Never owned a games console

ronjo

Am I the only one???

My friends have owned everything from commodore 64 to X box online thingy but I never really had an interest since I left school 20 years ago and we couldnt afford one when I was a kid.

Is this totally unusual?

Aoifey!

If you're not interested in gaming at all then there's no point in having one.

I have an xbox myself but I know plenty of people that don't have anything. Most had older consoles at some point though.

maxfresh

i think this is a bit unusual im 30 and have always had them from commodore 64 when i was a kid (im from a poor family too) ,to a ps3 and laptop now

MrStuffins

if you're a guy, yeah it's pretty unusual.

I mean, you don't have to be into games to enjoy the odd game. Like the way some people might not necessarily be big cinephiles but everyone owns a DVD player or has owned a VHS player at some point.

ronjo

Yes I am a guy.

I was thinking about buying a Wii a few years ago but never got round to it.

Maybe when my kids is a bit older I will end up hogging her games.

later12

Nope, I'm 25 and never had one.

My best friend had a sega mega drive (he was a wanker, but he had Sonic, so we were besties) so I played his; but no, never had one myself. I don't think it made much difference, tbh, except that I never was very crazy about computer games,now I hate them.

tallus

Never had a consol myself, but I have two consoles

MrStuffins

Well you can grab a cheap USB controller for your computer/laptop and download the emulators and see what you've been missing.

Again, I was never a big gamer. But there are certain games that ruled my life. I remember missing about 2 weeks of school when I got Super Mario 3 on the NES!

I remember my brother handing me Metal Gear Solid 2 and that was the last time anyone saw me for about 10 days until I cleared that game.

I hadn't picked up a controller for about 3 years until 4 months ago when I decided one day "I think i'll play my brother's xBox and play GTA IV".

Jaysus, I was engrossed in that too!

When a game catches you right, it's awesome!

ronjo

Shows what I know about them.

I cannot even spell the word !

Snowie

Ive a sole Im not ginger

\0/

MrStuffins

later10 wrote: »

Nope, I'm 25 and never had one.

My best friend had a sega mega drive (he was a wanker, but he had Sonic, so we were besties) so I played his; but no, never had one myself. I don't think it made much difference, tbh, except that I never was very crazy about computer games,now I hate them.

Sorry but I find it very strange how someone can use such a strong word having never owned a console?

I mean, we're not too far away from the gaming industry taking over from Hollywood! If you put the likes of the big blockbuster movies side-by-side with the characters and story depth of the likes of GTA IV or the MGS series, there's no comparison.

skipz

Oh its a sad life with no xbox live anymore


p.s, if there was a smilie crying his face off id have used that.

Spunge

Typical PC fanboy.

minidazzler

later10 wrote: »

Nope, I'm 25 and never had one.

My best friend had a sega mega drive (he was a wanker, but he had Sonic, so we were besties) so I played his; but no, never had one myself. I don't think it made much difference, tbh, except that I never was very crazy about computer games,now I hate them.

Let's be fair though, you hate them because you are bad at them...

ronjo

Spunge wrote: »

Typical PC fanboy.

Whats a PC fanboy??

policarp

tallus wrote: »

Never had a consol myself, but I have two consoles

That's consoling. . .

MrStuffins

ronjo wrote: »

Whats a PC fanboy??

I thought a PC fan boy was someone who liked PCs over Macs (or, in this case perhaps PC gaming over Console gaming)

I think this particular poster is either in the wrong thread or has completely misunderstood the sentiment of this one!

o1s1n

Insanity! I've about 60! Give me a good game over tv any day.

missvirgo

I don't have one & never did, & never would...

Also, i'd run a mile from any man that does...

I get violent even thinking about it

MrStuffins

missvirgo wrote: »

I don't have one & never did, & never would...

Also, i'd run a mile from any man that does...

I get violent even thinking about it

Good luck in your life as a spinster

ronjo

missvirgo wrote: »

I don't have one & never did, & never would...

Also, i'd run a mile from any man that does...

I get violent even thinking about it

Haha..... So do you know many men who dont own one??

Plazaman

I had a Sega Mega Drive, the cartridge type ones. Once I finished Sonic The Hedgehog, I had no desire to get another game or to play it again. I think it was more the fact that it took me about 6 months to finish it and the games always angried up the blood too much.

