Hello everyone! Fresh off my latest banning here at AVS, I thought I'd touch upon how much gaming has evolved. My 360 would be considered a supercomputer when I was 12! I remember playing Leisure suit larry when I was 8 on my dad's pc and thinking about how sick this virtual world was that I could roam in, when it was only like 9 streets, a few sleezy hotels, and a 7-11 you could go. Now, we're pissed if we don't get all of that virtual city in saints row! This is usually the first thing that pops into my head when I play saints row - besides to plow through a huge crowd of pedestrians with the fastest car possible and also to hose down some old lady with my machine gun. These games are getting so big and in depth it is scary. I fear for production levels of our workers in ten years when xbox worldwide comes out!

I think it goes without saying how far games have come. The big question is how far will they go?

Hello everyone! Fresh off my latest banning here at AVS

So casual about it :D

Do you put hash marks on the wall after each one???

:)

So casual about it :D

Do you put hash marks on the wall after each one???

:)

Next one's permanent. Keep that in mind Sloth...

Kyser

It really is crazy. I've been playing Gears Of War for the past couple months, and now the beauty that is that game has become normal! I grew up playing Super Mario, which was nothing more than a couple pixels mushed together. Crazy to think about. The first time I saw NBA 2k6 in HD my jaw dropped. Now it doesn't amaze me. Scary. Who knows what the future will hold.

I really hope we progress to virtual reality. That would be awesome.

My two favorite Adventure games...

When I was kid....

http://www.thebestlinks.com/images/thumb/1/14/160px-NES_Legend_of_Zelda.png

Today.....

http://www.dailygame.net/Articles/media/screens/oblivion/oblivion9sm.jpg

My two favorite Adventure games...

When I was kid....

http://www.thebestlinks.com/images/thumb/1/14/160px-NES_Legend_of_Zelda.png

Today.....

http://www.dailygame.net/Articles/media/screens/oblivion/oblivion9sm.jpg


excellent example. Being 30'ish :( I've been at this since the intellivision, atari, Coleco Vision, even vic 20 days. Absolutely boggles my mind how far it has come. Playing GRAW2 last night on my 110" screen, in full DD, vs a atari on my old 12" black and white tv.

I really don't crave VR. I like gaming on flat panel displays. I just hope that games continue to mimic reality. For example, the PS4 and the xbox 720 should allow for 1080p games at 60 FPS with fully destructible environments and realistic physics applied to many things in the gaming world, as well as he the neat lighting and mapping techniques.....and awesome smoke and particle effects.

Maybe PS3 and 360 games 4 -5 years from now will do most of that, but never all of it.

I would like to see the day of no loading screens AT ALL.

Also unlimited number of people online in one game without any lag whatsoever.

here's another

the infamous Enduro! on the atari 2600

http://www.ugo.com/images/galleries/racinggames_sports/enduro_th.jpg

Now Forza 2

http://www.planetxbox360.com/app/webroot/files/2006/september/x06-forza2-screens.jpg

here's another

on the atari 2600

http://www.ugo.com/images/galleries/racinggames_sports/enduro_th.jpg
Enduro! Sweet! The fog level was always the hardest. I never could make it very far into the second day...

The bannings are good for my spirit and constitution. Sometimes I become so engrossed in the world of AVS forum that I neglect my own life, chores, woman, and my love for fine cheeses and wine. Just the other day when I realized I was banned, so I decided that I would pull the anchor up on this little rowboat I have. So there I was, just drifting down this river with my little easel in the middle of the boat just painting the surroundings when all of a sudden there was a rustling in the brush to my right. As I turned, I saw a little woman washing a pair of underpants in the water. Totally disgusted, I began vomiting uncontrollably and ruined my painting. If I hadn't been banned, I may have never gone on my little journey. But yes, videogames are moving at a rapid pace and I expect VR by 2012

I think the future from here on out with games is going to be improvements in physics, Fully destructible and interactive environments, Advanced A.I., Advanced animation capture, Innovative gaming features like a game evolving depending on how you play,etc.

Who could forget the OG ... Pitfall! starring pitfall harry!

http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Pitfall_2600_ScreenShot1.jpg

Now, Tomb Raider starring you know who

http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/26/1/99/s26199_pc_29.jpg

I could do this all day!

Lenny and Newfmp3, those are great comparisons. It'd be fun to see more comparisons of older games and newer games.

-JR

My two favorite Adventure games...

