My favorite gaming generation out of the afore-mentioned three? The 1990’s without question. If the 1980s were represented by building ideas from practically out of nothing and the 2000s were defined by breaking down whatever restrictions were left standing, then the 1990’s seem to combine the best of the two: technology was advancing, admittedly at an alarming rate, but the limitations of the era encouraged developers to be smart in conveying what they were trying to get across.
One could argue that the first time is always the best time – and in such a case, those who champion the generation they got into gaming as the first time. Indeed I can imagine the kids playing the PS3 will, ten/twenty years from now, maintain that it was the best generation of the lot.
But that isn’t the case here: As previously established I started with the Commodore 64 and was already into gaming well before I set my young and impressionable mind first set eyes on a Sega Megadrive. That being said, the nineties may not have been the beginning but it certainly was the key to the Promised Land (or whatever you want to call it).
So what makes the nineties so special? Well then:
• I recall declaring loyalty to Sega while so many others swore devotion to Nintendo – and hey, of people are forming tribes around something then you must be doing something right.
• I recall going to friend’s places and having a bash on the console – true that could be done before and since but to me the nineties was where it happened to me first. Indeed, there something satisfying to have a friend or cousin who liked the same stuff you liked.
• I recall hanging around people who liked gaming and talking about them with barely restrained enthusiasm.
• I recall the first time a gamer specific store opened up in Hobart and I thought it was the best thing ever
• I recall watching the Zone religiously on a Saturday morning and thinking it was ace to see a show for people who spoke my language
• I recall reading the various magazines of the day and being impressed with both gaming developments and the latest games (even if most of the games featured were beyond the capabilities of my (t)rusty Commodore 64)
• I recall the excitement of a LAN. Indeed was something special sneaking into a computer lab at school with some friends and using up one’s lunch hour blowing each other away in Doom.
• I recall going into arcade game parlors and salivating like a Pavlovian dog at all the wonders around me. Okay sure some may lament the evolution of such parlors from seedy/dark places to family-friendly-environments but I tell you, there was no greater thrill than blowing so much change in a wide variety of games.
Looking back at what I’ve written it seems there is a common thread between these points: If anything the nineties proved to me that there truly was a world of gamers beyond what I’d previously experienced in my basement with my Commodore 64. Suddenly I realized there were people who liked what I liked and I wasn’t as alone as I originally thought I was. Whether it was visiting friends to play games, setting up LANs or reading various gaming publications; all of these indicated that there was a world of gaming that I was a part of and my interest were to be celebrated. Thus, whilst the eighties may have established the niche, the nineties saw the niche expand – to where it is today well beyond its original niche limitations.
And I don’t believe that this sense of belonging has been replicated. How? Well people nowadays may go on about how online gaming is great with being able to play against people from all corners of the globe and having games & DLC readily available to download. Yes that may be true but at what expense? Sure it may be easier to find people who like what you like online but it’s nowhere near as satisfying as meeting a similar someone in the flesh. You may reach more people online but it’s hardly a substitute for going to a friend’s place, hijacking their couch and duke it out in a fighting game.
So here's to the nineties. And what finer way then to conclude this post with some music from that glorious decade?
All together now:
"Gonna get the girl
Gonna kill the baddies
And save the entire planet!
Gonna get the girl
Gonna kill the baddies
And save the entire planet!"
No comments:
Post a Comment