The age-old saga of fanboys passionately defending their chosen side resurfaces in a season of big PlayStation and Xbox exclusives. The ongoing skirmish between Starfield and Marvel’s Spiderman 2 enthusiasts has taken an unfortunate turn, showcasing the worst aspects of fanboyism.
Navigating the world of video game social media has become a vexing experience lately. I’ve personally refrained from scrolling through Twitter or any gaming forums due to the overwhelming deluge of clips and comments from both camps, each aiming to tarnish the other’s game. This relentless pursuit of portraying games in a negative light disregards the unique attributes of each title and undermines the appreciation we should hold for the medium as a whole.
While it’s perfectly acceptable to pledge allegiance to a particular console and show support for your favorite games, it’s essential to do so without undermining the undeniable merits of the other side. Throughout history, humans have found reasons to engage in disputes, often driven by an inherent inclination to divide rather than unite. Gaming should be a fun hobby, and the boundaries that sometimes separate us should encourage lively discourse about our favorite games while leaving room for open-minded discussions.
Regrettably, the current debate surrounding Spiderman and Starfield has regressed into fabricated allegations designed to discredit the rival game. We’ve elevated video games to the level of political debates, which is, frankly, a disgrace. This only perpetuates the stereotype that all gamers are insufferable crybabies and inappropriately elevates games to a stature they need not occupy.
I believe that the majority of gamers do not exhibit these extreme fanboy tendencies. However, the voices of a vocal minority often overshadow the broader community. The Spiderman and Starfield debate exemplifies this issue. Starfield is an expansive space exploration RPG developed by Bethesda, emphasizing role-playing and exploration, while Spiderman, developed by Insomniac Games, focuses on an open-world narrative, delivering the unique story of Miles and Peter and offering a New York City playground with blockbuster set-pieces. These games couldn’t be more distinct in their styles and objectives, yet their exclusivity and simultaneous release have led to unfair comparisons.
I’m currently enjoying both games, each serving a different purpose in my gaming rotation. Starfield is a long-haul experience that I always have in the background, while Spider-Man is more of a binge-worthy game with a narrative that I can’t resist finishing within a weekend. Personally, I favor Marvel’s Spiderman 2, but that doesn’t mean I’m not enjoying Starfield. It merely reflects my preferences in games. In a top 10 games of the year list, Spiderman might rank higher for me, but I respect and understand why someone might prefer Starfield. They may appreciate role-playing more than I do, and that’s perfectly acceptable. An Xbox fan might challenge my ranking, but both games have earned a spot in my top 10 games of the year.
Constructive criticism is possible and should be the aim of our discourse, but this isn’t what I’ve observed in the current debate. Instead, I’ve seen people manufacture problems with the game solely to make a point.
For instance, some argue that short games equate to bad games, using the fact that people have already platinumed Spiderman 2 as a knock against it. This notion doesn’t hold water. Shorter games are often devoid of unnecessary content and tend to offer more refined gameplay. Developers can focus on perfecting a specific gameplay style instead of juggling various mediocre elements. Moreover, Spiderman 2 offers around 20 hours of gameplay, which is quite standard for a story-driven game. You can’t expect an open-world game to be 100s of hours like massive RPGs. Each game is a pristine example of their own genre and they both fit nicely into the confines of said genres. You don’t criticize a puzzle game for its lack of combat.
One of the most frustrating aspects is the creation of bugs. Some players deliberately venture beyond the intended boundaries of a mission in Spiderman to cause wild glitches. One must actively seek out these bugs, similar to testing the limits of a game just to break it. I must acknowledge that Starfield may have fewer bugs than Spiderman, and Bethesda deserves credit for creating such a pristine game. However, Spiderman is far from a bug-ridden mess. Fanboy inclinations seem to lead some to conjure arguments against the opposing platform’s game. Don’t get me wrong, Spiderman 2 can be buggy, but it is nothing that should lower a review score or threaten your enjoyment of it.
This isn’t exclusive to Xbox fanboys; Sony enthusiasts are equally guilty. I’ve come across a post displaying a zoomed-in shot of Spider-Man’s mask with ray-traced reflection, accompanied by a caption along the lines of “Xbox could never.” Such statements are unfounded, as both consoles boast similar hardware components, and neither is inherently superior in terms of graphical performance. Additionally, PlayStation fanboys have done some absurd things in response to Starfield’s success. For example, when Alanah Pearce, writer at Sony Santa Monica streamed some Starfield gameplay, PlayStation fans tried to get her fired.
These actions vividly illustrate the toxicity of console wars—a phenomenon conspicuously absent among game developers who readily exchange and appreciate each other’s creations. Game developers are typically adept at recognizing the merits in each other’s work and find inspiration in their peers’ talents. In contrast, the excellence of a game often provokes fans to become defensive and irate. Instead of propagating baseless allegations or making outlandish claims, we could unite in celebration. A commendable game, regardless of its platform, bolsters the entire gaming industry. Therefore, it’s imperative that we set aside our fanboyism, employ discerning critique when necessary, and collectively revel in the joy of our beloved pastime.
The fanboy wars need to cease, as they don’t serve the gaming industry well; in fact, they tarnish our reputation. I hope that everyone can relish the positive qualities of both games and stop introducing childish console wars into the equation. The gaming community would undoubtedly benefit from it.
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