the different Ages of Video Games

PrairieDillo

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So I talk to a couple of guys on here often and we kind of break up the different "ages" of video games similar to how Comics were broken up to Golden, Silver and some called them the Dark age of comics. I don't know what the last 10+ years were considered however (modern?)

In video games I consider them basically 3 ages also. Yes this is a very simplistic view point. (these are not hard definitions)

Golden - pre-JAMMA classics.
Silver - 16/32 bit JAMMA games
3D era - 3D rendered games which dominated the late 90's till now. They're often associated with the crossover tech w/ consoles and the fall of arcades.

Does anyone ever break them up this way when they talk about arcade vids?

I get the general feeling that a majority here are more into golden age with a smaller strong following of Silver age/JAMMA collectors. Most guys probably appreciate both and have a rare newer 3D game mixed in there.
 
I call the pre-color age the bronze age. I love many bronze age video games, and most of my favorite pinball machines are from that time period as well. BTW, I am in my early thirties, so I should love silver age (early to mid 90's games) but I only have a passing interest in most of these games.
 
I consider the golden age of classic arcade games to be from 1978 to 1983/1984. I have zero interest in almost everything after that (let's call that the Street Fighter age). There were some important games before that (Pong, Breakout, etc.), but probably not much that I'd like to own.
 
I've only more recently gotten in to the arcade collecting area, and I think your breakdown is accurate, and pretty widely accepted.

I think in terms of the golden age, that's when games were widely availible only in arcades. If you wanted to play a game, you went to the arcadde.

As for the silver, that seems to me to be around th era where the home consoles had established themselves.

By the time the 3D age came around, home consoles had pretty much taken over.
 
I would say where in the clone 3d person shooter/adventure games period now. Basically the same concept that has been done to death for the last Decade now.
 
I've only more recently gotten in to the arcade collecting area, and I think your breakdown is accurate, and pretty widely accepted.

I think in terms of the golden age, that's when games were widely availible only in arcades. If you wanted to play a game, you went to the arcadde.

As for the silver, that seems to me to be around th era where the home consoles had established themselves.

By the time the 3D age came around, home consoles had pretty much taken over.

Atari 2600 came out in the late 70's. Home systems were pretty much parallel to the Golden Age of video games. The big difference was when home systems began to rival (if not exceed) the graphics quality of an arcade game.
 
Atari 2600 came out in the late 70's. Home systems were pretty much parallel to the Golden Age of video games. The big difference was when home systems began to rival (if not exceed) the graphics quality of an arcade game.

I did use the qualifier widely... I know there were still home consoles out there, but often times they were very expensive.

That being said, I completely agree with you.
 
Bronze age: 1971-1978
Golden age: 1979-1984
Silver age: 1985 - 1991 (SF II)
 
Nice point of the Bronze Age.

I personally don't break it down by year. A game can be created in one generation but still be a classic. Championship Sprint and Geometry Wars are clear examples of that. Some may call Geometry Wars a Modern Classic but my point is that there should be no hard rulls about the different ages of Video Games. It's just a general category to basically describe an arcade game in a certain era.
 
Nice point of the Bronze Age.

I personally don't break it down by year. A game can be created in one generation but still be a classic.

Understood. But, if you don't want to break it down by year, what's the point of designating an "age" at all?
 
geometry wars a modern arcade classic?since when?
there are golden games for me not golden/silver/bronze/aluminium/wooden ages
 
Well silver age jamma stuff never really ended till recently... when was the last metal slug or KOF?
Hard driving and stun runner were 3D examples that came well before other prime examples if the age of 3D games.

Maybe replace Age w/ Era....
 
One trend I've noticed is that HUGE games are dominating the arcades now. Most of these games would be way too big to put in your home arcade. So...are we in the "Giant Age"?
 
I consider the golden age of classic arcade games to be from 1978 to 1983/1984. I have zero interest in almost everything after that (let's call that the Street Fighter age). There were some important games before that (Pong, Breakout, etc.), but probably not much that I'd like to own.

Street Fighter Age = Platinum Age :)
 
Well,
If we are talking about parallels in Comics, wouldn't it be Platinum age being the oldest i.e. B&W games like Space invaders and Asteroids back.circa 19xx-1979. Golden Age would be the time frame where games came into their own. Color games from 1979-1983 or the great crash. Silver games would be the next evolution i.e. Jamma up to 1990 maybe. And lastly, you would have your bronze age. The decline of the modern game. Most of the Fighters, Racers, and Redemption would fit in here. I'm by no means an authority on either, but that seems like the natural breaks. Of course, I suppose you could call the platinum age all the games that predate the solid state games like EM shooting games, and pinballs.
 
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