When did you become a gamer?

I'm curious about the average starting-era of the legacy community on gamespot so I started this simple poll:

Please tell what computer/console you started with in the comments.

I started somewhere in 1983 with a C64.

I started around 1990 playing a NES.

I started at 1999 with the PS1.

I played games through the 90s,but didn't own a console till the early 2000s.(my early teens).

Around '84 with the Atari. But gaming didn't become more of a steady hobby for me until I got my NES in '87.

First game you ever played or first game you played that made you a gamer?

If the latter, Pokemon Gold on the GBC. I wasn't allowed to have video games until I was almost in middle school xD. Catching up took me a while.

First game you ever played or first game you played that made you a gamer?

If the latter, Pokemon Gold on the GBC. I wasn't allowed to have video games until I was almost in middle school xD. Catching up took me a while.

Fusionmix

Whenever you consider yourself a gamer is totally up to you, anything goes.

First game you ever played or first game you played that made you a gamer?

If the latter, Pokemon Gold on the GBC. I wasn't allowed to have video games until I was almost in middle school xD. Catching up took me a while.

Fusionmix

Wow. I was exactly the same, except I played Gold in Elementary School. My first time playing was around 1998, but I didn't really become a gamer until 2000.

I began right around 2001 when I got my GBA. That's when I began serious gaming. However many of my favorite games are from before that time period.

1980 with the Atari 2600 (first couple of games played: Space Invaders, Breakout, Combat, and Warlords).

Probably like 1989. I used to play on my dad's Intellivision and my cousin's NES until I finally got my SEGA Genesis in June of '93. Watching all the SEGA commericals and Sonic cartoons, and playing the games at Toys"R"US had me brainwashed into a SEGA drone much earlier though. :P

In 1993 with the NES. I got it with about 18 games from a family member, and have been gaming since. First game was probably SMB, although the game I enjoyed most on the NES was StarTropics.

I played games on my older sister's Atari 2600, but not for long. I wouldn't really call myself a "gamer" back then. When I really became a gamer is the first time I played Super Mario Bros. on the NES. I was probably 6 years old. I'm turning 29 this June. So I've been a gamer now for about 23 years.

My earliest memory is of me playing some Super Mario Bros in my aunt's basement. I just remember running into the goomba because I didn't know how to jump. I was either 2 or 3, so 1994 or 1995, all I remember are images, no sounds. Since then, I've been gaming away my whole life.

idk. i was born in 1990. wasnt till around 6 years old when i actually kinda understood games. first console i played was the SNES.

though it wasnt until i played the N64 that i truly got into gaming. i think we got our N64 in 1998 or so. i played the s*** out of my N64.

so i guess around 1998 is when i became a gamer.

Around 1992 with a NES

I started playing video games when I was 5 back in 1992, but I didn't get really into video games until about 1997 and the glory days of the N64.

Early 80s with the Atari 2600 and an IBM PCJr a bit later.

Atari Lynx

Atari 7800

NES

Genesis

PS1

Neo Geo CDZ

Dreamcast

PS2

etc

-Byshop

sometime when I was 3 years old, in 1992, I may have played games before that, but if I did I wouldn't have understood them much.

The N.E.S. in 1987.

Around '88/'89 with the Atari 2600 and my favorite game at the time was Centipede, you couldn't get me off the thing.

Around 2004.. Well apparently I'm still a noob :P

The results come in faster than I expected. Thanks guys!

I started with a lil game called frog bog on the Intellivision.

I think I got my NES in 1987 or so. Seems about right. I played video games my whole life but didn't really think of myself as a gamer until I was an adult. Basically every single person I knew up through high school played video games so being a gamer didn't really seperate you from everyone else. All adults do too now but most don't really think about it, playing something here or there to pass the time. I actively seek out and use time for playing video games, which is why I now consider myself to be a gamer.

Around 95 is probably when I could first qualify as a "gamer".

Around 95 is probably when I could first qualify as a "gamer".

Pixel-Perfect

How old were you and what were the games you played that era?

[QUOTE="Pixel-Perfect"]

Around 95 is probably when I could first qualify as a "gamer".

GreekGameManiac

How old were you and what were the games you played that era?

I was around six years old at the time. :) The first games I played were Mario Bros. 1 & 3. The first games I owned were Super Mario Land 2, Super Mario All Stars, and Pokemon Blue version. SNES was my first console, I played the GB games on the Super Game Boy that came with it. :P

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

[QUOTE="Pixel-Perfect"]

Around 95 is probably when I could first qualify as a "gamer".

Pixel-Perfect

How old were you and what were the games you played that era?

I was around six years old at the time. :) The first games I played were Mario Bros. 1 & 3. The first games I owned were Super Mario Land 2, Super Mario All Stars, and Pokemon Blue version. SNES was my first console, I played the GB games on the Super Game Boy that came with it. :P

Wow, you started nearly a decade after I did. Yet you started out on one of the same games I did, Super Mario Bros. And we're both still gamers today. That's got to say something for Super Mario Bros.

[QUOTE="Pixel-Perfect"]

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

How old were you and what were the games you played that era?

Emerald_Warrior

I was around six years old at the time. :) The first games I played were Mario Bros. 1 & 3. The first games I owned were Super Mario Land 2, Super Mario All Stars, and Pokemon Blue version. SNES was my first console, I played the GB games on the Super Game Boy that came with it. :P

Wow, you started nearly a decade after I did. Yet you started out on one of the same games I did, Super Mario Bros. And we're both still gamers today. That's got to say something for Super Mario Bros.

