THEY DONT HAVE A CHANCE!!!

[Miles Tails Prower]

I got mad at this stupid middle-school aged girl yesterday at a games store... I was making sure an Atari 2600 worked by plugging it into the TV and playing a little Pitfall. SHe said" What is that?!" I told her "Its Atari, and its cool, you should try it for a little while, the graphics may be bad, but it rocks!" SHe instantly replied "It sucks, no way". "What?! Look, you aught to try before you trash" She said" It still Sucks", I say "Why?", "Cause I said so."... GRRR!!!!

 

GAMER KIDDIES DONT HAVE A CHANCE!!

[mikeftrevino]

Yeah. I just had my 30th birthday party and had some relatives over. I let the kids play with my Atari2600, NES, and SNES. that lasted all of 15 minutes. just enough time to try all the consoles and realize, hey this ain't my playstation2. I remember you couldn't pull me away from the screen when i was playing any game system. At least the kids were polite and did say squat about the jaggies.

[Brian R.]

No point in arguing with the ignorant. Of course, she probably grew up with... what, Super Nintendo? Playstation? Face it, to kids that age, a 2600 probably has all the attraction of an 8-track player.

 

I'm really dumbfounded when I get that exact same reaction about Dreamcast.

[The Night Phantom]

Of course, she probably grew up with... what, Super Nintendo? Playstation? Face it, to kids that age, a 2600 probably has all the attraction of an 8-track player.

To be fair, some kids do appreciate older gaming systems. Nearly a year ago in a topic on this same issue I posted the following:

Tonight a friend came over with her sons, ages 12 and 9. When my friend and I were planning the get-together, she suggested watching some of my DVDs, and I counterproposed playing some “antique” video games, since the boys had previously expressed some curiosity about them. I was surprised when they showed up: the nine-year-old kept crying out “video games” with much enthusiasm in anticipation of the experience. After pizza and some other activities, I broke out the 7800 and my VCS cartridges. They loved it! Not once did the graphics deter them from enjoying the games, and they kept poring through my collection in search of more gems. When they left for the evening, they expressed interest in playing more with my antique games soon. And yes, at home they have a PlayStation and their own GameBoy Colors. So, here are two more lads on whom the charms of the classical era are not lost.

These two boys have played on my Atari systems many times since, still enjoy it, and still ask to play again.

 

In addition, AtariAge itself has a number of classical gamers from the younger set.

[Cupcakus]

I gave my 4 year old his own Atari, he loves it. He's a Cookie Monster Crunch pro...

 

Hopefully I've instilled the love of the retro gaming in him early enough that he won't react like the other kiddies his age.

[King Atari]

I think the great thing about growing up with the 8-bit stuff (and I know this has been said before) is that we're more acceptable towards older games. Crossbow make look primitive to a kid weened on the Playstation, but for us, the graphics are great (by 2600 standards). Sadly, I didn't start out on an Atari, but I did get in on it soon enough (a few years after it left the US ), but that's the cool thing, when I got my hands on one, I didn't hate it because of the primitive graphics. Actually, I loved it because of the primitive graphics!

[Joey Kay]

Not only are little kids economically inefficient, they're also dirty. And for that reason, I would never let them touch my Atari stuff!

 

Cheers!

 

Joey

[bcprs1]

Not all youngster hate the 2600. I know that there are a few on here who not only like the 2600, but collect games for it as well.

[Raijin Z]

Hey, I'm looking for a brand-new Beta VCR and a "good as I can get" 8-track player, preferrably a recorder.

 

You want UT2K3 warezed? I got it! ON TWO THOUSAND 5" DISKETTES! You want Terminator 3? I got it.... ON TWO BETA TAPES!

You want the new *insert idiot popular "musician" here* album? I have it.... ON THREE 8 TRACKS!

[Gregory DG]

To be fair, some kids do appreciate older gaming systems.  Nearly a year ago in a topic on this same issue I posted the following:

Tonight a friend came over with her sons, ages 12 and 9. When my friend and I were planning the get-together, she suggested watching some of my DVDs, and I counterproposed playing some “antique” video games, since the boys had previously expressed some curiosity about them. I was surprised when they showed up: the nine-year-old kept crying out “video games” with much enthusiasm in anticipation of the experience. After pizza and some other activities, I broke out the 7800 and my VCS cartridges. They loved it! Not once did the graphics deter them from enjoying the games, and they kept poring through my collection in search of more gems. When they left for the evening, they expressed interest in playing more with my antique games soon. And yes, at home they have a PlayStation and their own GameBoy Colors. So, here are two more lads on whom the charms of the classical era are not lost.

