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Wednesday 15 August 2018

My Gaming History So Far : A Retrospective of old-school and Modern Games Culture

Playing video games becomes that 25% of my daily activity currently after a long hour of work in baking. After building approximately $ 1500 PC gaming rig, my hobby to follow latest trend of gaming for next-gen (or current gen) becomes my personal satisfaction alongside collecting and adding more games on my Steam library. Playing AAA titles and paying for legal right of video game copy was not my thing back in college. I spent most of my study break time playing MOBA on my toaster PC besides bunch of retro games on Emulator.

There are a lot of debate in regard video game console fanboyism. Surely, PC is the true master race comparing current any console nowadays by any mean. No matter how big buzzword those console technology and capability to offer. Nothing beats PC grandiose except some parts that sounds too gimmicky or just brand-loyalty for particular console owners who mostly regarded based on target audience and matter of interest. For example if you are a Nintendo fan boy who is targeted toward young gamers, or likes to play cinematic games from Japan for mature audience, just get Sony Playstation. 

Speaking of Nintendo, its one of my childhood where most of that times, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) had many various arcad-ish game I used to play in video game center where its popular among kids in my neighborhood because we play them every afternoon by paying little money for half or one hour renting on the spot. I was also familiar with many SNES and Sega console games, in late 90s, video game culture in Indonesia was slight different. Not everyone can afford to have console in middle class family, except I remember that I had NES console which my dad bought with this pirated cartridge that contained 100 games. 

There was a Playsation 1 or X that amazed me when it arrived in our neighborhood video game center. I still remember the first PSX game I saw was Tekken 1 with this 3D graphic where every kids stunned how advanced the sytem showed. I think I am going to talk about this video game center culture next time. Playsation X was game changer, that what I want to say. 

In early 00s I barely seen any computer or PC gaming except there was kind of big Internet cafe or LAN perhaps that served Counter Strike but I never had a gut to use computer because I thought if you are beginner, you will give the PC viruses if you dont know how to handle this "console" which is too costly to rent and too expensive to afford. Stepping ahead, Playstation came along replacing PS X with better computer graphic and more immerse gameplay. Also, there was X-Box which was not too popular in Indonesia. 

There was missing link for me following and having interest in video game for one decade because I spent 2003 to 2010 in boarding school where later in my senior year I was interested and hooked with PC. I started to focus in learning how to "compute" with PC especially Windows operating system like XP and Windows 7. So, I didn't follow any Playstation 3, X-box  or whatever Nintendo console has been released because I was distracted to understand how PC works.

So back in college in early 10s, I couldn't afford to get any consoles because I had no idea how I can get started to be that gamer or game collector. Its also because of those console are too pricey and its games that aren't something average college student can afford to get only one title where its equivalent of one semester college fee. 

The fact I can play simple old PC games or online by pirating these games is my reason not to own console. Even though I have this toaster PC spec, I thought by having only entry PC you can barely playing any console and AAA title but I was so wrong. It required more hardware and need to get killer PC rig to run games properly. So I get stuck with online games where endless grinding is inevitable just like stuck in a loop. 

I used to like narrative video games with solid game play from PS X era where even though technology had not reach its peak at the time, but those games are too fun and memorable for me which I never had the chance owning the console. And then comes a time this three year, I finally have my own work and get decent income to afford a rig instead of console. So I started saving my money to get something what I really wanted. A highest ground of video game level. Owning PC master race. 

By the time I got the chance to have my own console like PS 4, X-Box or any console Nintedo has been released. I prefer to build my own PC because being adult and realizing something "vote with your own wallet"is rational choice. Its not same like my childhood wish list where I just wanted collecting video game cartridge or owning a console where in the past, fun is just what kid looking for. But adult me want more, So... even though I was so late in this one decade from 2010 to 2018, I also start saving to buy AAA titles to enjoy what latest video game technology and development have to offer. 

Fight this.

I have a Steam account, a personal online library that is considered what must have for PC gamers starter pack which i didn't remember when I created the account in the first place and useless for years. So currently my library is expanding continuously, it comes from my impulsive of buying more and catching what I was missing. Those games aren't physical and more like digital library even though I actually want to collect physical game, but seeing console titles are too problematic and not too worth it to have. There is still satisfaction when I can afford to buy 100 titles from early 10 games which I just completed only 10 titles because how expansive and more times to finish those games, its not same thing like old-school I used to expect.