“This system is better than that system because it has this and this.”
Yes, it’s a line we read and hear whenever people discuss video games. Though, something isn’t correctly discussed in these so-called debates. Most debates about console wars aren’t about the console itself. It’s about the software on those consoles. If we look at it that way, it should be a software war rather than about the console.
As many of you know, the most recognizable console war has been Nintendo vs. Sega. Not the NES vs. Master System but the SNES vs. Sega Genesis. It was initially just Mario vs. Sonic until Mortal Kombat, Night Trap, and the nonsense that was Sen. Joe Lieberman joined the fray.
Now that gaming has become mainstream, the debate has returned and it’s gotten ridiculous. People are using first-party games to battle and showcase why their console of choice is better. Sometimes numbers come into play, but people just list games to win their argument.
See, misconstruing the console wars has always been around. When we debate the hardware, we don’t use the knowledge of the console itself. I am speaking about the technology in the system itself. Do we care about 4K, frame rates, or the boot-up of the system? No. We talk about Spider-Man only swinging on PlayStation and Xbox will never have that experience and yadda, yadda, Yu-Gi-Oh final card revealed to win the game.
Look, if we want to have a debate on a console war, one side has to win and benefit from that win. Companies, ultimately, benefit because of console sales, which means good business. We, as gamers, don’t benefit from anything because we buy a tangible item out of emotion or opinion, just to show others where we stand and what we can prove. In the end, our purchase will likely end up at a garage sale, GameStop, or a future convention.
What reason is there to argue or debate? We are in a time when games are diverse and there’s a buffet of options for all types of players to choose and play. From cozy games to VR experiences, the console wars just seem unnecessary yet we keep misconstruing the point of why we own these consoles and why a debate about them doesn’t seem healthy.
Look, I am biased because I am a huge Nintendo fan and I do a lot of ranking for Nintendo platforms and games. Yet, I play on Xbox and PlayStation and enjoyably talk about the software or fairly critique the work. I have no problem calling a game questionable content. Console wars do nothing for me and are not entertaining. That is something that can never be misconstrued.
Do you feel the same about console war debates? Let us know in the comments or the Boss Rush Discord.
Feature Image: Inc. Magazine
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