When did you start computer gaming?

Decade?


  • Total voters
    113

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,084
126
thing is, there'/s a very vague definition of what a "computer" was in those days. was my Intellivision a computer? it was sold as such.
So technically i was playing as early as 1979.
Otherwise first computer with keys and ram would have been a C64.
My friend's dad had an Apple IIc (i guess) where we played Dark Castle. I mean where HE played Dark Castle because i was totally incapable of aiming.
 
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BudAshes

Lifer
Jul 20, 2003
13,911
3,195
146
I remember starting with a poker game in DOS in the late 80's. I was probably about 6 years old.
 
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Nov 17, 2019
10,668
6,389
136
I did some Pong and later PacMan, then moved up to the big time of Solitaire and Minesweeper.

Then I realized how stupid it all was and haven't done any of them since.
 
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VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
Tomy Tutor (early Z80-based machine, took game carts too, like a TI99/4a), had an AWFUL chicklet keyboard. Spent several days writing my own Pac-Man clone for it, it was fun.

Too bad I didn't have the tape drive accessory, or even a printer. I had to hand-copy the BASIC program onto sheets of lined paper. Egads!
 

Hans Gruber

Platinum Member
Dec 23, 2006
2,092
1,065
136
Commodore 64 was my first computer. I had a 200 baud modem for it. Then an Apple LC II and then a 486. Started with an Atari 2600.
 
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whm1974

Diamond Member
Jul 24, 2016
9,460
1,570
96
Tomy Tutor (early Z80-based machine, took game carts too, like a TI99/4a), had an AWFUL chicklet keyboard. Spent several days writing my own Pac-Man clone for it, it was fun.

Too bad I didn't have the tape drive accessory, or even a printer. I had to hand-copy the BASIC program onto sheets of lined paper. Egads!
Actually the Tomy Tutor used the TMS 9995 CPU instead of the Z80.
 
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whm1974

Diamond Member
Jul 24, 2016
9,460
1,570
96
The first microcomputer I've own was the TI99/4A. After my mother and I moved in with my stepfather, I've used his Atari 800XL for gaming until he brought a Tandy 1000/TL2. I've own a PC since then.

Meanwhile, I highly desired the Atari ST past '85.
 
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BFG10K

Lifer
Aug 14, 2000
22,672
2,817
126
The first ever game I remember playing was some basic 3D tank game shooting white pixels across the screen on a console, 1989 I think.

After that: Sega Master System 2/Apple IIe, classic MacOS Macintosh all at the same time.
 
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IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,656
687
126
Meanwhile, I highly desired the Atari ST past '85.

The Jackintosh would’ve been DOA had Commodore released something like the Amiga 500 rather than the Amiga 1000 initially. I mean, the ST was an OK computer and had the Amiga not been released, it might have survived longer. After jumping out to a sales lead from 1985 to 1987, Atari was in huge trouble once the Amiga 500 and Amiga 2000 were released in 1987. The STe, Mega, and Falcon were desperate attempts to save the company and all failed. Commodore wasn’t far behind though - the ST died in 91 IIRC while Commodore went under in 94.

For my part, I went from VIC20–>Commodore 64–>Commodore 128–>Amiga 2000–>PC. I still have all of my original Commodore machines and even acquired an Amiga 3000 a few years ago. Unfortunately I don’t have space for them and have considered at least selling off the A3000, as I’d make much more on it than I paid.

Regardless of all of this history, the one thing computers had back then was personality - those were interesting days and each machine was interesting and quirky in its own ways and each had really cool games. Now, everything is boring and bland - commoditized products with reskinned rehashes masquerading as “new” games. Today’s gaming landscape is pretty depressing compared to the 80s and 90s. All of this talk makes me want to fire up Defender of the Crown on the Amiga.
 

JTsyo

Lifer
Nov 18, 2007
11,709
871
126
Back in elementary school they had SimCity on the computers in the computer lab. After we were done with our work we could play it until class was over. I was always in a rush to get to class to ensure I got the same computer so I could continue my city. The computers were some early Apples.
At home the first machine we got was an Intel 286. It was used and had a game called Bushido on it.
 

DeathReborn

Platinum Member
Oct 11, 2005
2,743
734
136
First PC was a BBC Micro complete with green screen probably around 1987/8, gaming was poor but classic games (Asteroid, Arkanoid etc) worked just fine. In 1986 I was on a Commodore 64, Atari 2600 & Atari ST followed a few years later by the ZX Spectrum 48K and learning to code. In the early 90's shareware was all the rage, my friends & I used to buy all the magazines and share the games, unlocking them to play longer etc.

