How Did You Become a Gamer?

[Someone Depressing]

Imagine, a young child with a drug-using mess of a dad, a pregnant, 15-year-old sister, and a mother who has a mental breakdown every other day.

It was pretty inevitable that I'd try to find some kind of escapism.

 

[Zeraki]

I had a Commodore 64 when I was little, but I never used the thing much because I didn't know how to type in the commands to load the games. I didn't start to become a gamer until about 1991-92 when the SNES came out(I was about 6). First game I had for the SNES was Super Mario World, because that's what came bundled with the console. It was a fun game and built up my limited understanding of how video games worked.

Then I got Mega Man X... this was the game that completely indoctrinated me into the hobby. Up until Mega Man X I had only really played Mario, so it was definitely a huge difference in what I was used to. At first I thought you had to jump on enemies like in Super Mario World, but when I took damage I started experimenting. The intro stage of Mega Man X does such a great job of teaching you the mechanics and rules of the game,

Spoiler: but that has already been explained in depth by others.

 

[Rad Party God]

I honestly don't remember wich one was my first videogame, but I do remember my family already had a NES and an Atari 2600 and I played them now and then, also my dad had a Commodore Amiga, until my parents bought a SNES to my sister for achieving high grades in elementary and well, the SNES practically became mine over time

 

[Sarah Kerrigan]

1. How did you become a gamer?-When I was younger, I had problems with my legs and had to wear casts, so I couldn't really go outside in the snow a lot, and for christmas, my uncles got a playstation and a few games. My parents only lived, like, a few minutes away so I was always over hanging with them. So they taught me how to play Playstation and a few games. Funny thing is, my uncle now asks why I'm so addicted to gaming and always forgets it was there fault

2. What was the first game that you owned?-System was Playstation and game was Spyro the Dragon. Hell, I still go back to play that sometimes.

 

[Tanis]

1. How did you become a gamer?
My father was a single parent with two jobs and need something to entertain me because he rarely could.
-I also had lots of better off cousins who gave them their 'old stuff'.

2. What was the first game that you owned?
My cousin game me his NES with ALL the classics (Mario, Zelda, Star Wars, Contra, etc).

First game I ever BOUGHT, with my own money, was probably Chrono Cross.

 

[Snotnarok]

First game device I owned was the Genesis where my library of games went from good to amazing with Sega Channel, a download service for the Genesis. Yes, you downloaded games to play on your Genesis.
Got a Game Gear and would play that when out and about, things like Sonic and NBA Jam.

This is what always amuses me because many seem to get into some kind of nostalgia based brand loyalty, which I didn't follow suit with because right after the Genesis I jumped on to the PSOne, got a 64 late into that gen to play Conkers Bad Fur Day.

From there other devices from PC, Xbox, GCN, Wii, PS2, PS3, 360, GBA, PSP, PSV, 3DS.

 

[COMaestro]

My first system was an Atari 2600, but I was so little when I started playing I have no idea what the first game was. I know I had Pac Man, Centipede, Asteroids, most of the old arcade classics. There was also a Smurfs game that I enjoyed playing for it. Had the Atari until I won a NES in a school raffle in 4th grade. Started playing pen and paper RPG's with some friends in 6th grade. Got my first PC for my first year of high school and started gaming on it as well. Everything just kept advancing, so now I play video games, board games, RPG's, card games, whatever. So in one form or another, I have pretty much always been a gamer. I just like gaming in all its varieties and I don't see that ever changing.

 

[J.McMillen]

While I had played video games (Atari 2600) before this, the thing that truly made me a gamer I got for Christmas 30 years ago. The red box Dungeons and Dragons set. That's what started my real gaming obsession. It led to not just other RPG's, but also miniatures, board games, and even some war games (Battletech, Warhammer).

 

[Evonisia]

My Dad was a gamer before I was even born, so I've always been a gamer to some extent. I used to play on his PC constantly at the age of 3, so I was mostly either playing crappy nerve wreckingly difficult 'cartoon' games or late 90's FPSs.

 

[ShinyCharizard]

My parents had a SNES that I played for hours on end as a child, twas my first gaming system and I still remember the games I played fondly.

My father had a collection of games, the one I truly owned for myself was The Lion King for it, I was a big fan of the movie (surprised the tape hasn't worn out, watched that thing constantly) and I wanted to play the game, the game was hard as balls, seriously, that game is one of the most challenging I have ever played, truly a hard platformer...

Oh man The Lion King.... That game was insane. Especially that level where you had to jump on all the animals heads (level 2 or 3 I believe). I'm still amazed that 6 year old me managed to beat it.

