How Young?

[Linkdude]

Probably it was Super Mario World. I was about 3 and I beat it in one day.

[Chris Marsh]

I was probably about 3 or 4 when I played NES Duck Hunt. I was born in '88 and there was an Atari VCS and a Coleco ADAM computer at first before I was even born. There was an NES since I was little as well (Probably 1989 or so). My brother remembers saving up hard earned cash in 1990 to get Super Mario 3.

[ActRaiser1]

hmm, good question.  I can remember the word "arcade" when I was 2 going on 3, though that also meant fooseball and other games as well.  In the local mall we had an arcade with awesome games that blew the 2600 out of the water with the most fun one being a star wars trench battle being the most fun.   born in 77, must have been playing/losing since 80.

[Sentinel]

Long time lurker and infrequent poster... It seems Alienblue and I have a lot in common.  I'm an artist, too, and was born in 1967.  So, Alienblue, you may be the oldest...but not by much.

My first system was a Radioshack Pong-like unit with a light gun attachment.  That was back in 1978 or 79 when I was 11 or 12.  I was there when the first arcade machines started showing up next to all the pinball machines in the pizza parlors and what-not.  I, too, have had a system of some kind ever since the early 80's when I got the Atari VCS (2600) with paper route money (HAD to have Space Invaders and Asteroids!!). My next system was a Colecovision and I've been buying and playing at least one system from each generation since.  I keep all my systems and continue to collect games for all of them.  I play many new games but still have a great love for the early 80's classics and lots of stuff in-between.  My fingers aren't as nimble as they used to be and I can really tell when I play my kids or friends that are younger.  It won't be too much longer before I'm in the demographic that Nintendo is targeting with their "Touch Generations" campaign.

[Yurf]

I was about 3 years old (born in 1987) when I started playing on my uncle's Atari 2600 with games such as Donkey Kong and Circus Atari. I never stopped playing games ever since...

[Roperious1]

The first console for me was the Sega Genesis. 1995. Eight years old. Then came the playstation, the Playstation 2 and now the Wii.


I only had 10 games for the Genny by the time the Playstation came out, now that number is almost 120!



I think that this generation is going to be significantly different in our old age. Think about it, when you're 80 and have limited mobility, games will be the perfect escape!

[joshuavern]

Hey voor, it's definitely every parent's right to determine what age is appropriate for their children to play games (not to mention the content).  One positive to letting your daughter play is that vg's are a tool for learning how to interact with technology.  There are numerous studies/theories about how boys grow up with a head start in technological fields because the majority of video and computer games are aimed at them. 

[Cody]

My first gaming console I recieved was an N64 when I was 5 in Christmas 1997. I recieved a Playstation 1 during Christmas 1998, and a Gameboy Color in Christmas 2000. For awhile, I was never really involved in videogames as a hobby until my friend recommended an Atari 2600. I bought one of of ebay in 2004 and have been collecting ever since. My friend made me into a classic gamer and officially entered me into the videogame world. I now have around 23 gaming machines and hope to get my younger cousin into games when she is older. As for the question, I believe as long as parents watch the games their children play and how long they play them, 5-6 is a good beginning age for kids to play games.

[voor]

Do ya'll know any old timers (70s, 80s) in this generation that play video games.  I don't but like someone said, that'll change in about 30 years....Weirdness!!