The console war between Playstation and Xbox is alive and well on X(Twitter). Grown men take sides and fight each tooth and nail over plastic boxes made by giant corporations. They’re vicious and ruthless, and often completely anonymous. This editorial is not about the picking sides in console war, or even really how it is fought. Go on the X gaming community, and you’ll find it easily. Its not about any particular person. Instead, this piece is about why there is a console war at all. My thesis is that grown men are fighting over plastic boxes because there is nothing left to fight for.
Patriotism is highly discouraged. Religion is on a downward slide The main US one, Christianity, is constantly under attack. We’re left with bread and circuses, and so they fight for Xbox or PlayStation. But it isn’t real. These console warriors achieve nothing. In some ways, they are encouraged to fight by the media and Microsoft and Sony themselves.
No God. No Country.
Patriotism in the United States is dead. In fact, it is highly discouraged. Patriots in the United States are often branded as Nazis and Fascists(the link is to a book review of a book that links Trump to Fascism). The mainsteam media feeds a narrative that America first nationalism is evil. I’m not going to go further on this, this is not a political screed. Instead, what I am getting at is that patriotism and nationalism, fighting for your country’s interests, is seen as wrong in mainstream culture.
Religion too is on the decline. People are less and less inclined to believe in god and attend church. There is nothing to believe in anymore, so they substitute other things, like plastic boxes made by giant corporations, and fight the console war. They fight the war the fervor of zealot. They worship their chosen box and it can do wrong. Facts can stare them in the face, and they’ll deny, because it is a matter of faith and belief.
But there’s something else too. “Bread and Circuses” refers to the Roman Empire’s collapse. When things got bad, the emperor threw feasts and games for the populace. If you follow my Twitter, you’ll know I believe things are collapsing. The elite provide bread and circuses, in the forms of sports and video games. Those fighting the console war are not fighting the elite, but engaging in a pointless war without end. The elite want you fighting the console war, ignoring them.
The Console War: The pointlessness of it all
With nationalism discouraged, and religion on the decline, grown men are left with the console war, fighting over those plastic boxes. While they may feel part of something and comradery with others on their side, the console war solves nothing. Neither Microsoft nor Sony care about these beyond warriors beyond the dollars they add to bottom line by talking about their products. However, they will still lean in, my Starfield Editorial explains how. Funnily enough, it is questionable if these warriors even play games. They few post screenshots or game play videos if at all. Instead, they act as a perverse kind of marketing.
Yet the media will play in. It could be argued the Ign giving Starfield a 7/10 is leaning into the console war. Give it low score, let the fans complain, hits through the roof. Popular YouTube personalities will also lean in for clicks and clout, like Dreamcast Guy..
In the end, people are going to console war regardless of what I say here. They’re going to fight a meaningless war that they will have no hand in deciding. But its not Xbox or Playstation that’s important, its the war itself, the need to stand up and fight for something. They want to be a part of something. With nothing real to fight for or believe in, they pick plastic boxes to fight over. Ultimately, who wins out is meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