Still gathering dust in the house somewhere, must donate it to charity to give it an opportunity to turn some other kid into an angry frenzied ball of spit.

Beruthiel

ronjo wrote: »

Maybe when my kids is a bit older I will end up hogging her games.

That's how it started with me.
Way back in the day my daughter asked Santa for a Nintendo 64 and Zelda.
Santa got it in September and had to check it was working as he didn't want Mini Me getting up on Christmas day to find it broken.

By Christmas, Santa had finished Zelda and was hooked.

I love my xbox. I have spent this winter playing Skyrim and Assassins Creed. I'm finished both.
I need a new game.

ronjo

Beruthiel wrote: »

That's how it started with me.
Way back in the day my daughter asked Santa for a Nintendo 64 and Zelda.
Santa got it in September and had to check it was working as he didn't want Mini Me getting up on Christmas day to find it broken.

By Christmas, Santa had finished Zelda and was hooked.

I love my xbox. I have spent this winter playing Skyrim and Assassins Creed. I'm finished both.
I need a new game.

I have seen Skyrim mentioned here but have honestly no frigging idea what its about.

Wibbs

Never had one either. Played various games on PC's over the years(Quake was a fave), but never really got into gaming like some. Then again I'm dire at platform type games so that could be much of it

oldyouth

Never had one though my sons have what appears to be every type going, all over the house

Cee-Jay-Cee

I had a commodore 64 when i was young and got several thousand hours entertainment out of it. I also had a SNES and much later bought a PS2. When GT3 came out i played it near enough everfy spare moment for weeks until i finished the entire game, i then packed the whole thing back up in its box and put it away and havent touched it or any other game system since. That was 7 or 8 years ago. I have absolutely no interest in them anymore.

MrStuffins

ronjo wrote: »

I have seen Skyrim mentioned here but have honestly no frigging idea what its about.

Get yourself a lend of an old PS2 and get the Metal Gear Solid series. Man, they're incredible!

Also, the GTA series (from III onwards) really is amazing. The games are superb pieces of art!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO25p4JdB1U

ronjo

MrStuffins wrote: »

Get yourself a lend of an old PS2 and get the Metal Gear Solid series. Man, they're incredible!

Also, the GTA series (from III onwards) really is amazing. The games are superb pieces of art!

Thanks for advice MrStuffins but I dont really have the interest.
Also, you said you are not a big gamer but you seem to have played a lot.
What IS a big gamer then??? Any out there? How much of your life do you spend playing?

MrStuffins

ronjo wrote: »

Thanks for advice MrStuffins but I dont really have the interest.
Also, you said you are not a big gamer but you seem to have played a lot.
What IS a big gamer then??? Any out there? How much of your life to your spend playing?

Nah man, not a lot. I'm just giving you the small few examples of the games that grabbed me. I don't actually own a console these days.

The 3 games i was talking about are actually from 3 different generations of consoles. Mario, MGS and GTA. When i finished GTA IV i tried out a load of other games like Call of Duty and Halo and stuff but I just couldn't get into them

yeppydeppy

I'm the same as you op - never had one growing up and still don't. I did play on friends and relations consoles but not a lot. I just never got that gaming bug, I was more into movies and books.

Duggy747

I'd be a pretty big gamer, moreso towards the older consoles like Snes / Megadrive / etc & Arcade games than later ones. Though Skyrim & Left 4 Dead still keep me entertained

I did have a Xbox 360, had no interest in buying one but I won it at work. Barely ever played it and I turned it into a media center :pac:

I wouldn't find not having a console unusual considering the amount of people I know who do have consoles rarely play them.

SisterAnn

36 years old. 1980s economics meant that didn't grow up with one though many of my cohort did have Atari or whatever.
About 8 years back I was doing well jobwise and had more money than sense. I bought the old xbox before it was replaced on a deal with some games. I found it addictive, especially shoot-em-ups, and after two weeks I realised that it was an even greater time-thief than procrastination (and that is saying something!). I had actively "put it away"!
No regrets. Life is for living - it is pretty sad when it is relegated to some kind of virtual screen-staring existence. If others enjoy it and manage to keep a balance in their life - I am cool with that.

