Your gaming lifespan

[Cruyff14]

Thought it would be interesting to see how long people had been playing games for.

Past 3-4 months, I have really got over games. I have been playing them since I was 4 and I'm 24 this week. I find they no longer really grab my attention and I just don't get excited about new games that are coming out.

I might buy GTA V when it comes out and maybe the new PES/FIFA for when I'm with mates, but apart from that, I'm pretty much over it.

Only really turn on the PS3 to watch TV shows and all that now.

So, how long have you guys been playing for, or did you play for and do you see yourselves getting over it anytime soon?

 

[ilpiantissimo]

I've been playing for about 28 years now. Had a few brief spells when I would only play occasionally, mostly due to factors external to gaming (being poor, living in a yurt, breaking most of the fingers on both hands) but I would have considered myself to be a gamer the whole time.

 

[Xtreme]

I'm 30

Gamed since i was little starting with the Commodore 64 unsure what age exactly.... maybe 4 - 5ish. In my youth i played video games a lot after school (fitting in between my after hours football etc). It was a large part of my life, and part of how i unwound from everything.

In terms of gaming lulls, i had gone through periods over the years where i could go weeks, or sometimes months without playing a video game. This started around the time of the Playstation 2's arrival. I got it as a christmas present, played it for a bit.... but it ultimately sat in its box for months at a time throughout the first 12 months i had it.

After that point i sometimes would stop gaming for a week or a fortnight, before getting back into the swing of it. Most of the time it was because of being tired of the games i was currently playing, and being a while before i would buy a new game.

In terms of my gaming habits over the last few years, i normally would squeeze in at least 2.... but sometimes 4 - 6 hours (not consecutively, i have not had a full on 8+ hour straight video game marathon in years!) per afternoon or night.

Again i could go 2+ weeks without playing anything at all (no pc, 360 or ps3 love), before getting the itch and wanting to resume.

Last weekend was the first time i switched on my 360 console since christmas week last year. I just have not had the same motivation and other priorities (my relationship at the time was my number 1 priority).

My ps3 has not seen much action over the almost 4 years that i have owned it, probably why it has not yellow lighted on me. I have not used it since November or there abouts. I don't even use it as a blu-ray player (yet i am building up a mammoth blu-ray collection, when i eventually pull my finger out i'll watch them all).

In terms of getting over it, i don't think i ever will. I will just go through patches of not caring as much, and not buying as many games as i used to.


** I was getting off topic a bit, i deleted my game buying habits diatribe (otherwise it would have become a serious case of TLDR)

 

[Balony_pony16]

im 32 with 2 kids, and these days I am more selective with games...I only buy a couple of games a year. usually i play games that can be played in short bursts...ie fifa (sports).

I dont play many games...but go for quality not quantity

 

[Cruyff14]

Should probably have elaborated too on what I have played...

I had a master system two when I was four, then got a Mega Drive 2 in 1993 or 94, and had like 40 games or something on it, got a PS One for Christmas in 1998. I got my PS2 when I was 15 in year 9 (2002), and the PS3 when when I was 18 in 2006.

Only started getting over each console a few months before I got the new one, I think this is the end though.

Better things to spend my money on anyway.

 

[Magma]

im 19 and my first console i got was a ps1 when i was like 6. first 2 games were rollcage and f1 98, two games i immensely enjoyed. lately i've been playing them less and less, but i've always been very selective with what i enjoy. i mainly just play sports games and a couple others like gta/saints row.

 

[Xtreme]

Other than the Commodore 64, Xbox 360 and ps3.... i basically got each console towards the end of their life span. We had the Commodore Amiga not long after the Commodore 64. The NES was a birthday present, the Mega Drive II was a christmas present in 1994, Playstation a christmas present in 1996, PS2 a christmas present in 2000.

I have owned 5 Xbox 360 consoles: my first was a gift, the second was purchased by myself as a replacement console when the first one was taken away due to flood damage and an insurance claim (the console itself was fine, the power pack wasn't!!). Funny story is that i purchased the second console the day after the damage in the lounge room, but because of the damage in the lounge room i didn't use the console for a few months while waiting for it to be re carpeted. And another funny story, the insurance company didn't replace the console that was taken away until 6 months later. The other two consoles were new replacements - 1) from GAME (i used their warranty exchange back in 2009 when the console i purchased finally died) and the other from Microsoft themselves. Both are still working, i won't get my sixth console (thus upgrade to the slim console that has been out for ages now) until one of my current 360's dies.

