108 replies to this topic

[Eleima]

Okay, now I **really** feel old...

*chuckles*

[Cal Jones]

Join the club. I played the original MUD at Essex Uni because I was a student there in the 80s. I was a philosophy student but I went out with a computer science undergrad and he let me borrow his login time on the Dec 10. Playing MUD is actually how I learned to type!
When we moved in together, we bought my first computer - an ancient Amstrad PC running at 8MHz with a mono monitor. I played a lot of NetHack on that beast, though (as I mentioned earlier) the first commercial game I got was Mike Singleton's classic, Midwinter.
Yeah, I remember all the palaver you had to go through, editing autoexec.bat and config.sys just to get different games to run. Though I was slow to adopt Windows 95, when it came, I am very thankful for the graphical interface, plug and play and whatnot, now.

[magrat]

I played the original MUD at Essex Uni because I was a student there in the 80s.

Another MUD person here -- late nineties at uni, brightened up some really dull Computing classes

I only recently got into Nethack through a friend. I remember DOS, though -- first PC we had ran Windows 3.2 (I think...) and DOS and most of the games Iw anted to play ran on DOS. Most of them were point and click adventures, too -- Monkey Island, Legend of Kyrandia, Loom, Simon the Sorceror, Indiana Jones, Beneath a Steel Sky...

Ah, memories

[Jazhara7]

Sometimes, I feel like I'm the only one who remembers game which ran in DOS, and were in black and white!

I do! Though they weren't black and white all the time. Also, I am to this day playing Zork. I haven't yet finished it, though the times I've played it seem to have made me a bit of an expert, as I am able to comment a lot on the NWN 2 Zork project these days.

By the way, if anyone wants to play Beneath a Steel Sky, you can *legally* download it here, and play it through ScummVM. Revolution released it for free download a few years ago, since they won't be able to sell it on the market in any way these days, but still wanted people to have the chance to play it. You can also get "Flight of the Amazon Queen" there, which is fun too (though be sure to get the Cheese doodles when in the Lederhosen factory kitchen, or you'll get stuck without a way out later on ).



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[Tempest]

I had to get a DOS emulator to run an old game-not quite black and white, but Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge is a very old game, and I think it has 16 colors, period. Not my first game, per se, but I was watching my dad play it on the computer since before I ever touched a computer game.

[Solar's Harper]

First game I ever played would be Wolfenstein 3d, I remember dying constantly on those larger than life bosses.

Followed that up with Dune 2 (grr at unit limit and smug looking mentats), Legend of Kyrandia 2, Command & Conquer1, Warcraft 1, Donkey Kong Country and Doom 1 some time thereafter, not exactly in that order mind you.

[Aliya]

Thanks for replies!

[Caelellowynn]

First game I played was Atari's Pong the year it came out at my next door neighbors house.

The first computer game was on a Commodore 64 called Aztec in 1985. Wow, I haven't thought about that game in years.

This is a bit off topic but the game I became the best at was Dig Dug, I came within a few thousand points of breaking a million. I never did make any money with my paper route. Still it was great being able to play for about an hour on 1 quarter (eventually).

[Cal Jones]

Ah, Beneath a Steel Sky - I remember it well! I did the preview and review of it for my first magazine, PC Review. The artwork for it was done by Dave Gibbons, who did Watchmen, so I got to meet him and he gave me a nice signed copy of the Watchmen book. He was (well, I expect, still is) a good guy.
A miss the old point and click adventures but I guess they had their day. That genre really died.

[Deva]

Erm, it was probably Baldur's Gate, when I was about 6 or 7. My babysitter was this awesome guy who used to let me watch him play it, and then bought me a copy for my birthday.

Either that or Age of Empires, or The Sims. I used to adore The Sims.

[Deepminded]

Hello all....

My beginnings started with a bit of Wargaming and D&D pen and paper with some Society for Creative Anachronism members in 1970 while in college.  

Electronic gaming.  
My first introduction through a visit to the Intel company in 1969 and witnessing a very early "computer" game of Chess.  

Later in the 70s, I  remember how much PONG made a splash when it first came out but never played it (couldn't afford it!)  My first "handheld" was a $25 Mattel "Submarine" game.  A very simple game of red LCD lights and beeps to help you stalk and fire torpedoes or warn of depth charges from the destroyer.  

My first console gaming was Nintendo with my children, though in the 80s.  Kept wearing my thumbs out trying to keep up with them.  Puzzle games, RPG, shooters and "Mario"....and "Link" (of course)   "Solstice" and games like it were a favorite of mine.

