How Has System Wars Improved/Hurt You as a Gamer If at All?

System Wars is an interesting forum to say the least and as much as we may argue, or troll, or hurl insults from time to time, I believe we all take something good away each day that keeps us coming back for more. So my question, how has System Wars in general improved you (or hurt you) as a gamer as a whole? Sorry if the topic has been said before, but I was curious.

This could include several things: has your opinion of systems, games, developers, publishers, etc. been impacted in the slightest on your time here? Have you gained new perspectives you would have never seen or cared for before? Have your tastes in gaming expanded?

On the other hand, has it tarnished your views of the gaming community or of the fan base of the system you have a personal preference for? Have you begun to lose interest in gaming the more you post? What do you feel may have hurt you as a gamer if anything at all?

Personally, I feel System Wars has been having a positive impact on me as a gamer. I feel I've looked at games and all these systems more closely than I would have before. Sure in some cases it makes me focus on redundant or mostly irrelevant things that in the past I wouldn't really have cared for. Another thing it has done was expanding my tastes in gaming. I have dabbled in more genres than I normally would feel comfortable playing in. Though this has burned me out a bit as I want to try as many new games as possible and have basically created a backlog of games whose interest for me is draining. Sorry if this seems like a strange topic, but I thought it would make an interesting one, hopefully.

EDIT: Or has it had little to no impact at all on you as a gamer? Just time to kill and have some laughs? :P

Hasn't improved me or hurt me at all

It's just one big pissing match

I don't take it too seriously. It's a fun little thing to do on the side, but I don't rest any significance on it.

For all other questions about System Wars, refer to my sig.

Probably should have included a neutral viewpoint in the OP. My bad. :P

It hasn't changed me. It's fun for shits and giggles... Or it used to be.

If you go into System Wars knowing its a toxic community, you'll expect less out of it.

Right now, the niceness level of the people on here is like a 2/10 which is a shame because back in '07, i'd say it was a solid 5 or 6.

It hasn't changed me one bit, I just come here for the lulz.

The only thing it's changed is I know about more games than before.

now it's just shits

SWs is for the lulz and it shouldn't be taken seriously.

One positive over the years is trying out games I never heard of. This board got me into PC gaming and it was always the first place I go to for gaming news.

All fanboys are stupid and each one of them have that one embarrassing moment.

I agree with that, I don't take it too seriously though sometimes I question whether or not some people really mean some of the bizarre things they say at times. :P It really has expanded the horizon of gaming for me in general though, I wouldn't have thought to try games like Persona or Shadow of the Colossus, etc. had I not heard the high praise for them here from time to time.

Also: updated the title to add in the no impact perspective.

If this place changes the way you think or feel, then you done fucked up.

If anything, it's just validated how smart I am.

I'd say it has hurt me as I often find myself openly accusing Nippon Ichi Software for fucking over PC gaming three years (and still counting) down the line.

If anything it's made me hate gamers in general.

I wouldn't say it's affected me negatively or positively at all.

It gives me a place to vent about shitty games, gush over great ones, voice my opinions, and get a general feel for the gamer populaces' opinions. It also keeps me up to date on the shadiness or honesty of certain companies' business dealings.

System Wars has taught me never to trust opinions of others and always go on my instincts and own research.

Now that I have a steady job I spend more time playing the games I'm interested in rather than talking about them. Unfortunately anytime I do wanna have a conversation here in SWs about current games, discussion always revolve around which version looks better. This place does no one any good.

System Wars hasn't taught me anything.

I already knew there were shitty ppl in the world.

I just didn't know so many were clumped into one place...and mostly PC gamers.

Ever since I first visted System Wars in late 2007, it has not affected me personally as a gamer. I personally take amusement over the antics of the fanboys on this forum for years.

It has made me more happy to be me.

It has made me a less judge mental person when it came to what games I was willing to try. Opened my mind, but beyond that I come here to watch the arguing. It makes my day.

I have learned a bit about tech stuff. But I still love games, will play them on any platform and like what I like. Gotta say before coming here I knew there were graphics whores, but this place educated me on how stupid they are.

I'm emotionally scared and will never fucking recover!

Learnt quite a few things here from the smarter folk.

Hurt me? I don't know. Laughing so hard it hurts, probably.

Unfortunately SW hasnt done anything for me except let me see how ignorant people can act over a persons gaming platform preference. Up till I found this place "many years back actually"..I never knew such rivals existed. AND ive been gaming since early 80s..I just thought we were all one big gaming family and games were games..I have wasted so much time in here standing up for my beliefs...I honestly hate I ever found this place. Its a cancer..BUT at the same time a highly addictive drug..

I just use this place to waste time while I am at work. Sadly it moves slow. Too slow. But I do get to learn stuff sometimes.

None. Being here means I'm not gaming at the moment.

Its helped me become a better husband, father and person all around and by golly people like me.