Have had my ps3 since June 2008, still works.... but probably because of how often i don't use it vs how often i do.


In terms of my buying habits, i spent some pocket money on NES and Mega Drive games... but once in a blue moon. I had a friendly competition with some friends from school during my playstation days - who could buy the most games and finish them, but also buying the same games so we could system link our consoles and play against each other. Even so i mostly stuck with the Platinum titles due to them being cheaper (my copies of the Tekken series are all platinum... well except for Tekken 5 on the ps2 and Tekken 6 on 360, Tekken 6 on ps3 is a platinum copy ). My best purchase on the Playstation is no doubt NFS III: Hot Pursuit, didn't even buy it at full price when it came out .

It took me a while to get started with buying games on the ps2, i mostly relied on birthday and christmas presents during the first 2 and a bit years to get my ps2 gaming fix. In 2003 i started buying games willy nilly, no matter the price. Built up a solid collection of games. Late 2003 was the first time i purchased 5+ games in one swoop (Fifa 2004, NBA Live 2004 etc... the only game i regretted buying at the time was NBA Live, i thought it sucked!).

My 360 collection has grown since December 2006, if i didn't start cleaning out my collection back in 2008, i would easily have 500 games, possibly more. It currently sits at 350 or so. I started off slow, but from late 2007, it was ULTRA RARE that i would go a week without buying at least 1 game. I sometimes would buy 5 or more in one swoop.

 

[Cruyff14]

NFS III was amazing. Hot Pursuit II was sick as well.

 

[Quivorir]

Ive been playing since the days off Atari/Commodore 64. Honestly cant remember when I didnt game, gamer since I could I guess.

 

[Donners]

I started when I was about 4 or 5 - a few games on the Apple IIe (Raftaway River, Piccadily Pairs, Tonk in the Land of Buddybots, Pieces of Eight) and a Tandy computer for which you had to type in the game's code in BASIC every time you wanted to play it.

Only console I have ever had is a Sega Master System.

It's been PC games all the way - I have hundreds upon hundreds, with two bookcases full of retail games and a stack of digital ones. There's quite a few which I haven't even opened. Too many games, not enough hours.

 

[HBK619]

Probably started like others around 4-5, maybe 6-ish, close to mid-90's anyway with the NES.

Really ever since I can remember, everything in life was around gaming in some form or other. Whenever mates would come over, we'd be gaming (if we weren't outside playing some sport at least). I remember constantly playing through plenty of Mario's, had a heap of fun with SMB 3 probably remember that one the most. Also really loved Nintendo World Cup, even though I wasn't really into soccer at all, the best part being the scissor kick and the different ground types that had a genuine affect on how you played.

My best mate had a Sega Mega Drive, a lot of time on that was with Sonic, Lion King, Aladdin, Ren and Stimpy as well as the Charles Barkley's Basketball game. Was always jealous that I didn't have a Mega Drive, definitely had some of the more pure fun games that I can remember.

Next up was the N64. Probably had the most consistent years of fun with this system. Most of it surrounded the absolute brilliance that was Goldeneye, would've been days spent on it alone, 4 player with mates just running around being a dick...proximity mines near doors and corners. NO ODDJOB! Had to get one of my mates to finish the game on the hardest difficulty, was only the last level I think where you had to do it in a certain time? I think it was that.

Also was the real start of Wrestling games being truly awesome on a console as well. I remember one Wrestling game on the NES, I think it had Rey Mysterio and The Giant or at least some rip off versions of them...I can't remember the name of this one.

But yeah, N64 wise there were some brilliant wrestling games, really got into WCE Vs NWO World Tour and WCW/NWO Revenge. Both were very similar games, but played fantastically. The taunting was mind blowing at the time. WWF No Mercy using basically the same engine was just as good, if not more polished and awesome.

During the N64 time I was going to my best mates every 2nd weekend and he'd come to mine the other weekend. Time spent would be going to Civic Video and renting any new game we could find and then playing them. This was where Mario Kart, Skateboard Kids, etc. became awesome mainstays.

If I could get an N64 again, I would. But I dunno how much time I'd spend on it. I think it's definitely going to be on the cards though eventually, just have to re-live those moments.

Also plenty of FIFA 98 on the PC was played, with him playing the first half, me playing the 2nd.