When I was kid....

http://www.thebestlinks.com/images/thumb/1/14/160px-NES_Legend_of_Zelda.png

Today.....

http://www.dailygame.net/Articles/media/screens/oblivion/oblivion9sm.jpg

I go back to the text based days of the Apple IIe, ponder THOSE games for a minute. :p

Football for the Atari 2600:
http://www.videogamecritic.net/images/2600/football.png

You know what:
http://xbox360.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/62179/2_qjpreviewth.jpg

Spiderman then:

http://spiderman.ugo.com/images/games/atari/large/atari-2.jpg

Spiderman now:

http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1415/1172114764.jpg

Great thread.

Anyone got anymore "Before" and "Now" pictures.

spidey was impossible back in the day. The goblin would always get me

combat
http://idea-sandbox.com/blog_images/combat.jpg
battlefield bc
http://www.shacknews.com/images/generated/481246929627e_featured_without_text_battlefield.jpg

Glad to see ur still here

combat
http://idea-sandbox.com/blog_images/combat.jpg
battlefield bc
http://www.shacknews.com/images/generated/481246929627e_featured_without_text_battlefield.jpg



Combat WOW

I had that about 1978. Big green ancient looking "steel battalion" looking plug and play type console. Christ im old:eek:

So casual about it :D

Do you put hash marks on the wall after each one???

:)

Skull and crossbones stickers on his safety helmet.

My 360 would be considered a supercomputer when I was 12!

Not even. The 360 when I was 12 (I am 27 now) would be considered some piece of black magic from a forbidden age. The amount of computing power in a 360, PS3, or hell even a basic netbook was simply unimaginable 15 years ago.

Not even. The 360 when I was 12 (I am 27 now) would be considered some piece of black magic from a forbidden age. The amount of computing power in a 360, PS3, or hell even a basic netbook was simply unimaginable 15 years ago.

even the musical birthday cards today have way more advanced technology than the first computers

even the musical birthday cards today have way more advanced technology than the first computers

someone told me a basic laptop has more computing power than the first space shuttle

Well the whole Apollo missions could have been run from an N64 so it's not surprising. It makes you wonder, barring a backwards looking approach via the Wii, what will be possible and more importantly in our living rooms 15 years from now.

OLD CO-OP

http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/6950/190010-coop_super.jpg


NEW CO-OP!

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/102/308457891_6003de8a47.jpg:)

Tetris THEN....

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/8981/tetrisdos1986.png

Tetris NOW....

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2227/1172193856.jpg

oh, wait....;)

here's another

the infamous Enduro! on the atari 2600

http://www.ugo.com/images/galleries/racinggames_sports/enduro_th.jpg

Now Forza 2

http://www.planetxbox360.com/app/webroot/files/2006/september/x06-forza2-screens.jpg

Enduro was friggin awesome! Probably the most intense racer until Burnout. I never had to precisely twitch like in that game. And yes, the fog was intense but the trick to make it easy was to be easy on the gas. build up speed and then just move left and right.

combat
http://idea-sandbox.com/blog_images/combat.jpg
battlefield bc
http://www.shacknews.com/images/generated/481246929627e_featured_without_text_battlefield.jpg

WIN!

Could have used an apache in there too but this really shows how things of evolved.

WIN!

Could have used an apache in there too but this really shows how things of evolved.

lol thanks brah. Check this out

http://consolemunchies.com/oscommerce/catalog/images/boxing.png

http://www.konsolekingz.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/fight-night-round-3-screenshot-_1.jpg

Great thread !!

Fun with a giant controller then...

http://www.tralfazxmg.com/Pong%20console.png

and (close to) now...

http://www.tralfazxmg.com/Steel%20B.JPG

Still love playing Steel Battalion to this day. :)

who is this sloth person you speak of:) whiskey do you know him?

wow, cool thread!

Then... Atari Hockey
http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Ice_Hockey_2600_ScreenShot1.jpg

Now..
http://www.player1.ca/wp-content/nhl09_7.jpg

who is this sloth person you speak of:) whiskey do you know him?

