learned to allow mediation. Here's what I mean:

Person A and Person B disagree. Strongly. Person C is approached to weigh in on the topic, ostensibly to act as mediator. Person C, recognizing the need for mediation, expresses an interest in understanding both sides so that both sides can come to understand each other in a civil manner.

Problem: Person A and Person B are really just looking for a third person to give each of them the "two out of three" they need to be right. This means that everything Person C says in Person A's favor will simply cause Person A to say, "SEE?! I'm so right!"... while Person B will do the same when the opposite happens. Conversely (and this is the worst facet of this whole thing), when Person C tries to explain to Person A the potential merits of Person B's position, Person A will feel and behave as though horribly betrayed by Person C.

That's right. If you don't play both sides, you're a fanboi. And if you do play both sides? Well, each side will view you as a traitor for failing to wholly condemn the other side. The "middle ground" ends up being only a crossfire, like some kind of twisted, reverse-Venn-diagram setting.

The root of the problem? Our opinions are based more on feelings than on reason. It's simply truth--when people engage in discussions about politics or religion or personal passions, they are using a part of their brain that is mostly tied to emotion. The rational, reasonable part of the brain is overridden, unable to make itself heard over the emotional ruckus.

That's the job of mediators--to be dispassionate, so that reason can prevail. There's not always a compromise to be reached, but you can at least ensure that both sides have heard and legitimately understood each other, so that we can all move forward peacefully. But passion only understands passion, and if your passion doesn't match mine, Newton's twisted third law of passion states that you must, therefore, harbor an equal but opposite passion.

So, indecision is the new compromise. Best of luck.

 

[enclsam]

Well that what will hapen if u gave advanced comunication technology to evryone (DAMN U AL GORE)

Another great opinion

 

[RJ Dalton]

I agree with Bob on this subject, but I think it applies to more than just the gaming/nerd culture. I think pretty much everything has become this way, only on the bigger issues like politics, your either a fascist or a communist instead of a fanboy.
Ultimately, what I think it's come down to is that the PC bullshit has gotten way out of hand. It's reaching the point where people seem to believe that the worst possible thing that could happen is that someone disagrees with them, so people are trying to create a general situation where nobody could say anything that might offend anyone anywhere. If we're going to get beyond this, the world needs more people who are willing to be offend others.
On that note, Hitler had the right idea.

 

[Arcane Azmadi]

Great video, Bob. But what I'd really like to see you do is a take on the OPPOSITE of this issue- the modern belief that ANY opinion is valid, no matter how stupid, because "I'm entitled to my opinion". One of the things that really annoys me (and that I repeatedly come up against on this very forum no less) is twits who take totally nonsensical, unreasonable, even offensive stances on issues and justify them with no defence better than "I'm entitled to my own opinion". Sure you are, but your opinion is WRONG. People have this idea that something being "a matter of opinion" automatically makes it immune to criticism, but that's stupid nonsense and I'm not having it.

Discuss.