History FandomRivalry / VideoGames

*** ''Reload'' itself also ended up in a rivalry against fans of the original releases of ''P3'' in general, in an OldGuardVersusNewBlood way. One can be forgiven for thinking that the former side treats ''Reload'' as a SacredCow, because they are, to reiterate, ''highly defensive'' to the level not seen since the original release of ''Persona 5'', bashing the older fans for ruining the fun with their criticisms, especially regarding the English voice cast changes and the altered content to be "suitable for current times." Fans of the original releases also have the right to criticize ''Reload'' fans' behavior for being insufferable and taking pretty much every executive decision without question, including all manner of condescending PanderingToTheBase aspects like the use of ContentWarnings when the originals did not have such and taking out the "Pretty lady?" gag from the Operation Babe Hunt scene to please the LGBTFanbase. This is not without precedent, as they have hated how far more westernized Atlus and Creator/{{Sega}} have become in recent years, causing much of the genuine Japanese feel of the games to be lost.[[note]]And this is not a different language issue either. As of late 2010s, more Japanese corporations have agreed to change their content starting on the ''original Japanese language release'' to appease global standards, "global" here being biased towards the United States' ideologies, usually California's, alienating consumers that wanted to experience content as culturally genuine as possible. This means that no matter the region, the intent has always been there. The Japanese in particular have voiced their contempt at this practice.[[/note]]

*** Then came the announcement of ''VideoGame/Persona3Reload'', starting another rivalry before the game was even released -- this time focused on fans excited to see ''Persona 3'' get the full-on VideoGameRemake treatment and fans soured by, once again, the exclusion of bonus content found in previous versions. The former side is highly defensive and accuses the latter as whiny, ruining the fun for everyone looking forward to it. The latter snipes back against the former for being willing to pay $70 for something that is not even "definitive" and for kicking down fans that genuinely liked the bonus content and were looking forward to them also getting the modern remake treatment, ''especially'' the fans of the female MC and all the exclusives found in ''Portable''. The female MC side eventually got it even worse when DummiedOut content for ''Reload'' just outright confirmed ''The Answer'' is coming as DLC and WordOfGod confirmed there will not be any UpdatedRerelease for the game.
*** Speaking of the female MC, there's the whole MC fandom rivalry. ''Persona 3'' prioritizes the male MC in the main continuity, since the game was initially released with just him. In fact, ''Persona 3 Portable'' recommends playing his story first to see how the original story plays out, while most crossovers between ''P3'' and subsequent games tend to [[CuttingOffTheBranches omit the female MC entirely]] (with ''VideoGame/{{Persona Q2|NewCinemaLabyrinth}}'' establishing she is, in fact, an AlternateSelf of the male MC [[AlternateUniverse from her own world]]). Despite this, many players praised her exclusive content in ''Portable'', ranging from different music to different character perception on account of her gender to -- perhaps most importantly -- the ability to Social Link with the male party members, an opportunity the male MC does not have in his route. Naturally, female MC fans that dislike the male MC consider him boring, dislike his (comparatively) distant dynamics with the team, dislike most of the male protagonist-exclusive Social Links, and even poke fun at his forced harem as a consequence of the old Social Link system (which did not have an option to keep relationships platonic). Thanks to female MC fans being something of a VocalMinority, the male MC fans strike back by calling out how the female MC is non-canon to the mainline games' timeline, how she doesn't fit with the game's theme, how she held back the game's development (and even blame her for ''The Answer'' getting nixed), how overrated she is, how annoying her fans can be (especially in regards to ''Reload''), and how much her fans indirectly ''support offenders'' because one of her Social Links allows the player to romance Ken, a middle schooler (despite the English version downplaying the romantic aspects of their relationship). What does not help matters is that Western progressives are also lumped in with her fandom, accusing Atlus of all manner of "political incorrectness" by excluding her from ''Reload'', which mainstream gamers critical of this behavior shun, thus inviting outsiders that make this a case of "fandom tourists" that would degrade any entertainment should their wishes were granted. All the while, female MC fans that like her for her actual game content, without being backed by identity politics, tried so hard to explain that they are not like that.
*** ''Reload'' itself also ended up in a rivalry against fans of the original releases of P3 in general, in an OldGuardVersusNewBlood way. One can be forgiven for thinking that the former side treats ''Reload'' as a SacredCow, because they are, to reiterate, ''highly defensive'' to the level not seen since the original release of ''Persona 5'', bashing the older fans for ruining the fun with the criticisms, especially regarding the English voice cast changes and the altered content to be "suitable for current times." Fans of the original releases also have the right to criticize ''Reload'' fans' behavior for being insufferable and taking pretty much every executive decision without question, including all manner of condescending PanderingToTheBase aspects like the use of ContentWarnings when the originals did not have such and taking out the "Pretty lady?" gag from the Operation Babe Hunt scene to please the LGBTFanbase. This is not without precedent, as they have hated how far more westernized Atlus and Sega have gotten, causing much of the genuine Japanese feel of the games to be lost[[note]]And this is not a different language issue either. As of late 2010s, more Japanese corporations have agreed to change their content starting on the ''original Japanese language release'' to appease global standards, "global" here being biased towards the United States ideologies, usually California's, alienating consumers that wanted to experience content as culturally genuine as possible. This means that no matter the region, the intent has always been there. The Japanese in particular have voiced their contempt at this practice.[[/note]].

** There's also a rivalry between fans of Engage and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', specifically the ''Conquest'' route of the latter. Both games have a reputation for [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory strong gameplay and comparatively weak stories]], but fans of ''Fates'' argue that for all its flaws, it has a better concept than ''Engage'', while ''Engage'' fans argue that it owned its cheesiness, unlike ''Fates''.

** Creator/{{Sega}}. Pick any fandom of one of Sega's franchise (except somehow ''[[VideoGame/LikeADragon Yakuza]]''), then pit them against the ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' fandom. There's a reason why some Sega fans are annoyed that their company is generalized to be just making ''Sonic'' games. Sega's acquistion of Creator/{{Atlus}} in TheNewTens zig-zagged this in the sense that the argument then shifted from "Sega only cares about ''Sonic'' (and maybe ''Yakuza'')" to "Sega only cares about ''Sonic'' and ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei''" -- which, as evidenced by the ''SMT'' entry elsewhere on this page, just opens another can of worms in the process.

*** Speaking of the female MC, there's the whole MC fandom rivalry. ''Persona 3'' prioritizes the male MC in the main continuity, since the game was initially released with just him. In fact, ''Persona 3 Portable'' recommends playing his story first to see how the original story plays out, while most crossovers between ''P3'' and subsequent games tend to [[CuttingOffTheBranches omit the female MC entirely]] (with ''VideoGame/{{Persona Q2|NewCinemaLabyrinth}}'' establishing she is, in fact, an AlternateSelf of the male MC [[AlternateUniverse from her own world]]). Despite this, many players praised her exclusive content in ''Portable'', ranging from different music to different character perception on account of her gender to -- perhaps most importantly -- the ability to Social Link with the male party members, an opportunity the male MC does not have in his route. Naturally, female MC fans that dislike the male MC consider him boring, dislike his (comparatively) distant dynamics with the team, dislike most of the male protagonist-exclusive Social Links, and even poke fun at his forced harem as a consequence of the old Social Link system (which did not have an option to keep relationships platonic). Thanks to female MC fans being something of a VocalMinority, the male MC fans strike back by calling out how the female MC is non-canon to the mainline games' timeline, how she doesn't fit with the game's theme, how she held back the game's development (and even blame her for ''The Answer'' getting nixed), how overrated she is, how annoying her fans can be (especially in regards to ''Reload''), and how much her fans indirectly ''support offenders'' because one of her Social Links allows the player to romance Ken, a middle schooler (despite the English version downplaying the romantic aspects of their relationship). What does not help matters is that Western progressives are also lumped in with her fandom, accusing Atlus of all manner of "political incorrectness" by excluding her, which mainstream gamers critical of this behavior shun, thus inviting outsiders that make this a case of "fandom tourists" that would degrade any entertainment should their wishes were granted. All the while, female MC fans that like her for her actual game content, without being backed by identity politics, tried so hard to explain that they are not like that.

