On Fanboys

[Revasser]

Okay, so here's something I've been wanting to get people's opinions on, and you guys seem to be intelligent for the most part.

Game/Developer Fanboys. What makes a fanboy? How is 'fanboy' defined? Is fanboyism ever justified? If so/not, why so/not? Is a fanboy actually capable of stating a coherent opinion on the object of his fanboyism?

RPGs seem to attract fanboyism more than other genres (at least, that's been my experience, but I admit I don't tend to bother with the discussion of other genres too often.) Why is this?

Yes, I'm new. Yes, this is my first post. Yes, you can probably guess from the topic which forum I also post on and why I'm so sick of trying to have a cohesive discussion there.

 

[LlamaGod]

I give you post 95%/100% (Below Average)

 

[roguefrog]

A fanboi is someone who obessesses over a certain thing (movie, game, company, etc..) to the point where if someone says something negitive about it, they take it as a personal attack and responed with some half-witted, poorly structured rebuttal or weak ass irrelevent one-liner. If their beloved obession is getting housed, they start to foam at the mouth.

Supplement: See Volourn

 

[Volourn]

"to the point where if someone says something negitive about it, they take it as a personal attack"

Funny. I must really hate myself than as I often say negative things about Bioware games.

Volourn: Everrest, and stone oif recall really sucked in the OC.

Volourn: STFU, moron! Everrest is awesome when you are tired!

Volourn: Damn fanboys.

 

[Revasser]

I give you post 95%/100% (Below Average)

Only 95%? Oh well, I can work with that. I'll try hard next time, mummy, I promise.

A fanboi is someone who obessesses over a certain thing (movie, game, company, etc..) to the point where if someone says something negitive about it, they take it as a personal attack and responed with some half-witted, poorly structured rebuttal or weak ass irrelevent one-liner. If their beloved obession is getting housed, they start to foam at the mouth.

Supplement: See Volourn

Yes, I've seen in my weeks of lurking. But is fanboyism ever at all justified? Can something (in this case, a game or developer) ever be SO fantastic as to justify the mouth-foaming? Like.. uhhhh... just for the sake of argument... Bioware?

 

[Volourn]

No, fanboyism is never justified.

P.S. BIO is the bestest ever and their games are perfect!

Eyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[One Wolf]

i think that some regard fanboyism as closemindedness, and that is just plain irritating in most circumstances. in my experience, its much more constructive to keep yourself from being too commited to one mindset.

for example, i hate the US gov't more than just about anything on earth, but i only ever resorted to violence once in the midst of arguing, and that did nothing except get me sued for aggravated assault. when using dialogue and calm temperment, i have had greater success in conversations post-lawsuit.

 

[bryce777]

A fanboi is someone who obessesses over a certain thing (movie, game, company, etc..) to the point where if someone says something negitive about it, they take it as a personal attack and responed with some half-witted, poorly structured rebuttal or weak ass irrelevent one-liner. If their beloved obession is getting housed, they start to foam at the mouth.

Supplement: See Volourn

LOL!

Getting housed. My favorite expression.

I also think this definition (and the example cited) are perfect.

I rank this post 155% (somewhat above average). Cerulean with pink highlights.

 

[Revasser]

A fanboi is someone who obessesses over a certain thing (movie, game, company, etc..) to the point where if someone says something negitive about it, they take it as a personal attack and responed with some half-witted, poorly structured rebuttal or weak ass irrelevent one-liner. If their beloved obession is getting housed, they start to foam at the mouth.

Supplement: See Volourn

LOL!

Getting housed. My favorite expression.

I also think this definition (and the example cited) are perfect.

I rank this post 155% (somewhat above average). Cerulean with pink highlights.

Getting housed. Was this a misspelling, or am I missing out on some cool new expression? Last I heard, 'getting housed' meant being put into a house. The kids are saying all sorts of crazy things these days, it's hard to keep up, fo shizzle.

And yeah, that's a pretty good definition. That said, does anyone else find it hard not to display fanboy tendencies occasionally, or am I just weak-willed?

Oh, and thanks for the vote of confidence, bryce777. Cerulean really brings out my eyes.

