A thin line between Fan and Tool.

On the Malstrom's Comments forum I engaged in a discussion over a particular article which appeared on Gaming Nexus's website entitled: "Is it okay to be a Nintendo Fanboy again?". Of course this article was created under the assumption that because Nintendo seemed to be gearing up to release more core titles, after trying to appeal to the expanded market, it's alright to like them again. I can't really add anything to what gamers like The Won have already said in retorts on the page and through his video series, so I'm just going to stick to my contributions on the subject. Below is my original comment.



 

"Fandom in general has a connotation of exclusivity. Which is why people get mad when their fancrush reaches levels of popularity that go beyond the general fanbase. Kind of like that cult or indie movie or anime, or indie artist that hits mainstream appeal and fans switch gears because they're not the "cool little best kept secret" anymore.

We saw this during the whole "Nintendo has abandoned the hardcore" bullshit rant of 08'

It's alright to be a fanboy, but as we all have seen there's a thin line between fan and tool. Once you cross the tool line then it becomes a problem."

What does that mean? Well obviously there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a fan. There are a lot of things that thrive on the power of fandom. Games, Comics, Music, Movies, Television shows, However there are some occasions where fans will support things that aren't exactly in their best interests. Paying more for a game with less features than it's previous iteration could be one example, Supporting games which were purposely left unfinished on release to allow consumers to be nickle and dimed through DLC could be another. both cases were blindly supported by fans in the past and have lead to gamers second guessing their decisions.

SHmerker did a fantastic job of explaining this further. 

"I think in this case it's meant that fans are being duped into acting as instruments of someone else's agenda instead of watching out for their own interests. The dividing line is between optimism and delusion. A fan hopes for and even expects the best. A tool continues to do so after being exposed to reality that contradicts those expectations. "

In layman's terms: One should never let their love of something blind them from seeing things for what they really are. It's pretty much the same as finding out your lover has cheated on you. Sure you could easily ignore the evidence and go on with your life, Although that would only complicate things later on in the relationship; Like say if you contracted an STD from your partner. Logically, standing by anti-consumer practices are definitely not as life threatening, however the results can be pretty devastating all the same.

So be a fan, but also be smart enough not to be taken for a fool.