Did you think it would ever go this far?

[ShinobiMan]

When you first popped in your first video game, did you ever thing your love for video games would stick with you many years later? Many people I know... my cousin Ryan... lost there love of gaming by the age of 15, but it seems that most of us hear wil never lose "The Gaming Touch."

I wonder to this day if I will still love games as much as I do now 20 years later... and the answer is always yes. How about you?

[buttasuperb]

i reckon i will be playing video games as long as my hands and eyes work. they are just too much fun.

[den68]

I've been playing video games since the late 70's so I doubt that will change. I may go a few months without playing a game but I always come back to them sooner or later.

I've only been SERIOUSLY (obsessively?) collecting for the past few years but I hung onto every original sytem I had in the past. The 2600 would come out every year or so for some heavy play. My NES and Genesis have been hooked to same TV since they came out (yeah I need a new TV) and my Coleco Electronic Quarterback has been sitting on my nightstand (well in 3 different houses) since I got it in like 7th grade.

I'd say I'm a lifer.

[Revolt]

Im not sure if im going to be playing 20 years from now. I always say im not going to buy anymore systems, and then i do. But i can really say for sure, im not going to buy anymore after the ps2. That is the last system i picked up. The other new systems dont really interest me. But as long as their fighting games for the ps2, im going to be happy. Tekken4...hurry up and get here :cry:

[digitalpress]

I've been playing video games almost as long as there have BEEN video games, and my fascination with them only grows. In 20 years I'll be fully assimilated. Part man, part game console.

[NE146]

I never thought about it. I've just always liked videogames since I was 7 years old up to today (I'm 34).

Sure during High School and college my atention eventually focused on other things but I think that was more because of the crash (and my hormones). There simply weren't that many videogames around. When the NES came out in college, I jumped right back into it and continue to this day.

I just like videogames. I'm not OBSESSIVE about it. I just dig them and probably always will. :)

[kainemaxwell]

I started with an Atari 2600 and ran with it myself. Ha da C=64 and eventually moved forward to the NES era and never looked back since.

Video games became a passion, escape and a love of mine I hope to get into the field of that or computers sometime.

[Atar1G1rl]

When you've put a Nintendo Gamecube and a Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Pink, for me, of course) on your wedding registry, such as I have, then you know you are pretty far gone. :lol:

I never knew it would be something that would be such a big part of my life, but it has been quite enjoyable. I've actually taken time away from the boards after work just to play because I hadn't really played any games in a while. It's been great and quickly addictive for everyday after work.

Even when Michael and I become old farts years from now, I will not doubt that we will have numerous game "systems," both old and current at that time to keep us young at heart.

Damn, I think I choked myself up! Ha!

[AARON-LEON]

I've been playing games since I was 4 years old. My first game was The Legend of Zelda. Ever since then I've been hooked. Now 12 years later, I've collected over 20 diffrent systems including ones before my time. Surprisingly, I love those more. I can gaurantee that as long as I have the ability to play video games, I'm not going to stop.

[Yamazaki]

I'm playing videogames now for more than 15 years starting with the huge floppies on pc, Amiga etc

Though I started collecting stuff for only 3 years now, I don't think my love for games will come to an end ever.

I mean I'm studying BA and Japanese and it would be my dream to work at some japanese game company.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I had no idea that I would be like this. I owe all of my collecting to my N64 and Super Mario 64 that I played a year ago. I was just playing it to re-kindle some old memories. But, once I played it, I wanted to get all of my memories back, which meant getting a NES and SNES and such.
So no, I never thought it would go this far.

[howdoin]

I'll [play till I get bored of games - it already happened once between 1995 and 2000 = I started by not buying the PS, N64, Saturn and completely missed on these years of gaming... till my girlfriend bought me a PS2 a few months after it came out and then I started buying games for it till 2001 when I traded it for a GC... then bought a PS, then a PS2, then an Xbox, and a Neo Geo, Laseractive, PSP, DS... and I am now back into gaming onto all these machines.
The strange thing is my 2 fav consoles ever (the one I have the fondest memories of anyway) : the SNES and Jaguar are not yet part of my collection.

