Most gamers don't strike me as neo-hippies in the making. They don't want to imagine all the people getting along in a world of incense and peppermint. They want bloodshed. The console wars are still in full swing, and a happy jaunt through any gaming forum can quickly become an exercise in dodging flaming insults and sidestepping opinionated landmines. Innocent topics about the coolest characters or the best online games are turning into all-out battles with Blu-Ray discs cutting the air, 360s marching over the wounded, and Wiimotes pelting hapless bystanders.

As a veteran with three tours of duty under my belt, I remember the struggles of the past. I was there when Nintendo and Sega duked it out, when Sony dared to stand against the hierarchy, and Microsoft muscled in like a Sherman tank. Once again, gamers are picking sides and declaring their champions of the latest in a long line of console wars. As for me, I say that enough is enough. I will trudge through the trenches, alone if I have to, and raise the white flag for all to see.

Hey, I see you taking aim over there, but hold on a second. There's nothing wrong with a little friendly debate, but when two grown men who haven't seen the inside of a shower this month threaten to throw down Yu-Gi-Oh! style, somebody really needs to step in. Certain people are going out of their way to harass and insult fellow gamers, even spreading online rumors about Wii shipments so they can laugh at those standing in line the next morning. Why do so many gamers need one system to be better than the others? This isn't Highlander. There can be more than one.

It is no secret that competition in business breeds innovation. As gamers, the customers with buying power, we are the ones to benefit. If you want to have some fun, do an internet search for "If Nintendo had their way." If Sega and NEC hadn't given Nintendo a few shoves around the playground, you might still be huddled over an SNES playing the latest iteration of Super Ultimate Street Fighter 2 Twin-Turbo Championship Mix 5. Okay, that's a bit of a stretch. Still, when one company holds a monopoly on an industry, change isn't usually the order of the day.

Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all survived, but the previous console war had one prominent casualty. Sega will always be remembered as one of the major power-players in gaming history. They strove for innovation like few other companies. They were early adopters of the disc format, analog control, voice-recognition, and online gaming. The implementation of these technologies was questionable, and Sega fizzled due to a lack of must-have titles. Still, one has to wonder if modern-gaming would be the same without Sega's guiding push.

It was not too long ago that some naysayers even forecast the end of Nintendo's place in the console market. The Nintendo brand, once synonymous with gaming, was a joke to all but the most committed fans. Hardcore gamers turned to the PS2 and Xbox, while the GameCube was cast aside as a kid's toy. Imagine if Nintendo had thrown in the towel. Wii would just be a blueprint in the garbage, and what could potentially be the evolution of gaming, just an empty pipedream.

I am not saying that everyone should run out and buy all three systems (good luck with the Wii). After all, I have bills and rent to pay as well. Gamers should not be facing off and insulting their fellow gamers based on a choice of system. If it's meant to fail, it'll happen with or without your help. Instead, we should be glad that we have such choices to make, that we have three diverse console options, and that our pastime will continue to grow. The next time you hassle your friend or sibling for buying a different system, remember, you now get to play two different systems for the price of one.

As for the rest of you, if diversity and advancement aren't enough reasons to keep your mouths shut, I hope your system loses.

Most recent blog posts from Brian Rowe...
Still waiting on Warhammer Waiting forever A case of corporate influence

Feedback
	carcinogen_crush - May 01, 2007 (08:14 AM) Hey - well put. It's definitely nice to have the choice, considering that the last console releases were pretty basic. RPG gamers hugged their PS2, Shooter fans their Xbox, and all of the leftover chose the Gamecube's eclectic library. This time around, even though it may seem fairly unnoticable, the companies seem to be broadening their reach. That much is great. Honestly though, I don't really see any reason to buy any of the three systems yet. I did buy a 360, which may have been a mistake, because I only own two games. For some reason, even though they're appealing titles, I can't get into them. I'd be content to keep shelling money out on JRPGs for the PS2, if I weren't in the mindset that the next big 'it' game on the market would actually snap up my interest.
	Halon - May 01, 2007 (10:03 AM) I'm probably not going to get any of the consoles because the only one that has games that I'm interested in is the 360 and 80% of the games I would want play just as good or better on a PC.
	Genj - May 01, 2007 (11:30 AM) All three consoles are poo poo to buy alone at the moment. Real men wait it out and see what happens before wildly purchasing a consoles. Hell, maybe I'll actually end up getting a PS3 when Sony gets some loving games out. The next one I buy may actually be a DS before a new console - I need something to play during boring lectures.
	pup - May 01, 2007 (03:11 PM) I certainly enjoy my DS. Most of the games are crap, but the few standout titles make the purchase completely worth it.
	EmP - May 02, 2007 (09:04 AM) I played and reviewed a DE game. It was one of the system's big titles. It got 5/10. There. DS. Meh.
	virtuekid - May 08, 2007 (06:59 PM) I'm a 25B in the Army, which is Information Technology Specialist. I work on computers. Which can sometimes be a hobby for me too.