Why Gamers are Such Rabid Fans?

Today it seems the game industry cannot do anything that a incredible number of people claiming to be 'fans' will rise in arms to complain. Unless it is the industry giving free stuff (and even them people will complain about it), pretty must everything can make the 'fans' angry.

It is funny, but the way gamers can get pissed with pretty most anything that it is done is borderline lunacy. The basically claim ownership over their favorite franchises and demand to be listened about every single aspect of games. From the way they are sold, pricing, story, character design and pretty much any aspect of it, they will find a way to get angry.

Developer go multiplatform? Instead of be happy that more gamers can appreciate their favorite game, they feel betrayed. Change in design of main character? How dare they change a perfect character! Trying new gameplay mechanic? What was wrong with the old one?!

But why? Why gamers become so easy to enrage and so hard to praise?

I can be wrong here, but it seems that this comes from the time when being a gamer was reason enough to be scorned at school. The time when being a gamer meant to be a social outcast and not the 'cool kid'. This make many gamers becoming defensive of their hobby. That is why when an outsider criticize games (even if he has a point) gamers united against the 'intruder' and go all psycho over them. From simple 'you are wrong' mails to death treats.

But this behavior also go against the same people who make the games they say they love so much. Many times the treats and childish rage starts even before the game is out and someone played it. In this case, I think it is something drove by fear. Those 'fans' fear that the games they love so much changes to the point they don't love them anymore. They fear that this thing, games, this unique thing they have for them, can be lost.

So, instead of accepting that things changes, they go to fits of insane anger against the industry. They don't want changes. They want the status quo they grow to like. Because the games was the only unique things many of those gamers felt they have, they feel like they are part of this unique thing. And them they just can't stand that, in fact, they aren't special. They are just another guy among millions. Or, you know, they can be bat shit insane.

I fear the day when a lunatic claiming to be a gamer will invade some developer or publisher office and start shooting everyone in sight because they felt betrayed. Like those crazy 'fans' who try to kill their idols because they 'love' them so much. And with games becoming more popular by the day, it will not take long to this to happen. We all heard cases with actors and singers being victims of such kind of crazy people.

There is no point on asking people to calm down. Because their 'love' by those games are so big, they are blinded by their own 'love' for them. And as betrayed lovers, they justify all their hate even without any true reason. It is an irrational thing. And there is no point arguing with irrational people. Specially if they can be hiding a knife somewhere.