Around this time was also the Pokemon Craze, which I thusly got one of the game's - Red - on the GameBoy Pocket (still have that and a big old ass Gameboy today).

Next was the PSOne. I can't really remember a whole lot about my PSOne days. It was a decent console, but I think I only really got WWF games on them, at least the stuff that I can remember now. Nothing was really ever as epic as on the N64, although Fighting Force did come close.

PS2 days was mainly WWF/WWE games again, with the odd sports title thrown in. I really didn't have a hugely diverse line up of games. Although GTA, Hitman and Max Payne were 3 big series I couldn't miss. Having a chipped PS2 allowed me to rent games and check out a lot of stuff, but I wasn't really a huge gamer.

PS3 now obviously and I am loving gaming. Still enjoy it now, have plenty of games, plenty of time to game, etc.

I don't see myself not really wanting to game for a long time to come yet. Maybe eventually when I start a family...not for a while I hope though.

 

[Premiers04]

Aged 27, started late 80's and still gaming more than ever. My favourite gen will always be the PS1 and N64 gen, so many memories and being at the age where you get genuinely excited for games and having friends from school over playing split screen multiplayer games.

Dont see myself stopping anytime soon, maybe lose interest in some genres and franchises (used to be a big RPG fan but no longer enjoy them)

 

[Glenno23]

Started when i was around 6 when my uncle gave me his Master System 2 in 1989

Also had a Commodore 64 somewhere in there. Since then i have owned:

Mega Drive
Sega Saturn
N64
PS1
Dreamcast
PS2
PSP
DSI (this was free)
360
PS3

Favourite memories:

Goldeneye MP with proxys....

WWF series during PS1 days. HCTP, SYM etc... loved the 2 player career, me and a mate would play this everyday after school until i screwed him in his title match as special guest ref he thought he was a monty and i feigned that i was going to help him, beat up the other guy and then stopped the count at 2 and proceeded to beat the s**t out of him and a quick 3 count was had. Never played again He was dirty

Many a nights with mates switching between my N64 and PS1. on the menu: Goldeneye, THPS and SWC 99. Add pizza and you couldn't find a better night for a group of 14 year olds

COD 4- over 600 hours of online time with some great guys i met playing the game where we formed a clan

Fave games of all time: (in no particular order)

Wave Race
Blast Corps
Goldeneye
SWC 99
COD 4
Assassin's Creed (series)
Batman (both current gen games)
Gran Turismo 4
Portal 1 and 2
GTA (all of them)
Fifa series (started with 95 on MD)

Now obviously, its my career, and i love being able to sell fun everyday to likeminded people

 

[HBK619]

Fave games of all time: (in no particular order)

Wave Race
SWC 99

Completely forgot these two games.

Remember spending literally one whole night playing SWC 99, was one of the first all nighters. One of my mates passed out around 4am I think. But a couple others and myself kept persisting as we wanted to check out everything and get through as much as possible!

Wave Race, I was actually thinking of the other day...HOW HAS THIS GAME NOT HAD MORE SEQUELS!?!!!

Looking at numbers it sold really well on the N64 (3 million units) and even though the Gamecube version wasn't big numbers it would've EASILY been enough to suffice and continue with more versions.

But an entire generation later and there's still nothing from Nintendo.

With the advancements in physics tech, especially water, you'd think that Wave Race would be ripe for the plucking.

Maybe on Wii U...

Now obviously, its my career, and i love being able to sell fun everyday to likeminded people

I should move this post to a prostitution thread...would fit in exactly the same.

 

[Wickzki]

Born: January, 1980

1982ish to 1984: Atari
1985 to 1990: Commodore 64, mates Amiga, Sega (IIRC, if not was in next phase)
1990 to 2004: PC Games
1990 to 1994: Sega / Sega Megadrive
1994 to 2000: Playstation
2000 to 2004: PS2
2004 to 2006: Xbox, PS2
2006 to 2007: PC and Xbox
2007 to 2009: Unable to play video games
2009 to 2011: PC and Xbox 360
2011 to 2012: PC
2011 to now: PC, Xbox 360 and PS3

Have played all major systems and most lesser systems though have never owned (but definitely played) a Nintendo console.

Have played (and beaten more than not) the vast, vast majority of A+ titles on the older consoles. Not so much on the newer ones but am getting there, slowly.