*** Speaking of the female MC, there's the whole MC fandom rivalry. ''Persona 3'' prioritizes the male MC in the main continuity, since the game was initially released with just him. In fact, ''Persona 3 Portable'' recommends playing his story first to see how the original story plays out, while most crossovers between ''P3'' and subsequent games tend to [[CuttingOffTheBranches omit the female MC entirely]] (with ''VideoGame/{{Persona Q2|NewCinemaLabyrinth}}'' establishing she is, in fact, an AlternateSelf of the male MC [[AlternateUniverse from her own world]]). Despite this, many players praised her exclusive content in ''Portable'', ranging from different music to different character perception on account of her gender to -- perhaps most importantly -- the ability to Social Link with the male party members, an opportunity the male MC does not have in his route. Naturally, female MC fans that dislike the male MC consider him boring, dislike his (comparatively) distant dynamics with the team, dislike most of the male protagonist-exclusive Social Links, and even poke fun at his forced harem as a consequence of the old Social Link system (which did not have an option to keep relationships platonic). Thanks to female MC fans being something of a VocalMinority, the male MC fans strike back by calling out how the female MC is non-canon to the mainline games' timeline, how she doesn't fit with the game's theme, how she held back the game's development (and even blame her for ''The Answer'' getting nixed), how overrated she is, how annoying her fans can be (especially in regards to ''Reload''), and how much her fans indirectly ''support offenders'' because one of her Social Links allows the player to romance Ken, a middle schooler (despite the English version downplaying the romantic aspects of their relationship).
*** ''Reload'' itself also ended up in a rivalry against fans of the original releases of P3 in general, in an OldGuardVersusNewBlood way. One can be forgiven for thinking that the former side treats ''Reload'' as a SacredCow, because they are, to reiterate, ''highly defensive'' to the level not seen since the original release of ''Persona 5'', bashing the older fans for ruining the fun with the criticisms, especially regarding the English voice cast changes and the altered content to be "suitable for current times." Fans of the original releases also have the right to criticize ''Reload'' fans' behavior for being insufferable and taking pretty much every executive decision without question, including all manner of condescending PanderingToTheBase aspects like the use of ContentWarnings when the originals did not have such and taking out the "Pretty lady?" gag from the Operation Babe Hunt scene to please the LGBTFanbase. This is not without precedent, as they have hated how far more westernized Atlus and Sega have gotten, causing much of the genuine Japanese feel of the games to be lost[[note]]And this is not a different language issue either. As of late 2010s, more Japanese corportations have agreed to change their content starting on the ''original Japanese language release'' to appease global standards, "global" here being biased towards the United States ideologies, usually California's, alienating consumers that wanted to experience content as culturally genuine as possible. This means that no matter the region, the intent has always been there. The Japanese in particular have voiced their contempt at this practice.[[/note]].

*** Then came the announcement of ''VideoGame/Persona3Reload'', starting another rivalry before the game was even released -- this time focused on fans excited to see ''Persona 3'' get the full-on VideoGameRemake treatment and fans soured by, once again, the exclusion of bonus content found in previous versions. The former side is highly defensive and accuses the latter as whiny, ruining the fun for everyone looking forward to it. The latter snipes back against the former for being willing to pay $70 for something that is not even "definitive" and for kicking down fans that genuinely liked the bonus content and were looking forward to them also getting the modern remake treatment, ''especially'' the fans of the female MC and all the exclusives found in ''Portable''.

*** Interestingly, the release of both ''IV: Apocalypse'' and ''V'' [[ContestedSequel ended up]] {{vindicat|edByHistory}}ing ''IV'' to some extent; while ''Apocalypse'' and ''V'' are generally agreed to be marked improvements over ''IV'' in terms of gameplay, they're also noted to suffer in the story department, with ''Apocalypse'' being seen as [[ClicheStorm too tropey]] ''and'' too much of a shakeup from the usual series conventions whereas ''V'' is deemed to have a very minimalistic narrative (that some even decried as an inferior rehash of ''Nocturne'') and an even more underdeveloped cast. ''IV'' -- which [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight at least]] was based upon the drafts of ''SMT'' co-creator and longtime contributor Kazuma Kaneko -- underwent many reappraisals as a result, and nowadays is more favorably regarded as a flawed but respectable attempt at modernizing the series and the last installment of its golden age. [[ToughActToFollow A lot of the earlier rivalry IV faced was as a result of what had come before it rather than what it was]], starting its own intra-franchise rivalry in the process.
** Within ''Persona'' itself, one intense example aside from the usual "''3'' vs. ''4'' vs. ''5''" or "pre-''3'' vs. post-''3''" is ''Persona 3 FES'' vs. ''Persona 3 Portable''. Both are UpdatedRerelease, and both feature their own bonus extended content compared to vanilla (''The Answer'' for the former and the female route for the latter). The former camp considers ''FES'' superior thanks to full 3D environments, animated movie clips, and challenging gameplay mechanics truly in line with other SMT entries, and bashes ''Portable'' for the lazy VisualNovel presentation, ItsEasySoItSucks, and being an "otome bait." The latter camp defends ''Portable'' for being more accessible (at least when playing on actual hardware), having fairer game mechanics for players new to ''Persona'', and its more well-received female route, and bashes ''FES'' for its fans' elitist attitude, FakeDifficulty, and despite the 3D environments, its very slow and clunky navigation. It does not help that the version to be remastered is ''Portable'' and not ''FES'', heating up this rivalry further, but at least both agree to dunk on said remaster upon learning how much of a PortingDisaster it is.
*** With ''VideoGame/Persona3Reload'', the rivalry began once more even before the game was released, this time between it and fans of the bonus content excluded from it. The former is highly defensive and accuses the latter as whiny UnpleasableFanbase ruining the fun for everyone looking forward to it. The latter bashes back against the former for willing to pay $70 for something that is not even "definitive" and for kicking down fans that genuinely like the bonus content and were looking forward to them getting the modern remake treatment, ''especially the female MC fans''.
*** Speaking of the female MC, the MC fandom rivalry. ''Persona 3'' prioritizes the male MC in the main continuity, since the game was initially released with just him. In fact, ''Persona 3 Portable'' recommends playing his story first to see how the original story plays out. When ''Portable'' is shown to have a female MC, intrigued players may start playing her route and some end up praising her exclusive content, from music, different character perception to take account of her gender, to one important feature: Social Link with the male party members, which the male MC does not have. Naturally, female MC fans that dislike the male MC consider him boring, dislike his distant dynamics with the team, dislike most of the male protagonist-exclusive Social Links and even poke fun at his forced harem as a consequence of the old Social Link system(which did not have an option to keep relationships platonic). Thanks to female MC fans being VocalMinority, the male MC fans strike back by calling out how the female MC does not fit with the game's theme, how she held back the game's development (and even blame her for ''The Answer'' getting nixed), how overrated she is, how annoying or high on copium her fans can be (especially in regards to ''Reload''), and how much her fans indirectly ''support offenders'' because of the existence of one particular Social Link.
** For that matter, there's also a bit of heat between fans of ''Shin Megami Tensei'' and the ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' series, the debates usually ranging to accusing one side of either being [[SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism too dark, or too soft]]. The both of them being [[CashCowFranchise well-selling]], long-lasting {{Mons}} series, and having an undying ''love'' for spin-offs doesn't help any.

