Nowadays, there are all sorts of ways to play video games. There are different consoles, handheld systems, mobile apps, and even interactive games to stream on TV. I was born in the late 80s, so we didn’t have all the next-gen gaming experiences that are available today. On the plus side, I got to witness the evolution of gaming technology firsthand while growing up. If you don’t realize how far gaming tech has come, sit back as I tell you about my life as a gamer. Being a gamer has had a major influence on my life and my journey through gaming shows just how much the industry and the experience itself have changed over the years. Sit back, enjoy, and see just how far gaming has come.
My Early Life as a Gamer
Back when I was a kid, most video gaming tech was still fairly new to the U.S. What we had back then is what the gamers of today consider the classics. Back then, video arcades were still commonplace in many towns. I don’t remember what my very first game was, but almost everyone in my family had an original Game Boy. I used to love playing so many different games on that thing, and pretty much everyone in the family, especially my mom, loved Tetris.
When I wanted to play something other than a Game Boy, my brother liked playing on the Sega Genesis. I can’t tell you how many times we played the first Sonic games together on that system. We didn’t have many game systems at the time, but sometimes when we went to visit our friends a few streets over, we all enjoyed playing their classic Nintendo console. Those were the days. One downside to those classic games is that back then, there was no way to save progress, or if there was, I didn’t know about it.
Games Start to evolve
Over time, gaming systems began to improve. Game Boy systems started to come with color, of all things, and soon Sega developed the portable Game Gear. There were other systems, of course, but those were the main ones I had. Regardless of the format, I always enjoyed coming home after school and playing a few games after homework.
In the mid to late 90s, I began to notice that game graphics were improving along with the systems themselves. By the time the second Pokémon series came out, I noticed animations were becoming more fluid and smoother. Pretty soon, classic game systems began to evolve and gave rise to new formats like the Game Boy Advance. I got even more into gaming one Christmas when I got a Nintendo 64 as a gift. With all the new graphics and ways to save progress, I went through a lot of different games on the N64.
Further Gaming Evolution
As with all trends, certain gaming systems begin to fade out over time. And by fade out, I mean newer and more advanced kinds of systems are developed, making what came before seem almost obsolete. After my time with the N64 came the Nintendo GameCube. That console was more compact than earlier models, making it much easier to pack for trips. The GameCube was also the system that brought me from game cartridges to discs. GameCube games were actually miniature discs, much smaller than the ones for modern consoles.
The Game Boy also received new upgrades in the form of the Nintendo DS. Once again, the graphics and environments presented in the games were more advanced than what had come before. Systems like PlayStation and Xbox were also becoming popular, bringing with them the age of high-definition in gaming. I didn’t own those systems at the time, but I was well aware of what they brought to the world of gaming.
Gaming in the New Millennium
Even after the year 2000 came, I still enjoyed gaming. By that time, the internet was an everyday convenience all over the world, unlike back in the 90s. As the net continues to grow, so does the variety of content available on it, including gaming software. I don’t remember the exact years, but online games remain popular to this day. When someone isn’t writing emails or researching something online, they’re likely playing a massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) or a popular online game like Call of Duty. At one point, I also got into MMORPG for a few months.
Aside from the internet, game consoles continued to evolve. The Nintendo DS eventually evolved into the 3DS, bringing 3D graphics to handheld gaming. In 2006, I received one of the latest gaming systems of the time, the Xbox 360. The 360 is one of the best systems I’ve ever played. It was with the 360 that I learned gaming could now connect to the internet. Gaming had truly evolved to the next level. Games continued to progress with the Nintendo Switch, where certain game data could be transferred between handheld play and consoles connected to the TV.
Recent Years of Gaming
In recent years, I’ve caught up a little with the newer gaming crazes. As much as I enjoy my older systems, you need to keep up with the times if you want to keep gaming, and sometimes that means updating your consoles or downloading new software. After I got my first smartphone in college, I started trying out several gaming apps, some of which I still play today. One of the first was Angry Birds and my dad got into it too for a while. When Pokémon Go came out, it gave me a good reason to get up and take a walk around town.
Several years ago, I upgraded my Xbox 360 to an Xbox One. With the newer system came access to many more features online. Modern consoles offer more than just games. They can access the internet, play video discs, use Netflix, the list goes on. You can have an entire entertainment center in one gaming console.
Gaming With Family
Of course, I’m not the only gamer in my family. As I mentioned earlier, my brother and I played a lot when we were kids, sometimes together, sometimes separately. These days, the other gamers in the family are my brother’s kids. They were born in 2012 and 2016, so they’ve basically grown up around the convenience of modern gaming.
My nephew has always enjoyed playing games with me on my phone, and after the Nintendo Switch came out, we enjoyed learning its different features together. When he finally got his own Switch a few years ago, he was literally jumping off the ground with excitement. Aside from that, he also loves playing the Xbox he got a few years earlier. Every year on his birthday, I get him the latest version of Madden NFL, and he’s come to expect it.
My nephew and niece also grew up on tablet games. My nephew may have moved up to other systems, but my niece is still into hers and is always showing me new games. My brother tells me that sometimes, his whole family gets together and plays Mario Kart. Who knew gaming could bring a family closer together?
Gaming Today
Nowadays, I don’t game as much as I used to. I still do it, just in lighter amounts. Usually, I like to go into town in the afternoon to see what’s happening and play some Pokémon Go. Later on, usually after dinner, I relax a bit with my phone and play another app I’ve got.
I’ve still got my Switch and Xbox One upstairs. I don’t use them as much these days; it usually depends on whether I’ve got something awesome to play. Rather than just buying a game disc or cartridge, it’s now possible to digitally buy and download game software, and I’ve been doing that a bit lately.
There’s also a website or two that lets me play my favorite card game online against other people. And it’s really great. Who knows what the future of gaming holds? For all we know, they may build one that lets you defy gravity.