 

[Elvis Starburst]

Classic tale. Our family got an N64 when I was 5, and proceeded to play Star Fox 64 and Mario 64 with my older bro. I then started playing a lot more often than him, and I quickly became entranced by games. I'd almost constantly play them. Nothing too special to tell, but that's about it

Edit: I guess if I can spice this post up a bit... Our family actually never got anything that wasn't Nintendo until the previous console generation with me taking the helm and buying a 360. And promptly got bored with the options. I enjoyed the games I played, but it just didn't feel the same. Maybe that's why I still prefer Nintendo more often than not, and the games coming out for their platforms. Don't get me wrong though, I like the PS2 I have now, and I adore my Vita when I find a game to play on it

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

In terms of playing games:

I played True Crime Streets of LA, my 1st proper game.

In terms of community:

Yahtzee, which led to The Escapist, which led to the forums, which then led to the news.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

1. How did you become a gamer?
2. What was the first game that you owned?

1 - I've been playing games since I was two apparently but I had no idea what I was doing until about age 4 or so...possibly 3...I didn't really become a stereotypical gamer until about 18 when I moved in with Dad, got a job and, spent every off-hour gaming. I would still call myself a gamer even though I can't game nearly as much as I want to.

2 - Beats the Hell out of me...I had an NES that Dad let me use and I remember him buying Batman for it specifically for me during...I think Easter 1992 or, 93. I'm guessing those Sesame Street games were specifically mine too but I have no idea when they were purchased for me.

 

[Genocidicles]

My dad was a gamer (his favourite game being the Hobbit on the Commodore 64), and one day he went and borrowed my uncle's Playstation along with a couple of games to play with me when I was about 5 I think. I can't remember what all of them were, but the first game I played was this abomination:

But yeah, we ended up playing that piece of shit, as well as Crash Bandicoot late into the night, and I got hooked basically.

The first game I owned was Final Fantasy VII. My uncle just gave it to me because he found it boring. The first game I bought with my own money was Crash Bandicoot 3 I think.

 

[sanquin]

My first game ever was probably the first mario on the NES. Though I soon after got a gameboy on which I also got a mario game. My first PC game was Keen.

How I became a gamer...well I've always been one really. From age 6~7 I had my NES, and from there it just went up. When I got my first own PC I already started looking for how to upgrade it. And then when I got my first internet connection my gaming exploded. Especially with CS 1.6 and Ragnarok Online.

 

[Jaximus Decimus]

The first game I vividly remember playing is Last Ninja on my brother's Tandy. The first game I "owned" was Megaman. Getting into gaming wasn't even really a choice. My brothers were all much older than me and they played games all the time, so that's what I did as soon as I was old enough to pick up a controller. I still remember trying to land on that damn carrier in Top Gun.

 

[Malevolentcafe]

The first game I got was SpongeBob SquarePants: SuperSponge for the PS1. My dad got it for me.


It sucks.

 

[silasbufu]

Oh my god I can't remember!!!
Seriously, I'm 25 but you made me feel old.
But in my defense, my gaming "career" began really early and I played the shit out of everything.
My family was pretty poor and I did escape into video games and when I got my hands on one I was devouring it.
Now that my life is alot better, I still play them, not for escapism as much, but out of passion and entertainment.
From what comes to mind , as early games that had an impact I can specify Super Mario Bros. of course, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Resident Evil, Need for Speed, Tomb Raider, Duke Nukem, Diablo, Aladdin, Hercules, PoP and tons more.
Man...your topic took me down memory lane, thanks video games

I watched my Dad play Myst for a few days, then one day when he was at work, I tried it myself and scared myself to death.

I was three.

<______>

Also, this post made me spray my drink from my nose.

 

[Headsprouter]

GOD, your parents are really scared of something, aren't they, OP? Not only did you WORK for that console to purchase it with your own money (like a total boss, I might add, I admire the dedication at such a young age), they kept it from you until christmas (I wonder if they bought you anything themselves, or did that count as your Christmas gift?) and THEN they only allow you a pathetic hour of fun time on weekends!?

That just doesn't seem fair.

My first controller was whatever the European Sega Genesis was called. And my first game (which I was too young to comprehend how to play) was some Sonic game where I remember you could run forward. My first actual game that I played was on the Game Boy. It was either Metroid II, SuperMarioLand or Pokemon Red/Blue. Around that time I started playing PS1 games as well such as Spyro and Crash Bandicoot.

And the first console I owned was the Game Boy Colour, which I got for Christmas one year. Funny enough, the first non-handheld I owned was my Xbox 360, before then all I had played on was either my dad or brother's Xbox. I gave my Xbox to my little bro, seeing as now I have my lovely PC.

Looking back, I think I started off really well. But how exactly did it happen? My dad was a gamer! He still sort of is. So that passed down to my brother and then to me. Simple, really. If you wonder what my dad played, it was DOOM, Quake, Chasm and the like. He mentioned he had a pong console when he was a lot younger, too.

 

[lacktheknack]

I watched my Dad play Myst for a few days, then one day when he was at work, I tried it myself and scared myself to death.

I was three.

<______>

Also, this post made me spray my drink from my nose.

Putting the second blue page in the book made me spray other fluids from my nose in a crying fit. It was bad. I'm surprised I continued to play other games after the pure trauma that was Myst.