Console War converts?

[Nintegageo | 583]

Did anyone change their mind either when it was relevant or when they were older and realized at this point they tend to rather play the other console?

Example: you were a Nintendo kid and then got into retro collecting, did the Genesis thing and realized: holy crap, this is my new jam.

[Californication | 1,491]

I wasn't a convert, but I went from thinking the Genesis was trash to understanding and respecting library.

Edit: Actually I converted from the N64 to the PS1 as an adult.

Edited July 16, 2021 by Californication

[RH | 5,196]

I have to say no, but the reason why was that I honestly never understood why it had to be an argument.  I get that school yards are rife with haves and have-nots arguing about which is better and when it game to Sega/Nintendo, most kids had one console or the other.

Our home was primarily a Nintendo house, and I didn't really mind that but I also remember seeing the commercials, talking with friends and borrowing their magazines and even rarely going over to their homes to play Genesis games.  Plus, when I'd go over to my Dad's house every other weekend, we often rented a Genesis, so I was pretty familiar with it.

I always felt that both companies had their strengths and weaknesses.  Looking back, I definitely got more enjoyment out of Nintendo games and I still that the NES/SNES has a stronger library for my personal tastes, but the Genesis is really solid and for it to be simpler hardware than the SNES, it was well designed and developers really did an amazing job making some amazing games that absolutely competed with equivalents for the SNES.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,911]

No.  When you appreciate a console it doesn't replace anything. It's added to the stable.

[croagunk | 798]

I wasn’t around in the Nintendo vs Sega days. I have played the NES, SNES, and the Genesis and enjoy them all very much. I do especially like my Genesis games, though. As a kid I played the GameCube, PS1, and PS2. I also eventually got an Xbox 360.

I guess what I’m saying is for the most part I am still a Nintendo fan, but Sega, Sony, and Microsoft also have my attention.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,728]

I'm gonna echo some others and say no, I wasn't.

I wasn't around for the SNES vs Genesis days, being born in 2001, however what I was around for were the 360 vs PS3 days, which was essentially the modern day equivalent of the Nintendo vs Genesis wars. Even as a kid back then though, I never bought in to the whole console wars thing. I understood that each console had their pros and cons, and that one console and it's library may appeal to someone in particular more than the other. I owned both at the time, had different games for each one, and enjoyed them both about equally.

So no, even back then during the latter days of the console wars (Since I feel like nowadays that kind of thinking has kind of gone out of fashion from what I've seen) I never had any strong opinions. I just liked playing video games, man!

...Although I will say the 360 controller always has been and always will be WAY better than the PS3 controller, haha.

Edited July 16, 2021 by ZeldaFreak

[RH | 5,196]

2 hours ago, ZeldaFreak said:

I'm gonna echo some others and say no, I wasn't.

I wasn't around for the SNES vs Genesis days, being born in 2001, however what I was around for were the 360 vs PS3 days, which was essentially the modern day equivalent of the Nintendo vs Genesis wars. Even as a kid back then though, I never bought in to the whole console wars thing. I understood that each console had their pros and cons, and that one console and it's library may appeal to someone in particular more than the other. I owned both at the time, had different games for each one, and enjoyed them both about equally.

So no, even back then during the latter days of the console wars (Since I feel like nowadays that kind of thinking has kind of gone out of fashion from what I've seen) I never had any strong opinions. I just liked playing video games, man!

...Although I will say the 360 controller always has been and always will be WAY better than the PS3 controller, haha.

This write-up is, in fact, entirely biased because there is no reference to the greatest console of that era-- the Wii.  j/k

Edited July 16, 2021 by RH

[TDIRunner | 2,871]

As mentioned in another thread my console order was the following.

2600 - NES - SNES - PS1 - PS2 - PS3 - Wii - PS4 - Wii U - Switch

Again, that order represents buying (or receiving) new consoles while the system was still active.  Since then I have gone back and bought just about every other major system from those generations.  

I can safely say that as I switched between different brands during different generations, I don't regret any wish I could change any of those purchases.  I love many of the consoles that I missed out on (especially Genesis, Dreamcast, N64 and GC), but I still believe the consoles I played at the time were still the best for me.   