Benny_Cake

missvirgo wrote: »

I don't have one & never did, & never would...

Also, i'd run a mile from any man that does...

I get violent even thinking about it

Sounds like you're in there OP.

I've always enjoyed gaming, though you get less and less time at it as you get older. I was always more into computer games, on the Atari ST, Amiga and PC but eventually I got fed up of trying to keep up with the minimum specs so I bought an Xbox. Loving Skyrim at the moment!

Taltos

OP - don't know too many folk who have not played a console.

Like others I am hooked on Skyrim right now. Find it a great way to unwind after work when all are gone to bed. This game is basically a large open world game with multiple quests that you can choose to do as you wish as opposed to a linear game like Uncharted where there is clear plot progression.

In terms of different types (in my opinion).
Wii - keep it for the kids or someone who plays few games. I got one - played zelda and then sold the whole kit to a mate.
Xbox 360 - great console esp for first person shooters.
PS3 - great console - but also comes with Blu Ray player (now 3-D).

I guess I am the other extreme - came from the Atari 1600 days all the way up with a few years of no console / games system.
Did try PC gaming but found it too expensive.

Why not see about trying a friends if you are interested in getting one.
Between PS3 / 360 - really up to you - each has their own strenghts - actually for a serious gamer I would suggest getting both.
One thing is PS3 allows you to play online games without having to pay a sub - and if you like Blu Ray movies then you are onto a winner.

Kash

missvirgo wrote: »

I don't have one & never did, & never would...

Also, i'd run a mile from any man that does...

I get violent even thinking about it

Never understood the anti-gaming brigade! Most of my friends (guys and girls) play console games to one extent or another, and I would be far happier playing a console than watching a soap, or most tv for that matter. Thankfully, hubby feels the same way!

Have had one since the original playstation - I can remember thinking that graphics could never get better than the FF7 cutscenes )

We have the 2 biggies in the house, but I mainly stick to the PS3 (Assasins Creed Revelations at the moment, Skyrim next on the list), and hubby tends to be a Mac gamer, so the 360 is just gathering dust. I did have a wii, but sold it, and now need to borrow one to play the new Zelda.:rolleyes:


But I've loved consoles ever since we got one way back when, and can't imagine having a time in my life where I don't own one and use it regularly.

donalg1

ronjo wrote: »

Am I the only one???

My friends have owned everything from commodore 64 to X box online thingy but I never really had an interest since I left school 20 years ago and we couldnt afford one when I was a kid.

Is this totally unusual?

Weirdo

ronjo

donalg1 wrote: »

Weirdo

No need for that

ronjo

Taltos wrote: »

OP - don't know too many folk who have not played a console.

Like others I am hooked on Skyrim right now. Find it a great way to unwind after work when all are gone to bed. This game is basically a large open world game with multiple quests that you can choose to do as you wish as opposed to a linear game like Uncharted where there is clear plot progression.

In terms of different types (in my opinion).
Wii - keep it for the kids or someone who plays few games. I got one - played zelda and then sold the whole kit to a mate.
Xbox 360 - great console esp for first person shooters.
PS3 - great console - but also comes with Blu Ray player (now 3-D).

I guess I am the other extreme - came from the Atari 1600 days all the way up with a few years of no console / games system.
Did try PC gaming but found it too expensive.

Why not see about trying a friends if you are interested in getting one.
Between PS3 / 360 - really up to you - each has their own strenghts - actually for a serious gamer I would suggest getting both.
One thing is PS3 allows you to play online games without having to pay a sub - and if you like Blu Ray movies then you are onto a winner.

Thanks for the advice but the wife has less interest than me so will wait until my daughter starts demanding them which is still a few years away

pickarooney

I haven't had a games machine since the Amiga. I've played one or two games since on the PC but I'm not very good and don't have the time to get good so gaming mostly just annoys me.

cloud493

Yep. Video games are the only interest o have, I do watch films/tv/read books or what have you. I just find them boring compared to video games.

Dotrel

I actually never had one as a kid. I only started getting consoles when I started working and could shell out on the games. Irony is now I don't have the time to play them so I don't buy too many games as a result.

Lanaier

MrStuffins wrote: »

I mean, we're not too far away from the gaming industry taking over from Hollywood!