I did notice our posting styles are similar, but I can assure you that any similarities between that guy and myself are coincidental

Then - 720
http://peeknpoke.emuunlim.com/images/arcade/720.gif

Now - Skate 2
http://ui06.gamespot.com/645/dannyway_2.jpg

Then
http://www.tepg.se/titles/%5BMovie%5DDawn%20of%20the%20Dead%20(1978)_05.jpg

Now
http://image.jeuxvideo.com/images/x3/r/d/rdgrx3070.jpg

XBOX - then
http://media.teamxbox.com/faq/xbox.jpg

XBOX 360 - now
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ne/p/2005/Xbox360full_500x526.jpg

Then..
http://blog.newsweek.com/photos/levelup/images/original/The-Atari-2600-Video-Computer-System-controller.aspx

Now..
http://www.flyingscool.com/images/UsingAnXboxController01.jpg

Now..
http://www.flyingscool.com/images/UsingAnXboxController01.jpg

there are 14 buttons I thought...18 for those cheaters

Then..
http://www.dabbledoo.com/ee/images/uploads/gamertell/zork_screen01.jpg

Now...
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/873/873490/fable-2-20080513085755214_640w.jpg

Then..
http://www.cbmitapages.it/c64/games/Summer_Games.gif

Now..
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/868/868548/beijing-2008-screens-20080422000732616_640w.jpg

Then.. http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/thumbnail/1077978116-00.png

Now..
http://cusec2006.soen.info/documents/sponsorship/EA.jpg

Then..
http://saintsuperman.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/street_fighter_ii_snes_hadoken.jpg

Now...
http://yoda.dip.jp/Game/StreetFighter4/StreetFighter4_03_360.png

Then..
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/media/11627/1/62.jpg

Now..
http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1624/1178122113.jpg

then
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/51/Ninjagaidenarcade.png/250px-Ninjagaidenarcade.png

nao
http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/rdonlyres/8FE849F5-20B8-4BE6-9C59-BA42A79708F7/13442/06ninjagaiden03.jpg

You could do this all day...

Then..
http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2008/11/09/super-mario-bros.jpg
Now...
http://wiimedia.ign.com/wii/image/article/833/833298/super-mario-galaxy-20071107020423368_640w.jpg

Then
http://sheilamiller31.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/galaga.jpg

Now
http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/21/galagalegions.jpeg


Sorry for the huge picture.

It is definatly amazing how far games have came since I started playing the atari 2600. Who would have ever thought it was possible?

wow great thread guys. That boxing one has to get my vote.

Then
http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/Metal_Gear_NES_ScreenShot2.jpg

Now
http://www.videogamenews.org/wp-content/uploads/metal-gear-solid-4.jpg

Then
http://starmen.net/recommendations/finalfantasy.png

Now
http://ps2media.gamespy.com/ps2/image/article/706/706220/final-fantasy-xiii-20060509003746466.jpg

Then..
http://saintsuperman.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/street_fighter_ii_snes_hadoken.jpg

Now...
http://yoda.dip.jp/Game/StreetFighter4/StreetFighter4_03_360.png

Look at the size of those guys arms and legs! No many so young guys are a mental problem with there size and hit the gym and steroids

then
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/51/Ninjagaidenarcade.png/250px-Ninjagaidenarcade.png

nao
http://www.gameinformer.com/NR/rdonlyres/8FE849F5-20B8-4BE6-9C59-BA42A79708F7/13442/06ninjagaiden03.jpg

This one has to be my favorite! Awesome thread :D

This is bringing me back. I remember my uncle had to program a game using a keyboard. It was a simple parachute type of game. I didn't know it was. All I remember is he would use a bunch of codes to get it working. Awesome thread.

88

http://www.thecookblog.com/images/rbibaseball.gif


08

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/844/844654/mlb-08-the-show-20080109053657217_640w.jpg

^^damn. What about this:

http://www.torontothumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/nes_gb_bustin.gif

http://blog.ugo.com/images/uploads/ghostbusters.jpg

http://www.latinogamers.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/6201620080627_004652_7_big.jpg
VS
http://www.rewiredmind.com/game-images/GhostbustersTheVideoGame/s/1.jpg

http://www.rewiredmind.com/post-images/ghostbusters-main853.jpg

Those ghostbuster pics look great. The progression is pretty cool.

Dammit Whiskey do NOT make me want Ghostbusters any more than I already do. I'm trying to suppress my nerd.

What version is that second pic? Genesis? I know it's not Master System or NES...

Oh man that Ecto looks so sweet. That rocks that they put the OG 59 Caddy hubcaps back on it, and dumped the stupid baby moons form GB II. ("I said SHUT UP inner nerd!!)

Atari Golf then...

http://www.thevideogamecritic.net/images/2600/golf.png

and now...

