That didn’t stop me from going next store to play—here, play clearly means to ostensibly use my neighbor to get at his SEGA and that speedy Sonic—or stop him from coming over to get his Yoshi on.  While outwardly we’d argue about which fighting game was better (clearly it was Killer Instinct), at the sage age of 8 we both realized that each game system had a different experience to offer us.  That’s why today it’s not uncommon for video game aficionados to own multiple gaming platforms.  You get your Xbox for Halo and Gears of War, your PS3 for Uncharted and God of War, and your Wii for a family-friendly Mario and Zelda fix.

 While the video game community has figured this out—there is room for more than one system—we seem to be vastly more reticent to reach this realization/acceptance in the wargaming world.  Presently, the majority of that conflict rests firmly inside the octagon of the Games Workshop vs. Privateer Press battle.  It’s an interesting battle, to be sure, with the stark contrasts in the companies (private vs. public, 500+ employees vs. sub-100 employees, large battle vs. skirmish)  playing a major role in how the blows are being dealt by each respective, highly fanatical side. 

 The marketing strategies of the two companies are eerily similar to those employed during the SEGA/Nintendo wars of the early 1990s.  Like Nintendo, GW is aggressive in its marketing: they employ video games, brick and mortar stores, and highlight their own product line as the primary method of gaining their target demographic.  And like SEGA, Privateer Press has sought to market Warmachine as emphatically non-GW.  It isn’t quite, “We do what Nintendon’t,” but PP’s infamous page-5 is decidedly different than GW’s more casual “roll off for a disagreement” approach to rules.  Neither is wrong.  Both strategies worked for Nintendo/SEGA, just as both are presently working for GW/PP.  However, much like those early arguments my neighbor and I had regarding our prepubescent video games, the differences have bred a “them-or-us” mentality in the fan bases of both parties.

Remember to never ask a hipster for the weather; scarves are all-season accessories.

I’ve heard some Privateer fans elucidate how it isn’t a wargaming stand, it’s an ideological stand against big business, that GW is “the man,” and that they just “don’t care about their customers.”  They’re the hipsters of wargaming, reviling against the mainstream (GW) simply because they think it is somehow less authentic.  This isn’t comparing Kayne’s autotune to the raw exuberance of Iron & Wine (to whom I’m presently listening); rather, it’s wargaming, a hobby filled with grown men playing with toy soldiers.

 Contrarily, GW seems to breed a different kind of blind fanaticism, more akin to religious zealotry (yes, yes, I know the God-Emperor protects) that can find no wrong in the actions of its leaders, when clearly fault is there to be found (the EU embargo, the price differentials for our Aussie brethren).  This blind faith is probably a more dangerous proposition for our community, as unequivocal support can lead to inferior products and questionable decision making.

 And so the question for me becomes, “Why?”  Vague, to be sure, but that “why” encompasses a bunch of questions: Why get so hacked off about toys?  Why rob yourself of a different, equally enjoyable experience because you’ve decided to take a stand on wargaming? 

 There are a ton of games out there beyond Games Workshop and Privateer Press.  On my painting table alone, I have models from at least 5 different systems (40K, Warmachine, Dystopian Wars, Confrontation, and MERCS).  While they all aesthetically offer something different, so too do their game systems.  That’s why I have them.  I don’t always want to lug around my 1530 and all my 40k accoutrements.  Similarly, I don’t always need the workout lifting my Warmachine bag entails.  Confrontation and MERCS fill this need nicely.  Sometimes I want to sink boats: hello Dystopian Wars.  In fact, these games tend to garner more of my impulse purchasing because I’ve no distaste associated with them due to rabid fanboyism.  This is of course because of their smaller footprint in our niche hobby, but that size differential makes the games no less fun.

And isn’t that what this hobby is about?  Having fun?  I paint to relax.  I like to drink an adult beverage or two while playing my wargames.  Any activity where you can drink a frosty Oberon (Pabst tastes like piss, hipster) while playing shouldn’t involve such vitriol.  They’re games.  With toy soldiers.  And they’re all encompassed with our already small hobby.  Wargames have enough to compete with in video games and decreasing attention spans.  We don’t need to be volatile towards each other, an act that only grows the divide.  Rather, pick up another game or two if your budget allows.  Step out of your Platonic cave, shed your fanboy pants, and realize that we’re all in this hobby together.  And remember in September when you turn off your PS3 to play Gears of War III that, just like your video games, it’s okay for more than one system to find a place in your wargaming heart.