** There's also a rivalry between fans of Engage and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', specifically the Conquest route. Both games have a reputation for [[PlayTheGameSkipTheStory strong gameplay and comparatively weak stories]], but fans of ''Fates'' argue that for all its flaws, it has a better concept than ''Engage'', while ''Engage'' fans argue that it owned its cheesiness, unlike ''Fates.''

* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' and ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' are both high-fantasy [=RPGs=] that came out around the same time. The debate usually boils down to [=JRPGS=] vs. [=WRPGS=] (despite ''Dark Souls'' being styled much like a WRPG) and old school challenge vs. open world fun. It doesn't help that various video game media sites and magazines kept fanning the flames of the "rivalry" between the two games prior to release, and that there are very vocal and ''very'' annoying haters of the opposing game on both sides of the spectrum. ''Dark Souls'' fans bash ''Skyrim'' for being too "boring and cliché" while ''Skyrim'' fans bash ''Dark Souls'' fans for being "too difficult and confusing". Fans who like ''both'' games are labelled "traitors" and are effectively stuck between a rock and a hard place.

*** There's also a minor conflict between ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', mostly because of their [[ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne suspiciously]] [[SummonMagic similar]] [[DisappearedDad premises]]. It's worth noting that while ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' did come out first, both games are different enough that those who ''have'' played both tend to say they're both worth playing. Oh, and since it's [=GameCube=] vs. [=PS2=], chalk up another one to console wars.

*** Speaking of the female MC, the MC fandom rivalry. ''Persona 3'' prioritizes the male MC in the main continuity, since the game was initially released with just him. In fact, ''Persona 3 Portable'' recommends playing his story first to see how the original story plays out. When ''Portable'' is shown to have a female MC, intrigued players may start playing her route and some end up praising her exclusive content, from music, different character perception to take account of her gender, to one important feature: Social Link with the male party members, which the male MC does not have. Naturally, female MC fans that dislike the male MC consider him boring, dislike his distant dynamics with the team, and even poke fun at his forced harem as a consequence of the old Social Link system. Thanks to female MC fans being VocalMinority, the male MC fans strike back by calling out how the female MC does not fit with the game's theme, how she held back the game's development (and even blame her for ''The Answer'' getting nixed), how overrated she is, how annoying or high on copium her fans can be (especially in regards to ''Reload''), and how much her fans indirectly ''support offenders'' because of the existence of one particular Social Link.

** While we're at it, ''Metroid'' vs ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''. Both fandoms will tell you despite sharing [[{{Metroidvania}} the name of a genre]], the games are ''nowhere'' near as similar as people are lead to believe. Many of the former fans find the addition of RPG elements to be an obstruction more than anything to the basic gameplay loop, think there is disproportionate focus on action over exploration, and don't care for the more overt anime-style storytelling; the inverse applies for fans of the latter. In fact, this extends to ''Metroid'' vs. the {{Metroidvania}} genre as a whole, with ''Metroid'' fans feeling most games in the genre take far more from Koji Igarashi and Creator/HidetakaMiyazaki's [[VideoGame/DarkSouls work]] than they do the Nintendo franchise and that ''Metroid'' shouldn't be considered a Metroidvania itself as a result, viewimg it as a "bastard" or "gentrified" genre.

*** Speaking of the female MC, the MC fandom rivalry. ''Persona 3'' prioritizes the male MC in the main continuity, since the game was initially released with just him. In fact, ''Persona 3 Portable'' recommends playing his story first to see how the original story plays out. When ''Portable'' is shown to have a female MC, intrigued players may start playing her route and some end up praising her exclusive content, from music, different character perception to take account of her gender, and one important feature: Social Link with the male party members, which the male MC does not have. Naturally, female MC fans that dislike the male MC consider him boring, dislike his distant dynamics with the team, and even poke fun at his forced harem as a consequence of the old Social Link system. Thanks to female MC fans being VocalMinority, the male MC fans strike back by calling out how the female MC does not fit with the game's theme, how she held back the game's development (and even blame her for ''The Answer'' getting nixed), how overrated she is, how annoying or high on copium her fans can be (especially in regards to ''Reload''), and how much her fans indirectly ''support offenders'' because of the existence of one particular Social Link.

** Within ''Persona'' itself, one intense example aside from the usual "''3'' vs. ''4'' vs. ''5''" or "pre-''3'' vs. post-''3'' is ''Persona 3 FES'' vs. ''Persona 3 Portable''. Both are UpdatedRerelease, and both feature their own bonus extended content compared to vanilla (''The Answer'' for the former and the female route for the latter). The former camp considers ''FES'' superior thanks to full 3D environments, animated movie clips, and challenging gameplay mechanics truly in line with other SMT entries, and bashes ''Portable'' for the lazy VisualNovel presentation, ItsEasySoItSucks, and being an "otome bait." The latter camp defends ''Portable'' for being more accessible (at least when playing on actual hardware), having fairer game mechanics for players new to ''Persona'', and its more well-received female route, and bashes ''FES'' for its fans' elitist attitude, FakeDifficulty, and despite the 3D environments, its very slow and clunky navigation. It does not help that the version to be remastered is ''Portable'' and not ''FES'', heating up this rivalry further, but at least both agree to dunk on said remaster upon learning how much of a PortingDisaster it is.

** According to [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], Sega also fired a cold welcome at NEC when they launched their UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 in the US by mocking their console's design decisions through a series of ads that only aired in markets where NEC was trailing the system. NEC fired back in kind through the ComicBook/JohnnyTurbo comics. Sadly, on the Fandom end, no one cared about the [=TG16=][[note]]In the U.S. that is, the [=TG16=] (or as it's known elsewhere, the PC Engine) was the #1 console in Japan for much of it's lifespan[[/note]].
*** Even mentioning the rivalry between UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis and [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] ''today'' can lead to fierce debate. Nowadays some Nintendo fans like to bring up the failures of Sega's subsequent systems, returning the {{Take That}}s Sega hurled at Nintendo in TheNineties.

*** The UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch vs. [[UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} Steam Deck]] debate is very heated within certain circles of the internet due to being similar systems, even though the latter was not actually designed to compete with the former. [[note]]The Deck was actually designed as a successor to the failed Steam Machines, as well as to advance the gaming capabilities of UsefulNotes/{{Linux}} Operating Systems.[[/note]] This mainly resulted from the Deck first being revealed around when many were expecting an upgraded Switch to be revealed. Various PR statements from Valve have been interpreted by both sides as {{Competing Product Potshot}}s at the Switch's expense, even with them doing such things as making a CompilationRerelease of the ''VideoGame/{{Portal}}'' series exclusively for the system. This is exacerbated by the emulation community considering the Steam Deck as a better way to play Nintendo Switch games.

** Speaking of ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'', there's an in-series rivalry between ''Mega Man 2'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'' fans. There's been a massive BrokenBase over which game is superior, and it's not uncommon for flame wars to break out. ''VideoGame/MegaManV'', while seen as another strong contender among the Classic series entries, tends to fly under the radar in most debates due to being far less known than its NES counterparts (being part of the ''Rockman World'' series for the UsefulNotes/GameBoy and all).