 

[Vault Dweller]

And yeah, that's a pretty good definition. That said, does anyone else find it hard not to display fanboy tendencies occasionally, or am I just weak-willed?

That depends on what you mean. If by displaying fanboism you mean posting "this gaem is so awsome!!!!" all over the net, which is basically your entire argument, and refusing to accept valid criticism, then no, it shouldn't be hard to control yourself. If you are just enthusiastic about a game, can explain why, support your position, accept the fact that it may be flawed and not perfect, etc, then there is nothing wrong with it.

For instance, there are both TES games fans and fanboys on this forum. It's very easy to tell who's who.

 

[Balor]

Well, 'foam-at-mouth' fanboysm is NEVER justified.
However, it may be possible to intentionally overlook some flaws of the game provided it's good overall - think bugs in VTM:B.
Quite like suspension of disbelief.

But it does not mean that you are not aware of them, or actually consider them features.
Nor you should rabidly attack anyone who brings those bugs up.

Of course, when someone barges in and start to bash at, say, bugs of the game, while dismissing plentful (and really enjoyable) features that the game sports - that may indeed cause same indignation among those who like the game in spite of those bugs, because of the features that were not mentioned.

By the way, it's about as stupid as love.
I mean of that sort when a girl falls in love with an alcoholic that beats her, and anyone who dares to criticize her 'darling' is risking a beating from HER, because she loves him so much.
Utterly mindless.

 

[Revasser]

And yeah, that's a pretty good definition. That said, does anyone else find it hard not to display fanboy tendencies occasionally, or am I just weak-willed?

That depends on what you mean. If by displaying fanboism you mean posting "this gaem is so awsome!!!!" all over the net, which is basically your entire argument, and refusing to accept valid criticism, then no, it shouldn't be hard to control yourself. If you are just enthusiastic about a game, can explain why, support your position, accept the fact that it may be flawed and not perfect, etc, then there is nothing wrong with it.

For instance, there are both TES games fans and fanboys on this forum. It's very easy to tell who's who.

I'll give you an example of what I mean. (Very) Occasionally I have this incredible urge so say something like "What? You don't like <game>? You're a fucking idiot." I usually succeed in controlling that urge, but it's very difficult if the person who is claiming <game> is crappy without giving any specific reasons <b>why</b> <game> is crappy has been pissing me off considerably beforehand. Is this fanboyism on my part, or is it just being pissed off at an idiot?

 

[Balor]

I've already answered that question for you - see above .
Of course, it depends on what that game is, what kinds of claims the person that don't like has, etc.
But there is a subtle difference between Oblivion fanboys bashing people who doubt that it's storyline will be 'Teh aw3s0m3', or is disappointed by the lack of skills...
...and us sneering at someone who thinks that Planescape:Torment suck because there is too much text in it, and you cannot play a paladin.

 

[Revasser]

I've already answered that question for you - see above .
Of course, it depends on what that game is, what kinds of claims the person that don't like has, etc.
But there is a subtle difference between Oblivion fanboys bashing people who doubt that it's storyline will be 'Teh aw3s0m3', or is disappointed by the lack of skills...
...and us sneering at someone who thinks that Planescape:Torment suck because there is too much text in it, and you cannot play a paladin.

The game I was thinking of with that example was Arcanum, and the person in question was essentially stating that it sucked because it didn't sell well. Seeing as that 'logic' made no sense to me, and the person in question had been on a tirade about the sucktitude of Arcanum on the basis of sales for some time, I felt I was justified in stating that they were, in fact, a fucking idiot.

But yeah, I see your point.

 

[bryce777]

Well, sometimes people just get turned off of a game because of little stuff and never get into it.

When I first played torment I didn't like it so much, because I had a basher and the combat is not all that great but I was getting no interesting dialog due to a low int and wisdom. Which is one reason I kind of dislike having games where the MAJORITY of dialog is only unlocked by certain stats.

When I saw how people were in love with the game and some of the reasons why, I game it another shot and now it's an alltime favorite.

Not everyone likes everything, but as balor mentioned when people give no reason why, or else have reasons like disliking torment because not everything is voiceacted(which is something I think someone really said...and voice acing drives me crazy because I read 10x faster than some muttonhead can talk).

