We pause for a PSA.
Entry posted by Guest
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I want to define this act in an official-sounding-like way, in case it "catches on".
chro·no·game - v. to play a set of videogames in as close to the order of their release as the player can discern, using the resources available to them.
chro·no·gam·er - n. the nutjob who chronogames.
A set of videogames can be any set as one would like to define it. It could be the same game across multiple platforms. It could be all the games in a franchise. It could be all the games in one's collection. It could be all the games for one system. It could be all the games from one year, although one would need some precise release dates for that one.
The reasons why anyone would do this may be varied, but the one I use is the interest to see the evolution of games over time through the process of experiencing them in the order of release. In a perfect world, I wouldn't have access to the games before it was time to play them, but one must plan, and subsequently shop, ahead.
Basically, it's an informal process. I guess in the gaming spectrum, there could be "casual chronogamers" and "hardcore chronogamers". I'm pretty casual about it, but someday there may be the "hardcore" who will bring with them to the hobby their own collection of pros and cons.
I'd like to talk for a moment about taking this whole Chronogaming thing "too far".
It is not wise to shun the sight of anything that exists after the point at which you currently stand in your chronology, especially while driving.
It's generally considered rude to put your hands over your ears and sing "LA LA LA" while other people talk about such perspective anachronisms as the Xbox 360, or the Nintendo Revolution (EDIT: Yes, this was written before we were calling it "Wii").
When you're not Chronogaming, live in the "now" with other people who may have trouble accepting that you regularly travel through time to play a game when all the other games after it didn't exist.
I think it is perfectly acceptable to have a gaming room in which only exists the games and equipment appropriate to your current chronology. Hell, you can even dress as they might've back in the days during which you're pretending to exist. It's inappropriate, however, to ask visitors to remove "out-of-chronology" clothing, especially shirts and push-up bras. And finally, don't be a freak about it. I mean I have a life outside of Chronogaming! Jeez, what kind of a gamer would I be if I neglected things like the Current Gen? Or lusting after the Next Gen? There's more to life than just Chronogaming! There's PC gaming, Retrogaming, LAN-gaming, MMO-gaming, Flash games, mobile games . . . life is too short to become so focused on something that you miss out on everything else. Remember to socialize, too, by visiting a forum every now and then. If you're shy, you can always blog.
I would hate to see a chronogamer become so focused on their obsession that they would miss out on the important things in life, like System Launches, pre-order swank, or playing E-rated games with their children. Really, nothing would make me sadder than to see Chronogaming become something that ruined gamers' lives by blinding them to videogame opportunities that are outside of their current chronology.
So, please, Chronogame-on! But do it responsibly.
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