Yesterday I was asked why I bought a PS3 like it was some sort of status symbol in the gaming world. It were as if I had just purchased a Bentley and was sipping fine champagne and enjoying caviar, whilst enjoying my Blu Ray, and having titillating conversation with fellow members of the elite about mocking the poor commoners with their Xboxes. The question stimulated some thoughts that were not at the forefront of my mind. Why did I “shell out” for a PS3 when I could have just as easily got a 360? One might chalk it up to brand loyalty or personal choice, but my reasoning went in a direction we, as gamers, do not often talk about:

One of the best ways we, as consumers, can show our support, or lack thereof for someone, something, or in this case: a company and its business practices, is by voting with our wallets. Personally, I am majoring in environmental studies and political science in college right now, and this voting is something I do on a daily basis. Every time I take my wallet out of my pocket I can’t help but think of the implications. It may not be the most fun thing to do, and sometimes I think being ignorant would be a little more blissful, but in general I am happy to sacrifice some things if I think it’s morally justified.

You vote every time you eat. This is one of the big reasons I became a vegetarian. I could not go on to support the meat and corn industries that, amongst many other issues, have subsequently created a growing Dead Zone the size of the State of New Jersey off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico in which nothing can ever live again.

You vote every time you purchase something in the game industry as well. Recently, I decided I was not comfortable purchasing anything from Activision-Blizzard because of the viewpoints their CEO has made abundantly clear and because their practices echo such sentiments. I am sure Starcraft II will be a blast, but I have decided that I cannot support that business as it is currently operating. I am not even going to buy them used or pirate them, to stiff Kotick for the 60 dollars. If I did buy them and then expressed my enjoyment for them, it might serve as a recommendation to others to purchase the games, and then my boycott will be for naught.

Finally, I am getting to the subject of this rant, why I cannot support Microsoft. It’s fairly obvious that Microsoft does not respect its customers. That sentiment has been expressed a great deal, especially here at Destructoid. Jim Sterling said it far better there than I could hope to right now after a night of collegiate binge drinking. I have not made a secret of it, but Nintendo of Japan is and has always been one of my favourite companies in gaming. A large reason of this is because it is evident that they have a love for what they do, and have a healthy respect for their fans and customers, no matter how much NoA tramples on that, or “hardcore gamers” shit on them for trying to bring a medium that we have all enjoyed for years to an expanded audience.

Microsoft has no such love for gaming and gamers. Steve Ballmer is in the business of making games to make money. Satoru Iwata makes money to stay in the business and make more games.

Microsoft entered the console gaming market merely to compete with Sony for market share, after the PS2 killed off the Dreamcast. That is all well and good, even if I don’t particularly like some of the unsavoury aspects of capitalism, I realise that it is perfectly legitimate to enter a business merely to make money. However, Microsoft, like Activision, charges for things, not because they think it is worth it, but because they can. This ranges from the wireless modem, to dash themes, the ability to use the internet you are already paying for with Microsoft’s network, clothes for your MS Mii and I don’t want to get started about some of the pricing for downloadable titles. Microsoft knows people will still buy it, so they might as well charge for it, even if its a betrayal to their loyal customers.



So when I began to have interest in purchasing either a 360 or a PS3, again this dilemma of voting with my wallet came into question. Both are rather humongous faceless corporations that I have had prior experience with their products outside the gaming market. I never had an affinity for either the Playstation or the XBOX brands, because I was always a Nintendo and Sega guy. Both systems have exclusive games I am interested in playing. However, after looking into it, it became very apparent that for a 360 to function on the same level as a PS3 it would be more expensive, not only upfront but also over time as well.

In a potential 10 year life cycle you could spend 500 dollars on XBL membership. Don’t get me wrong, I know it is a great online service, if you’re willing to pay for it. That’s 500 dollars that could have added roughly 10 titles to your system’s library or purchased your next console. That’s 500 dollars that should have stayed in your pocket to begin with. However, at only a few dollars a month, no one seems to really notice or care too much.

Anyone sucked into purchasing a 360 Arcade at its economical price and wanted the capabilities of a fully upgraded system have found themselves spending far more than buying the more expensive models or the stereotypically expensively priced PS3 would have. It is a good marketing strategy on Microsoft’s part to move systems. However, expecting you to pay more for a lesser piece of hardware with higher rates of failure and malfunction is really just corporate greed.



Did I buy a Playstation 3 because it is a status symbol about how big my...wallet is and how much I love Blu-Ray & the HD Revolution? Well, no. Sony may not be falling all over itself to please its customers, but as it turns out I just would rather support a company that doesn’t want to constantly have its hand in your pocket and would rather earn your business than bleed you dry.

I had to vote against that kind of treatment towards customers. I don’t hold any real contempt towards people who decided to vote the other way, whether they realised what the message their dollars were sending when they walked away from that cash register. That money either means approval, or a willingness to put up that relationship of disrespect. In such a market driven society, the money we spend effects more than just our bottom line. It is probably the strongest socio-political tool we have, and if people just start to wake up from their apathy and introversion and realise this, things will start to change.