Understanding the Fanboy Culture; Their Place and Role within the Games Industry.

Within Video Game culture very few slights carry as much weight and disrespect as being called a ‘Fanboy’. Few understand what this term means and fewer have explored the role this type of consumer plays in the gaming industry, let alone their significant cultural impact. This paper seeks to understand and define what a Fanboy is using various social and psychological theories and discusses their use within the industry. This is done via analysing recent events and new media technologies in conjunction with multiple gaming franchises recent releases. It then evaluates the image of the Fanboy in popular culture, how it is has changed thanks to new methods of engagement with new strategies and brand types while acknowledging their limitations within their wider social cultures across the world.