Up For Debate – Do you consider yourself a fanboy or fangirl?
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Have you ever felt yourself irrationally defending a faceless corporation? Do you ever wake up in a cold sweat worrying AMD’s share value has taken a dip? Would you ever name your one and only heir Gaben? The doctor’s got some bad news for you…
Okay, let me be clear right out the gate: I’m not saying being a fanboy is inherently bad, nor am I saying that not being a fanboy is bad either, I am simply asking the question of whether or not you, as an individual, consider yourself a fanboy of a games company, video game or series of games.
I also want to save my own backside for when the HR department inevitably swoops down on me (girls can be gamers too, and they don’t have to sell bath water either), so from here on out I will be replacing the word ‘fanboy’ and referring to it as either ‘fan’ or ‘fanperson’ or ‘fanpeople’.
Generally speaking, fanpeople are obsessive (again, not in a bad way, just pointing it out), anywhere from a single game to a video game development company. Without hesitation they will buy or even pre-order a game because they know, they just know, that it’s going to be great. Even if the game or games company has flaws, they will defend it to their death, without thinking of the repercussions or even accepting those flaws as bad.
Now let me be clear: I myself am a fanperson, though I will admit I’ve had to think for a while now exactly what of… I love chicken (the meat) and Marvel movies. Oh! And I’m a die-hard supporter and activist when it comes to water; absolutely love it, can’t get enough of it. Give me enough time and I’ll start spitting water facts like a fresh mountain spring in the lush hills of Scotland on a- sorry I got carried away for a second.
My point is that fanpeople tend to get over-excited or overlook the bad parts of a game or company. Sometimes that can be a good thing; like enjoying a game for what it’s worth to you and the enjoyment that you get out of it yourself. Or even looking past the small flaws that others would consider a deal-breaker. There is certainly bliss to be found in ignorance.
Other times, however, it can be bad; like overlooking how a company treats its staff, or how a game has taken over your life like some digital parasite, draining your mental and physical health but you keep going, keep playing because you refuse to accept the possibility that this habit might be unhealthy for you and those around you.
I just think it’s something to be considerate about. Obviously we should all be more open-minded to anything, but video games and gamers tend to get stigmatised about their health, so is this just another example of stigmatisation? Or is being a fanperson a good thing and is actually more in line with the feeling of ‘ignorance is bliss’? Is being a die-hard fan of something the only course to true happiness in life?
So what do you think? Are you a fanperson? Is it bad to be one? Is saying ‘fanboy’ really not that gender-friendly? I’m purely asking for a friend… promise.
