Gaming 20 Years Ago...How Would You Fare?

[jklinders]

First thing first. I would so so snap up a Sega Saturn and a couple of backup just in case the the first one broke. One of my bigger gaming regrets is getting rid of that old thing. Grab a bunch of classic games and break them out every few years after the thing dies out.


I would probably miss full voice over games. The first time I ran across a game that had full voice over I was in awe and I have not really lost my attraction to it.

I would also appreciate just how much effort that the devs have to put into maximizing their limited resources. This was before the infinity sliding scale of computational or hard drive space. Every chunk of resource mattered in making the very best game to the point where the good devs were like Korean Starcraft champions on resource management and the other devs were like...well me.

I think I would live without modern day flashy graphics though I know full well that 90s era graphics do not hold up well. But would miss the quality of the sound. Proper sound compression had not not been effected yet. So games with sophisticated sound were multi disk monstrosities.

Oh, I don't think this was part of your question but *shrug*, I never had a PC in the 90s so I had limited experience with old school dial up internet. I hate everything about it. Being billed by time rather than data, tying up a phone line, that fucking screeching sound the modem made and the speed, oh dear god above the speed. A turtle in molasses being pushed by an ant was faster than 56k internet.

 

[Nazulu]

Anyone who says that they wouldn't absolutely hate it is straight up lying or hasn't thought this through.

Of course, how could I be so ignorant.

Since I absolutely loved gaming back in the day and I still play classic games (and I haven't played them all either), I really won't have a problem at all when it comes to finding entertainment, plus my favourite MMO's would soon be released which I can enjoy all over again before they become watered down and stuffed with pay-to-win micro-transactions again.

What technology would I miss out on exactly? What could you possibly come up with that I couldn't live without? Mobile phones? Couldn't give a flying fuck. Facebook? No interest what so ever. Faster net? I would, but it was never something I really required (as an Aussie, I always had shit net).

And since this technology topic is a sub topic, I will say it would be a fact that we would all be excited to make some smart future investments. We would all take advantage of this situation, one way or another.

 

[Souther Thorn]

40 now, so....
I'd be just fine in gaming.
The rest of shit however, would be in for it.

 

[Odbarc]

1996, weren't we all playing Diablo 2?
Go back a little further with Super Nintendo and you'll recall a time in gaming where Load Screens were almost non-existent save for the dumb logos.
No. Load. Screens. Do you know how boring it is to see those dumb things pop-up ALL THE TIME? Still! Starcraft 1 only had the 10 second countdown and then the game started.

I wish there were some triple-A sprite based games like back in the day. Not because sprites are awesome (they are) but because the load times were so minimal. It's not even the point that "get a good computer" -- that can help, but there's really no good solution. Games still feel short or full of busywork to extend a games lifespan. Most games attempted to get around that with sandbox arenas with ambient quests that act like content with long travel time between main content.

It's worse when you play a competitive game and you have to wait as long as the guy with the slowest computer. (15 minutes was the worst wait I've had for League of Legends. The length of an entire short game doing nothing.) Worse if you add in the wait time to fill a lobby.

 

[SKBPinkie]

Anyone who says that they wouldn't absolutely hate it is straight up lying or hasn't thought this through.

Of course, how could I be so ignorant.

Since I absolutely loved gaming back in the day and I still play classic games (and I haven't played them all either), I really won't have a problem at all when it comes to finding entertainment, plus my favourite MMO's would soon be released which I can enjoy all over again before they become watered down and stuffed with pay-to-win micro-transactions again.

What technology would I miss out on exactly? What could you possibly come up with that I couldn't live without? Mobile phones? Couldn't give a flying fuck. Facebook? No interest what so ever. Faster net? I would, but it was never something I really required (as an Aussie, I always had shit net).

And since this technology topic is a sub topic, I will say it would be a fact that we would all be excited to make some smart future investments. We would all take advantage of this situation, one way or another.

Again, you can still play those games now.

You'd be losing a lot more than just gadgets like phones. You'd also lose out on every aspect of technology that makes life easier and faster. Sites to search for a job, sites to find the nearest spot of interest, Google (huge one here), and again - I've not even talked about the truly life-and-death changes made in medicine (you'd especially need this cause you'll be a lot older when you go back 20 years at the same age you're at now).