 

[Glenno23]

Completely forgot these two games.

Remember spending literally one whole night playing SWC 99, was one of the first all nighters. One of my mates passed out around 4am I think. But a couple others and myself kept persisting as we wanted to check out everything and get through as much as possible!

Wave Race, I was actually thinking of the other day...HOW HAS THIS GAME NOT HAD MORE SEQUELS!?!!!

Looking at numbers it sold really well on the N64 (3 million units) and even though the Gamecube version wasn't big numbers it would've EASILY been enough to suffice and continue with more versions.

But an entire generation later and there's still nothing from Nintendo.

With the advancements in physics tech, especially water, you'd think that Wave Race would be ripe for the plucking.

Maybe on Wii U...I should move this post to a prostitution thread...would fit in exactly the same.:D

I heard the GC version of Wave Race was average

I had the Wii VC version of the N64 one when i had my Wii, was a brilliant remake of the original

The official Nintendo Mag used to get times sent in for certain tracks and me and my mates would try and beat them all the time. Some cracking times were sent in....

As for the bolded bit, there's a prostitution thread? maybe on the mod's board?

 

[Simon_Nesbit]

Was going to just quickly jot down some game names, then realised there were a hell of a lot more than "20 or so" that I've spent considerable time on. So instead I thought I'd do a "introduction to gaming" post. Basically the games below are those that stuck with me from a 5yo through to my first "real" computer at 11. From the greatest gaming system of all...the C64.

Started with the legendary:

on my parents Amstrad, which was followed by:

That Christmas (1985), I was given a C64, along with a heap of games - most I don't remember, but here are a few:

Awesome game, if only because you could defeat anyone with one move!

So easy to make every belt bar black, which was nigh impossible.

Actually thought Mario was a copy-cat the first time I saw it.

Along with World and California, the first real "hotseat multiplayer" games I played.

Hated this game. Always "just one more level" to finish.

Hated golf, but played this religiously.

Begged and pleaded for this game, which dad had sent from England (?). Took over 3 months to arrive, and then never, ever worked.

Thousands of hours on this version.

Couldn't work out wtf I was supposed to be doing, but demolition derby was fun.

Sims, Smims. Think there was a piano and you played cards against them.

Pre-cursor to rock'n'roll racing - amazing game/track creator.

Greatest game ever.

Fun soccer game until I realised all computer players follow a routine. 12-0, 14-0, etc.

Amazingly fun (repetitive) frustrating game.

This was a mainstay of my 'summertime' gaming.

Once you learn the timing on the jump shot, almost impossible to lose. Love breaking the backboard on power dunks.

 

[HBK619]

I heard the GC version of Wave Race was average

I had the Wii VC version of the N64 one when i had my Wii, was a brilliant remake of the original

The official Nintendo Mag used to get times sent in for certain tracks and me and my mates would try and beat them all the time. Some cracking times were sent in....

As for the bolded bit, there's a prostitution thread? maybe on the mod's board?

Oh the things we talk about over there involve that and much more.

Was going to just quickly jot down some game names, then realised there were a hell of a lot more than "20 or so" that I've spent considerable time on. So instead I thought I'd do a "introduction to gaming" post. Basically the games below are those that stuck with me from a 5yo through to my first "real" computer at 11. From the greatest gaming system of all...the C64.

I demand more of these for each system!

 

[Wickzki]

I remember every single one of the game that Simon posted. Most of them were my favorites also. Remember playing the soccer game to death on cartridge and scoring 10+ goals by running the ball to the bottom half of the pitch, aiming upwards and having an open goal.

 

[MarcusP2]

First game I remember playing was some castle themed text-adventure with rudimentary graphics game on the ol' monochrome XT. Also Alley Cat and Thexder. Must've been about 4 or 5. Been gaming ever since, PC + every iteration of Playstation, don't see myself changing any time soon though I've gone off the Japanese RPGs which I used to play religiously.

 

[Xtreme]

I remember every single one of the game that Simon posted. Most of them were my favorites also. Remember playing the soccer game to death on cartridge and scoring 10+ goals by running the ball to the bottom half of the pitch, aiming upwards and having an open goal.

From his screenshots i remember most of them, but i only owned Ghostbusters, International Soccer (pwned my friends on that!!), Barbarian II (had the Amiga version, so it doesn't really count), Great Giana Sisters (also had the Amiga version). My relatives had the Hot Wheels game as well as Wheel of Fortune, was very jealous of some school friends that had Frogger and Wonderboy.

