User banned (1 week): creating an inflammatory platform warring thread + recent bans for platform warring and creating troll threads
With the next generation of consoles quickly approaching this is something I've been thinking about for a while. I want to preface by stating that this is not a console warring thread and I am not implying or insinuating that anyone on this forum that is an Xbox fan is xenophobic.
There has always been this air to Xbox that it's an American console for Americans first. It is easy to just dismiss that by looking at Xbox's failure to really expand outside of the US, Canada, and the UK. I think, however, it goes deeper than that.
This part is anecdotal so bear with me but I remember during my school days back when the original Xbox was new that it was par for the course for owners of the Xbox to hold it above the GameCube and PlayStation 2 for not being a "dumb Japanese console" and being American made. This was particularly prevalent in the wake of 9/11 and the dumb urban legend that Iraq had bought thousands of PS2 to use in guided missiles.
Beyond that this rhetoric actually started within the development team of the original Xbox. During development the original Xbox was codenamed "Midway" in reference to the Battle of Midway where the US gave Japan a decisive defeat for the first time in World War II.
venturebeat.com
The entire Xbox endeavor was created because of Microsoft's fears of Sony overtaking them in the PC hardware space, which was part of a larger cultural xenophobia leftover from the "Japanese Economic Miracle".
Now how does all of that relate to now? Well to be frank the idea of Xbox being superior because its American never really went away. Fanboys back in the 360 generation when the PlayStation was on the defense were openly racist and met with little opposition from the Xbox team. In particular Xbox Live has a history of racist issues baked into its service.
www.racismreview.com
While the Xbox team has gotten better at handling this overt stuff, community leaders in the Xbox fandom (YouTubers/Streamers/etc) frequently dogwhistle xenophobic rhetoric and still get the backing and support of the Xbox team.
I also feel like that there is this large overlap between the directionless young white men who get swept up in Trumpism and white nationalism and the most hardcore Xbox fanboys. The rhetoric of power, superiority, masculinity, unapologetic smugness is prevalent throughout all of it.
I don't know how long this thread will last, I debated even making it, but I thought it was worth discussing.
And again I want to reiterate that this is not meant to be console warring, this is just an examination of Xbox's xenophobia problem because they are in the limelight now. Sony, Nintendo, and Steam all have their own problematic issues that need addressed.
As well I also want to reiterate that I do not believe that anyone here who is an Xbox fan is a xenophobe.
There has always been this air to Xbox that it's an American console for Americans first. It is easy to just dismiss that by looking at Xbox's failure to really expand outside of the US, Canada, and the UK. I think, however, it goes deeper than that.
This part is anecdotal so bear with me but I remember during my school days back when the original Xbox was new that it was par for the course for owners of the Xbox to hold it above the GameCube and PlayStation 2 for not being a "dumb Japanese console" and being American made. This was particularly prevalent in the wake of 9/11 and the dumb urban legend that Iraq had bought thousands of PS2 to use in guided missiles.
Beyond that this rhetoric actually started within the development team of the original Xbox. During development the original Xbox was codenamed "Midway" in reference to the Battle of Midway where the US gave Japan a decisive defeat for the first time in World War II.
The making of the Xbox: How Microsoft unleashed a video game revolution (part 1)
The Four Musketeers At Microsoft, fear also bubbled up from the bottom. The four ringleaders identified by Microsoft as the founders of the Xbox were Kevin Bachus, Seamus Blackley (pictured right), Otto Berkes and Ted Hase. They banded together to push the idea of a Microsoft game console based...
venturebeat.com
The entire Xbox endeavor was created because of Microsoft's fears of Sony overtaking them in the PC hardware space, which was part of a larger cultural xenophobia leftover from the "Japanese Economic Miracle".
Now how does all of that relate to now? Well to be frank the idea of Xbox being superior because its American never really went away. Fanboys back in the 360 generation when the PlayStation was on the defense were openly racist and met with little opposition from the Xbox team. In particular Xbox Live has a history of racist issues baked into its service.
Black Gamers Don't Matter in Xbox Live -
Dr. Kishonna Gray writes analyzes the gaming system Xbox and finds that Black gamers don't matter there.
www.racismreview.com
While the Xbox team has gotten better at handling this overt stuff, community leaders in the Xbox fandom (YouTubers/Streamers/etc) frequently dogwhistle xenophobic rhetoric and still get the backing and support of the Xbox team.
I also feel like that there is this large overlap between the directionless young white men who get swept up in Trumpism and white nationalism and the most hardcore Xbox fanboys. The rhetoric of power, superiority, masculinity, unapologetic smugness is prevalent throughout all of it.
I don't know how long this thread will last, I debated even making it, but I thought it was worth discussing.
And again I want to reiterate that this is not meant to be console warring, this is just an examination of Xbox's xenophobia problem because they are in the limelight now. Sony, Nintendo, and Steam all have their own problematic issues that need addressed.
As well I also want to reiterate that I do not believe that anyone here who is an Xbox fan is a xenophobe.
