Every year E3 brings a slew of new game announcements, and fresh news on highly anticipated titles. The event also gets a lot of attention from a particular subset of gamers: the fanboys. In this point-counterpoint article D.D. Nunavut and roygbiv argue for and against the merits of the fanboy and their part in the E3 Experience. First, we'll hear from D.D. and her rather anti-fanboy stance, followed by roygbiv, who sees a silver lining in having the fanboys around.

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Point-Counterpoint:

Are Fanboys a Bane or Blessing for E3

E3: Fun, Fun, Fun!

by roygbiv

Gamers’ excitement gets downright palpable as E3 approaches each year. What new games will be announced? Will new systems be unveiled? Will that hot, new title we’ve been seeing teaser footage about for the last six months be playable at the show? There is so much to absorb in such a short time that it’s amazing everyone involved can keep up so well with all of the games on display at the show.

My colleague D.D. seems to focus (quite angrily!) on the various lofty claims that emerge from the event, and how gamers and the media react to them, but who doesn’t expect at least a little bit of hyperbole and bravado to come out of such a large trade show? It’s all part of the fun. E3 is a chance to get all worked up about our hobby. Sure, there is a little bit of ribbing one another about this or that game, or system during that time, but the vast majority of people know that it’s all meant in good fun, and shouldn’t be taken terribly seriously.

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In fact, I’d argue that getting “fanboys” all worked up about their favorite games and systems is a useful tool for developers and publishers. These gamers are like an extra PR wing, and you don’t even have to pay them. If they see some footage, read an interview, or learn of a statement made by an important industry higher-up, these gamers will climb to the

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highest mountain and shout for the whole world to hear about it. They’ll hit up ever message board, every blog, every news site with a comments feature and talk about how excited they are for a given game. Now that’s publicity money can’t buy. It’s essentially a pro bono street team.

Even if the excitement gets a little out of hand, I think most people out there are smart enough to tune out what drifts into the realm of utter ignorance. While we may not agree with everything fan-folk have to say, their excitement can still be quite infectious. I can think of a number of games that I’ve become increasingly excited about because I was swept away with everyone else’s euphoria about how good it could be. It can be fun to get swept up in the moment like that.

In some ways, E3 is the Mardi Gras of major games industry shows. The hoopla and excess are driven up to incredible levels, and most have come to expect this sort of thing each year. Sure, we’ll get carried away a bit, but it’s all part of the experience. If we didn’t have console makers making their bold claims, diehard fans arguing whose games were the winners of the show, and the media hyping up what they saw, the industry would be missing out on a really exciting event that draws a ton of attention.

E3 serves an important purpose in how it blasts out a huge amount of information about a slew of games in such a short period of time. Publishers may take advantage of some of the more extreme diehards, but it has the roundabout way of increasing the industry’s presence as these gamers tell anyone who will listen about upcoming games. I may not agree with everything that they have to say, but I see them performing a role that is indirect, but useful in helping the industry grow.

June 8, 2009

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