When did video games get mainstream?

[QUOTE="Hate_Squad"]

[QUOTE="razgriz_101"]

its always been mainstream.......

lazerface216

no on the snes era and before it was the exact opposite

you are wrong, so so wrong. please...leave this topic to the people over 25. you know, the gamers who actually experienced gaming in the 90's...

here here im 21, im a young pup but i started playing sonic at bout 3, sure i sucked but i started gaming pretty early in my life xD i remember when my parents got the PS1 and i was so cheesed to get a hand me down megadrive i could only play at weekends.

Ahh those were the days hahahah.

Since the late 70s when it was the "golden age" of arcade gaming...

I guess it kinda always been -- but i don't think ppl really started taking video games seriously until the PS2 era.

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

Probably 6th gen,and a GREAT deal this gen,with the Wii and all,and the better graphics.

Yeah,this gen actually.

lazerface216

Kids?

I turned 25 a few months ago...

By "mainstream",the TC meant recognised and played by ppl outside the gaming community.

So while the PS era heped in that,this gen has been greater than ever.

Pls think before you post.

Since ATARI 2600, console gaming just exploded and became mainstream. Guys of all ages that never gamed before now gamed on ATARI. Thus became mainstream.

Since ATARI 2600, console gaming just exploded and became mainstream. Guys of all ages that never gamed before now gamed on ATARI. Thus became mainstream.

Lucianu

I agree. Many of us started out with the arcades when young. We started playing those same games on consoles like the Atari 2600. The games were judged on how close they were to their arcade counterparts.

We were already jaded by the time the PSX came along. Back then, consoles were already considered mainstream while computer games were more "underground" aka cooler.

In the 80s and early 90s, videogames were considered either kiddy (NES, SNES) or nerdy (Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, PC games). In USA the kiddy point of view dominated (Nintendo vs Sega - cartoonish protagonists, etc.) while in Europe the nerdy point o view was dominant (with games like Ultima, Wizardry, Dungeon Master, Ishar, etc. being extremely popular here).

Then the first Playstation came out and it offered the best of both worlds combined with back-then-amazing CGI thanks to the huge storage capacity of the CD media. It was adopted by both European and US general public as something high-tech (as oppossed to kiddy SNES or overcomplicated nerdy PC) with modern design and multimedia capacity.

So the first huge leap of gaming towards mainstream came with PS1. PS2 just about finished the job by combining its videogaming capabilities with DVD player.

In the 80s and early 90s, videogames were considered either kiddy (NES, SNES) or nerdy (Atari ST, ZX Spectrum, Amiga, PC games). In USA the kiddy point of view dominated (Nintendo vs Sega - cartoonish protagonists, etc.) while in Europe the nerdy point o view was dominant (with games like Ultima, Wizardry, Dungeon Master, Ishar, etc. being extremely popular here).

Then the first Playstation came out and it offered the best of both worlds combined with back-then-amazing CGI thanks to the huge storage capacity of the CD media. It was adopted by both European and US general public as something high-tech (as oppossed to kiddy SNES or overcomplicated nerdy PC) with modern design and multimedia capacity.

So the first huge leap of gaming towards mainstream came with PS1. PS2 just about finished the job by combining its videogaming capabilities with DVD player.

BlbecekBobecek

Nope. There were plenty of adults playing on consoles from the late 80's and early 90's onwards. Many were young adults just like now. The problem at the time was the lack of Internet access for the general public which made it seem video gaming wasn't that widespread. I was still single at the time. But, consoles were already all over the place. Every dorm I went to had loads of dorm rats who have consoles (and a growing number of PCs). Internet access for the public became readily available in 1995. I got my own dialup account the following year. Once the internet got going for the public, we started congregating with like-minded folks online such as here at GS.

Nes and Gameboy popularized the industry. Playstation turned it cooler.

[QUOTE="lazerface216"]

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

Probably 6th gen,and a GREAT deal this gen,with the Wii and all,and the better graphics.

Yeah,this gen actually.

GreekGameManiac

Kids?

I turned 25 a few months ago...

By "mainstream",the TC meant recognised and played by ppl outside the gaming community.

So while the PS era heped in that,this gen has been greater than ever.