* Within ''Sonic'', you have "classic" (pre-UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast) fans vs. "modern" (post-Dreamcast) fans.

* ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' vs. ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive'' is interesting in that it's a fandom rivalry that involves both games ''and'' the systems they play on. One of the actual game designers, ''DOA'' creator Tomonobu Itagaki, actually promotes the rivalry (Itagaki has been ''very'' outspoken in criticizing ''Tekken''). For over a decade, ''DOA'' was console-exclusive on UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}[=/=]UsefulNotes/Xbox360, while ''Tekken'', although multiplatform, is still considered by fans a [=PlayStation=] franchise (this changed when ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' came out on both 360 and the [=PS3=]).

** Given the content of the two games (characters from UsefulNotes/PlayStation games come together to knock each other into next week), this rivalry could be seen as a proxy of the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars.

*** Cloud's [[GuestFighter inclusion]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' somehow managed to combine the "'''Final Fantasy'' vs. ''Legend of Zelda''" debates with his WolverinePublicity issue among the larger ''FF'' fandom: though Cloud ''is'' the protagonist and face of what is the most well-known and commercially successful ''Final Fantasy'' installment, his game marked the mainline series' transition from Nintendo consoles to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation... in a series largely meant to be a celebration of all things Nintendo. While many did understand the logic behind the decision to pick Cloud, others made their displeasure known and would've liked a rep from the NES/SNES era.

* Within the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', you also get small squabbles between fans of different installments. Those who say the best game is ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' get unwarranted hate for being fans of [[ItsPopularNowItSucks the most popular series installment]]. Fans of ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' are often blamed for [[NoExportForYou whining about the PS3 port that never made it to the West]] -- this especially grates on fans of games like ''VideoGame/TalesOfRebirth'' or ''VideoGame/TalesOfInnocence'' that never got translated at all. (And then ''Vesperia'' ended up getting a HD remaster on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 PS4]] and [[UsefulNotes/XboxOne XB1]] that included the features from said [=PS3=] port...) If you don't think ''Symphonia'' or ''Vesperia'' is the best game in the series, you'll also probably have to defend yourself, ''especially'' if you prefer the DarkerAndEdgier title ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. Some ''Tales'' fans think it has the best story and CharacterDevelopment by far, while those who like the lighter titles find it [[TooBleakStoppedCaring a slog]]. Some ''Symphonia'' fans also hate ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' fans and vice versa. Usually, however, the series averts this, as there are plenty of canon crossovers and the titles are similar enough that most fans enjoy all of them a little -- there's certainly a lot less hate between most ''Tales'' fans than there is between ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' fans.

*** This all seems to have reached a nadir after the WebVideo/NintendoDirect on July 20th, 2020, where the announcement of an HD remaster of ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' along with the release date for ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiV'' came under ''heavy'' fire from fans who wanted a [[UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch Switch]] port of ''P5''. The rest of the collective ''SMT'' fanbase -- including other ''Persona'' fans confused/embarrassed by the outrage -- were to quick to call out these individuals for their entitlement. The kicker? ''[[UpdatedRerelease Persona 5 Royal]]'' would, along with ''Persona 3 Portable'' and ''Persona 4 Golden'', get ported to the Switch, Xbox consoles, ''and'' PC in October of 2022 (with ''[=P3P=]'' and ''[=P4G=]'' also being made available on the [=PS4=] and [=PS5=]), making the outroar completely unnecessary.

** GOD HELP YOU IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH BRAZILIANS! [[note]]Soccer is one of the most famous sports in Brazil and because of that, the rivalry is even bigger there.[[/note]] Once a guy [[https://twitter.com/edu_rodgs/status/1594732708034646016 decided to make a joke]] regarding one team not kicking on goal at Usefulnotes/TheWorldCup, heated debates started on the designated button for kicking (on [=PlayStation=], ''PES'' uses square, ''FIFA'' circle, with opposing one used for crossing).

* The UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn and UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast fall under both this trope and FriendlyFandoms. While many fans appreciate both systems, there are others who will not just favor one over the other, but also hold one of them responsible for either the death of Sega (usually the Saturn but sometimes the Dreamcast) or 2D as an important focal point (there are still a lot of sour grapes over Bernie Stolar killing the Saturn early). While the Dreamcast is an all-around respected console, highly regarded for its online connectivity, ease of development and jaw-dropping 3D, there are many who prefer the Saturn, which had many {{Arcade Perfect Port}}s of 2 games (including shmups and fighters), unique (and increasingly rare) games including some highly competent 3D games, and one of the best gamepads of all time.

* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' vs. the ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles'' games. Aside from both of them being on mutually exclusive consoles (''Persona'' games are almost always exclusive to [=PlayStation=], while ''Xenoblade'' is owned by Creator/{{Nintendo}}), ''Xenoblade'' fans will most likely make fun of the RelationshipValues system present in ''Persona'' and the mainstream exposure the series got after ''VideoGame/Persona5'', and ''Persona'' fans generally tend to make fun of some of the more [[MsFanservice revealing female characters]] from ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'' and the game's divisive voice acting, with both sides getting angry at the other for judging each others' games without playing them. There's also the fact that ''Persona'' has generally been more accepted by the gaming public at large, while the entire ''Xeno'' metaseries has had a long history of being stuck with AcclaimedFlop status until ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'' on the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} and ''Xenoblade Chronicles 2'' on the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch. Best exemplified with The Game Awards 2020; ''Persona 5 Royal'' was nominated for Best RPG over ''Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition'', despite both games being {{Updated Rerelease}}s (and in ''Xenoblade'''s case, an outright remake).

* As for the futuristic Anti-Gravity racing games, we have both ''VideoGame/{{Wipeout}}'' and ''VideoGame/FZero''. It doesn't help that the former series continues to see new entries, while the latter hasn't gotten a new game since 2004.

*** They don't take UsefulNotes/{{Arcade Game}}s other than the classics seriously -- hell, even less than mobile games -- dismissing them as overpriced novelties that one has to go out of their way to find and play and have no depth to them unless they're {{Fighting Game}}s, and even then, "why pay for every credit when I can pay for a game once and then enjoy it all I want?" [[note]]Not helping this is that Raw Thrills, the most prominent Western company in the modern arcade industry, deliberately designs their games to be novelties, whereas other major names in the amusement industry such as Creator/{{Konami}}, Creator/{{SEGA}}, and Creator/{{Taito}} have shown that they are capable of producing arcade games with a degree of depth to them, yet many of their games [[NoExportForYou don't leave Asia]], which only skews Western opinion of arcade games even more.[[/note]] Games in other genres of arcade games like {{Driving Game}}s, {{Light Gun Game}}s, and {{Rhythm Game}}s have [[CultClassic cult followings]] at best. In some countries, arcade game fans are dismissive of console and PC gaming for the same reasons that mobile gamers are, especially in countries where consoles are considered imports [[note]]Most infamously, anywhere that isn't the Americas, Europe, Oceania, Japan, Taiwan or Korea [[NoExportForYou doesn't exist to Nintendo]], less so to Microsoft (to Microsoft, South-East Asia consists of exactly one country: Singapore, and a large chunk of Eastern Europe and Africa doesn't exist either). whereas Sony at least try to market to areas outside of those to some extent. This is why, for example, you won't get Miis in ''VideoGame/StreetPassMiiPlaza'' hailing from, say, Indonesia or Israel, as they don't appear on country selectors for Nintendo websites and products.[[/note]] and therefore it's prohibitively expensive to import consoles let alone games to go with them; the idea being "why save up for months just to invest in console and PC gaming when I can make much smaller investments at a time for my daily dose of arcade games"? [[note]]This mentality has something of a niche in southeast Asia and Japan, where there are several countries that are official territories for arcade game publishers but not for many console game publishers or -- again -- Nintendo.[[/note]]

*** Interesting note on the above: For [[NintendoHard all of the]] complaints about ''VideoGame/MegaManUnlimited'', the resurrection of the slide while not resurrecting the Charge Shot weren't among them. Contrast the BrokenBase over ''9'' and ''10'' having the slide (and Charge Shot) be delegated to Proto Man and the complaints about ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXMegaMan'' being too dependent on the Charge Shot.