I had been reading about computer games in the late 80s.  My first computer game introduction was D&D's "Pools of Radiance" on a friend's 286 in 1992.  Then Castle Wolfenstein and DOOM introduced me to FPS.  In 1995, we finally got our first PC (a PacBell P 90) and played  Heretic and Hexen.  A year later, the Internet became available in my rural area and I started looking for older games I missed from the 80s but read about in the magazines.  Found a MUD with a Viking theme.  But do not remember its name anymore.....very different, I must say.

By 1997, I finally got a HP P 120 and was able to play Descent and Quake.  But only had a gig HD  to do anything with.   My computer was not good enough nor fast enough for many games coming out in 2000, though.  So kept with the Abandonware sites like "The Depot" (defunct) and "HoTU" for olders ones or played demos/shareware of new ones I could.  In February 2000, I learned of a Viking themed third person actioner by a new studio made up of former RavenStudios personnel.  Found the sanctioned fansite and joined.  Later was invited to become co Admin because of my interest in all things "Viking" as a history reenactor (and willing to be there at all hours of the night answering questions/helping out) Been Admin there for the past 8 years now.  While RUNE was still in development, I helped  Human Head with some aspects and am listed as "Historical Advisor" in the credits.  The game was released in October 2000 with a MP standalone, Rune: Halls of Valhalla, released the following year.

Although I keep my own game, RUNE on my computer (for obvious reasons) I play different other game genres as well.  But ever since I found PlaneScape: Torment years ago, I kept it on each of my computers as I upgraded (until just recently)    Both my children are now "twenty year olds" who game too, whether pc or console.  I finally have a computer that has everything I wish for as a long time gamer.  And keep up on what is being released for awhile.  

As a parent and gamesite admin,  I have my own views just how "awful Video gaming is"  according to certain journalists and politicians who use fear of the unknown for their own purposes.  

To me, gaming can be fun and a positive therapy.  Overall, it is has more positive than negative aspects.  It is a social avenue when other means are not always readily available.  It links you globally in a more immediate manner through MP, fansites, their forums and clans.  It allows you to make acquaintances/friends that can be quite close.   Artistically, it is way to let your imagination and skills grow if you mod, map or code.  If not, you can walk around in a "world" of another's making (although "Life" is the best game of all)   As an artist in other non computer mediums, I  appreciate all the hard work and applaud the efforts that have gone into these.

As a parent, it is good to know what kind of game your kids can handle.  True, not all games are suitable for all ages so a bit of supervision may be needed.  Games and gaming, like TV was accused of being when I was little,...cannot be a "babysitter".  But I have met several adults who game online and act far more immature than many younger players I have come to know within my own Runegame.com community and elsewhere.  

Ok enough of my soapbox.......thanks for listening.

Edited by Deepminded, 03 November 2008 - 05:22 AM.

[Yovaneth]

Okay - who mentioned Descent? You've just made me waste a whole two hours getting it to run again. I had to install a floppy drive in my wife's PC (mine won't support one), share the floppy on the network, then install DOSBox, mount the various drives and then install Descent ("what's that horrible clunking in my PC?", "shush - it's just the drive falling to pieces"). It took a while to configure DOSBox to get the sound working but I fell at the last hurdle - the game runs but won't recognise a joystick. My wife was really disappointed - I think she was looking forward to fragging me again....

-Y-

[irrha]

Hmm, must've been... Paperboy.

[Kellen]

Heh. I remember that one. Way back when.

[Epantiras]

Uhm, maybe my very first game was that weird 3d game shipped with Windows 95, I think it was called "Hover", you were on a hoovercraft and had to collect colored banners before the enemy hoovers did.

Edited by Epantiras, 04 May 2009 - 04:49 AM.

[Crow]

I can't really remember but I think the first game I ever palyed was some sort of Donkey Kong on My parents television

The first game I played on a PC was Homeworld

[Galan]

Tetris o_o and Zelda (Link's awakening, GB) Mario (6 Golden Coins, GB)
PC was Prince of Persia (i can still remember the theme uhm... sound? D: o_O) and some other dos games (Adventures of Dave? Hanse?)
My first "real" Game was Warcraft II, tho

[Vonburen]

Ultima 7

[Konalan]

First game ever? I don't remember but it was probably peek-a-boo . Seriously though, my first video game (that I can remember) was some DOS game where you mixed chemicals. Either that or one of the Phonics games.

[Solaufein]

Space Invaders and Pac Man. They came with the Atari 2600 my parents bought us kids for Christmas. First PC game was Diablo which I bought along with my first computer. I was going to get Duke Nukem also but didn't have enough money.