[TDIRunner | 2,871]

2 hours ago, ZeldaFreak said:

I wasn't around for the SNES vs Genesis days, being born in 2001, however what I was around for were the 360 vs PS3 days, which was essentially the modern day equivalent of the Nintendo vs Genesis wars.

I've tried to make this comparison before as well.  I really think the battle between PS3 and 360 (and even Wii) is probably the closest we've ever come to repeating the SNES and Genesis era.

However, there is one major difference between those generations.  The PS3/360/Wii era is the first generation where owning more than one console (from the same generation at the same time) was commonplace.  This was extremely rare during the SNES/Genesis era.  So back then, you really had to pick the console you wanted and learn to stick with it.  I know that some people owned both back then, but it was still very rare.  I've personally never met anyone who did.  However, it was extremely common to have at least two consoles during the PS3/360/Wii era and many people had all three.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,728]

1 hour ago, RH said:

This right-up is, in fact, entirely biased because there is no reference to the greatest console of that era-- the Wii.  j/k

Well, to be fair, I've always kind of viewed Nintendo as doing their own thing in the console space for awhile now, especially seeing as how their last couple of consoles have been released in-between console generations. The Wii was just so incredibly different to the more typical consoles in the PS3 and 360, that I always found it kind of hard to put it squarely in the same category.

Although you are right that out of those three, the Wii is probably the one I like the least (Although I do still like it) so maybe you do have a point, haha.

1 hour ago, TDIRunner said:

I've tried to make this comparison before as well.  I really think the battle between PS3 and 360 (and even Wii) is probably the closest we've ever come to repeating the SNES and Genesis era.

However, there is one major difference between those generations.  The PS3/360/Wii era is the first generation where owning more than one console (from the same generation at the same time) was commonplace.  This was extremely rare during the SNES/Genesis era.  So back then, you really had to pick the console you wanted and learn to stick with it.  I know that some people owned both back then, but it was still very rare.  I've personally never met anyone who did.  However, it was extremely common to have at least two consoles during the PS3/360/Wii era and many people had all three.

That is a good point about owning multiple consoles not really being a thing back then unless you were pretty well-off. Plus, while the 360 and PS3 obviously had their exclusives, a lot of the games that were on one were oftentimes also on the other (at least if memory serves) whereas that wasn't nearly as common with the 16-bit consoles, so I could definitely also see that making that era of the console wars a little more bloodthirsty, haha. Still though, like you said, I would definitely say the 360/PS3/Wii days were the closest we've come to a modern day SNES/Genesis scenario.

[TDIRunner | 2,871]

12 minutes ago, ZeldaFreak said:

Plus, while the 360 and PS3 obviously had their exclusives, a lot of the games that were on one were oftentimes also on the other (at least if memory serves) whereas that wasn't nearly as common with the 16-bit consoles,

Right.  The funny thing is that during the SNES/Genesis era, most games were so different between consoles, it actually would have made practical sense to own both an SNES and a Genesis back in the day, if it wasn't considered so extravagant.  Owning both a PS3 and a 360 was almost pointless, but most of us still did it.  

[T-Pac | 7,847]

As divisive as console wars were/are within the gaming community, I always think they're neat because they result in distinct fanbases that often seem to share tastes and personality traits beyond just gaming. Almost like fans of specific music genres - you can sometimes pinpoint a Sega-fan or a Nintendo-fan by their mannerisms, even without them specifically identifying their console/brand preferences.

-CasualCart

[ZeldaFreak | 3,728]

16 minutes ago, CasualCart said:

As divisive as console wars were/are within the gaming community, I always think they're neat because they result in distinct fanbases that often seem to share tastes and personality traits beyond just gaming. Almost like fans of specific music genres - you can sometimes pinpoint a Sega-fan or a Nintendo-fan by their mannerisms, even without them specifically identifying their console/brand preferences.

-CasualCart

I like it when console wars are a bit more tongue and cheek like they seem to be nowadays, and people can kind of laugh about it and not get all pent up over someone preferring a different console to them. I don't like it when people get in to legitimate arguments about it, like what would sometimes happen in the 360/PS3 era, and like I'm sure would sometimes happen in the SNES/Genesis era.

[Gentlegamer | 211]

An image from the forgotten console war:

[ZeldaFreak | 3,728]

5 minutes ago, Gentlegamer said:

An image from the forgotten console war:

I can see how it was forgotten, that's a pretty easy decision to make, haha.

[a3quit4s | 4,315]

I got away from Nintendo after the GameCube and I started to get into multiplayer on the PC. Since most of my time was playing first person shooters online Nintendo didn't really have anything for me. Once I became a collector I went back to the old school stuff, not sure why. 

Edit: PC/Xbox360 became my mains and then just Xbox One after I gave up PC gaming. 

Edited July 16, 2021 by a3quit4s

[twiztor | 904]

i remember the SNES/Genesis console wars, but the n64/PS1 is the forgotten war. that was definitely an outreach of what came earlier. so many arguments back then.

[Tanooki | 5,092]

Big fat nope.

I chose to ride out the NES lifespan into the SNES.  My brother got the Genesis, I never used it, watched enough, saw the magazine stuff as we had free EGM at the time(guess they were desperate.)

The thing is, I never got involved in the console wars persay, but the disgusting attitude of Sega in their ads was so manipulative it did obviously impact those who were sucked into it and drank the kool-aid, and those who did got that same streak of blind arrogance.  I got fed up with the stupid comments, dumping on the old system(NES) having somehow rapidly no value, how it was light years beyond, etc.  I just didn't see nor hear it.  The Genesis could display a bit more color sure, a little more detail as well too, sound was just tinny which I never liked and sampled sound was more muffled than the DPCM I got out of some NES carts I had.  I didn't get the appeal, coupled with the nasty comments and insulting of people who didn't buy into it just put me off it entirely as a one - two punch.

Years later I got a Genesis(Nomad) and between that and early emulation I enjoyed quite a few games but the rarely had the staying power in total hours.  In games that had overlap franchises, the games just felt lesser most the time, or just had weird sacrifices in some respect (as long as the game ported to SNES wasn't half ass ported but honestly made.)  I don't hate the company or the console, but it just had less appeal as the system just felt more limited in potential as a jump from the NES/SMS days to the 16bit era, honestly my Turbo Duo felt more like competition to the SNES than Genesis did in many respects.

[Nintegageo | 583]

12 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

No.  When you appreciate a console it doesn't replace anything. It's added to the stable.

I actually meant like which one do you tend to play these days?

 

@Tanooki yeah, I think that was just the nature with Sega's specialty the arcade. Even though their platformers are super unappreciated, I do think that even those didn't ever use an overworld map / save. The latter tends to encourage exploration with secrets etc. that lend to really getting into the game.

[Gentlegamer | 211]

1 hour ago, Tanooki said:

honestly my Turbo Duo felt more like competition to the SNES than Genesis did in many respects.

[CMR | 538]

I wanted all the systems, but with my limited birthday and Christmas money, I could only really afford to support one.  I stuck with Nintendo until I was old enough to get a job and buy everything I wanted.

[ConfusedCollector | 36]

I have nintendo stuff but I've never been a nintendo fan.  NES is highly overrated.  Always loved sega stuff.  

 

[Californication | 1,491]

9 minutes ago, ConfusedCollector said:

I have nintendo stuff but I've never been a nintendo fan.  NES is highly overrated.  Always loved sega stuff.  

 

Name checks out.

[Strange | 1,727]

No I never “converted” but I was a Nintendo-supremacist when I was a kid, then I grew up and realized it’s okay to like other companies and that it isn’t going to hurt Nintendo’s feelings. When I finally played Sony and Sega’s consoles I realized what I had been missing. Now the Genesis is one of my favorites.

[Tanooki | 5,092]

I agree with Strange there, except for the last sentence.  There are games on there I truly truly enjoy, even the stellar PC conversions of Dune II, Star Control and Test Drive, but there was just so much overhyped and/or underperforming stuff when it came to the audio visual side of things it never was a big staple.  The games from the big fish of Nintendo (SF2CE, TMNT, Castlevania, GnG, Contra)...fantastic.