** The rivalry took a new turn in [[TheNewTwenties the 2020s]], with the release of the live-action ''[[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 Sonic]]'' [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog22022 films]]. These two films broke the VideoGameMoviesSuck curse and were very successful, so when ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' was revealed in October 2022 (months after the release of ''Sonic 2'' in April), it didn't take long for the comparisons and arguments to flare up again. Compared to the ''Sonic'' movies, the ''Mario'' movie is aiming for [[AllCGICartoon a more faithful approach]] compared to Paramount's [[PragmaticAdaptation pragmatic approach]] with ''Sonic'', with many fans arguing over which direction is better to take for a video game movie. [[TakeThat Tweets]] like [[https://twitter.com/SonicMovie/status/1578531123113517056 this]] didn't help matters. The confirmed runaway financial success of the ''Mario'' movie [[note]]Within a span of a week, ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' surpassed the lifetime earnings of both ''Sonic'' movies to become the highest-grossing video game movie of all time[[/note]] pretty much guaranteed this rivalry is here to stay and will rise to new heights through the rest of the decade, leaving many to speculate how ''Sonic 3'' (set to release in 2024) turns out with this new success, with many wishing for a crossover.

* When around a lot of Sonic fans, talk about ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'' at your own risk. It may have been well-received in every other sector of gamers, and Sonic fans did show support for the game at first, but they eventually came to see the game's similarities to the Sonic games as an encroachment on their territory. The Sonic fanbase has a reputation of CantTakeCriticism on SEGA's behalf, and the fans who genuinely fit this stereotype get very annoyed at how people keep describing ''Freedom Planet'' as a Sonic game ''done right''. Want to really prod the hornets nest? Suggest that the success of ''Freedom Planet'' [[FollowTheLeader paved the way]] for games like ''VideoGame/SonicMania''. Of course, the ''Freedom Planet'''s players and fans often describe it this way does suggest some intent to provoke, and to [[TakeThat take more potshots at the Sonic franchise]].

** Koopalings fans and Bowser Jr. fans often positively hate each other. Many fans of the Koopalings often call Bowser Jr. a dull, boring ReplacementScrappy that stole the Koopalings' role as Bowser's offspring, while Bowser Jr. fans call the Koopalings shallow, overrated one note villains who have no characterization outside their appearance but still have an extremely grating fan following. [=TheTopTens=] plays it even worse with just about nearly everyone hating the Koopalings.

** There seems to be some division between ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast Link to the Past]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Ocarina of Time]]'' fans as to which one is the best in the franchise, and even if the other's good at all.
** 2017's ''[[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild Breath of the Wild]]'', with [[WideOpenSandbox its many changes to the standard formula]] (done in part to {{revisit|ingTheRoots}} the style of [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI the original game]]), garnered much praise and quickly became widely regarded as the best in the series to date by longtime fans and critics alike. Of course, this sparked debate and comparisons to ''Ocarina of Time'' as to which of them is truly deserving of the distinction.

*** Within ''[=WoW=]'', you also have Horde vs Alliance. A major source of contention that causes a broken base. That's right, just like the factions in game, the fandoms are at war with each other. While most players do have characters on both sides (like the class debates above) they all have one clear favorite, and there are many flame wars over which is better (from meta-game perspective all the way down to who has the better war machine in lore), which Blizzard favors in terms of buffs or for story focus, etc. Fans of lore also see a similar rivalry between people who prefer "war" between the two factions and a "peace" between the two factions.

** Many rhythm gamers also seem to have a strong animosity towards the ''VideoGame/{{maimai}}'' playerbase due to, like with the ''osu!'' fandom above, refusing to try other rhythm games, as well as players getting particularly violent towards each other.

*** Speaking of [[VideoGame/CapcomVs Capcom crossover games]], but to a smaller extent than the two above, ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'' against ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom''. Upon the announcements that both games would receive {{Updated Rerelease}}s in the West in 2010, the stage was set for hostilities. Best example of this case? ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'' adopting the ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom'' button layout was the cue for cries of "Ruined Forever!"
* ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' vs. ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive''. This one's particularly interesting in that one of the actual game designers, ''DOA'' creator Tomonobu Itagaki, actually promotes the rivalry (Itagaki has been ''very'' outspoken in criticizing ''Tekken''), and that for over a decade ''DOA'' was console-exclusive on UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}}[=/=]UsefulNotes/Xbox360, while ''Tekken'', although multiplatform, is still considered by fans a [=PlayStation=] franchise (it changed when ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive5'' came out on both 360 and the [=PS3=]). Basically, this is a fandom rivalry that involves both games ''and'' the systems they play on.

*** Speaking of which, ''VideoGame/{{Marathon}}'' vs. ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' for old-school FPS supremacy. The former was considered technologically superior and had an infinitely deeper storyline, but since it was originally released for the Mac, which has never been known for its huge gaming community, the latter was much more widely played. And, of course, there were probably Doom players who just liked killing stuff without having to follow a story.

** Gearbox Software's ''VideoGame/{{Battleborn}}'' was given a similar treatment when it launched from both camps since it too is a cartoony, team-based hero shooter. Although many commentators have tried to differentiate the two by pointing out that ''Battleborn'' is more of a [=MOBA=] compared to ''Overwatch'', comparisons still lingered especially given the close release dates. Not helping ''Battleborn'' is how the marketing took potshots at ''Overwatch'' to deliberately invoke a rivalry. However, ''Battleborn'' quickly became forgotten as [[Main/ExecutiveMeddling the devs released it at the same time as the first]] ''Overwatch'' Beta, pretty much sending it out to die.

*** Cloud's [[GuestFighter inclusion]] in ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' somehow managed to combine the above with the aforementioned WolverinePublicity issue among the larger ''FF'' fandom: though Cloud ''is'' the protagonist and face of what is the most well-known and commercially successful ''Final Fantasy'' installment, his game marked the mainline series' transition from Nintendo consoles to the UsefulNotes/PlayStation... in a series largely meant to be a celebration of all things Nintendo. While many did understand the logic behind the decision to pick Cloud, others made their displeasure known and would've liked a rep from the NES/SNES era.