These two boys have played on my Atari systems many times since, still enjoy it, and still ask to play again.

 

In addition, AtariAge itself has a number of classical gamers from the younger set.

 

I think there are a couple of factors that will cause a younger player to like Atari or not.

 

1. Their age. I think if they're over 15, forget it. They've already spent a lot of time with their friends who have GameCubes, PS2s, & Xboxes.

 

2. Have they played games before? If they've NEVER seen a video game before (this links with age too) they will go for whatever they see. My 5 year old nephew has one of those all-in-one NES games that has 54 crappy games on it. He loves it. It's his first video game experience.

 

There are several other factors too, but I'm not awake enough to put much more thought into it right now.

[Inky]

I have to add, how many of these youngsters know who Charlie Chaplin or Abbot and Costello or The Marx Brothers are?

 

Same thing with Video Games. They will miss out on the genius of older things -- movies, music, games, literature, et. al. because it isn't up to modern standards, and that's it pure and simple.

 

Now if you'll excuse me, Moe Larry and Curly are calling.

[Cupcakus]

Hey don't be dissin my betamax player and my 8-Track player... I still record all TV shows I want to watch on betamax. The tapes are smaller, so I have more room for Atari stuff.

[BrainDrain]

@cupcakus - Just curios: can you still get those tapes? Or are you just kidding?

 

I suppose though an inch or two smaller tapes have SOME benefits...such as less space in the trash can

 

Sorry, im kidding. Its just my obnoxious sense of humour. You'll soon learn to ignore me

[SmileyDude]

Hmmm -- it's got to be more than just what the kids been exposed to before that determines what they like. For example, take my kid -- he's 5 years old, his first gaming system he played on was the Nintendo 64. He followed that up with the SNES, GBC, and now GameCube. I took the 2600 out a few weeks back, and he loved it. He loves Space Invaders on any system, and he quickly picked up the 2600 version.

 

Now, compared to the version for the N64, 2600 space invaders doesn't have anywhere near the detail that the N64 version has. The sound effects are much simpler, and the game play is pretty much always the same (the N64 version has a little variety in -- different ships, bonus waves, boss waves, etc, etc). But, he still loved it.

 

I think that some people truely like video games (like myself and, it appears, my son) -- others just use video games as a diversion, and really don't care which game they are playing. This isn't unique to video games -- it also applies to movies, TV shows, music, books -- some people just love the medium so much, that they want to absorb it all in. Others just want to relax for a little and then move on.

[LinkoVitch]

I have recently decided through the joys of ebay to start collecting old games etc. Especially Atari games so 2600/7800 and Jaguar (can't find a 5200 for love nor money. yet! ).

 

Not really had a game on my 2600 that has kept me on it for more than a few minutes (only got 7 games ) as I have quite an active mind and get sidetracked easily. However I had a friend round who also enjoys old Atari systems... Started progressing through my Jag collection, and then for the ultimate 2 player experience.. COMBAT on my 2600.. after that, the Jag was put away and the remaining hours of the day wee spent in heated battle It was the most fun I had had in ages! Loved every minute of it.

 

Some kids, older people too are more interested in the nice polished graphics of high end consoles than the games (the sort of people who look at the spec and not the games before buying). Who cares what they think, they are but mindless drones, and it stops them from hogging the good systems (2600/7800 etc etc) from the people that matter

[IceCold]

Well I could either defend the younger gamers(as I am one of the younger gamers) or agree with all of you. Well I will have to agree with all of you. Except for a few people, many of the younger gamers are ignorant when it comes to retro gaming. A person at school today had on an Atari shirt, but yet he's NEVER played NOR seen ANY Atari system. It pissed me off so bad, I couldn't stand it.

[MegaManFan]

A person at school today had on an Atari shirt, but yet he's NEVER played NOR seen ANY Atari system.  It pissed me off so bad, I couldn't stand it.

 

Although I'm tempted to agree with the sentiment, I'm old enough now to see that pop culture is endlessly recycled as long as somebody can make a profit from it. The Atari logo itself was then, and is still now, unique in look and style; so it only makes sense for someone to be "hip" by wearing an Atari shirt even if they know nothing about it. I'm sure a lot of people wear three stripe Adidas shirts too, and most of them probably never had or wore a pair. It's too bad that Nintendo and Sega used their names as their logo, because that never quite caught on as being "hip" and probably never will be. Even when Nintendo has attempted to logo-ize (such as with N64) it just ends up looking clunky and awkward.

[Joey Kay]

At school on "casual" Friday last week, I wore my Atari hockey jersey.

 

One of my grade 10 students gave a bewildered look, then said "Atari??? I like the Canadiens, but I never heard of that team..."

