Over on SSMB, a chap has posted a rather interesting vlog about, what one might consider an ‘outsider’s view’ of the Sonic the Hedgehog online fanbase. Truesonicfan, also known as Andrew for those that might whinge about him using an unimaginitive screenname (I know some of you exist out there) notes that everywhere you go there are countless ‘wars’ about various aspects of Sonic. Drummond or Griffith? Classic or Modern? Cool carefree Sonic or bestiality deluxe? All a dude wants to do is chat with some friends online about Sonic and how cool the games are, man!
Andrew’s about as articulate as a bog brush, but to be fair he makes some good points. There are a lot of Sonic fan factions that want to niggle about the voices for no apparent reason. There are groups that argue that modern games have no place, or learning from the Mega Drive days is pointless. Hell, some are even concerned as to how Bioware have set up the bloody world map in Sonic Chronicles (what the hell, who cares?).
We call these groups ‘whiny bitches’, and although they are found mostly within the Sonic fanbase more than any other group of gaming fans, I’d like to think their kind are dying down. At least, relegated to Youtube where they can stick two fingers up at Naka or Iizuka or Griffith or whoever the hell has deserved the ‘retard venom’ these days.
Places like TSS, SSMB, Sonic Retro and Sonic Yoda are places where you can just kick back and chat about Sonic as if you’re down the pub with a bunch of mates, and some people are going to literally do that in London when the Summer of Sonic takes place in August. Like any fanbase, there are large numbers of idiots, but hopefully sites like ours can drown out the constant pessimism found in the fanbase. After all, we only care if the game itself is good, grudges are so 2002. It’s only a video game.
We’re not sure where Andrew’s coming from with the ‘family destruction’ though, if only because these ranters assumedly spend so much time in their basements that they tend not to see too much of civilisation in the first place. Valiant shoutout though.
Sonic fanbase video:introduction – Youtube (via SSMB)