* Within the ''VideoGame/TalesSeries'', you also get small squabbles between fans of different installments. Those who say the best game is ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' get unwarranted hate for being fans of [[ItsPopularNowItSucks the most popular series installment]]. Fans of ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' are often blamed for [[NoExportForYou whining about the PS3 port that never made it to the West]] -- this especially grates on fans of games like ''VideoGame/TalesOfRebirth'' or ''VideoGame/TalesOfInnocence'' that never got translated at all. (And then ''Vesperia'' ended up getting a HD remaster on the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation4 PS4]] and [[UsefulNotes/XboxOne XB1]] that included the features from said [=PS3=] port...) If you don't think ''Symphonia'' or ''Vesperia'' is the best game in the series, you'll also probably have to defend yourself, ''especially'' if you prefer the DarkerAndEdgier title ''VideoGame/TalesOfTheAbyss''. Some ''Tales'' fans think it has the best story and CharacterDevelopment by far, while those who like the lighter titles find it [[TooBleakStoppedCaring a slog]]. Not to mention the hate some ''Symphonia'' fans level at ''VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny'' fans and vice versa. Usually, however, the series averts this, as there are plenty of canon crossovers and the titles are similar enough that most fans enjoy all of them a little -- there's certainly a lot less hate between most ''Tales'' fans than there is between ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' fans.

* You probably wouldn't guess it; but the general StealthBasedGame fandom versus ''VideoGame/MetalGear''. Many feel MG is just an action game with a stealth theme and relies more on gimmicks and set pieces rather than consistent stealth mechanics. Not to mention the constant, lengthy story sections often pulling interactivity away from the player. However the tables are completely turned in regards to ''[[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain The Phantom Pain]]''; with the Stealth fandom loving how it goes hard on in-depth stealth systems and dialing back the story elements to the ire of many legacy MG fans.

*** Interestingly, the release of both ''IV: Apocalypse'' and ''V'' [[ContestedSequel ended up]] {{vindicat|edByHistory}}ing ''IV'' to some extent; while ''Apocalypse'' and ''V'' are generally agreed to be marked improvements over ''IV'' in terms of gameplay, they're also noted to suffer in the story department, with ''Apocalypse'' being seen as [[ClicheStorm too tropey]] ''and'' too much of a shakeup from the usual series conventions whereas ''V'' is deemed to have a very minimalistic narrative (that some even decried as an inferior rehash of ''Nocturne'') and an even more underdeveloped cast. ''IV'' -- which [[OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight at least]] was based upon the drafts of ''SMT'' co-creator and longtime contributor Kazuma Kaneko -- underwent many reappraisals as a result, and nowadays is more favorably regarded as a flawed but respectable attempt at modernizing the series and the last installment of its golden age. [[ToughActToFollow Basically, a lot of the earlier rivalry IV faced was as a result of what had come before it rather than what it was]]. This, of course, started its own intra-franchise rivalry in the process.

** Somewhat similar to the above is ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' and ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' fans [[OldGuardVersusNewBlood vs.]] fans of earlier ''Fire Emblem'' games, the pre-GBA titles in particular (with special note going to ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragonAndTheBladeOfLight Shadow Dragon]]'', ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem Mystery of the Emblem]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemGenealogyOfTheHolyWar Genealogy of the Holy War]]''). This is mostly due to changes in writing and gameplay. Newer fans tend to be stereotyped as obsessed with "waifus", while older fans tend to be stereotyped as elitists mad about the series being popular.

** Many other turn-based strategy fandoms hate ''Fire Emblem'' fans for similar reasons. However, special mention goes to ''[[VideoGame/NintendoWars Advance Wars]]'', which was also developed by Creator/IntelligentSystems. Things only worsened when IS admitted the ''Wars'' series was on hiatus because they couldn't figure out how to implement ''Fire Emblem''[='s=] relationship mechanics into a new installment and ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses Three Houses]]'' "borrowed" the concept of squads of unnamed soldiers (thus igniting fears of the ''Wars'' franchise being seen as "redundant" in comparison to ''FE'', not unlike the ''Mario Kart''/''F-Zero'' rivalry mentioned above), though this has actually garnered sympathy from the (relatively low number of) ''FE'' fans who ''are'' aware of the predicament. Only with the surprise announcement of [[VideoGameRemake a remake]] of the first two ''Advance Wars'' at [[UsefulNotes/ElectronicEntertainmentExpo E3 2021]] [[ThrowTheDogABone did the divide begin to heal]].

* Much like the ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'' example above, ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' has rivalries between people who accept all of the games, people who like everything up until the Radical Entertainment games, people who ''hate'' anything post-Naughty Dog, and people who like the Radical games but don't like the rest.

** A secondary reason is the fact that, due to not having the rights to ''Guilty Gear'', ASW leaned heavily into the [[CreatorDrivenSuccessor "spiritual successor"]] aspect of their new IP -- to the point of making several characters blatant {{exp|y}}ies of the ''GG'' cast. Couple that with ''[=BlazBlue=]'' having a story that is argued to be simultaneously more [[ClicheStorm clichéd]] and [[KudzuPlot obtuse]] than its predecessor's (the plot of the first two games involves breaking a [[StableTimeLoop time]] [[GroundhogDayLoop loop]] and the fallout from that event allowing a master manipulator to somehow outsmart a sentient supercomputer with three minds, for example) along with the above mechanical differences, and you have a lot of ''Guilty Gear'' fans who view ''[=BlazBlue=]'' as a PoorMansSubstitute. While the hostility largely died down over the years with a steady rotation of releases between series, it's telling that the announcement of a new ''Guilty Gear'' in the form of ''[[VideoGame/GuiltyGearXrd Xrd -SIGN-]]'' almost completely overshadowed any marks ''Chronophantasma'' (the most recent ''BB'' installment at the time) made on the fighting game scene.

* There is some vitriol between fans of ''VideoGame/JustDance'' and ''VideoGame/DanceCentral'', mostly in terms of difficulty. Until a few years in, ''Just Dance'' is often berated of being excessively simplistic, and ''Dance Central'' in turn is often bashed for being too hard. Eventually Just Dance raised their game, but by then, Kinect is dying with Just Dance being pretty much the only Kinect game left, so the rivalry between the two games are getting a bit moot.

* In a rare case of bitter rivalry between two crossover series, the ''VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames'' series against Ubisoft's ''[[VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsKingdomBattle Mario]] [[VideoGame/MarioPlusRabbidsSparksOfHope + Rabbids]]'' series. Fans of both ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Super Mario Bros.]]'' and ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' had spent years being bitter that the series' regular crossovers only consist of [[MinigameGame a bunch of sports minigames]], with the majority of those games not even having an ExcusePlot[[note]]The handheld versions of ''Vancouver 2010'' and ''London 2012'' and the latest ''Tokyo 2020'' game do have actual story modes, which made those games [[EvenBetterSequel well-received]] among the fans[[/note]]. Cue ''Mario + Rabbids'', which despite its [[BizarroEpisode ridiculous premise]] and the Rabbids being a series of minigame games themselves, is a series of ''VideoGame/{{XCOM}}''-style tactics games featuring actual narratives, while also being full of personality and charming interactions between the two universes. Rather than being hated, the ''Mario + Rabbid'' games are ''envied'' for being cruel examples of what a good Mario/Sonic crossover game could and ''should'' be.

** Naturally, it has one with ''VideoGame/GothamKnights2022'' and ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague''. While still an extension of the long-lasting Marvel vs. DC rivalry, there's also a number of Marvel fans who are very disgruntled with ''Marvel's Avengers'' due to its "live service" approach compared unfavorably to ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Anthem}}'', uninspired aesthetics that make it look MCU-lite rather than its own thing, boring gameplay, and controversial business practices such as keeping Spider-Man exclusive to [=PlayStation=] as well as including an excessive amount of tie-ins with businesses like Verizon and Intel. And while neither ''Gotham Knights'' or ''Suicide Squad'' have shown much gameplay, the developers behind them do have a good track record when it comes to comic book video games, so it's not unreasonable for people to trust them to put out a good game. Future delays and Suicide Squad also taking on live-service and always-online elements put this into question, however.

