Unfortunately so. Ubisoft is already talking about not physically owning games. Gaming stores really were quite the experience. That and Blockbusters. That's how I plastered the games that I wanted. Renting them first
It's weird though. When you're a kid, game stores just seem like this magical place where you get to window shop, maaaybe talk your parents into an impulse buy, and get to play on the kiosks, especially if there is a system you don't own. But when you're an adult, they're just so soulless.
I was 20 years old in 2002 and I remember around this time I bought my first gaming system with my own money, an original XBOX. The only reason I bought it was for Jet Set Radio Future. I really miss those days before social media and everyone openly hating each other because they don't belong to a certain political tribe. I wish I could go back, but these videos are the closest I will get. Thanks for posting these!
I was 27 in 2002. Bought my first PS2 with my own money at the time, from a translation job. I've been a professional translator ever since. I almost bought a Dreamcast, because I was extremely curious to play Shen Mue. Good thing I chose PS2, coz Dreamcast died about a year later. There were so many good and memorable titles with PS2. I remember I bought 4 PS2s during its tenure coz the machines kept breaking down. Maybe because I played them so much over the years.
I do too. One of my favorite experiences of being in a store that sells games during the 2000s was that I was at a Toys R Us on the day that the first LEGO Batman game came out in 2008. The Toys R Us that I was in actually went all out on celebrating the release, they had gigantic posters and signs for the game all over the store. I think they even had cutouts of Batman and Robin as well. Even to this day I don't think I've ever seen a store go so hard on promoting a game. You could really tell that they were treating this game like a big deal. There was a demo that you could play inside the store on the PS2 and Wii, so after I played the demo my parents bought the game for me on PS2. I didn't even know about the game until I went in the store, so the surprise of seeing the store all decked out with LEGO Batman stuff, playing the demo, and getting the game was a pleasant surprise and a magical experience.
@@AZITHEMLGPRO They took down the Switch kiosk ever since COVID at the Target where I live. It has never come back so there are no game demos at all for any system.
The golden era. Before social media. When gaming companies didn’t have the luxury to patch after release. No back then games had to be done and polished before release. Game quality back then was through the roof. Really could feel the care and passion that went into what you played. Metal Gear Solid 2..man oh man. My grandad loved getting to hang out with me n watch me play. When I got my Ps2 for Christmas 2001 he was one of the first people I called to tell. MGS2 was the last game I played with him before he passed away in ‘02. What I wouldn’t give to get to go back there 😔
I concur. Nowadays the only ones I care about is Nintendo both old and new since they are the ones doing physical releases while doing their games justice for the most part (Pokémon doesn’t count since Nintendo only publishes and has exclusivity on the series).
Yeah, the switch is the only new console I own now. I mostly play PC these days for other games. But I still have all my 6th & 7th gen consoles. Back when consoles actually had exclusives and features that made you want to buy them all. Now every Xbox game is on PC even some PlayStation games make it over to the PC at some point. 6th gen imo was the Golden Age of gaming and the 7th had a lot of great things too but that is also when things started to take a turn with paid DLC, Microtrans, and digital games. Shame how things have turned out. @@mrconroy4672
@@carlosgonzales2333 yeah the "games had to be done and polished before release" line made me chuckle. There were plenty of rushed out, buggy games coming out in those days. Driver 3, anyone?
@@carlosgonzales2333 It was only exclusive to PC's bug patching because it was built that way to the HW infrastructure. Consoles of this era did not and real human hours were done on QA functionality testing with consoles to ensure they were free from game breaking bugs because the infrastructure was not there yet to easily implement updates.
Wow, 2002 nostalgia! I remember seeing this in person at my local mall when I was a kid! The interior of this Software Etc. store looks like a GameStop, but it turned out the whole chain was bought by GameStop at the time. Thank you for this!
So glad I was around during this era. I was 8 in 2002 and got my first PS2 console from Toys R Us from my dad. My first games were Virtua Fighter 4, Spiderman (2002 Movie game), Batman vengeance, and SSX. I had got it right after my ps1 broke sadly that my cousin gave me. Ive been gaming since the ps1 back in 98 i was only 4 years old. These videos are like a time machine. So much nostalgia
The PS2 was the system to have back in 2002. I remember the Vice City hype was serious along with the first Spider-man movie and the game. Fun time being a teenager!
