Opinion: Poisonous Polarization · 5:18am Apr 19th, 2017

One of the things that causes the most harm to a fandom (and what, essentially turns them into toxic waste) is when the fandom starts to attack each other out for multiple reasons. This polarization can be different depending on the franchise and the type of game, but they all tend to be just as toxic as always.

There are a few types of polarizations:

- Preferred Genre/Gameplay: This polarization can begin when a franchise decides to make a game with a different genre than usual that isn't a spin-off or the company decides to force some type of gameplay into the game. Regardless of the success of said game, it's inevitabile the creation of a friction inside of the fanbase. The best examples I can give about this type of polarization can be found on the Fire Emblem Fan base (and their split between Pre and Post Awakening), the Zelda Fan base (with their split between Open World and its focus on story), the Pokemon Fan base (with their split between which generation is the best) and the Sonic Fan base (with it's plethora of games of very varied gameplay styles and the division between modern and classic sonic). We can also pick, as specific cases, Star Fox Zero and Shadow of the Colossus (or anything made by Team Ico).

Props to the Monster Hunter Franchise for avoiding this so far when they made Monster Hunter Generations.

- Popularity: This polarization is caused when a game or franchise gets too much (deserved) praise and the fans start to become so loud that it naturally creates a counter group of fans that start to attack the game and becoming just as loud as the other group. The best examples of this is the Five Nights at Freddy's Franchise, Undertale and Overwatch.

- The "Serious" group: This type of polarization can happen to any group but they tend to appear the most on games that could have a competitive aspect (sports or fighting games) and, instead of promoting a healthy rivalry or accepting when people just wants to play casually, it causes the most toxic type of fandom for this group that, not only, attacks anyone who wants to have fun or doesn't even like their form of playing (being a character or a form of play) with The Super Smash Brothers (melee) Fan base, Overwatch and League of Legends being the best examples of this.

Now, we have explained the types of polarization, what can we do about them?

The solution is very hard to do, because it requires to just give them the cold shoulder if they don't want to listen, treat them nicely even if they don't deserve said treatment and (this one going for the first type of polarization) acknowledge that they have their right to have certain preferences to play and, whether we like it or not, they can play however they want.

To not diminish them or insult them for not thinking like you or liking the same things as you neither respond in the same way if they decide to criticize you.

"love your neighbor like you love yourself" is something very hard to do, but going the hard way tend to have the best results.

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