I do miss the bumble bee cursor on the Atari ST though as @IndyColtsFan says, the systems back then were full of character and little foibles. My sister thought that the couloured lightshow from loading tapes was a disco and used to dance during it.
 

IndyColtsFan

Lifer
Sep 22, 2007
33,656
687
126
First PC was a BBC Micro complete with green screen probably around 1987/8, gaming was poor but classic games (Asteroid, Arkanoid etc) worked just fine. In 1986 I was on a Commodore 64, Atari 2600 & Atari ST followed a few years later by the ZX Spectrum 48K and learning to code. In the early 90's shareware was all the rage, my friends & I used to buy all the magazines and share the games, unlocking them to play longer etc.

I do miss the bumble bee cursor on the Atari ST though as @IndyColtsFan says, the systems back then were full of character and little foibles. My sister thought that the couloured lightshow from loading tapes was a disco and used to dance during it.

This guy is my hero (https://www.bytecellar.com):

panorama_2012.jpg
 

OCNewbie

Diamond Member
Jul 18, 2000
7,603
24
81
Got my own first PC in 1991-ish, but I had played friend's Amigas and Apples in the later 80s.
 

delonm

Member
Apr 10, 2011
45
2
71
C-64 and Silent Service. Then Amiga. Then x86.

This was my path as well, except instead of Silent Service it was Ultima III (hours and hours of Ultima...). I bought my C64 at Sears in 1984 as a bundle that included the computer, a 14" green screen monitor, and a floppy disk drive for $800. I later bought a 300 baud modem and got hooked on the BBS scene. First Amiga was the A500 with a 80MB "laptop" hard drive. I was completely blown away by the Amiga. I used to drag it in to work and show everyone how it could do real multitasking (yeah, I was THAT guy). :)
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,255
403
126
Would've been the 90s for me. I had played games in the early 90s on Macs at school but it wasn't until I believe 5th grade (Christmas 1993), that we got our first computer. It was a 486SX 25Mhz or 33Mhz with like 4 MB RAM and 100 MB hard drive.

Played several games on that but I'm afraid I don't really remember what they were.
 

DigDog

Lifer
Jun 3, 2011
13,443
2,084
126
way before the internet (and walkthroughs) was a thing i kept playing SimCity because i believed the urban legend that if you played well enough then at some points the arcologies would lift off into space and you'd beat the game.
 

Zenoth

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2005
5,189
184
106
I bought my first PC in around summer 2001. It was second-hand, which I bought from a pawn shop (didn't know any better at the time for PC stuff). It was a pre-built system, with some crappy PCI card. The only thing I could change for that system was the graphics card, which I figured out how to do at some point (a few months later). So I went out to a local store (might have been Future Shop at the time), and I believe I bought the GeForce 4 MX440 SE.

The first game I actually bought brand new was SWAT 3. The problem was... the system couldn't run the game well, barely so. I took a 'break' away from it since I had just been hired at my then-full-time job so I went back to console gaming for a few extra months. I saved up some money, and sometime in (maybe) spring of 2002 I finally bought myself my first 'real' gaming PC, including self-chosen individual components to build it myself as well. I remember I had been reading a lot of 'how to' articles on the then just freshly-acquired Internet connection on the first PC, which was at least one of the few things that crappy pre-built system could withstand; and learning from all those articles helped me a lot, I still made some mistakes and had to restart assembling the pieces maybe 2 or 3 times but I did get it right after maybe 2 hours or so. I don't recall all of the components I got but it included a PC tower for a start (the previous one was very small) and none other than the Intel Pentium 4 (but I don't remember the actual model or its speed). At that point I had already bought Diablo II ahead of time in preparation, probably a week or maybe two prior to getting the new PC. It all truly 'started' with that Pentium 4 system along with Diablo II.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
82,854
17,365
136
Oh, the first thing I remember playing games on was one of those things with the tiny blue & white screen and the keyboard that attached to the front.
School had Apple II's, first in green, then in full color. We did Number Munchers and Odell Lake and Oregon Trail.
At home our first computer was an Empac Word Processor that could also handle text based games. I distinctly recall one called airport controller that had planes (usually X's) running all over the place and you had to direct them away from each other. One crash was instant lose.
I still remember the first time we got a sound card and could finally hear Wolfenstein 3D. It was glorious.
When I played Doom I was finished with consoles and didnt miss them.

The reason I asked and started a poll is I was curious about how many people remember what it was like to work on your computer all day just to get it functioning and playing one lousy game, and how much progress we've made since then.