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/872/872434/tiger-woods-pga-tour-09-20080508001342307_640w.jpg

NES Ninja Gaiden then...

http://www.arminbwagner.com/crates_and_barrels/barrel_ninja_gaiden_nes.jpg

and now

http://www.miuki.net/uploads/2008/04/20080418-ninja-gaiden-ii-5.jpg

Then..
http://www.dabbledoo.com/ee/images/uploads/gamertell/zork_screen01.jpg

Now...
http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/873/873490/fable-2-20080513085755214_640w.jpg

My fav! Good one

My fav! Good one

Don't that's topable for change/improvement lol

Ghost busters looks sweet

If only games were as much fun now as they were then...

Maybe I'm just getting old.

Doesn't go quite as far back as some of these but:

Then - Ultima Online
http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/11/1117_secondlife/image/4-ultima-online.jpg

Now - Age Of Conan
http://blog.al.com/techcetera/2008/06/927504_20070702_screen005.jpg

Then
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/screenshots/7/196957/commandc_screen003.jpg

Now
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/062/reviews/944931_20090304_screen002.jpg

funny thing is from a fun factor, many of those silly looking pictures you youngsters are looking at were more fun,just plain fun, than most of the games they are being compared to. but if you arent 40 you wont get it. ....and be very glad you are not 40:)

shadowrun nes

http://www.coolrom.com/screenshots/snes/Shadowrun%20(2).gif

http://skullkids.co.uk/cnews/data/upimages/shadowrun2.png

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/868/868141/fallout-3-pics-20080421102023213_640w.jpg

http://74.52.71.146/dispatch/blogzone/src/lyceum/wp-content/blogs/7/uploads//fallout3-11.jpg

Basketball

http://www.megatonnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/double-dribble-nes.png
http://sneakerboxx.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/71868029_f66a6ae1ba_m.jpg Double Drib-ble!

http://sportvideogames.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/nba-2k8.jpg

Gotta love the evolution of sports games!

This thread made me smile a lot.

I've played games ever since the Atari VCS. I still remember the first time I played on one of these (I was about 6 I think) and young as I was it was an epiphany. Even now I remember playing Frogger and Chicken Chase and i think a Spiderman game.

The delight of moving from a VCS to a Commodore C64 , the mind-blowing graphics and sound of Zaxxon, Impossible Mission , Raid over Moscow , Harrier Attack.

I'm 36 with a good career , wife, two kids and I still got excited when Fallout 3 arrived.

The progression in gaming is one of the few things in the modern age that has delivered far beyond what most of us could imagine back when the industry was in its infancy.

I detest the narrow minded knee-jerk paranoia that video games are linked to violence. You see exactly the same arguments with comic books and pulp fiction going back as far as the 1930s. there is a very strong stubborn streak in the estabishment that doen't like anything too new becoming too popular with the masses.

It totally detracts and sullies the massive creative and technical leaps that we've been privelaged to witness over the last 3 and a half decades.

During the darkest times of my life gaming has still delivered to me on so many levels , not merely as some escapist mindless distraction. Some of the best games enrich your life in the same way that an important work of literature or film or piece of music.

I will play video games until the day I die.

remember on double dribble how you could go to the top right corner and stroke a 3 everytime....

Great thread.

Graphical evolution is one thing (maybe the easy thing?).... how about gameplay evolution (ie. analog stick implementation)? A seperate thread probably.

i loved the NES advantage

GGKoul, love the Zork image - I spent a good amount of time playing Zork when I was a kid. :)

-JR

Great thread.

Graphical evolution is one thing (maybe the easy thing?).... how about gameplay evolution (ie. analog stick implementation)? A seperate thread probably.

I think I'm far happier playing something like COD4 than Commando.

Pixel perfect 2d jumping is just boringnot challenging.

I've tried to play old C64 games on emulators and to be honest its an experience akin to masochism or collecting stamps. I guess back then our imaginations just filled in the blanks.

There will always be Elite though.

Lots of games from the Amiga era that are still fantastic fun. I paid for the reboot of Cholo a couple of years back and really enjoyed it.

Then
http://ui13.gamespot.com/940/1942gameplay3_2.png
Now
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/140/937958_20070521_screen003.jpg

Then
http://www.ilovethe80s.com/time_pilot.gif

Now
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/056/reviews/943417_02262009_screen005.jpg

GGKoul, love the Zork image - I spent a good amount of time playing Zork when I was a kid. :)

-JR
Me too. I spent a lot of time playing a lot of games.

