GameSetWatch – COLUMN: 'The Aberrant Gamer – Auto-Neurotic Asphyxiation'

Leigh Alexander makes some good points in this GameSetWatch article.

Most lifetime gamers, then, have a built-in bias engine, whether they acknowledge it or not. For some, it’s much more conscious and overt – hence the “Fanboy” network of platform-specific sites, hence forum flamewars, hence almost frighteningly irrational ire over certain reviews. Most reviewers dread having to evaluate a new flagship Nintendo title of the Mario or Zelda heritage; while the PlayStation 3 struggled to gain traction in the market early on, every new release was viewed as a flashpoint as fans were desperate for a killer app, and detractors were eager to see it fail.

I’m conscious that some students who sign up for a course on video
games may expect to get credit for their skill at videogames they
already know and love, rather than experiencing new genres and at least
sampling the classics that established conventions that echo through
the years.