** Related to the above point about Eidos Montreal, there is also another rivalry between ''Avengers'' and the franchises of Creator/CrystalDynamics, mainly ''Franchise/TombRaider'' and ''VideoGame/LegacyOfKain'', as Crystal Dynamics is the lead developer for ''Avengers'', with many ''Tomb Raider'' and ''Legacy of Kain'' fans begrudging the game's quality and viewing it as a waste of Crystal Dynamics' resources, when instead they could make new games in the aforementioned franchises.

* ''VideoGame/HiddenCity'' has an internal rivalry between fans of the original, "Main" City and those who prefer the more-recently-introduced Upper City, especially since the two areas have completely different cast, story and even ''[[GenreShift genre]]''. And since the monthly events only add new content to one of the two locations at a time, and the developers tend to stick to one place for several consecutive months, this creates some sort of divide between those who are happy to remain in their favoured location, and those who wish that the developers would stop neglecting ''theirs''.

** Creator/{{Capcom}}. As stated above, the rivalry between ''Franchise/MegaMan'' and ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' fandom has been pretty strong. But both are basically two of Capcom's [[CashCowFranchise juggernaut franchises]], alongside the likes of ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'', ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'', ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' and ''Franchise/ResidentEvil''. For the fans of lesser-known franchises they used to pay attention to like ''Franchise/BreathOfFire'', ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', ''VideoGame/SengokuBasara'', ''VideoGame/{{Darkstalkers}}''... It's a free all-out brawl between the fandoms.

* ''The'' video game example is ''[[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]]'' vs. ''[[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Sonic]]''. It was practically ''intended'' by Sega in the 16-bit era, since ''Sonic'' was created for the purpose of competing with ''Mario''. It dissipated a bit once Sega quit consoles, but still exists because the rivalry become so deeply ingrained in video game history and [[LongRunner both]] [[CashCowFranchise franchises]] are still very recognizable and popular headliners for their respective companies. ''VideoGame/MarioAndSonicAtTheOlympicGames'' and Sonic's appearance in later ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'' games [[AscendedMeme have taken advantage of this]] while burying the hatchet for the most part; the rivalry chiefly exists between older fans now (who also still argue over the aforementioned SNES vs. Sega Genesis UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars). It's probably the closest thing to a video game equivalent of Coke vs. Pepsi. ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'' celebrated [[MilestoneCelebration its 100th episode]] with the two characters.

* Ever since the release of ''VideoGame/PhantomBreaker: Omnia'', there has been fans of big name anime tournament fighting games such as ''VideoGame/GuiltyGear'', ''VideoGame/Persona4Arena'', and ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' among others who have been antagonistic towards ''Phantom Breaker'' for the game's lack of character trials, not having the movelist in the pause menu (even though the special moves are ''very'' simple to pull off), and especially not having rollback netcode, while using the game's rough launch day issues as means to quickly write the game off as a bad game. ''Phantom Breaker'' fans have tried to argue against these claims by backing it up with the game's nuanced approach can help beginners get into more combo-centric games such as ''VideoGame/MeltyBlood'' with relative ease and the developers has since fixed a lot of the glaring issues, but the other camp often go out of their way to continue deride fans of the former and disregard the game's niche appeal, which led to some heated arguments on online forums.

** Another kind of intra-fandom rivalry is between Japanese-style shooters and Western-style shooters (known pejoratively as "euroshmups"). Fans of the former dislike the latter's departure from the usual arcade-style formula, while fans of the latter think fans of the former are just [[ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontWatch Complaining About Games They Don't Play]].

** The rivalry took a new turn in [[TheNewTwenties the 2020s]], with the release of the live-action ''[[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2020 Sonic]]'' [[Film/SonicTheHedgehog2 films]]. These two films broke the VideoGameMoviesSuck curse and were very successful, so when ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperMarioBrosMovie'' was revealed in October 2022 (months after the release of ''Sonic 2'' in April), it didn't take long for the comparisons and arguments to flare up again. Compared to the ''Sonic'' movies, the ''Mario'' movie is aiming for [[AllCGICartoon a more faithful approach]] compared to Paramount's [[PragmaticAdaptation pragmatic approach]] with ''Sonic'', with many fans arguing over which direction is better to take for a video game movie. [[TakeThat Tweets]] like [[https://twitter.com/SonicMovie/status/1578531123113517056 this]] didn't help matters. The confirmed runaway financial success of the ''Mario'' movie [[note]]Within a span of a week, ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'' surpassed the lifetime earnings of both ''Sonic'' movies to become the highest-grossing video game movie of all time[[/note]] pretty much guaranteed this rivalry is here to stay and will rise to new heights through the rest of the decade, leaving many to speculate how ''Sonic 3'' (set to release in 2024) turns out with this new success, with many wishing for a crossover.

** According to [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], Sega also fired a cold welcome at NEC when they launched their UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 in the US by mocking their console's design decisions through a series of ads that only aired in markets where NEC was trailing the system. NEC fired back in kind through the ComicBook/JohnnyTurbo comics. Sadly, on the Fandom end, no one cared about the [=TG16=][[note]]At least in the U.S., the [=TG16=] (or as it's known elsewhere, the PC Engine) was the #1 console in Japan for much of it's lifespan[[/note]].

** According to [[Website/{{Wikipedia}} The Other Wiki]], Sega also fired a cold welcome at NEC when they launched their UsefulNotes/TurboGrafx16 in the US by mocking their console's design decisions through a series of ads that only aired in markets where NEC was trailing the system. NEC fired back in kind through the ComicBook/JohnnyTurbo comics. Sadly, on the Fandom end, no one cared about the [=TG16=].

* ''VideoGame/SaintsRow'' within itself. You have the fans of ''[[VideoGame/SaintsRow1 1]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/SaintsRow2 2]]'' who love the mix of silly and serious; but think ''VideoGame/SaintsRow3'' went [[DenserAndWackier too over the top]] and got too [[HotterAndSexier horny]] and crass even by series standards. Then there are those who either love or hate ''VideoGame/SaintsRow4'' for almost switching genres and becomimg a full on superhero game resembling ''VideoGame/{{Crackdown}}'' or ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' more than prior entries. A small subset have also vouched for spin-off ''VideoGame/AgentsOfMayhem'' for attempting to blend ''4'' and older entries. Generally there are arguments of which game has a better city, gangs and minigames. Though they will usually all come together to dunk on the [[VideoGame/SaintsRow2022 2022 reboot]]. Dunking on it's sanitized humor, accused overreliance on current-year pop-culture references and zeitgeists; as well as being generally unoriginal, bland and [[[bviousBeta broken at launch]].

** Naturally, it has one with ''VideoGame/GothamKnights'' and ''VideoGame/SuicideSquadKillTheJusticeLeague''. While still an extension of the long-lasting Marvel vs. DC rivalry, there's also a number of Marvel fans who are very disgruntled with ''Marvel's Avengers'' due to its "live service" approach compared unfavorably to ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'' and ''VideoGame/{{Anthem}}'', uninspired aesthetics that make it look MCU-lite rather than its own thing, boring gameplay, and controversial business practices such as keeping Spider-Man exclusive to [=PlayStation=] as well as including an excessive amount of tie-ins with businesses like Verizon and Intel. And while neither ''Gotham Knights'' or ''Suicide Squad'' have shown much gameplay, the developers behind them do have a good track record when it comes to comic book video games, so it's not unreasonable for people to trust them to put out a good game. Future delays and Suicide Squad also taking on live-service and always-online elements put this into question, however.