Pls think before you post.

nah, gaming has been mainstream for decades. like i said my dad and his friends were playing NES and SNES when i was a kid. mario is a universal character that EVERYONE loves, not just the gaming community. gaming didn't go mainstream this gen......so you're wrong. pls think.

I'd say it became mainstream with the PS1 but the wave of poor casual focused games didn't explode until the PS2rilpas

the pc had been doing it for ages before the ps2....point and click adventures were huge on the platform.

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

[QUOTE="lazerface216"] lol sooo many little kids on this board. posts like this make me realize that...

lazerface216

Kids?

I turned 25 a few months ago...

By "mainstream",the TC meant recognised and played by ppl outside the gaming community.

So while the PS era heped in that,this gen has been greater than ever.

Pls think before you post.

nah, gaming has been mainstream for decades. like i said my dad and his friends were playing NES and SNES when i was a kid. mario is a universal character that EVERYONE loves, not just the gaming community. gaming didn't go mainstream this gen......so you're wrong. pls think.

My dad also played Prince of Persia and Dungeon Master when I was a kid, but most ppl probably didnt know or thought he was weird (no matter he knew a lot other guys with this hobby - that doesnt make it mainstream).

PSX/PS2 came, the Xbox buzzed heads and then the Wii, all the others are ripples one the waves

[QUOTE="lazerface216"]

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

Kids?

I turned 25 a few months ago...

By "mainstream",the TC meant recognised and played by ppl outside the gaming community.

So while the PS era heped in that,this gen has been greater than ever.

Pls think before you post.

BlbecekBobecek

nah, gaming has been mainstream for decades. like i said my dad and his friends were playing NES and SNES when i was a kid. mario is a universal character that EVERYONE loves, not just the gaming community. gaming didn't go mainstream this gen......so you're wrong. pls think.

My dad also played Prince of Persia and Dungeon Master when I was a kid, but most ppl probably didnt know or thought he was weird (no matter he knew a lot other guys with this hobby - that doesnt make it mainstream).

My dad was addicted to Tetris on Spectrum ZX. :P

I think Tetris was really the game for all ages.

Even to this day I wouldn't REALLY say it's mainstream.

Even so though, I'm not seeing how they're any less mainstream than they were before.

Almost entirely through out it's entire existence.vashkey

This

I'm surprised people haven't figured this out.

[QUOTE="vashkey"]Almost entirely through out it's entire existence.Ballroompirate

This

I'm surprised people haven't figured this out.

No doubt, with a buddhist sensibilty to it this is entirely true. But, moving from the atari/nintendo/sega kids craze to the more mature adience. That is PSX and the PS2 capitalizing on that success by expanding its audience. Put the original "cool" Xbox in the mix that said "yow, it's edgy to get that console in your house" deal and the ball is rolling. Playstation is not the stand alone hip brand, the mature masses can choose sides. Followed by this this gen to up the game, but wait what about the families, they want to enjoy games with their kids, BAM, Nintendo does what it does best, the Wii! There you go kids, mature, and family audience in the bank. God bless and such

The Wii and CoD (starting with 4)

I wish people would f*ck off my genre atari jaguar sold only 100,000 consoles and was one of first console to get a first person shooter besides 3do. Not all 100,000 people bought avp and doom on atari jaguar these people didnt care when the genre was new thats why they should f*ck off and stop ruining a genre i helped bring to console.checkoff

You helped making AvP and Doom on the Jag?

That's cool...

[QUOTE="checkoff"]I wish people would f*ck off my genre atari jaguar sold only 100,000 consoles and was one of first console to get a first person shooter besides 3do. Not all 100,000 people bought avp and doom on atari jaguar these people didnt care when the genre was new thats why they should f*ck off and stop ruining a genre i helped bring to console.nameless12345

You helped making AvP and Doom on the Jag?

That's cool...

When Sony decided to take the risk and target a new age demographic. It's not that videogames weren't popular before, but Sony, with each new system, has attempted to maintain the same> core audience as they grow older. The psx was for the teens, the ps2 was then marketed towards people in thier 20, and the ps3 tries to continue this with people around 30 who rather watch games than play them.Heirren

Fixed...

