sociologist Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 Hi everyone, I'm a sociologist of media doing a project on early game consoles, especially the Odyssey and VCS. If you played those consoles when they came out - or perhaps slightly later versions of them - I'd be really interested to talk to you! I want to understand how these systems impacted people's relationship to consumer technology in general, and television in particular. Find my previous publications / information here: https://soc.ucla.edu/grads/gary-yeritsian Thanks! Gary 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accousticguitar Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 That would be most of us here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racerx Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 Plenty of us old farts around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 Hi everyone, I'm a sociologist of media doing a project on early game consoles, especially the Odyssey and VCS. If you played those consoles when they came out - or perhaps slightly later versions of them - I'd be really interested to talk to you! I want to understand how these systems impacted people's relationship to consumer technology in general, and television in particular. Find my previous publications / information here: https://soc.ucla.edu/grads/gary-yeritsian Thanks! Gary Well, you've come to the right place! Many of us here on the forums were among the first generation of video game players, and as you'll see, we still maintain a collection of those "vintage" games today. Feel free to send me a private message; I'd be glad to answer your questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted May 16, 2018 Share Posted May 16, 2018 Send me a PM. I was a latecomer to the 2600 (didn't get one until around 1994/1995), but started out with an Odyssey2 in 1979. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sociologist Posted May 16, 2018 Author Share Posted May 16, 2018 That would be most of us here. Plenty of us old farts around... Well, you've come to the right place! Many of us here on the forums were among the first generation of video game players, and as you'll see, we still maintain a collection of those "vintage" games today. Feel free to send me a private message; I'd be glad to answer your questions. Thanks so much for the replies, and the warm reception. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
up2knowgood Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Thanks so much for the replies, and the warm reception. Feel free to stick around after the project too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Opry99er Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Grew up in the 80s with an Atari VCS and a TI-99/4A. Other han fishing with grandpa, these occupied almost ALL of my time as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doug0909 Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 You might not find many people here who grew up with the original Odyssey, but many of us had the Atari VCS's prime competitor (until the Intellivision came out), the Odyssey 2. I was one of them, and it was the first consumer electronics product I was obsessed with... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiletunes Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 send me a list of questions, I'll gladly help you out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 Yes. Send me questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lokidchser Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 feel free to PM me as well. Still have my original Odyssey (yellow console) and my heavy sixer we got way back one year for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mulletino Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 I'm more than happy to answer some questions. I still have the original VCS my dad got us in the late 70s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keatah Posted May 17, 2018 Share Posted May 17, 2018 I had written many short stories and recollections, archived them away in ms-word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sociologist Posted May 17, 2018 Author Share Posted May 17, 2018 Feel free to stick around after the project too. I just might - thanks! Not a hardcore gamer myself, but I've always taken an interest in the history of the genre. I certainly played a ton as a kid - in particular I have fond memories of Madden and Fifa 94 on Sega. Also, don't know how many of you have encountered the book Racing the Beam: The Atari VCS, but it's probably the most widely read academic piece on the Atari: https://www.amazon.com/Racing-Beam-Computer-Platform-Studies/dp/026201257X 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucket Brigadier Posted May 18, 2018 Share Posted May 18, 2018 I started on the VCS around 1987-88; pretty young at the time, but some of my earliest lasting memories were from playing the VCS with my mom and brother, and later with my next-door neighbors. If you think that'd be helpful, go ahead and shoot me a PM. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoyx Posted May 24, 2018 Share Posted May 24, 2018 I have had a "relationship" with the VCS since 1979, both good and bad. PM if interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+x=usr(1536) Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 sociologist and I spoke over the phone earlier, and it was a fun call. The perspective that he's asking questions from is interesting, and has much more depth to it than the usual, "so what was it like to have one of these back in the day?" projects that crop up from time to time. Definitely looking forward to reading the published paper, and appreciate him taking the time to speak with me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennetzel Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 I got my first 2600 (VCS) in 1980...I started early on in this fantastic hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sociologist Posted May 25, 2018 Author Share Posted May 25, 2018 sociologist and I spoke over the phone earlier, and it was a fun call. The perspective that he's asking questions from is interesting, and has much more depth to it than the usual, "so what was it like to have one of these back in the day?" projects that crop up from time to time. Definitely looking forward to reading the published paper, and appreciate him taking the time to speak with me. Thanks so much for this post! The encouragement is very heartening. I really appreciated your perspectives on the relationship between video games and early computing! Also, some of the articles in the two volumes of the Video Game Theory Reader may be of interest. I don't know how widely those books are read by nonacademic gamers. I have had a "relationship" with the VCS since 1979, both good and bad. PM if interested. I got my first 2600 (VCS) in 1980...I started early on in this fantastic hobby. Thank you both! At the moment, I'm wrapping up my first round of interviews, and am going to incorporate them into the draft of the article. I may well return in two or three weeks' time for a second round! Gary 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Thanks again for taking the time to talk, Gary. I enjoyed our conversation and I hope it will be useful to you. I look forward to reading your article! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiletunes Posted May 26, 2018 Share Posted May 26, 2018 One thing I forgot to mention- Arcade games usually had an 'attract mode' where the games would kind of play themselves - and/or some brief instructions on a side panel. Enough to get you started, but not as much as a good 'backstory' with a videogame cartridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flojomojo Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 And early VCS games had that triply color cycling after the game ended, so as not to burn in your TV tube. Good times. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
up2knowgood Posted May 27, 2018 Share Posted May 27, 2018 And early VCS games had that triply color cycling after the game ended, so as not to burn in your TV tube. Good times. Oh so THAT'S why it does that. I never knew that. Thanks Flojo! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sociologist Posted June 20, 2018 Author Share Posted June 20, 2018 Thanks again for taking the time to talk, Gary. I enjoyed our conversation and I hope it will be useful to you. I look forward to reading your article! Thank you so much for your time and insight! And sorry for the late reply - have been working on the article One thing I forgot to mention- Arcade games usually had an 'attract mode' where the games would kind of play themselves - and/or some brief instructions on a side panel. Enough to get you started, but not as much as a good 'backstory' with a videogame cartridge. Hmm... didn't know this. Thanks! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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