Dude, I remember this kid brought the vice city instruction booklet to class to show off and we were mesmerized, crowded around him and took turns reading it
I think 2004 was peak gaming, so many massive games came out that year like Halo 2, Star Wars Battlefront, Devil May Cry 3, Shadow of the colossus, GTA: San Andreas, Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, MGS3 Snake Eater...…….probably missing a few more games on this list lol. This was problematic because I was also in college, I literally got no sleep.
Metal Gear Solid 2 was huge at this time. ironically Metal Gear Solid 2 covered all the topics that people mention on this channel…. the influence of the digital media, social media, networks, artificial intelligence, etc. The game was WAY ahead of its time.
what's crazy is i know for a fact i played Spiderman for the first time on an Xbox display system in Atlanta in 2002 at age 5 with my older cousin but this is absolutely not me . i know these videos are supposed to be nostalgic but i didn't realize it would be this nostalgic damn
Yeah I remember that Spiderman game lol. I was playing it as a kid with my bro when a legal courier knocked on the door wanting to talk to my mom. She had divorce papers. Idk why but i remember thats the game i was playing.
It was a highlight walking into a gaming store back then. Eventually, they all folded underneath the Gamestop umbrella. I do love finding unique game stores in cities that I travel to.
2:02 I see my gundam game I had as a kid for PS2 in the corner, it felt so niche at the time there was always something for everyone. Now it’s just a handful of AAA titles and few catch my interest.
This is so amazing to see, the memories just rush through ya watching this. That amazing feeling to have my parents take me to a store and let me pick a game of my choice. So many good times!
I remember the day vice city came out. I was 13, and My mom took me to game stop not knowing what the game was. When we got there, she asked about the game, and the guy that rang her up told her the game wasn’t for kids due to the content. She still bought me the game. Times have really changed. Nowadays, now that games are digital, you don’t need your parent to buy an M rated game as long as they got the money.
Crazy how GameStop is so empty compared to old stores. Even with all the collectable junk it so barren compared to this…. I remember I was at a Toys R Us and the ps2 promo poster on the window near the entrance before the Ps2 was even out. I had an N64 at the time and I remember being blown away at how the console looked. Then one thanksgiving I was over at a house with some of my mom’s co worker friends. They had a PS2 when it launched and I was even more blown away with how the games looked. I remember they had Tekken Tag and Timesplitters. They had a son who lived there who was a few years younger than me. I was always an extremely shy kid but I ended up playing the ps2 with him. I ended up staying the night there the same day I met all of them which was extremely unlike me but I was so in awe of the ps2 and didn’t want to leave. The kid that lived there ended up being my best friend growing up and I spent many nights there playing Ps2,Xbox, GameCube, and PC games. They had it all lol. Many good times at their house and made games a passion for me. I’d kill to live a week in that time period again. Best times of my childhood.
This is the world I miss everyday. I turned 8 this year. In my opinion 2007 was the beginning of the end mainly because of the introduction of the iphone. Life just doesn't have that otherworldly feeling anymore.
Eh relatively true, there were plenty of great and amazing experiences after 2007. I would definitely argue that 2012-2014 was the beginning of the end especially when political agendas were slowly seeping in. 2015-2016 confirmed it.
Smartphone came in 2013 not 2007, that was only iphone which was just a touchscreen phone, no biggie. Videogaming sukked after 2013. Music sukked after 2010. Cartoons sukked after 2012. Fashion sukked after 2014. Idiocracy came in 2017. So all in all looking back, the first 6 years of the 2010's were pretty good. And this comes from someone who grew up in the 90's with no nostalgia goggles attached.
