Today's kids play yesterday's games
Published October 17, 2003
Here's a great piece from EG (Electronic Gaming Monthly).
They got a few kids ages 10 - 13 and had them play classic games from the 70s and 80s (Pong, Donkey Kong, Mattel Football, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., E.T. and Space Invaders).
Their reactions are priceless.
Among my favorites:
On Pong: "My line is so beating the heck out of your stupid line. Fear my pink line. You have no chance. I am the undisputed lord of virtual tennis."
On Donkey Kong: "It looks like a Mario that got run over by a car."
On Mattel Football: EG: It's Football. Kid: "I thought it was Run Away From the Dots."
On Space Invaders: "You can get this game on a cell phone. Why would you want to pay for it in an arcade?
Check out the whole experiment on EG Online (Beware the programmed delays to make you read ads on each page)
- Today's kids play yesterday's games
- Published: October 17, 2003
- Type: News
- Section: Gaming
- Writer: Capn Ken
- Capn Ken's BC Writer page
- Capn Ken's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
I would SO totally choose old video games over new ones. At least the old games were fun. Hell, half of the fun was that they did look so crappy.
You also didnt have to have an associates degree in Arcadiology to play the damn things. You just move the joystick and shoot or move. Now you have to have understand key combinations, game theory, player history and power options. I thought this was supposed to be something I did when I was tired of working.
C, I have a friend who is an Earth mother, not at all interested in tech, kind of person. Monica's Austrian. When Monica goes home it is to a place where everyone over five comes equipped with a cellphone, MP3 player and computer. It totally blows her mind. There's an old games only arcade/bar here frequented by 30 and 40-somethings, mainly from hi tech companies. I'm gonna drag her there and ease her into the loud, crass, colorful world of video and computer games gradually.
It'll be like Encino Man
Leave it to kids to lay it on the line without any need for PC:
"Tim: Mario dies way too easy. Oh, grab the umbrella. Those are cool. Unfashionable, gay, but cool. Oh, 300 points. That's it? All you get is points? That's lame. Can't you do something with the umbrella?"
How can something be "unfashionable, gay, but cool?" I'm lost trying to figure out what is being said here.
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that article was really really funny.
they chose the perfect age group to do it, too...