> I don't understand why people get so caught up in something they literally had nothing to do with other than giving their money away to achieve.

They get caught up because they gave away their money. It's a matter of opportunity cost and rationalization at some level. Because these platforms are usually non-cross-compatible, "buying into" a specific platform entails a commitment of irreplaceable capital. When I was a kid, my parents got me a Super NES. Regardless of where you stand on Sega Genesis -vs- SNES, you were sure to defend the system you had, because, well, it's the one you have.

If you've invested years upon years of time and money in a particular pursuit, it seems natural to want to defend it.