In the world of gaming few words are as reviled as "fanboy." When you think of this label, your mind immediately goes to vitriol-spewing message board hacks, whose entire well-being seems to be wrapped up in telling everyone else how wrong they are about their opinions, and how only the console this individual happens to own is worth the time of day. Indeed, these are true fanboys, the archetypes of hatred, but they're just the beginning. You see, every single one of us, from these crazed nut jobs, to your most favorite and "impartial" games journalist, is a fanboy.

The strange thing is the power we've given that word. Especially considering the fact that we all have a bit of fanboyism in us. By that I don't mean that we blindly follow one console or developer with reckless abandon, what I mean is that we are all passionate, opinionated people who are deeply enthusiastic about certain publishers, consoles and personalities with the industry. So please follow my argument with an open mind, and you may find that by the time you finish reading, you'll realize that a touch of fanboyism isn't necessarily a bad thing. Perhaps, you may even be willing to admit the fact that you are yourself a fanboy, and that there's nothing wrong with that.

To start, let's do an experiment in order to create a data set. First off, list as many of your favorite games of this current console generation as you can in one minute. Don't over think what you're doing, just write down every game that comes to mind that you've played and loved since the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii came out. They don't have to be games on systems you necessarily own, just ones you've experienced firsthand and made a lasting impression. Ready, set, go! Now, once your time has elapsed, take a look back at your list, I am willing to bet that of the games you noted, at least half, if not more, all fall on one system. You may love Gears of War, Dead Rising and Halo 3; or perhaps you were partial to Super Smash Bros Brawl, Metroid Prime 3 and Twilight Princess, but I would dare say that, unless you tried to deliberately manipulate the results (which is why the time limit is short, so you won't consciously decide to keep the platforms varied), that you'll find your preferences tilting to one side or another.

Now I know what many of you are thinking, "That doesn't make me a fanboy, it just shows a preference. I could account for the discrepancy in a bunch of ways. I only own one console, I prefer the controller, I like Achievements," and those are all valid points. However, it is the next step where we go from preference to fanboyism, and that is your general reaction to bad news affecting your console of choice.

In the interest of full disclosure and to illustrate my thesis I will tell you this, I have always been partial to the PlayStation. I have no good reason for this, and honestly in this console generation I play more games on my Xbox 360 than I do the PS3, but for some reason I've always felt slightly attached to Sony. Again, there's no rational basis for it; I don't own Sony stock, I only know one person who works for the company and Sony has never given me anything. However, over the past few console generations, the company has won me over to their camp, so much so that when I finally purchased a PS3 it was more out of brand loyalty than any deep-seated need to play the games. Therefore, I am a PlayStation fanboy.

As a result of my fanboyism, whenever I read bad news about Sony (or particularly good news for another console, like the Xbox overtaking the PS3 in Japan), some part of me way down deep gives a tiny wince. As a member of the gaming media I'm supposed to be impartial, but it's impossible to completely remove the human factor, and the simple fact is that as long as human beings are writing the news, providing the reviews and covering the events, the coverage is always going to be slanted, if even ever so slightly.

Before you denounce me as a quack and refuse to trust my opinion ever again I'd like to point out two things. First off, even though I know I have a bit of fanboy in me, I fully believe it is under control to the point where it does not affect the work I produce for the gaming public. You will have to take my word for what it's worth and judge for yourself, but I truly believe that my degree of fanboyism is not significant enough to affect how I do my job. Secondly, and more importantly, everyone else in the gaming media is the same way. No matter how big the name or influential the publication, there isn't a soul in this industry who doesn't lean one way or another with every console cycle for reasons no better than some primal, irrational need to pick a winner. The only difference is that the higher you climb the ladder the better you are at disguising your true feelings. Why do you think so many members of the gaming media jump at the chance to work PR jobs with developers and publishers? Sure, it's partially the fact that it pays better (nobody's getting rich in this industry), but the bigger reason is that it's because they can finally wear their hearts on their sleeves, and let their true fanboyism shine through.

But the point of this article is not to make you distrust the media and grow even more jaded as a gamer, the point is to make you reflect and acknowledge that you too share this base level fanboy nature. Again, it may not be as pronounced as those who we denounce on the web, but it's there, and you know it. You know you have a favorite, and you know you are more likely to stick with that favorite through thick and thin than the other consoles. Why would someone put up with sending in 10 defective consoles if they were not an Xbox 360 fanboy? Why would anyone put up with the insufferable quantities of shovelware if they weren't a Wii fanboy? Why would anyone put up with Sony's arrogance and dumb business decisions if they weren't a PS3 fanboy? So let's stop playing impartial observer and admit who we truly are, we all have a dog in this fight, so we may as well put it out in the clear. I'll get us started.

My name is Brad, and I'm a Sony fanboy. How about you?

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