Why do we scream at each other? That's what commenter Manly McBeeferton wants to know in today's Speak-Up on Kotaku, recalling a simpler time when we used to play video games instead of arguing about them.
Hardcore. Casuals. Gamers.
Lend me your ear.
It's time to put a stop to console wars. It's time to listen to other's opinions on games. It's time to come together and accept each other for sharing a common interest.
In this day and age things are changing. Music is changing. Television is changing. and yes, even Games are changing.
But that does not mean we have to split ourselves apart just because a certain genre isn't what it used to be, or because someone enjoys a game that is a competitor of your favorite game in a certain genre.
Gamers as a whole need to stick together. If we fight each other off we're going to go at war with each other. Competition is good, but do we need to hate each other?
So what, someone plays on an Xbox360? So what, someone plays on a Wii? So what, someone plays on a PS3?
They're still sharing an interest with you. Video games.
Remember when you were a kid and you would go to your friend's house to play their games because they had a console you didn't have? Have you forgotten the joys that console gave you, even though you didn't own it?
I remember when I was but a little beefy. I used to go to my cousin's house to play his Nintendo64. Back at my house we had a PS1. I loved both of these consoles even though they were competitors. They each offered something different for me, but the difference wasn't a bad thing. Not at all. Nintendo64 had fun childish games that kept me holding on to my younger years of youth. The PS1 had more serious games and some were more graphic. They scared me, but I still enjoyed it. Just as I still enjoyed the Nintendo64 games.
I never grew out of one and stuck to the other. I played both, enjoyed both for what they offered, and like that I had a variety of games to play. Sure there were some games I didn't enjoy, but I'm sure someone did and I can respect that.
So why can't we respect that this generation? PS3, Xbox360, Wii, even PC or handhelds. They're all good in their own ways. One may look better. Another may have franchises you know and love. The other may have features that you can use for more than just gaming.
But really, is any one console better than the other? Is any game truly better than another?
Maybe you just want to spread your love for a certain game or console. If so, then why do it in such a harsh manner? Be kind and tell someone the details. Don't tell them that your way is the only way to go. Try to acknowledge that they enjoy what they play for a reason, just as you enjoy what you play for your own reasons. Ease them into the things you like and you may change someone's opinion, but being rude isn't getting anyone anywhere and it's only tearing us apart.
So please. Educate your fellow gamers. Don't make them rage quit.
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