PS3 and 360 owners, can't we all just get along? Leave the fighting to MS and Sony

This question goes to PS3 and 360 owners: tell me, do Sony or Microsoft pay you hard cash to defend their console to the point of hatred and name calling? Do you even own any of said companies stock? So why the hec are you fighting and calling you fellow gamers all sorts of nasty and disgusting names? It's time we move past childishness and start acting like grownups; because all this ignorant behavior is making the industry look like a ghetto for people who hide behind anonymous usernames and fire insults at people they haven't met not once, far less know them.

I know a lot of the consumers who purchase goods in this industry are teenagers and they are expected to act that way, but a lot are also 20 plus and should know better. Didn't people's parents raise them to respect others? Well just cause you don't see someone on your PC screen, that don't mean they don't exist. The way to deal with the situation is to first recognize the problem, isolate and then kill the root of it.

1/ Stop the name Calling -

There are many derogative names gamers call each other that are just ridiculous, childish and insulting. For those who own the Xbox 360, PS3 fans call them Xbots, or bots, meaning they're asses and PS3 owners are called Droids, don't ask me why. Come on now, would you say that to someone's face just because they have different tastes from you? I'm almost sure you would not. You would if you're mad, but generally most people would not do something like that. So why do we practice it online? It's a cowardice move to insult people you have no idea who they are. Stop it.

2/ Game Dissing -

Here's another issue that's the epitome of hypocrisy. Just because a certain title is not on a particular console, the opposing side starts dissing the title although they have yet to even touch the box art. It goes like this: 'I don't own an Xbox 360 so Gears of War is trash', but if someone would drop off a brand new 360 and Gears of War at said gamer's doorstep, instantaneously they become fans. Or let's flip the coin: Some 360 owners have called Uncharted 2 over-hyped and how they really didn't care for a game that's all graphics an nothing more. Although they know their judgement is wrong and totally off base, they utter the nonsense anyway. Childish and useless, all casting shame on the industry.

3/ Console Degrading -

Oh boy, this one is extremely out of control. Ever since the Xbox 360 was released, RROD has plagued the console leaving behind one of THE worst stigmas to ever hit a console. In fact, the system almost got recalled in its early days, but it did not and is now failing far less than beofre. I understand the obvious backlash that any company would face if they rushed out any product and now because of their failure, consumers are faced with the trouble. But this is not the situation with the fanwars; no, most of the noise you hear is not because the Xbox 360 is faulty, it's because gamers who own Sony's black box need to find something to say that would make Xbox 360 owners feel terrible about their purchase.

But don't blame PS3 owners either, because ever since that console was released, 360 owners have called it all sorts of downgrading names. They yelled it was only a Blu-ray player and an overpriced one at that. There was also talk on the 360 side of the fence claiming that PS3 would not survive. Well it did and is thriving, can we move on now? Xbox is thriving PS3 owners, can we also move on? Think about it, nothing is gained and in fact civility is lost. Are we not a civilized industry? Do we appreciate it when people call us "overgrown kids"? Because many do act like they are.

4/ Teh Sales -

Here's one used by Xbox 360 owners as often as the sun rises, especially in the U.S. They say things like 'PS3 owners should shut up and go buy their games, because obviously most of the heavy hitters on that system fail'. But it's obvious that the Xbox 360 sells more games than the PS3 in the U.S. because the install base of the Xbox 360 is substantially bigger there. Now it seems like the tables have turned, with PS3 owners talking up sales of their beloved console ever since the Slim was launched. But when things were not looking up, to them, sales didn't matter. How quickly we forget.

Listen, I could go on and on about this, but the pressing issue that needs to be dealt with is the childish behavior beaming out of 20 plus year olds which then casts a negative light on the industry, hence the loss of respect for the medium. We've identified the bugs, now gamers, let's do something about it. How about we start by saying nice things to each other, or at least constructive criticism in the comments section.

12/08/09 Ernice Gilbert