I'm old enough to remember schoolboy arguments around Spectrum versus C64 versus BBC Micro, etc. You know the score... "My machine is better than yours... blah blah blah." Twenty-five years later, very little has changed.
Fans of gaming and technology (let's just cut the crap and call them geeks - that's what we are, and I'm proud to be called one) can be an arrogant bunch. They take brand loyalty to the Nth degree, and can be almost fanatical in their hatred of 'rival' products. It's utterly pointless of course, completely small-minded, and serves no useful purpose at all, but I guess it has something to do with the sizeable financial outlay we have to make to fuel our obsessions. Nobody wants to be made to feel ashamed about the £425 they've just spent on the latest gaming console, do they?
For me, it's a constant soure of annoyance. As a Mac owner, I often hear from PC owners about how much more powerful/reliable/upgradeable/nicer a PC is. I really don't care. Really. I don't. I own a PC too. I can see the benefits of Macs AND PC's (by the way, those Mitchell and Webb ads are the epitomy of geek arrogance). My Mac is fantastic for the design work I do, and it pays my bills. And my PC is a workhorse when it comes to the copious amounts of downloading I do. I love them both. Equally.
Similarly, we've now got the arrogant billionaire brawl between Murdoch and Branson. The whole Sky versus Virgin Media thing is an embaressment to their industry and, most importantly, is taking the piss out of both companies customers. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses, and both companies are behaving like school children. Actually, taking one look at the childish goading on Digital Spy forums, the customers aren't exactly conducting themselves with much dignity either.
And most recently, with the arrival of Playstation 3, we now have the bitter rivalry between Xbox360 owners, and PS3 owners rearing its ugly head. There's no denying that Sony have ballsed up the launch of PS3 in Europe, but let's not forget the trauma of Xbox360's launch over a year ago. Neither company has cause to boast. Both of these consoles though, will usher in a new era of gaming. They're powerful and capable of serving up hours of quality entertainment Equally, they'll both have their fair share of disasters and mis-steps. I almost fell into the geek-trap of slating Sony before I'd had a chance to weight up what they were offering. And when I learnt what was coming up in the future for PS3, I decided I'd like to have a go. Simple as that really.
And - you might want to take a seat for this - but, for the last few hours, an Xbox360 and a Playstation 3 have been sharing space in my living room, and the planet hasn't imploded.
So if you're a geek like me, why not stop being a sheep and embrace difference? Support choice, and stop throwing tantrums at each other. Let's face it, if you had £425 going spare (who has right? But bear with me), tell me with a straight face you wouldn't be running to Game tomorrow to pick up your new games console.
And if that comes across as arrogant... well, I guess I rest my case.
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