Make love, not console wars. A statement that rings true even up to today, where toxic levels of fanboyism from either side of the fence is something that really divides that gaming community. Xbox Boss Phil Spencer hates it, and calls it “one of the worst things about our industry”.

Speaking to The Verge, Spencer talks about their biggest competitor, and it’s not even Sony or Nintendo. “We’re in the entertainment business. The biggest competitor we have is apathy over the products and services, games that we build,”

Spencer, possibly like other execs, hates the fact that there are people who like to see others fail just so they can get a leg up on the competition, and it is that toxic fanboyism that may even push him to get out of the industry. “That tribalism in the industry, if there was anything that would ever drive me out of the industry, it’s actually that,”

In the local gaming scene, this is certainly not a new thing. Being a “PlayStation nation”, as one would call it, there’s very little room for others to make a dent. The Nintendo Switch has been well received, and the Xbox is growing its own audience with the incoming Series X and xCloud, but the threat of toxic fanboy behavior from all sides will always be there.

Instead of focusing on issues, pulling each other up in the industry will only benefit everyone in the long term, as Phil Spencer focuses on things like crossplay that will allow gamers to play with anyone regardless of console.