Few vs Many
Back in my day we had to walk uphill in 10 foot snow banks against the wind (both ways!) to buy/rent our games - JK
Seriously though, I remember when you bought a game (or really your parents bought you a game) you had to make it last. These days people go through games faster than a lifesaver candy. Before one game is released people already have 5 games on pre-order. Back in the day when you got a game (thru parents,lawn mowing/birthday money, whatever) you played the hell out of that game.At one point I could tell you where every secret passageway was in Metroid, all of it's glitches, and how to get the Screw Attack as your third powerup instead of the last powerup. People did speedruns all the times. It wasn't uncommon to open up an EGM magazine and see more speed runs from the game you been playing for months or more. People didn't brag about what game they were buying next but what they managed to accomplish in a game. Even if you got more than 1 game a year many kids had at least 1 or 2 games they played all year long.
PC Games were even more rare. I started out on the PC before I got my first console and there really wasn't many PC games ...and honestly they kinda sucked even though the graphics were better.
Face-2-Face vs Online
There were two ways to play with others - the Arcade and Consoles. Some of you have probably read about arcades in your history book. Arcades were great. It was were all the troublemakers got dumped off by their parents so they (parents) could have a peaceful house for a bit. So imagine a bunch of rowdy kids with no parental direction forced to get along with each other. You had to put your quarter/s on the game you wanted to play to reserve your spot in line. Better remember how many quarters were there before you put yours down. If you had an issue with the way someone played you could tell them straight to their face. For the most part everyone was pretty civil and any trash talking that did occur was always in fun. You sure didn't have to hear 10 different racial slurs and try and process how your momma fits into all of that. The worst you had to hear was typically, "I would be good too if I played everyday." Then you throwback, "I play once a week so don't blame me if you suck." That was the ultimate in nasty trash talking. Sure sometimes fights break out but it was so rare people would talk about it for weeks if it did happen.
The other way we battled it out was in our homes with friends ...oh and of course that next door neighbor kid our parents made us play with. So after we got tired of playing out in the street or in the backyard we ran inside from the heat and booted up our Nintendos/Segas and had epic battles on ancient TVs pretending you aren't watching the screen above/below yours that you friend is playing on. Then when someone gets mad you get back outside and settle it with a game of hoops or a wrestling match.
That's how we old schoolers did things. Respect!
Edited by Fogel, 07 March 2012 - 02:02 PM.