I guess it comes down to fanboys = inarticulate morons who get angry at people who disagree with them and are incapable of making a rational case. When I see volly prattle on, it is very surreal, because it's obvious his mind has unhinged from reality.

 

[Pr()ZaC]

There're fanbois everywhere.
Even scientists who don't believe in spirituality or that we're not alone in the universe are fanbois.

Everyone has little fanboi inside...

 

[Balor]

Well, naming someone an idiot because, well, he's an obvious idiot has nothing to do with fanboysm.
Well, Arcanum had a whole lot of problems (expecially if you tried to play as a 'mechanical'-type), but sucks because it sold poorly?

P:T was also not exactly a bestseller. So was Fallouts. It does not mean that those games suck.

 

[Balor]

Even scientists who don't believe in spirituality or that we're not alone in the universe are fanbois.

Are you nuts?
Have you heard of Occam's Razor?
Or you are being so skillfully sacrastic that I miss the point?

 

[Revasser]

Well, naming someone an idiot because, well, he's an obvious idiot has nothing to do with fanboysm.
Well, Arcanum had a whole lot of problems (expecially if you tried to play as a 'mechanical'-type), but sucks because it sold poorly?

P:T was also not exactly a bestseller. So was Fallouts. It does not mean that those games suck.

Sure, Arcanum had its problems. I'm having a massively hard time with an elf technologist at the moment, although that has as much to do with my intentionally gimping my character for a challenge and interesting roleplay potential as it does with problems of mechanics.

If it was "I don't like it because <reasons>", well, fine, there's no accounting for taste. But "omg it sucks look at teh sales. it must suck coz noone bout it" seemed like pretty stupid reasoning to me.

Are you nuts?
Have you heard of Occam's Razor?
Or you are being so skillfully sacrastic that I miss the point?

I swear, if his turns into a religious debate, I'm just gonna go look at a goatse mirror. It's twice as pretty as religious debates. Or were you being so skillfully sarcastic that I missed the point? :p

But I agree with Pr()ZaC that there's a little fanboi in all of us. I guess we just need to keep the little bastard silent and in his corner, facing the wall, where he belongs.

 

[HardCode]

A fanboy is usually defined as:

fanboy (fan - boi) n. 1. Someone whose parents buy them a game, so they do not value the money earned to pay for the product.

In other words, people who are the suckers which are born every minute, which corporations enjoy by the droves. They are people who have no thought or creativity or individualism. They need to belong. They have no free thinking. They can offer no constructive critisizm because they think a game is perfect. Could say more, but I am eating lunch.

 

[BbaxterD]

I've always seen fanbois as biased people that operate outside of logic. They believe what they want regardless of what facts, knowledge, or experience says. Like Balor said "mindless."

This is different from scientists that would reject spirituality or foreign life. They are basing what they believe on scientific theory and fact. They have reason. Fanbois do not.

But, this is my definition. If you define a fanboi as anyone with a bias, then we are all fanbois. I just see fanbois as those with a bias and without a reason for the bias.

 

[bryce777]

As a real scientist, there is no way to make that determination. Everything in science is theory, and also it has a different goal than to determine the meaning of life. Just because the physical aspects of the universe take a certain form, does not mean any conclusion can be drawn such as that the portion of the universe we can observe is not only an insignifigant part.

So, yes, Balor is being sort of a fanboi against religion...andyone who claims they know it all is just full of shit, and if you believe it is so blindly then you are making the same mistake he fundamentalists make.

 

[Section8]

I'd just like to point at that spelling boy as "boi" makes you a stupid fucking french canadian bitch, like Avril Lavigne.

 

[Revasser]

I'd just like to point at that spelling boy as "boi" makes you a stupid fucking french canadian bitch, like Avril Lavigne.

You're absolutely right. Avril Lavigne makes me hate the world.

 

[Balor]

So, yes, Balor is being sort of a fanboi against religion...andyone who claims they know it all is just full of shit, and if you believe it is so blindly then you are making the same mistake he fundamentalists make.

Atheism is NOT believing that god(s) do not exist - it's NOT using theory of existance of god(s) to explain everything.

Again, anyone heard of Occam's Razor out here?

Anyway, let's keep such discussions of RPG forum.
If you want to discss religion - please create a topic at General discussion.