Think for a second, though: What was the last game that meant enough to you, that you’d buy a console just to play it? All gamers have their own list of ‘killer apps’, games they just have to play. They’re so fun, we’ll sell old consoles, games, hardware, and rearrange our TV cabinets, just to accommodate one of these killers.
A particular thread on our forums has recently exploded with debate over the 360, PS3, and Revolution. It got me thinking, and this is what I thought.
Gran Turismo sold me on a PS2. One game. Mario Kart 64 sold me on a Nintendo 64. Final Fantasy sold me on a Super Nintendo. I’ve never bought a console because all the cool kids were doing it, or because I had to have the newest and the greatest. Consoles aren’t there to fill space by your TV, or to show off to your friends. They’re not fucking decorations, or fashion accessories, they play games. And the aforementioned consoles had the games I wanted to play. The games sold the consoles, not the other way around.
The coming generation is no different. I was sold on an Xbox 360, because it has games I want to play: Project Gotham Racing 3, Oblivion, Call of Duty 2, even Halo 3. Buying a 360 doesn’t mean I feel the PS3 or the Revolution don’t hold promise for good games, or that I think the 360 is even a good console. It’s necessity, a means to an end.
This is how I view all platforms. I’m not going to buy a Revolution just to take part in one. The Revolution can be as revolutionary as it wants, but unless it has games I want to play, I won’t buy it. Same goes for the PlayStation 3. I don’t believe in fanboyism: It’s the single greatest disservice a gamer can do to themselves. To me, the line between a fanboy, and an independent gamer is clear: The gamer will ignore certain platforms if he isn’t interested in what it’s offering; a fanboy will ignore a platform over a name and a logo. There is a difference.
Bottom line, my gaming habits are GAME driven. I hope yours are, too.
