I’ve been called a Microsoft fanboy, an Xbox lover, a Sony Hater, just about everything I can ever imagine. Snob, arrogant, you name it. Truth to be told, yes, I’m not a big fan of Sony. Honestly, I think it’s quite the most overrated console so far. Go ahead, get mad, skip the blog and comment hate, rate the blog with low stars, I don’t care. And really, could you blame me?
For the past few years, I’ve seen gamers turn to the ugly side of gaming and start flame wars about which between the Xbox 360 and PS3 is the best gaming console. And I, for one, don’t vote PS3. I had a PS3 and it grabbed more dust than attention. All I ever did on it was play a bit of Killzone 2, Killzone 3, Uncharted, Heavy Rain and a few smaller games. But that’s it! No God of War, no Beyond: Two Souls, no The Last of Us, NADA! And I have good reason to. And I will mention it a bit later in the blog to catch you off guard with something.
This isn’t to say I dislike everything about the PS3. I love the exclusives they have. I may have played a bit of Killzone 2 and 3, but they are great games. Heavy Rain did a number on me and I might be expecting the same for Beyond: Two Souls. I loved Metal Gear Solid 4 and Resistance, not to mention the MLB The Show games. I’m a baseball guy and those games are beast. Even the girlfriend likes them. But I guess I got tired after a time. And it wasn’t because of the games.
I’ve been a Microsoft guy when this last generation started. I got my Xbox Core console in Christmas of 2006 and never looked back. From games like Gears of War, Halo 3, various arcade games, Enchanted Arms… Swept away… I couldn’t put down the controller, even after going through 13 Xbox 360 consoles. Yes, you better re-read that again. 13 damn Xbox 360 consoles.
Unlike many fortunate gamers, I didn’t have online capabilities until a few weeks after Halo3’s release. I’d say I caught a lucky break on that. But by this time, I was already by my 3rd Xbox. I was maybe mad, but not enough to just switch to PS3. And just after I got internet capabilities, me and my friends formed a group for Halo. Not a clan, but a posse of sorts. We were more like brothers and family than just people we play with to be big.
Guys.... GUYS!!!!
I’ve spent all these years, since the day I got the Xbox 360, playing mostly games in their console. I own a Wii, Gamecube, Xbox Original and 360 now, and my main console is the 360, but want to know why?
Microsoft made me love my Gamertag and kept my friends close.
What? You think I love the console? I’m a Nintendo guy! The reason I love Microsoft’s platform is simply because I grew attached to my own Gamertag. It holds memories of 7 years worth of games and achievements. A Gamertag that describes me with the history of games it has gone through. From Single Player games to Online Matchmaking games. The year I bought a 360 was by pure deception since Puerto Rico has run out of Wii consoles. So, I needed a replacement. And the game I have seen up-close and personal before this was Gears of War at a friend’s house. And I wanted to revive that experience at home.
Microsoft’s Indie Section and arcade games were somewhat a bonus for me. I respect indies a lot and I every now and then buy their games when I have some leftover money. I think, so far, I have wasted around $100 in Indie games alone. This support from me to them means that I know how it feels to design, develop and release a game. It isn’t your everyday job and just by simply saying that it is hard isn’t enough to actually portray you how hard it is.
To give an example: a developer friend of mines had 2 divorces (from his ex-wives) because he was working too much and his schedule was actually conflicting with his personal life. In other words: he had no time for himself. And I think a bit of support from my end may lift his spirits a bit, or put a smile on his face that someone supports him.
Not just that, the reliable matchmaking servers when I’m playing with friends or in a party with them made me get attached to the console more, since most of my friends from high school and close friends are either far away or moved to the states. Simply put: Microsoft made my contact list of friends feel like they were closer. I value their friendship a lot and Microsoft made sure we didn’t lose it nor any contact with others. When I heard Sony’s PS3 didn’t have that, I couldn’t really look in that direction. Sorry, Sony fans, but it is a feature that I cling to.
But most importantly, the main thing is the Gamertag. Like I said, it defines my being as a gamer. It shows that I’m not a gamer that will settle for shooters only, but puzzles, RTS, sports, RPGs, Beat-‘em-up, sandbox, you name it! And I know PS3 does this, but the achievements are not just a little box with a description to me. It isn’t the numbers they bring me for doing something in specific but they are my history in this generation. All those achievements are full of memories and moments in which my friends and me accomplished in our history. It kind of feels like when you do something awesome in high school with your friends and you value it with your life. Microsoft did that to me.