Not too far?
Google "video games industry surpasses hollywood"

Taltos wrote: »

Wii - keep it for the kids or someone who plays few games. I got one - played zelda and then sold the whole kit to a mate.

Wii is great for playing old school snes/nes games and messing with homebrew, downloadable stuff. You can get emulators for just about every old school console for your wii, I have about 900 old atari games on mine (only a few mb :pac:)

I'd agree that the majority of the stuff you actually buy on a cd for the Wii is rubbish though, shovelware.

I have every console bar the Vita (it's out here) but I'll get it eventually if the games start coming out.

Lanaier

ronjo wrote: »

I have seen Skyrim mentioned here but have honestly no frigging idea what its about.

Well if you do check it out it's better on PC.
(Sorry, just the truth. I have all the consoles as well etc etc)

But to be honest if you're not already into games you'll probably not be interested in spending 100+ hours immersed in one at this stage.

JerryHandbag

Never owned one. Used to play Mario etc as a kid/teen but that was on my brothers consoles, and in fairness we have good memories of that...especially around Christmas time when Santa would bring the latest Mario game

Just lost interest as I headed towards late teens though. Have played a few PC games, but Tiger Woods PGA Tour is the only one I'd play anyway regularly.

ronjo

Lanaier wrote: »

Well if you do check it out it's better on PC.
(Sorry, just the truth. I have all the consoles as well etc etc)

But to be honest if you're not already into games you'll probably not be interested in spending 100+ hours immersed in one at this stage.

So how many hours a week would you play games on average would you reckon?

seamus

Always enjoy playing games, but would never consider myself a gamer. I'm that guy who buys the best games two years after they came out, for €10.

My eldest brother is 7 years older than me and a big tech nerd like myself, so there has always been a computer in the house since I was very small. I can remember going with him and my Dad to pick up a ZX Spectrum that he was buying second hand off some guy. We loved that. Then he got the brand-new state of the art Amiga 500. Again, we loved that. Then it was the PC; from the early-mid-90's my Dad always had a computer at home to work on, so we installed games on them.

Weren't really that into consoles. We used to rent MDs and SNES's from Xtravision for 24 hours and stay up literally all night playing them, but otherwise it always seemed to be my mates who had them, we never had them at home. Lost an entire summer playing Mario Kart and Goldeneye on the N64, and the overriding memory of my early drinking years is playing Wipeout, Doom and Resident Evil on the PS1 in my mate's bedroom.

Moved in with said tech nerd brother who already had an N64 and then he bought a PS2 and we did spend quite a bit of time playing them, especially while getting few beers in before going out. We also used to have streetfighter contests when we arrived home after being out. Blind drunk, the only rule was that as soon as it was Ken's stage, that was the final fight. I don't know how or why we came up with that rule, but for some reason Ken's stage rarely came up. More than once these contests went on for a couple of hours (bearing in mind that we started at 4am) while we waiting for Ken's stage to come up.

Then I bought a Wii, first console I ever bought, at 25. Still use it now and again but it sits mostly unused under my TV now.

Keeping with the buying-the-best-years-after-everyone-else theme, I'd like to get a PS3, but I couldn't justify €600 on a console when it was released, and I can't justify €300 on 5 year old technology now.
I'll probably wait till the PS4 is released, get a PS3 for €100 and all the best games for nowt.

Lanaier

I often wonder if my parents had actually caved and bought me consoles as a kid would I still be as into them as I am now...... hmm, I think I would.

sbsquarepants

I had the original atari console (still have it infact:)). After that nothing, the missus wanted a wii a couple of years back which i duly bought for her birthday or something, i'd say it's been used 3 or 4 times, while drunk. Probably never sober!
I save my game playing for the bedroom:cool:

Lanaier

ronjo wrote: »

So how many hours a week would you play games on average would you reckon?

Hard to say.

I don't watch TV, but probably game the same amount most people watch TV for.
I also work in gaming so that jumps me over the average a bit. (I occasionally need to play games I don't like as part of research)

Back when I had more free time and no wife I was basically either working, drinking or gaming (occasional sleeping).

ixoy

Have a DS but rarely play it. I do enjoy video games but it's PC all the way for me (and Amiga before that). For FPS and the like, I just don't like console controllers compared to the mouse/keyboard combo.