[Ronfar]

I had no idea I'd still be playing now. The first game I played was Super Mario Bros 2 for the NES. That was when I was probably around 7 or 8 years old. It's a great hobby though. :)

[AFGiant]

My dad started me on Super Mario Bros. 3 when I was 3 years old. 13 years later, I'm still going strong (and I still own that copy of SMB3). Hell, I don't ever plan on selling my game collection and I will always love games.

[legov8]

I got my first game when I was about 7. I didn't think it would go this far, but it did.

[mieu_c]

I remember when I got my brand new nintendo for christmas. I thought i was in love... came to find out I was in love. A wonderful 20 year bond.... :dance:

[PDorr3]

I never imagined NOT playing a videogame ever again, I think I will be playing and loving them unless there is ever a point I need to sell them to support myself, which I am many years away fro ever coming to such a situation.

[Raedon]

You know, I have never asked myself that. I've always been a gamer.

[TurboGenesis]

I got my NES in the summer of 87. I was 11 yrs old. When I was young I thought I might be playing with Transformers and GI Joe for the rest of my life. But when I got that NES I had found a replacement. I felt that playing video games was more adult than playing with action figures and figured that this is likely to be the thing I enjoy for the rest of my life.

I did have that period from 1996 -1999 that I really didn't play games. All I really played during that period was Symphony of the Night, GTA and NHL97. I think the game that got me really back into gaming again was GT2. But right now I am hardcore into game playing and collecting.

[NeoZeedeater]

I have never thought of quitting ever. Gaming is my hobby for life. My mom thought it was a phase and I would "outgrow" them by age 16 but that was many years ago and it never happened.

[MegaDrive20XX]

Yeah i got the same "outgrow speech"...yet here I am..

So my folks don't even fight it anymore..in fact they help out every now and then :)

[MegaManFan]

I never imagined I'd ever lose my love of video games. I'm sure my parents thought I'd "grow out of it" at some point, but if anything my love of gaming has only increased as I've gotten older and had more disposable income to spend on it. Even when I didn't though, I got by with bargain games, free downloads, and lots of emulation. Whether a broke and starving gamer or a happy and well fed gamer, I've always been a gamer and probably always will be until the day that I die.

[Videogamerdaryll]

i reckon i will be playing video games as long as my hands and eyes work. they are just too much fun.


Ditto....... :rocker:

[Fuyukaze]

To me, games have always been a part of life. I eat, I work, I sleep, and I play games. I do plenty of other things, but basicly, its not something I think as a huge special thing I need to think about. I know I will always want something to eat each day, I know I will always need sleep each day, and I know I will be playing games. Perhaps its become intigrated in my life so but when you do something for 20 or more years, it begins to feel like a regular part of your life.

[Haoie]

Heck no, in fact I can't believe that I'm still collecting and playing!!

Expected the unexpected?

[Snapple]

Absolutely. When I was a kid, I never understood the concept of "growing out of" something. Video games rule the school.

People assumed way back when that people would grow out of video games simply because a lot of them were aimed at kids. But instead of growing out of it, the target demographic grew up along with the audience.

[mieu_c]

Absolutely. When I was a kid, I never understood the concept of "growing out of" something. Video games rule the school.

People assumed way back when that people would grow out of video games simply because a lot of them were aimed at kids. But instead of growing out of it, the target demographic grew up along with the audience.

I was just thinking about that the other day. It seems that its always all about the x-generation. Just like the baby boomers we will rule the world.

Wait I take that back.. we already do RULE THE WORLD muhha ha ha ah ahahahha..

[Archenemy]

It is amazing to find people from all over the world that lived something like myself.

I got my first game- I was 2, I was in Germany and it was a Green PAL Telepong. I could barely understand what was happening but it was fun, you know, you see something in that box that moves, but with these thingies you actually make it move.

Then it came my first 2600 around 1980 when I was 5. Then the NES in 1987 (sorry pals, here in Mexico things used to happen slooooooooooowly and after almost anywhere else but Timbuctu or the Eastern Island :D) and you get to the point that it is a natural part of your life, specially when cartoons suck.

I entered collegue by 1994. The last thing I bought was a SNES Dracula X. You know, you must be "grown up" at collegue because you're supposed to be: "mature, concious, adult". I think the university and the parties had me busy (and the alcohol of course), I was not so close to videogames by then and when I saw the Virtualboy I thought that everything had gone to hell. x_x That way I missed the PoS, the Saturn and the early stages of the N64.