Mario is timeless, I still play them all the time. :D

[QUOTE="Pixel-Perfect"]

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

How old were you and what were the games you played that era?

Emerald_Warrior

I was around six years old at the time. :) The first games I played were Mario Bros. 1 & 3. The first games I owned were Super Mario Land 2, Super Mario All Stars, and Pokemon Blue version. SNES was my first console, I played the GB games on the Super Game Boy that came with it. :P

Wow, you started nearly a decade after I did. Yet you started out on one of the same games I did, Super Mario Bros. And we're both still gamers today. That's got to say something for Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros is an absolute classic which will be played decades after its release. I like to think of legacy games the same way as music. We still listen to all those great classics from the 60's up to the 80's and some people think this is because the music was way better in their nostalgic days. But it could also be that we just forgot about all the crap that has been released and we stick with the classics. Either way, Mario was grade A stuff back then and still is...

I was born with a snes controller in hand...because I share the same date the SNES got released onto the United States. :P

I suppose 1995 is when I really started because then is when I owned a SNES which is my first console.

Started gaming when I got my first console. That being 1982, when I was 4 yrs old.

94 I think? started with Killer Instinct

I remember playing a Colecovision back when it came out, suppose that's pretty early.Allicrombie

That's pretty rare I think. I've heard of Colecovision (released in 1982), but I don't think I've ever seen one in real life. Awesome! Do you still have it? And if so, does it still work?

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

[QUOTE="Pixel-Perfect"]

Around 95 is probably when I could first qualify as a "gamer".

Pixel-Perfect

How old were you and what were the games you played that era?

I was around six years old at the time. :) The first games I played were Mario Bros. 1 & 3. The first games I owned were Super Mario Land 2, Super Mario All Stars, and Pokemon Blue version. SNES was my first console, I played the GB games on the Super Game Boy that came with it. :P

Lol,you're just two years older than me.

I started with Super Nintendo too!

[QUOTE="Allicrombie"]I remember playing a Colecovision back when it came out, suppose that's pretty early.geitenvla

That's pretty rare I think. I've heard of Colecovision (released in 1982), but I don't think I've ever seen one in real life. Awesome! Do you still have it? And if so, does it still work?

Atari 2600 is definetly more common from that era. But Colecovision really isn't rare. The Sega SG-1000 or Magnavox Odyssey 2 are more rare from that era.

[QUOTE="geitenvla"]

[QUOTE="Allicrombie"]I remember playing a Colecovision back when it came out, suppose that's pretty early.Emerald_Warrior

That's pretty rare I think. I've heard of Colecovision (released in 1982), but I don't think I've ever seen one in real life. Awesome! Do you still have it? And if so, does it still work?

Atari 2600 is definetly more common from that era. But Colecovision really isn't rare. The Sega SG-1000 or Magnavox Odyssey 2 are more rare from that era.

I live in Holland, maybe that matters? None of my friends had one so I've never played on one; perhaps I've seen a couple on flee markets, but I think that's it. I just checked the Dutch e-bay (marktplaats) but there isn't even one living soul out there offering the thing. I've seen Spectrum's, Atari's, Commodore's, P2000 etc. but never a Colecovision - I only know it exists.

I live in Holland, maybe that matters? None of my friends had one so I've never played on one; perhaps I've seen a couple on flee markets, but I think that's it. I just checked the Dutch e-bay (marktplaats) but there isn't even one living soul out there offering the thing. I've seen Spectrum's, Atari's, Commodore's, P2000 etc. but never a Colecovision - I only know it exists.

geitenvla

Yeah, that aboslutely would make a difference. In the US the most common home system up until the mid 80s was an Atari of some sort. Colecovision being probably the second most common and then the others coming after that. However in other countries it varies by country. Amiga PCs were fairly uncommon in the US but there were big in parts of Europe.

-Byshop

July 1999- First games I've played were Sonic 1 and Streets of Rage

[QUOTE="geitenvla"]

I live in Holland, maybe that matters? None of my friends had one so I've never played on one; perhaps I've seen a couple on flee markets, but I think that's it. I just checked the Dutch e-bay (marktplaats) but there isn't even one living soul out there offering the thing. I've seen Spectrum's, Atari's, Commodore's, P2000 etc. but never a Colecovision - I only know it exists.

Byshop

Yeah, that aboslutely would make a difference. In the US the most common home system up until the mid 80s was an Atari of some sort. Colecovision being probably the second most common and then the others coming after that. However in other countries it varies by country. Amiga PCs were fairly uncommon in the US but there were big in parts of Europe.

-Byshop

Atari 2600 and after that the ST were pretty common in Holland, but I think the mainstream had to be NES and Commodore 64 (at least among my friends). Amiga was the big follow up to the C64 although I believe it was less popular than its predecessor. I remeber competitive discussions with my friends about Amiga compared to 286 and 386 (which I easily won). By then the console market was already taken over by Ninentendo and Playstation. I guess Colecovision was never able to get a foothold on the Dutch market. I'd buy one if I ever get the chance, as if it were only to have a rare item to my little museum.

1994. I started with the Game Boy at the age of four.

1998 with a PC but played a lot of games prior.