Literally none of these are worth "mah vidja games".

So like I said, you'd have to be lying or not thought this through to think it's a good idea.

 

[Nazulu]

Anyone who says that they wouldn't absolutely hate it is straight up lying or hasn't thought this through.

Of course, how could I be so ignorant.

Since I absolutely loved gaming back in the day and I still play classic games (and I haven't played them all either), I really won't have a problem at all when it comes to finding entertainment, plus my favourite MMO's would soon be released which I can enjoy all over again before they become watered down and stuffed with pay-to-win micro-transactions again.

What technology would I miss out on exactly? What could you possibly come up with that I couldn't live without? Mobile phones? Couldn't give a flying fuck. Facebook? No interest what so ever. Faster net? I would, but it was never something I really required (as an Aussie, I always had shit net).

And since this technology topic is a sub topic, I will say it would be a fact that we would all be excited to make some smart future investments. We would all take advantage of this situation, one way or another.

Again, you can still play those games now.

You'd be losing a lot more than just gadgets like phones. You'd also lose out on every aspect of technology that makes life easier and faster. Sites to search for a job, sites to find the nearest spot of interest, Google (huge one here), and again - I've not even talked about the truly life-and-death changes made in medicine (you'd especially need this cause you'll be a lot older when you go back 20 years at the same age you're at now).

Literally none of these are worth "mah vidja games".

So like I said, you'd have to be lying or not thought this through to think it's a good idea.

No, you've missed where I said I didn't need any of that (list more than that), and finding work where I am wasn't even a hassle for me ever. And I think I'll survive just fine when it comes to medicine since I have nothing to worry about, including my whole family has survived 'the old ways' for so long, so I'm not the least bit concerned for my health at this point.

Then somehow you made the assumption that I'd choose to go back when I never said anything like it.

 

[Stewie Plisken]

I'm old enough to remember those days, but presumably you mean get zapped back in time with your own income and in control of your life (i.e. not a kid/teenager relied on allowance and viewing these things just as glorified toys).

So, in '96 I probably wouldn't fare well at all. I just wouldn't really care all that much, at least in terms of console gaming. Perhaps 2-3 years later, when MGS and Silent Hill came out, my tune would change, but short of switching to PC gaming at the time, I probably just wouldn't care about gaming as much as I do now. It was too basic, a template for the most part, of things to come. They'd be fun time-killers, but nothing that would engage me emotionally and mentally.

Again, unless we're talking PC gaming. The modding alone would change my tune in that case.

 

[SKBPinkie]

Anyone who says that they wouldn't absolutely hate it is straight up lying or hasn't thought this through.

Of course, how could I be so ignorant.

Since I absolutely loved gaming back in the day and I still play classic games (and I haven't played them all either), I really won't have a problem at all when it comes to finding entertainment, plus my favourite MMO's would soon be released which I can enjoy all over again before they become watered down and stuffed with pay-to-win micro-transactions again.

What technology would I miss out on exactly? What could you possibly come up with that I couldn't live without? Mobile phones? Couldn't give a flying fuck. Facebook? No interest what so ever. Faster net? I would, but it was never something I really required (as an Aussie, I always had shit net).

And since this technology topic is a sub topic, I will say it would be a fact that we would all be excited to make some smart future investments. We would all take advantage of this situation, one way or another.

Again, you can still play those games now.

You'd be losing a lot more than just gadgets like phones. You'd also lose out on every aspect of technology that makes life easier and faster. Sites to search for a job, sites to find the nearest spot of interest, Google (huge one here), and again - I've not even talked about the truly life-and-death changes made in medicine (you'd especially need this cause you'll be a lot older when you go back 20 years at the same age you're at now).

Literally none of these are worth "mah vidja games".

So like I said, you'd have to be lying or not thought this through to think it's a good idea.

No, you've missed where I said I didn't need any of that (list more than that), and finding work where I am wasn't even a hassle for me ever. And I think I'll survive just fine when it comes to medicine since I have nothing to worry about, including my whole family has survived 'the old ways' for so long, so I'm not the least bit concerned for my health at this point.