 

Yeesh.

 

Cheers!

 

Joey

[somePUNK]

you guys realise that you sound like 150 "i hate those youge whiper snipers dame holigens,"

 

I'm 17 i love atari and old consouls

[Philflound]

I find that I'm extremely lucky being born exactly in 1970. I've enjoyed seeing many of the awesome advancements in the electronics age. I played my Coleco Electronic Quarterback in 3rd grade and within a couple of weeks mastered it to the point where I could play over my head not looking and score a touchdown. It used to amaze my babysitter.

 

When I first saw Atari, my favorite was Adventure and probably still is to this day. You never knew where the sword or the chalice or anything else was. I remember playing Pitfall too.

 

Then came the Colecovision and Donkey Kong. This means more to me than anything else at this present moment because I was first introduced to the newly advanced system by my uncle, who just passed away 7 days ago. Sitting on the bed in my grandmother's house with DK on the screen, the bright colorful graphics and cool music. Definiltey fun.

 

Then we moved past the systems to the famous C64. My favorites of all time were the Ultimas, Adventure Construction Set, Mail Order Monsters, and Impossible Mission. I remember playing cool arcade like games like Snokie, Sammy Lightfoot, and of course some of the classics.

 

I never looked back from here. The computer became my life. I even got rid of my 2600 games and CV altogether, but for some reason kept my 2600 system up in my parents summer home in Penn. My cartridge systems became a thing of the past and I spent all my money on new games like Might and Magic, the Ultimas, some sports games like Earl Weaver's Baseball, and others.

 

Then 1995 came with my first Atari 7800 walking through the door of my store. When I brought it home that night and began playing some of the classic games with my buddies, it all came back to me. It was then I decided to collect classic video games. Some 2000+ games later, I sit before you behind this little monitor reminiscing about how it was so great to be born in 1970.

 

We got to see the creation of many things, the VCR, Beta (ok, ahem), the CD, DVDs, Microwaves, airbeds (best thing I've ever bought), and all this other awesome gadgetry that I don't use such as Cel Phones, palm pilots, and pagers.

 

I can only imagine what the future will hold. Science fiction has brought many possibilities, so when these things actually do exist in reality, it won't be much of a surprise.

 

My personal requests in the next 10 years will be the commonplace of solar energy, since I think these oil grubbing bastards deserve to rot with it. If I ever build my own house, I will make sure it runs on solar energy so the Public Service company will pay me for energy. I'd also like to get an electric car some day. Damn gas prices drive me nuts.

 

Ok, enough rambling.

 

Phil

[Inky]

you guys realise that you sound like 150 "i hate those youge whiper snipers dame holigens,"  

 

I'm 17 i love atari and old consouls

 

{ in his best grumpy old man voice}

 

'Back in my day the instruction manual told you the dot on the screen was Indiana Jones AND WE LIKED IT!'

[AtariKen64]

Well I could either defend the younger gamers(as I am one of the younger gamers) or agree with all of you.  Well I will have to agree with all of you.  Except for a few people, many of the younger gamers are ignorant when it comes to retro gaming.  A person at school today had on an Atari shirt, but yet he's NEVER played NOR seen ANY Atari system.  It pissed me off so bad, I couldn't stand it.

 

 

you think thats bad , i got to COLLEGE, where some one should be old enought to know what atari at least is

 

well i had an atari shrt on and i bumped into some skater punk that also had one i asked him "do you play?" thinking hed instantly say yes or no, he looked at me and squinted, i hate when people do that but thats another story.. than i said "like videogames?" and he said something to the effect of how extreme the x box was and coudlnt waitto go online and blah blah.."

[Cupcakus]

Yeah I noticed the Atari insignia is becoming a punk fasion statement... Most can't even tell you what Atari is?

 

"Didn't they make that one movie with that one dude and the mask... that was killer dude"

[D.Yancey]

When I defeat youngsters on my Atari, they usually say they can't play well with that funny looking controller. I say the best games only need one button!! Atari Rules!!!

[KAZ]

A "used" time machine...that sounds impossible even if it were "possible".

If you did travel back in time somehow, it would affect the future, and thus the creation of said time machine.

 

And oh yeah, I like Atari. I have to say that Enduro does NOT get old...during the past even two weeks, I've played the game more than any of my other games for any system. Got it at Goodwill just like a week ago. And if you think this is a contradiction, it IS.

 

Ice Hockey for the VCS also doesn't get old, that thing is just phenomenal! Going head to head with another skilled opponent is pure enjoyment!

 

So I don't even care if they come out with virtual reality, these two games still will be forever awesome no matter what. But that also won't prevent me from getting the higher end systems at a later time.