Bit lazy not posting screenshots, but some of the games i owned from the C64 era include: Superman The Game, Masters of the Universe, Batman The Caped Crusader, Batman The Movie, Ghostbusters II (spent $25 birthday money on it... worst decision ever!), First Blood: Part II, The Great Escape, Green Beret, Army Moves, It's a Knockout (international version). Wizard of Wor, Knight Rider, Monty on the run, Galaxian, Pac-man (was not the official, i think it was a C64 knock off). Had heaps of others, those were the one's i could recall off the top of my head.

 

[JR#8]

Started off with a Sega Master System II. Then onto a Mega Drive and after that it was PS1. From then on I got spoilt by my parents with games and have never stopped this addiction. Although now I have more money than time to play them so I've started to collect more of the retro titles. After PS1, I've owned every system that's been released.

 

[Summer Nights]

Born in '84, first memories of gaming are on the Atari at my grandparents'. Grandma used to go to fetes and local "trash 'n' treasure" things all the time and constantly pick up cheap Atari cartridges for $2 or whatever.

The family first got a console in Christmas of '90: a Sega Master System 1 with built in game Hang On and hidden Snail Maze game. I still have that same console and recently bought a Master System II for nostalgia. My best mate had one; Alex Kidd in Miracle World was awesome at the time. Some other favourites include Golden Axe Warrior, the Wonder Boy series, the Sonic series, Double Dragon and Spy vs Spy (awesome arcade multiplayer game).

I never had the next generation as the fam was a bit poor through those years.

The following generation was the N64 years; they were some of the best years of my gaming life. The epicness of Mario 64, GoldenEye, Mario Kart 64, Banjo-Kazooie (see: my username), Turok 2, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark and Ocarina of Time in some ways will never be matched.

About that same time I got right into Pokemon on the GBC. Pokemon Yellow, I don't know how many times I played that through, but it's truly an all-time great game.

When I went to uni, I bought a PS2 and enjoyed some of the classics such as Tony Hawk's 4 (so many pre-drinks were had playing that with mates before a night out), GTA 3 and San Andreas, FIFA, Final Fantasy X and MGS2.

The last few years as I've started to earn more money, I've been able to pick up the three current-gen consoles, as well as the hand-helds. I've also become a bit of a collector of older consoles and I'm slowly building up my collection with a Dreamcast, NES and Donkey Kong Game & Watch. I hope to add a Mega Drive & Sega Saturn soon.

I still play games but moreso in phases. I'm probably starting to unwind from the PS3 (which has been my fav of the current gen) and wrapping up some games on the DS & 3DS. I'm pretty damn busy with work these days and I between that and planning for my wedding in September, I don't get a whole lot of time to game.

Good thing is that my fiance is a keen gamer so we do tend to spend a fair bit of our down-time in the evenings in the lounge room, while she plays her games on the iPAD. I'll get an hour or two to squeeze in some gaming between refreshes of the BF boards

Anyway, on topic, I reckon I'll always be a gamer but I can see myself becoming more of a sentimentalist gamer rather than an actual avid gamer. I really like collecting and looking over older boxes and booklets but if I start a family then my plan is to not tell my kids about new consoles (at least before they start school). I'll pretend the Sega Master System or NES is the new console and then relive my childhood through them, haha. If I can get away with that for a year or two I'll be a very happy man

Will check into this thread in 12 months time to let you know if I'm still finding time to 'game'. Cheers.

 

[HBK619]

Anyway, on topic, I reckon I'll always be a gamer but I can see myself becoming more of a sentimentalist gamer rather than an actual avid gamer. I really like collecting and looking over older boxes and booklets but if I start a family then my plan is to not tell my kids about new consoles (at least before they start school). I'll pretend the Sega Master System or NES is the new console and then relive my childhood through them, haha. If I can get away with that for a year or two I'll be a very happy man

That's the hardest part of the future for me.

How do you get these kids to appreciate the roots of gaming when what they'll have will be technically and visually so far ahead of these old systems.

Really the only way to make sure, is to completely shelter them from the generations of today and the future. Otherwise they'll be ignorant to so many awesome systems and games of the past.

 

[Magma]

ah, swc99. many a saturday arvo playing that. probably my most favourite game in history. cant still remember the constant freezing that went with it.