Then I finished collegue by 1999, one day I found a job and began to earn money, and realized something was missing in my life (because I got to really low point in my life thaks to alcohol so I decided to leave it) and while walking in a Walmart, I saw a Nintendo64 with something called Pokemon Stadium playing on it. Yeah, believe or not, it was Pokemon what caught me back, so I got back to my old brick Gameboy, purchased the Red and Blue Pokemon versions... and the rest is history. ;)

I thought I was the only looney that "got out" of videogaming and then returned, but I see many people about my age that lived something amazingly alike. I guess that, unless you never really liked it, you always live with some things that define your life.

So answering to your question, I have no doubt: In 20 years from now perhaps I won't be playing videogames (or its descendants) everyday, but I wish I could be playing with my kids and telling them what I used to do when I was their age ;)

[kainemaxwell]

I was into video games and computers at a young age and never knew I'd still keep at playing games now either. No matter how long I'm away from playing I always get the urge to pick up with a game and system where I last left off.

[Zilla]

I'm actually fairly new to gaming. I'm 23 but I really havent played that many games until recently. I got a gameboy when I was 7 and I played tetris all the time but my parents felt games were bad for you so thats all I had til I was 10. Then when I was ten my parents broke down and got me a Sega Genesis and some games. I played Mutant League football, and Madden, NBA Live, NHL hockey, Buster Douglas Boxing, Sonic 1, and Street Fighter 2. Thats all I had but I loved it. My parents still refused to buy me more games saying they would rot my brain and pushed academics and athletics hard. I dont blame them but now that I'm older I still love sports but I have the ability to go buy games now. I've gone back and bought as much as I could from 1985 to now. Its great. I've gotten to play alot of games and although I dont have the gaming skills of the elite on this board I'm getting better. Sports may be my number one love but gaming is right there with it. And I can say I'm mad at my parents they did spend tons of money on me for lots of other things and really helped me be a well rounded person, I'm just happy my gaming flame didnt die out and now I can fuel the fire. And I cant see that fire ever dying out.

[kirin jensen]

i reckon i will be playing video games as long as my hands and eyes work. they are just too much fun.

My hands and eyes don't work(not well anyway). And yet I still play.


Damn, I got it bad. :D

[Lothars]

Well I've been playing Video games since i was old enough to pick up a controller, so i bet i will be playing videogames as long as i'm alive

I was born a gamer i'll die a gamer.

[sabre2922]

Ive been playing video games for over 25 years now.

It all started with the Atari2600 when I was 5 years old me and my friend would play asteriods,breakout and river raid for hours on end when not at the local swimming pool or riding bikes.
back then it was just a small interest with me and a few friends but when I got a shiny new NES with duckhunt and SuperMario bros well that was the beggining of the end for me the beggining of my video game life and the end of a so-called "normal" life if there is such a thing.

It was the Legend of Zelda that created the VG freak that I am now when I got it new the summer after its release I spent more time playing NES than any of my other friends that were skateboarding or riding their freestyle or dirtbikes and actually dissapeared for long enough that there were actual rumors of my death LOL really.

After that it was on to the SNES with games like Super Metroid and my beloved Streetfighter 2 that got me truly obsessed with this once small hobby of ours.

The release of the Playstation was both a great and terrible thing for me and in my opinion the industry and the videogame world as a whole.

It took what was once a small "geek" hobby and turned it into a multi-billion dollar 800 pound giant in the entertainment buisness and all but destroyed the close nit family of gamers that had made up the majority of who decided which games sold and wich didnt now the "casuals" as I like to call them decide what sells and what sequels get made :roll: but on the other side of the coin we have the largest companies in the world pumpin out mutimillion dollar games that just would not be possible without their support so in the end it cuts both ways in both the positive and negative.

I personally would almost welcome another video-game crash similiar to what happend back in '83-84 maybe not as devastating but just enough to get our favorite hobby back on course and weed out those that care nothing about making the best game possible.
So that we can have games like Nights2,Shenmue 3, Killer Instinct 3, or a new Kid Icarus instead of a new Grand Theft Auto every year or the billionth installment of Madden.

Nonetheless I still love videogames and always will :D