By the time I saw some of Sony’s great games in action like Uncharted, Killzone 2 and 3, Heavy Rain and all, it was almost too late. I was already brainwashed and a guy who valued his history, Gamertag, downloaded games and friendship and none of them ever thought of switching to PS3. So if I switch to PS3, I’d have to start re-adding people I know and don’t know. And not many people I know own a PS3, so playing alone online would have been a bummer for me. And not being able to talk to my friends while playing different games also would have been a bummer.
Don’t get me wrong, not think I never gave Sony a chance. I actually owned a PS3 for a short time. And the number of friends that I had were really low (maybe lower than 8?) and when I tried making friends online while playing Killzone 2 and 3 plus Uncharted Online, all I ever got was scoff from other players or messages saying “I don’t friend noobs” and stuff like that. After all that, I just played Heavy Rain, finished it and didn’t touch it again. When Mass Effect 3 was about to come out, I traded it in. Most of my close friends already paid the game and were waiting for me to finally purchase it.
But, like I have said, I am a Nintendo guy. The reason I never thought about PS3 being a great console was because I never considered Sony as a gaming company. Same goes for Microsoft. It is always a constant battle between the fanboys of these consoles about what console looks better, who has better horse power, who displays better graphics… PEOPLE! I don’t care!!! I’m here to game, and when I get scolded by Sony Fanboys because their console is “ultimate” or “better” and whatnot (for having better displays, Blu-Ray DVD games, etc), I actually feel like both these companies destroyed the meaning of gaming! I mean, REALLY!
I love Microsoft for many personal reasons, but that’s it! I never considered Microsoft as a gaming company, but they did give me a lot that helped me through life. I’m a Nintendo guy because I always felt that their games relied on the important stuff: gameplay. The game is what matters for them, which is why I hardly hear any fights between fanboys about it. It’s either Sony or Microsoft, yet I don’t hear much about people fighting about Nintendo. It’s like a paradise of silence and giving more importance to the games than anything. Maybe it is just me, who knows?
For the next gen, I may be planning on getting an Xbox One for developing reasons and getting Killer Instinct for free. I played Killer Instinct in the Xbox One and I kind of liked it, but that’s just about it for now. Considering I’m not in any paying jobs, I might not get it anytime soon. So me jumping to next gen is nowhere near anytime soon. And the reason why I won’t be getting a PS4 isn’t because I have a dislike of Sony. Again, I always cared about the games more than anything.
The main reason that I wrote this blog is because I’m actually tired of gamers and fanboys giving too much praise to consoles rather than the games itself. I’m one of those that could say “You want that game, just buy the console for it. That’s it.” I never take into consideration how much money I’ll spend on it, that’s pretty subjective for me. More money doesn’t mean it’ll give you more experiences, less money doesn’t mean it will lack stuff… The games are what matters, which is why I spend a lot in DLC, indie games, arcade games and other game related stuff rather than paying for little things.
Microsoft and Sony entered the business for different
reasons than bringing games to you. They saw an opportunity of extending their
market. Especially Sony, since Nintendo humiliated them in public JUST when
they were going to announce a partnership. And just like that, Sony entered the
gaming world because of that. Microsoft? I don’t quite remember, but they
mainly wanted to expand their market.
And Nintendo? Well… they saved the industry and make games I fell in love with. Nintendo is my gaming company, and what matters to me more is the games, not consoles.
So to put it in a TL;DR version:
I never really liked that much the PS3, just the games.
I love the 360 for personal reasons as well as show my support for indie developers.
I grew attached to my Gamertag on Xbox. I wanted to start with PSN, but it somewhat got tiring after a bit.
I don’t think of Sony or Microsoft as gaming companies. They are just there to show off their consoles. Outside of that, they are just other markets. Sony as a hardware company and Microsoft as a software company. That’s it.
I’ve always been a Nintendo guy. I may have migrated, but I always respect Nintendo. I grew up with it, I learned a lot from them and I won’t forget that they have great games. It always has been about the games. Never about who releases first.
And finally, gamers should just buy the console that their preference games are coming out for. May it be Xbox One, may it be PS4, may it be PC, Wii U, 3DS/2DS, w/e… The games are the important thing. Not the visuals.
Experience over anything. I’m done with the war. But I hope you understand the complicated relationship I have with Microsoft.