Dr. Halo, or, How I Learned to Stop Being a Fanboy and Love Video Games

My latest blog entry has spurred me on to finish a piece I have had in the works for quite some time. You see, with the incredible reception of Black Ops there was a misunderstanding. Many people just denounced this as Fanboys doing what they do. The success of this game, however, reaches far beyond that. Here we will make a clear distinction between a fan, and a fanboy, and how a horde of fans can set a world record, and change our industry.

Lets start with the Fanboy/Fangirl (we have to be PC after all). Now then, it can be very easy to confuse a fan with a Fanboy. They will both say things like "This is the best game ever/of all time/is awesome/is epic!" In short, they will love the game. Where the two groups divide (unintentionally, mind you) is in knowledge. A Fanboys greatest weapon (in his/her mind) is the knowledge they hold of their beloved franchise. It's more than a game just being fun, they will defend characters, story, gameplay elements, even the development studio.

"It's 'Aerith' you troglodyte!"

This is the gap between a fan and a fanboy. You honestly can't believe that "Dark Knight" did so well because of fanboys. Yes, there are a great many Batman fanboys, but there are is an even bigger mass of fans. It was the fans that pushed the box office take of Dark Knight through the roof, and the same can be said of Black Ops.

Lets take a closer look at a fan. A fan is simply a person who enjoys something, they would 'like' the profile for Scott Pilgrim Vs The World on Facebook, but they wouldn't spend their spare time writing reviews for every product released (oh snap, what did I just say about myself). Fans tend to enjoy something for face value, and while they might encourage others to experience it, they won't attempt to convince in any way other than "It's really good, you'll love it"

To go back to fanboys, they take things to the next level. They dissect and evaluate, the good ones will criticize elements that deserve it and compliment those that are above and beyond. The flip side, obviously, are the fanboys that ignore all faults and praise the glory of their franchise to the ends of the earth. In short, they lack either reasoning skills or critical thinking. We need to put an end to the rampant fanboyism people, this is a detriment to the game industry. I don't have a problem with games that are "Middle of the road", but praising mediocrity will only result in mediocre games. It's ok to be a fanboy, but don't let it blind you.

Hear no, See no, Speak no evil against your favorite franchise

So What does it all mean? This represents a change in the tide, this is the rock solid proof of the industry turning mainstream. What was once niche and surviving because of fanboys has grown into something that a great many people enjoy and appreciate. This happens with every medium and its about time it happened to games. If this sounds frightening, well… it is and isn't. This is growth, and good for such an amazing medium. At the same time it could represent growth in the wrong direction. We want video games to grow upward, strive for goals that are artistic and have value. Publishers (the people that actually spend money for a game to get made) want to see it grow large (think: fat instead of tall). This will result in the continuation of "Trend Gaming" where the publisher only green-lights games that are selling now (see any military FPS' set in current day lately? How about set in WW II a few years ago).

Fans have officially power-grind the game industry to a level up, and now you know what, in my opinion, that means for our future. We are at a cross road and must decide whether we will become bloated and stagnant, or push toward diversity and something better. So let's encourage publishers to take chances, and for developers to express themselves.

As an Endnote: If you're wondering about the title being Dr. Halo, that is because in my humble opinion, there are more Halo Fanboys than Fans. If you're insulted by how that sounds don't be. People love the games and they are quite good for the most part. Also, one more thing, it is perfectly acceptable to be a fanboy of my blog. In fact, you probably should. Go get a T-shirt made.