Then somehow you made the assumption that I'd choose to go back when I never said anything like it.

You'd really choose worse healthcare and no Google just for some video games? And to reiterate a third time - you can still play those games today. Being serious here; if you do care about those games that much, then that's well within your rights to choose that option.

But that makes absolutely no sense to me. And I don't mean any disrespect by that. That's also just my opinion on the matter.

 

[Nazulu]

Anyone who says that they wouldn't absolutely hate it is straight up lying or hasn't thought this through.

Of course, how could I be so ignorant.

Since I absolutely loved gaming back in the day and I still play classic games (and I haven't played them all either), I really won't have a problem at all when it comes to finding entertainment, plus my favourite MMO's would soon be released which I can enjoy all over again before they become watered down and stuffed with pay-to-win micro-transactions again.

What technology would I miss out on exactly? What could you possibly come up with that I couldn't live without? Mobile phones? Couldn't give a flying fuck. Facebook? No interest what so ever. Faster net? I would, but it was never something I really required (as an Aussie, I always had shit net).

And since this technology topic is a sub topic, I will say it would be a fact that we would all be excited to make some smart future investments. We would all take advantage of this situation, one way or another.

Again, you can still play those games now.

You'd be losing a lot more than just gadgets like phones. You'd also lose out on every aspect of technology that makes life easier and faster. Sites to search for a job, sites to find the nearest spot of interest, Google (huge one here), and again - I've not even talked about the truly life-and-death changes made in medicine (you'd especially need this cause you'll be a lot older when you go back 20 years at the same age you're at now).

Literally none of these are worth "mah vidja games".

So like I said, you'd have to be lying or not thought this through to think it's a good idea.

No, you've missed where I said I didn't need any of that (list more than that), and finding work where I am wasn't even a hassle for me ever. And I think I'll survive just fine when it comes to medicine since I have nothing to worry about, including my whole family has survived 'the old ways' for so long, so I'm not the least bit concerned for my health at this point.

Then somehow you made the assumption that I'd choose to go back when I never said anything like it.

You'd really choose worse healthcare and no Google just for some video games? And to reiterate a third time - you can still play those games today. Being serious here; if you do care about those games that much, then that's well within your rights to choose that option.

But that makes absolutely no sense to me. And I don't mean any disrespect by that. That's also just my opinion on the matter.

You are making that assumption that I would choose to go back again. I never said I'd choose that. The whole thread is about if we were suddenly back in time 20 years, how would you fare? It's not about choice.

However, if you want to know if I'd choose to go back. I'm not 100% sure. I most likely would to make a shit ton of money. If you are wondering if I'd just go back for the entertainment though, then no, I wouldn't.

 

[Gorrath]

1996? I'd still have great PC games and a gameboy with Pokemon so I'd be good. I would perhaps miss some of the new game types that have been added over the years but over all, I very much enjoyed gaming in the mid 90s. I don't buy into the "games were better back then!" arguments though, and I've been playing video games since things like the intellivision. Much like music and movies, previous eras become romanticized. There were crap tons of shovelware an all sorts of systems and far more games were mediocre or flat out crap rather than good. The idea that previous eras did it better relies on a selective memory of the best of those eras and nostalgia.

So all in all, yeah, there would be a LOT to play and have fun with but there are lots of games I would miss too. Not so much because of graphics but because we'd lose the best games of whole genres.

 

[Lightknight]

Gotta be honest, I think I'd be comforted sufficiently by all that money I'd be making from investments.

I could not in good conscience devote my energies to pushing the games industry despite how much I love it. I'd have to push my endeavors towards immunotherapies for cancer and disease, furthering science by mentioning advances in things like quantum mechanics, developing life straw technology earlier as well as preventing world disasters. Even the knowledge of cheap carbon nanotube manufacture back in the 90's should be immensely useful now.

If I had time for a hobby then sure, but you've got to understand that the incremental improvements in hardware has made access to gaming and computers affordable. If I managed to create a computer like the one I'm typing on today back in 1996 then it would still take half a decade before it became affordable for consumers if even that let alone the rebuilding of the development studios. Only then could gaming start to catch up and anything I would be doing is just recreating good games I'd already played but to what end? Not my enjoyment, I'd already played them.