The Lost Experience from the Golden Age of Gaming
Many, and perhaps most of you that read this website are in your 30s or 40s. At least that would be a logical assumption based on the fact that this is a retro gaming website in which nostalgia is a major driving factor generating interest in the hobby. I’d imagine that it would be difficult for gamers who are younger than 30 to understand the merits of playing video games that sound, look, and feel primitive to them. However, it’s a different story for the demographic who grew up playing these games; we understand why the games are the way they are because we grew up at a time when the gaming industry was just a baby and was going through many changes and evolutions in an attempt to find its identity. Those who were privileged enough to have experienced this era of the formative stages of the video game industry’s evolutionary infancy know just how much everything about the industry changed over time.
Perhaps you are buying some games now as Christmas presents for friends or family. If so, then it’s quite likely that you are purchasing them online rather than from a real, brick-and-mortar store. If you are younger than 30, I’m sure that this feels completely normal and natural, as it’s likely you never really experienced the euphoria that came with selecting games from a large physical display of real boxed games all in a single place, like a library where you could browse game boxes but buy them instead of borrow. As a side note, there also used to be a similar place that was more like a library, as you borrowed the games that you were able to browse (but for money, not for free): the movie rental store, which no longer exists. Now, you still can buy some games from department stores, but it’s very limited — you only get PS4/PS5, Xbox Series X, and Switch, and they all look the same and have a very limited range. This is only a very poor shadow of what used to be. Department stores, electronic retailers, PC stores, and other such businesses used to have a far more massive range, and it wasn’t anything like the subdued, soulless experience it is today. Going to the store to choose a video or computer game in the 1990s–2000s used to be an event to look forward to; it was a festive, almost carnival-like atmosphere that was an audio-visual smorgasbord for your senses.
Video and computer games have always been expensive, especially in the early days, so when it came time to buy a new game for your family’s collection, it was a massive event that you would really look forward to, especially as a kid. If you are unfamiliar with retro games (likely younger than 30), then what I’m saying probably comes off as a big exaggeration — but it’s really not. Since games were purchased so infrequently, manufacturers, publishers, and stores went to extreme lengths to get consumers’ attention so that their products would be chosen. When you went to a store selling video games, there was advertising paraphernalia everywhere; game brands were made visible in big letters and catchy ads, lots of kiosks and TVs showing live games were strewn about, video game sounds and popular songs blaring in the background, only just audible over the excited customer chatter, visually appealing displays of attractive boxes stacked wall to wall, sometimes organized by how “best selling” they were. It really was an amazing experience that had every gamer buzzing with excitement long after they left the store.
Maybe you are a veteran retro gamer and forgot just how amazing an experience it was buying a game during the 1990s and early 2000s, or you’re a new-generation gamer that has never had the privilege of experiencing such an amazing event. Or you are a long-time gamer who does remember what this was like and wishes it was 1992 again. Whatever the case, I have come across nearly a dozen videos on YouTube from the channel This Week in Gaming that contain organic footage and do an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of what it was like buying a game at video game retailers during that golden age. As you can see, I’ve scattered some of these videos throughout this post; the rest can be found via the Retro Game News Recommended Videos Feed using the link at the bottom of the page. If you want to re-live the experience of purchasing a retro game, there are some brand new games for sale at the Retro Game News Online Store. While these can’t be purchased in the same atmosphere as back in the day, you still get the experience of being able to open up a physical copy of a brand new retro game. Check out what we have on offer by clicking on “SHOP” in the top menu of the website or via the link below.
Relevant Links
- RetroGame.News Recommended Video’s Playlist [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaDUUyp3hCg&list=PLwhO-R4e0VDNNKZryjvRKuE-6ccaW1vNu&index=15] All 9 video’s of “Shopping for Video Games…” from the “This Week in Gaming” YouTube channel
- Purchase Retro Video Games, Hardware and Other Items – Brand New! [https://retrogame.news/shop/] Support us for more new old stock to be available in the future
- Brand New Mega Drive Games [https://retrogame.news/product-category/video-games/sega-mega-drive/] New old stock available
- Brand New Game Boy DMG Games [https://retrogame.news/product-category/video-games/game-boy-dmg/] New homebrew game available
- Brand New Hyperkin HyperClick Retro Style Mouse for Super Nintendo [https://retrogame.news/product/hyperkin-hyperclick-retro-style-mouse-for-snes/] New stock available, getting harder and harder to find now
- Brand New Sony PS3 Game – Retro City Rampage DX [https://retrogame.news/product/retro-city-rampage-dx-sony-playstation-3/] New old stock available while stocks last
I think the box art and all the maps and phyiscal instructions contributed to the awesomeness of buying games back in the day. I simply love box art and the box art back in the day was highly unique and varied. A lot of the brick and mortar stores had a lot of character too, whereas now its big chains like jb hifi and electronics boutique. Also the chains back in the day were small, so they werent soulless and they all went bankrupt or were bought out i guess.
I completely agree, looking at the box before buying the game and then reading the instructions on the way home was one of the most exciting and satisfying parts of buying a new game. thankfully there are a lot of talented indie’s developing and publishing new games for retro systems and they usually come with not only the box and manual but many other extra’s as well that typically weren’t even included in games that were sold back in the day. we are living at the start of a retro gaming golden age so take advantage of it, support indie dev’s – buy and review a homebrew game. you get the benefit of not only playing a new game for an old system but you also get to add a new game to your retro video game collection. thanks for your comment 👍 Happy New Year 🎈