2023 is a great year to be a gamer. There is more choice than ever before, both in terms of the types of games you can play and the devices you can enjoy them on. For casino gamers, there are more online casinos than at any point in history, creating a need for sites like oddschecker that make it easy to find all of the best bonuses. Meanwhile, those who enjoy being able to play games on the go can take advantage of the ever-growing number of mobile titles for both iOS and Android devices. 

It’s not just about quantity, either. One of the big pluses about gaming today is that there is a much greater variety of content in terms of genre, format, and size. You’re no longer just restricted to playing giant AAA games like Call of Duty or Crysis. There are also more casual titles like Candy Crush and Stardew Valley.

Not all gamers are happy with what we have today, however. Many lament the fact that most games come laden with microtransactions and their associated nag screens, incessant grinding, and pay-to-win formulas. Others are unhappy with the continual flow of sequels that big publishers seem to prioritize over the release of new titles. These players look back on the “good old days” of gaming.

However, it seems that not all rose-tinted glasses are created equal. There is a lot of debate as to when exactly these “good old days” actually were. So let’s take a look and see if we can reach some sort of consensus. 

Early 1980s

The early 1980s were a great time for gaming. It was an exciting period because it was the first opportunity many people had to play any kind of video game. The tone for this was set right at the beginning of the decade when Space Invaders was ported to consoles in 1980. This was also the year that Pac-Man first appeared in arcades, with the console version coming two years later. 

This was an incredible decade for gaming and it gave birth to many popular franchises we know and love today, none more so than Mario. He first appeared as Jump Man in the 1981 release of Donkey Kong but he quickly became a household name.

The early 80s were exciting because it felt like anything was possible. However, 1983 brought about the video game crash caused by developers flooding the market with poor quality and copycat titles in a bid to cash in on the latest craze. 

Late 1980s

The late 1980s were, arguably, even more exciting for gamers as the technology of consoles was beginning to mature. We also saw some epic titles hit shelves during the second half of the decade, including several Mario games, Zelda, and Tetris. 

It was during this era that Nintendo released the Game Boy, the first truly portable games console, setting the scene for what we would get to see in future years. 

Mid-1990s

The mid-1990s was a big time for gaming as it was when titles shifted from 2D to 3D. Doom was one of the key catalysts in driving this trend, becoming an instant hit as players scrambled to download the free version of the game. 

This was also when Sony released its first PlayStation, showing the world that optical discs offered more to gamers than cartidges. Several iconic titles were also released in this period too, including GoldenEye 007, Grand Theft Auto, and Super Mario 64. 

Late 2000s

The late 2000s is the last period that’s old enough to describe as the “old days”. It was during this period that the modern world of gaming began to be shaped and many of us were first getting to experience online multiplayer games for the first time. 

Rockstar Games released GTA IV, showing just how expansive open worlds could be on more powerful hardware, while games like Call of Duty and Forza were experimenting with digital downloads of extra content. 

The sudden explosion of online play led to the development of online gaming culture, with new words and phrases liked “owned” and “camping” being repurposed for their use. 

Final thoughts

Examining these distinct periods shows how unique they were, but it’s difficult to say that any single one was better than the rest. They were great for their own reasons and each decade part of the overall evolution of the industry. So, perhaps we will have to continue to disagree on when exactly the golden age of gaming was…

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