On Family Gaming Past Present and Future

blacklily8 writes "Armchair Arcade has just released the fifth issue of its retrogaming magazine." It features an involved look at Family Gaming, reaching from the past into the present and out into the future. From the Article: "Videogames haven't always been so exquisitely classifiable into nice, neat marketing niches, nor have so many of them been marketed exclusively at those lucky enough to own a penis. Indeed, as most of us know who grew up in the late 70s and early 80s, when videogames first appeared on the scene, we gamers had to wait our turn--and yes, sometimes grandma stole an extra one."

Comments

Don't want to meet your relatives

[AtariAmarok]

" at those lucky enough to own a penis. Indeed, as most of us know who grew up in the late 70s and early 80s,yes, sometimes grandma stole an extra one." Odd family there.

She owns it, that's for sure

[Anonymous Coward]

many of them been marketed exclusively at those lucky enough to own a penis

My wife will be happy to know she's in the target market.

Ah, memories!

[CodeWanker]

I remember the first time I heard my (then future) wife swear. I mean, she's nicer than nice. No Damns, no Hells, nothing. Then I loaded up a ROM of Dig Dug and we were playing it (her favorite game of all time.) It was her turn and she's great at it, so I would settle in on the futon and read bewtween turns. I had just got my magazine open when I heard a voice out of the Exorcist say, "FUCK!!!!!!!" That's when I knew I had to make her mine.

My family and video games

[chia_monkey]

For starters, I'm 32 right now. My family seems pretty addicted to games though. I remember our first Atari 2600. My mom, dad, and I would stay up all night playing "Yar's Revenge". Other games we'd play off and on included "Defender" and "Pitfall".

Then came Intellivision. Ohhhh...that was fun. I do remember playing "Burgertime" a lot with my parents, but to be honest I don't recall much else. My grandmother however was a "Burgertime" junkie. Good lord, she'd play that even more than me. I loved going to her house...she had Intellivision in her room, Atari 5200 (with the trackball! Ohhhh, how Ioved "Centipede") in another room, and Colecovision in the family room. My friends and I would play "Smurfs" (I know, it sounds cheesy but it was a fun game) and "Donkey Kong" a lot on that.

Then came Nintendo. Again, my grandmother was on the cutting edge and got it first. I played all sorts of games there with her. My parents didn't seem to get into Nintendo as much. I don't know if it was because they didn't like it or because at the time they had just started a new business.

Now however, my parents beat the absolute crap out of me. I've got the PS2 which unfortunately I don't get to play much (I have two companies I'm trying to run currently) and they've got their XBox. "Halo" junkies I tell ya. Every single night. When I call them and ask "what are you doing?", the reply is generally "blowing shit up". Every time I visit, that's part of our bonding experience.

Yes, video games have actually played quite a role in our family. We were one of the odd families that actually played games TOGETHER as opposed to me shutting myself off from friends, family, society and immersing myself in the games.