[QUOTE="Heirren"]When Sony decided to take the risk and target a new age demographic. It's not that videogames weren't popular before, but Sony, with each new system, has attempted to maintain the same> core audience as they grow older. The psx was for the teens, the ps2 was then marketed towards people in thier 20, and the ps3 tries to continue this with people around 30 who rather watch games than play them.nameless12345

Fixed...

Ever since the dawn of gaming?

video games isnt mainstream...just because people know about it doesn't mean anything....

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="Heirren"]When Sony decided to take the risk and target a new age demographic. It's not that videogames weren't popular before, but Sony, with each new system, has attempted to maintain the same> core audience as they grow older. The psx was for the teens, the ps2 was then marketed towards people in thier 20, and the ps3 tries to continue this with people around 30 who rather watch games than play them.Heirren

Fixed...

MGS4 has far too much cutscenes.

MW may be a generic arcade shooter but atleast it's a game...

[QUOTE="lazerface216"]

[QUOTE="GreekGameManiac"]

Kids?

I turned 25 a few months ago...

By "mainstream",the TC meant recognised and played by ppl outside the gaming community.

So while the PS era heped in that,this gen has been greater than ever.

Pls think before you post.

BlbecekBobecek

nah, gaming has been mainstream for decades. like i said my dad and his friends were playing NES and SNES when i was a kid. mario is a universal character that EVERYONE loves, not just the gaming community. gaming didn't go mainstream this gen......so you're wrong. pls think.

My dad also played Prince of Persia and Dungeon Master when I was a kid, but most ppl probably didnt know or thought he was weird (no matter he knew a lot other guys with this hobby - that doesnt make it mainstream).

dude, mario is as mainstream as it gets. why are you arguing with me about this?

[QUOTE="Heirren"][QUOTE="nameless12345"]

Fixed...

nameless12345

MGS4 has far too much cutscenes.

MW may be a generic arcade shooter but atleast it's a game...

MGS 4 is actually more game than CoD, because it allows you to actually "game" it (as opposed to CoDs approach "go forward, shoot that guy, go forwar, pick this granade, go forward, throw that grenade, go forward, pick RPG, go forward, tank is just around corner, shoot it with the RPG). In CoD, you are like an actor playing script, whereas in MGS 4 you decide how will you continue throught the levels.

lol @ video games being mainstream

Console mainstream games always suck and nowdays mainstream market is on console. Xbox is poor mans PC of mainstream. non Mainstream games are where at isSNIPER4321

Valve's and Blizzard's games are as mainstream as it gets...

Popular PC shooters like Crysis, Quake, Unreal, Duke, Doom, ect. and strategies like C&C, Civilization, Age of Empires were also very mainstream.

They just didn't sell that good because PC gamers pirated them more than bought them...

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

[QUOTE="Heirren"] Yeah no. Do some games go overboard? Sort of, but I really think games like Modern Warfare are bigger culprits than a game like MGS. MGS has dynamic gameplay. MW, on the other hand, is very one dimensional and pulls you on a string the entire game. Also, I've been playing video games for a long time. Growing up, kids always wanted to see the next story element, and often times complained it was too short, or the ending wasn't long enough.BlbecekBobecek

MGS4 has far too much cutscenes.

MW may be a generic arcade shooter but atleast it's a game...

MGS 4 is actually more game than CoD, because it allows you to actually "game" it (as opposed to CoDs approach "go forward, shoot that guy, go forwar, pick this granade, go forward, throw that grenade, go forward, pick RPG, go forward, tank is just around corner, shoot it with the RPG). In CoD, you are like an actor playing script, whereas in MGS 4 you decide how will you continue throught the levels.

[QUOTE="BlbecekBobecek"]

[QUOTE="nameless12345"]

MGS4 has far too much cutscenes.

MW may be a generic arcade shooter but atleast it's a game...

savagetwinkie

MGS 4 is actually more game than CoD, because it allows you to actually "game" it (as opposed to CoDs approach "go forward, shoot that guy, go forwar, pick this granade, go forward, throw that grenade, go forward, pick RPG, go forward, tank is just around corner, shoot it with the RPG). In CoD, you are like an actor playing script, whereas in MGS 4 you decide how will you continue throught the levels.

The fact that it has a lot of cutscenes is irrelevant. What matters is what you do when you play the game. And for that what I wrote applies 100%.