This week I wanted to dissect fanboyism at its core. I’ll be taking a look at a few aspects that I’ve seen directly produce or fuel fanboys.

Roots

Entrenchment

Early adopters succumb to fanboyism in the gaming world due to a misappropriation of funds in
correlation to actual thought process. With Microsoft having something to prove after going into the red on the Xbox, they made the brilliantly flawed decision to get the 360 on store shelves as fast as possible. Being a year ahead of any competition wrought both the birth of a substantial base of
diehard Xbox fanboys and the test which would strain their loyalty. Such a large period prior to
competition getting product to market left plenty of time for early adopters to invest a good deal of funds into games and accessories on the system. It is the amount of commitment at this stage which would come to dictate the level of fandom during the impending Wii & PlayStation 3 launches.

For those not born into this console wave, the process of brand entrenchment often occurs over many hardware generations and is routinely transferred to subsequent launches. The early adopter has a level of tolerance at this stage, in that there will always be an urge to own something first which will overpower past positions. However, for those already loyal to a specific brand, their level of
commitment is often unmatched, in that it gaps multiple hardware launches and company shifts.

Personal Justification

Consumers interested in a console inevitably have to decide on which horse to pick. It’s a gamble with many variables in play, and sometimes you bet on the wrong horse. Those who choose to accept their fault are rationalists. They have the capacity to understand that the lack of software coupled with an exorbitant price sparked a decision that was made in poor judgement. The rest who choose to apologize for the system’s shortcomings and build a mental stigma against the comparable competition are fanboys. Unfortunately for human kind, the majority of us will find denial much easier to cope with than rational thought. It is this underlying need to appear in the right that fuels many fanboys on a path to brand entrenchment.

Causations

Stubbornness

It’s funny how much strife is caused just by mere stubbornness alone. Fanboys will willingly venture into enemy territory with blinders on, to gather just enough intel to launch a scrutiny laden response. Once they find themselves stuck in a mindset where their one fixation shall go unchallenged, it’s hard to get that person to accept any competition as legitimate. While it doesn’t seem like a hard thing to ask, having a fanboy budge to try something new with an open mind can prove to be near impossible.

Rivalries

When competitors launch titles within the same genre, things can get ugly. So ugly in fact, that long standing rivalries can emerge that span many years of long fought forum diatribe. This is what often motivates the friendly neighborhood troll to rear its head to instigate argument, so that it may protect what it holds dear. When fanboys become too attached to any specific brand or series, this is when the false sense of company attachment takes hold. The thought that they somehow represent the hardware manufacturer or developer through their fandom is what often gets them in trouble, and makes for some extremely ironic conversation.

Middle Ground

Having your Cake & Eating it Too

The inner fan in us all knows that it’s fun to be a fanboy. To be so enthralled with a series or product that you want to educate yourself on the latest in that front is a fantastic urge to have. However, if I may quote Spiderman’s Ben Parker, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Unfortunately the power we bear can drive us down the abusive and discourteous path that has come to define behavior on the net. The lesson to be learned is to always have an open mind, so that you may benefit from something that may otherwise go unnoticed merely due to petty attachments.

That’s it on Crunch Time: Fanboyism! Again, my brain is telling me that there is more that I can add to this article, and I will be doing so when/if I get the chance over the next few days. Hope you liked it! Feel free to leave a comment by clicking on the article title to get to the permalink page, or follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeremybogdan