When it comes to games and gamers, few things run deeper than a commitment and loyalty to the cause. This can see some players put hundreds of hours into singular games with a refusal to play any other games whilst doing so. However, it is not just games that gamers have allegiance to. Loyalty to the different gaming platforms is very real within the community. For many, it is an integral part of their gaming identity. Whether it’s the exclusive releases and streamlined system of the PlayStation, the social focus of the Xbox, or the performance offered by the PC, players tend to choose their gaming platform and refrain from differentiating from this forevermore. Once invested in a platform, gamers rarely make the switch to other platforms. With the rise of cross-platform gaming and pretty similar hardware updates lately, it would seem like there is no need to switch platforms. However, this was not always the case, and several key elements play into this phenomenon of gamers’ loyalty. Factors such as social networks, exclusive releases, specific hardware, and a psychological mentality all play into gamers’ psyches. Let’s find out why it can be so hard to convince gamers to switch platforms.
Social
Playing alongside friends and acquaintances is a major aspect of gaming for many. New technology has allowed gamers to be more social than ever before, both on traditional gaming platforms and also on newer platforms such as in the iGaming industry. People can connect with each other, share memories, and thoroughly enjoy the social aspect of gaming as they learn more about reliable iGaming platforms, gaming strategies, and several other helpful tips. This is also true of multiplayer games, game streaming, party play, and group chats, as they all enable social networking under the gaming umbrella. Many games now focus on community aspects and rely on players working with each other to complete the games successfully.
For many it’s not just about what you play but rather who you can play with. It can be a real social occasion for many and allows players to socialise with friends they have from the outside world or interact and share bonds with people they would maybe otherwise not be able to socialise with.
The social hub on each platform can be a huge influence on loyalty. It can take people years to build up a large circle of friends on the likes of PSN or Xbox Live. This could see players join parties, complete trophies/achievements, and share special memories together. Moving to other platforms could see a disintegration of these communities and groups, which players have carefully built up for many years, and whilst there are other methods to use to continue communicating, it makes things a lot less streamlined and more difficult.
Exclusive Releases
One of the major reasons that gamers stay loyal to different consoles and platforms is the exclusive releases and the flagship games that each platform boasts on their service. These releases are designed to specifically showcase the platforms specs and have strong allegiances to each platform meaning that they often only get released on specific platforms.
For PlayStation, games such as The Last of Us, God of War, and Spider-Man have a massive popular following and strong loyalty from many gamers. They boast unique gaming experiences and are often at the height of the cutting-edge technology available to Sony. For many, these narrative-driven games have kept people extremely loyal to the platform.
On the contrary, Xbox have invested in their own system and exclusive releases with a focus on acquiring studios such as Activision Blizzard and Bethesda. These massive developers create huge blockbuster games which are only available to those aligned with Microsoft.
When it comes to the PC, the likes of Steam generally don’t have exclusive releases, but much of the appeal for PC gamers is games, mods, and customization that can only be found on the PC and are not available on consoles.
For many gamers, the thought of leaving behind their favorite franchise of games or for them to miss out on upcoming exclusive releases is too much. They offer enriching gameplay, mesmerising stories, but most of all, emotional investment. It is this emotional tie that many cannot budge, and means they remain loyal to their favorites.
Hardware Specifics
The actual tech involved in gaming is another reason why some gamers just simply will never make the switch. Many gamers have years worth of subscriptions and countless games in their library amongst other set up costs. This means the cost to enter a new gaming platform is pretty pricey. Consoles themselves can cost over $300 and that’s not even inclusive of controllers headsets or games.
Likewise, a good PC gaming set up can cost thousands of dollars. Whilst there is of course more versatility with PC gaming as it can be used for other things, it would be a big move for someone who’s invested time, money and emotion into building and upgrading graphics cards and motherboards to change it up to consoles.
In general, the consoles are much of a muchness now with the tech advances of the last few years. It can be hard to truly distinguish their specs when compared. Given they share so much hardware, it would be a hard argument to convince gamers to make the shift on the basis of hardware alone.
For many, upgrading on their current platform and set up is a much wiser financial move than it would be to change things completely. This ties gamers into their given platforms and reduces this transfer across platforms.
Final Thoughts
It’s not because gamers can’t see there are alternatives, or even that some of the alternatives may offer better gaming experiences in some cases. It’s the deep connection they already have for their existing setup which ties them down and sees gamers reluctant to change across platforms. This is especially true of gamers who have been boasting set ups for considerable amounts of time. This time will have no doubt led to accumulation of hardware, psychological connection and carefully curated social networks. To give all this up would be silly for many gamers.