** Additionally, fans of the ''Franchise/DeusEx'' series have enmity towards this game as the developers of the modern games, Eidos Montreal, have been tasked with working on ''Avengers'' instead of continuing the series, leaving its future uncertain after the lackluster sales of ''VideoGame/DeusExMankindDivided'' (though several key figures including Adam Jensen's voice actor, Elias Toufexis, have said they're eager to make it). Pre-release reactions to the story lead to a general reaction from ''Deus Ex'' fans of "We lost ''Deus Ex 3'' for this?" Many ''Deus Ex'' fans took great catharsis out of [[https://twitter.com/thegamerwebsite/status/1311012869782343681 the news]] that ''Avengers'' is pulling in fewer players on Steam than ''Mankind Divided''.

* People who buy video games look down on [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil pirates]] because their piracy leads to draconian forms of CopyProtection that end up doing nothing to the pirates and only hurt the paying customers (and in some cases lead to games being canceled completely). Pirates look down on paying customers and think they are all complete idiots because they paid for a product potentially made unplayable by DRM, when ironically the cracked version fixes the experience. [[TakeAThirdOption There are others]] who will pay for the product to support the creators, then download and play the cracked, DRM-free version.
** Another argument pirates often use is that paying for games despite said CopyProtection causes companies to feel like they can get away with anything and they feel the need to keep the companies in line to not get too greedy, ensuring what is claimed to be a 'healthy gaming industry environment'. However, the argument would be ''shot down'' when the game in question was genuinely good, developed with no controversies, and did not contain predatory things. As with what happened when several pirates encouraged pirating ''VideoGame/MetroidDread''.
** Several pirates, especially those from Southeast Asia, tend to be silent as [[NecessarilyEvil piracy was the only way for them to enjoy video games due to their low-income upbringings]]. Once they grew up and started making their own money, some would slowly let go of their pirating ways, especially with services like ''Steam'', ''Epic Games'', and ''XBOX Game Pass'' making games affordable.

** In all honesty, ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' vs. EVERYTHING. Their fans seems to almost take pride in bemoaning anything and everything that isn't ''Call of Duty'', even itself, judging from their FanWank about most of the games being on Nintendo consoles. While software-hardware porting limitations give legitimate reasons to dislike the game, their fans seems to criticize it for solely being on the Wii at all, with the best argument they can give being "OMFG [[RealIsBrown GRAFFIX]] SUXORZ SO ITS GAY". Meanwhile the ''Call of Duty'' series and its fans are prime targets of most other game fandoms, being a very frequent subject of snarking.
*** Given a nose-tweaking on a poll on the Creator/ObsidianEntertainment website. They polled their fans on what game ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'' should most be like, out of ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', ''VideoGame/IcewindDale'', ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'', ''VideoGame/TempleOfElementalEvil'', and ''[[BreadEggsMilkSquick Call of Duty]]''.

* ''VideoGame/BulletWitch'' has been viewed as a mediocre third-person shooter by many critics and players since its release on the Xbox 360, and the fire has been fueled even further when ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' was released a few years later and praised as one of the best action games on the system. Fans of the latter has been making a hobby out of talking smack about the former claiming it to be a "''Bayonetta rip-off''" (oblivious to the fact that ''Bullet Witch'' predated the latter) or "[[ObviousBeta BETA-netta]]" (as a jab towards the game's dated presentation and clunky gameplay).

*** UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} versus EA's Origin. One of them is a well-established digital games platform (which ''Call of Duty'' games are directly integrated to, controversially starting with ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare2''). The latter is coming out with the explicit purpose of destroying the former. Compounded by EA refusing to comply with Steam's terms of agreement, which led to the removal of some games (''VideoGame/{{Crysis}} 2'' and ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'') from Steam, which will certainly end up on Origin when it comes out.

** A secondary reason is the fact that, due to not having the rights to ''Guilty Gear'', ASW leaned heavily into the SpiritualSuccessor aspect of their new IP--to the point of making several characters blatant {{exp|y}}ies of the ''GG'' cast. Couple that with ''[=BlazBlue=]'' having a story that is argued to be simultaneously more [[ClicheStorm clichéd]] and [[KudzuPlot obtuse]] than its predecessor's (the plot of the first two games involves breaking a StableTimeLoop and the fallout from that event allowing a master manipulator to somehow outsmart a sentient supercomputer with three minds, for example) along with the above mechanical differences, and you have a lot of ''Guilty Gear'' fans who view ''[=BlazBlue=]'' as a PoorMansSubstitute. While the hostility largely died down over the years with a steady rotation of releases between series, it's telling that the announcement of a new ''Guilty Gear'' in the form of ''Xrd -SIGN-'' almost completely overshadowed any marks ''Chronophantasma'' (the most recent ''BB'' installment at the time) made on the fighting game scene.

** Many fans of ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'', which was initially perceived as average at best by most of its userbase, quickly changed their tune about [[VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries the series]] when ''Mighty No. 9'' was being shot down by critics and backers alike and clamored ''Azure Striker Gunvolt'' as "the true successor to Mega Man." This line of thinking only worsen over time as ''Gunvolt''[='s=] sequels refined some of the games' sticking points. Likewise, ''VideoGame/MightyGunvolt'' and especially ''Mighty Gunvolt Burst'' [[VindicatedByHistory have since received much more praise than they did initially]], with the latter being called "what ''Mighty No. 9 should have been''" by many players despite Creator/IntiCreates' attempts to try and bring ''Mighty No. 9'' into a positive light.

** Followers of the official ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' Twitter has made some soft of hobby of talking smack towards ''Mighty No. 9'' when the user running the Twitter account took jabs at the latter for claiming the game's mismanagement and diasterous release was "better than nothing"[[note]](despite that Inafune himself never said that, but rather it was something his translator inserted)[[/note]], however some ''Mighty No. 9'' fans were quick to remind the user of official Sonic Twitter that ''Sonic the Hedgehog''[='=]s reputation [[VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog was far from]] [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2006 sunshine]] [[VideoGame/SonicBoomRiseOfLyric and]] [[VideoGame/SonicForces rainbows]], and Sega also continued creating mistakes that has harmed the franchise's image since ''Mighty No. 9''[='=]s release.
** ''VideoGame/{{Rosenkreuzstilette}}'', a niche doujin game that used to be criticized for staying too close to the classic ''Mega Man'' formula, had this criticism toward the game later suddenly become considered a good thing by most of its fan when comparing it to ''Mighty No. 9''[='=]s perceived failings.
** A majority of ''Franchise/MegaMan'' fans who first looked at ''Mighty No. 9'' as a victory against Capcom for their then-negligence with the ''Mega Man'' franchise, and despite Comcept trying to be impartial towards Capcom and believing that ''Mega Man'' and ''Mighty No. 9'' can co-exist, this line of thinking however quickly died as the latter's mismanagement and delays came to light, followed by the being game condemned by critics and backers. Adding insult to injury, years later was the announcement of ''VideoGame/MegaMan11'', which was then later praised as a return to classic ''Mega Man'' platforming by the vast majority of the ''Mega Man'' fandom.

* ''VideoGame/InFamous'' fans vs. ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' fans. Some will praise Infamous for it's polished gameplay and fleshed out open world; others will praise Prototype for far more ambitious mechanics and sandbox. Some perfer Infamous' player guided morality; others like the [[MoralMyopia nihilistic]] [[RatedMforManly M-rated]] [[{{Gorn}} ultraviolence]] of Prototype.