I guess somethings never change from now to then.. :)

Then
http://www.videogamecritic.net/images/2600/realsports_volleyball.png
Now
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2006/318/928676_111506_screen046.jpg

Then
http://www.consoleclassix.com/info_img/WWF_Wrestlemania_NES_ScreenShot4.gif
Now
http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2009/054/946180_20090225_screen016.jpg

Then
http://www.videogamecritic.net/images/2600/star_wars__the_empire_strikes_back.png

Now
http://media.teamxbox.com/games/ss/1662/1213114495.jpg

http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/764/764506/star-wars-the-force-unleashed-20070214104123893.jpg

Man I love the thread. Especially seeing how easily I was entertained with some of these games with the simplest of graphics. I wanted to post a pic of the old Turtle BASIC program and the new Ninja Turtles game or evolution to present. But I can't seem to find any pictures of the old Turtle program. Maybe somebody with better research ability than me can do it. I know technically it wasn't a game, but to me it seemed more like a game, like a contest to see who could figure out how to make that small triangle draw a circle. I was in the first grade by the way when that was in my school so please don't beat me up for only knowing how to program a straight line. :)

Then

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo230/wijoco/shatner.jpg

Now

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/oo230/wijoco/William20Shatner-11.jpg

Wait...am I doing this right?

Good thread, but it's kind of cheating to post old-school in-game pics versus modern promotional art - modern in-game pics will still kill the old games.

How about this:


Then:
http://codenautics.com/lemonade/Lemonade-tape.png


Now:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HMl8Wcp-Kuo/SEl4xCE5h4I/AAAAAAAAAeM/V1gn2dFsbPg/s400/Fallout%2B3%2B-%2BSurvival%2BEdition.jpg

Good thread, but it's kind of cheating to post old-school in-game pics versus modern promotional art - modern in-game pics will still kill the old games.

How about this:


Then:
http://codenautics.com/lemonade/Lemonade-tape.png


Now:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_HMl8Wcp-Kuo/SEl4xCE5h4I/AAAAAAAAAeM/V1gn2dFsbPg/s400/Fallout%2B3%2B-%2BSurvival%2BEdition.jpg

Heh, I used to have a cassette drive for my Vic 20. Good times.

I remember not buying games for it but instead I would buy magazines that would have the actually basic programming for the game in the magazine, then you would just copy the code and program the game yourself :p

I discovered how to make drawings with the Vic 20 by programming a custom shape for each key on the keyboard, I think each character was an 8 x 8 grid or something. So I would take a piece of graph paper, draw what I wanted by filling in each square which represented a pixel, then cut up the drawing to the 8 x 8 sections, reprogram each key to make the bit of the graphic and then basically you type:

qwert
yuiop

And you'd have a picture. Easy as pie! lol

Speaking of Vic 20:

Then - Jupiter Lander
http://www.mobygames.com/images/i/33/07/410457.jpeg

Now - Mass Effect
http://www.gameland.ru/post/36314/img/Mass_Effect-06.jpg

then
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h72/2gunjake/3c048a5f3cc0e.jpg

now
http://www.vh1.com/sitewide/flipbooks/img/shows/surreal_life_3/73df2056.jpg

http://finewhyfine.typepad.com/fine_why_fine/images/09flav.big

A portable comparison:


Then:
http://wiiconsumer.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/super-mario-land.png

Now:
http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/03/30261020060319_165038_2_big.jpg


Then:
http://www.modojo.com/media/features/160/castlevania_legends.jpg

Now:
http://gbamedia.gamespy.com/gba/image/article/583/583554/castlevania-ds-20050128021101121.jpg


Then:
http://www.stealthboy.com/images/screenshot_metroid2.jpg

Now:
http://i.testfreaks.co.uk/images/products/600x400/164/metroid-fusion-gba.516772.jpg


Gotta love the 2D portables. :)

This one just crossed my mind...

Then:
http://old-wizard.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/rcproam-1.jpg

Now:
http://thegamergene.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/gran_tourismo_5_prologue_launch.jpg

Not a direct descendant...but you get the idea.

This one just crossed my mind...

Then:
http://old-wizard.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/rcproam-1.jpg

Now:
http://thegamergene.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/gran_tourismo_5_prologue_launch.jpg

Not a direct descendant...but you get the idea.

shoot, some reimagined RC racing would be pretty sweet complete with human presence right outside the track as you race around (or even the blurred outline of the avatar for example. Damn! I should work for MS!