Outside of that:

It also keeps me up to date on games from speculation, reveal, development, beta to gold. It also has let me on to games I would of likely never heard about or play.

I've also met some cool people in here and actually flown across the country to meet them and go to Comic Con in NYC.

I try not to get too caught up in it because 99% of it is all bullsh** which doesn't improve our industry.

It made me a graphics whore. Thank you SW.

i created my gamespot account so that i can comment on on everyone's epic meltdowns/butthurt posts. isn't that the only reason why system wars exists. to post whenever you're butthurt over another console's/PC exclusive?

btw can someone explain where has john matherson gone? i used to enjoy his meltdowns a lot 'cause they actually made sense (a tiny bit at least). now we are stuck with tormentos and protossx whose posts make no meaningful sense at all.

^

The only thing it taught me is to how to troll.

It hasn't. I just like to talk smack and rustle jimmies. I guess that's helped me play games less.

SW = Brutal Truth

'nuff said.

System Wars has been a huge influence on my life. I used to argue on GS comments sections way back in the day, but I started up in SW in '07/'08. It's kinda been the equivalent of church for die-hard gamers and a place where everything matters and doesn't at the same time. Being a part of the gufu vs hype era and having the insane lulz that would come from the constant trolling and spinning was something I'll never forget. SW has always been a great place to catch the latest news and learn more about the people and technology that goes into games. I used to do tons of graphics comparisons and the further I dug into the architectural differences in hardware and more I learned about art of technology the more I needed that fix. Made me love developers and appreciate the hard work they pour into their craft.

I'm proud to call many of the posters on this forums my friends and I hope to be a part of this community as long as it lasts. It's only as good as we make it. I hope I'm not the only one who feels this way, but even if I am I still love this place and the shitheads that roam the open sw plains.

• I have learned how to fail at trolling
• I have learned how to play sales wars
• I have learned that resolution is the only thing that matters
• I have learned that if I keep saying something will win NPD and keep failing, one day I will triumph.
• I have learned that the PC trumps everything, and that I need a constant reminder from a fanboy to tell me every day. (Even when no one was talking about PC)

SW has made me a better gamer.

SW has not affected me at all. I find SW great for news and what games are on the horizon, it can also be a funny place.

It can also be annoying as hell:

Certian SW'ers who spread misinformation or flat out lie,

PC gamers who have to remind everyone how great PC gaming is every f'ing day and if you call them out you're a peasant, you lack intelligence or the other miriad of personal insults they like to throw around. Not all are bad but the ones that are they are very vocal.

Fakeboys/alt accounts,

Fanboys,

Topics about graphics, I maintain my stance that graphics have never made a game good so it would be refreshing to talk about the quality of game content than what it looks like,

The meta game, either get some official rules or don't bother.

Well it's been a fairy reliable source of game related news for me so in that sense I am grateful. But considering most news nowadays is just marketing bullcrap and e-drama nonsense it has basically turned me in to a cynic.

Online people will never change me as a gamer, I may despise the lems a tad more each day but they were a lost cause to me anyway.

i just come here to laugh. It doesn't touch me at all.

Truer words have never been spoken.

System Wars has shown me how ignorant I am and that everyone else is just as ignorant.

The board was what really got me deeper into gaming back in 2005. I was always a gamer but I wasn't deeply involved with playing so many games until I became a member here and chatted more.

It was fun to indulge once in a while. But, it got old quickly because it's always the same old crap over and over and over.

SW introduced me into indie gaming, thanks to all the bragging from the PC pricks, SW also got me into tentacle p0rn for some reason... no matter.. anyway... i wouldn't say "hurt", but it saddens me to watch all the people arguing about graphics / resolution... back in the day when ps3 launched also when i started stalking the forums just for pure comedic entretainment (i didn't make an account until 2010-something) fanboys argued about exclusives like Uncharted or Gears of war, it at least made sense , nowdays it's just 900p vs 1080p or 30 Fps vs 60 fps. most people can't even tell the diference. dammit, i can barely tell 30 fps and 60 apart.

I guess I can group SW with the rest of the internet that are largely responsible for my hatred of Sony. Sony does a damn fine job making me hate them on their own but the fan base is just downright ass backwards (in most cases)

It effects me because I never hated Sony this much until I see how blind the fanbase defends with such bullshit. I have trouble supporting or joining such a mess.

On the flip side there are great gamers that game on Playstation. When I went on P2M the first time I could see how passionate those guys were about all platforms and all games. It made me feel kind of bummed that maybe I should let down my guard some, and just game.

Then I came back in here and was reminded by certain individuals why I want to punch them in the eye socket.

Maybe one day I will be a better person. Give up drinking, masturbating and finally buy a PS4.

I only come here for the lulz and to trash talk Person 4 Golden.

Fanboys are way, way over the top now. It has gotten ridiculous the way people attach themselves to these consoles!!