This generation was the peak of gaming. A lot of amazing games with passion and creativity I know gaming sucks now, but at least there’s people that care about integrity. Like bandai namco with tekken, and from software with armored core. Quality over quantity
At least we have the choice to simply play what was good back then and pretend the bs coming out today does not exist (of course with some exceptions). I myself am very close to being done with modern gaming as it is in a very stale state where the only thing that is being focused on are remasters, remakes or sequels. We need completely new game genres that reinvent gaming in general to keep things exciting and innovative.
It was so fun to go the store and talk to gamers and staff during the 80's and 90's - I went every chance. I was really in to the PC games and the shelves at Software Etc. were crazy with all of those big PC boxes of different sizes and shapes. I sure miss those times.
The PS2 was a part of my teenage years. I still have my PS2 and all my games till this day. The good times back then. Young gamers of today and tomorrow won't realize the simple life we had back in the day. Just ready to play games out of the box.
The sensation of going into a video game store like this is unmatched and lacking these days. Walls with shelves filled up with pure games and accessories instead of figurines and merchandise, kiosks for almost every system at the time with demos and game previews to experience, it was beautiful.
I was 22. Damn that early 2000s was tremendous. I always call that era the 90s part 2. Just that cool time in that decade where everybody was on a roll. Especially gaming. PS2 and Xbox had everybody trying to play everything. Thry mentioned DSL. That's how old this video is.
I love these videos. Thanks for uploading it in the original 4:3 form too instead of a 16:9 frame. It makes it much easier and satisfying to watch these videos on a 4:3 CRT!
By far my favorite era of gaming, and I grew up in the 90s. 3 legit consoles, and I actually had my own money to buy stuff. Sent Hill 2 was underrated. And I sold my PS2 for a GameCube and Resident Evil remake and later Resident evil Zero. Never regretted it.
I was an older teenager around this time and bought a PS2 with my own money. So many of my favorite games ever are this video: Silent Hill 2, Metal Gear Solid 2, Devil May Cry, Tekken Tag 1, and a lot more.
This video represents a time in my life when my whole life was ahead of me. Nothing needed to rushed, I had quite a bit of time to figure things out. I would go to the mall every Friday and Saturday as a teen and go to the game stores. In 2002, I was a senior in high school until June, then I was supposed to go into the Air Force, but for reasons I'll never know, they dropped me last second, even after doing my MEPS. Man it was a great time to be alive. Post 9/11 was just ramping up with all security concerns, but who cared? We had these awesome games and times with our friends. I'm gonna be 40 this year. I have a house, a pool, multiple vehicles, but I still game on PC and console. I'll game till I'm dead, but this was a great time for it, a much simpeler time no doubt; one whre you just gamed and ate junk food, until it was time to play hockey at the rink. Thanks for the time machine video. This is as colse as I'll ever get to reliving the feeling.
I love watching these retro videos seeing sealed GameCube and other gaming consoles. I love how we get to see a sealed Metroid Prime for the Nintendo GameCube and the Remake is coming out for the Nintendo Switch. Cool video. ^_^
In ten years time we'll be watching a video on this channel of a Gamestop store in 2023 and on the shelves will be sealed Metroid Prime remake copies and we'll feel nostalgic for the Switch.
Back before gaming became super corporate and mainstream commercialized. Gaming was for gamers by gamers. These kids today don’t know and never will. It will never be the same again
I was 5 in 2002 you were lucky to be a teenager in the early 2000s cause this was before when all social media existed such as MySpace and Facebook not even RU-vid was around
wow. you have no idea how much this means to me. I lived in the Columbus area from 2001-2004 and we would make trips to Atlanta. I think I've been to this mall and if not then another in the Atlanta area. I was a couple years older than the kid at the start of the video during this time. Seeing Silent Hill 2, Max Payne, Metal Gear Solid 2 et. al. on the shelf kills me. Back when games used to be fun and going to a video game shop was a cool experience. There were so many good ones coming out on a regular basis. The PS5 has been out for as long as the PS2 had been at the time this was filmed and there's still nothing good (do not plan on getting one). Did you film this? Either way, thanks for uploading.
I share most of your pov, except for the PS5 part, I know it's you're opinion. I mainly game on PC and PS5, since launch and have had a blast. Maybe it's because alot of my friends also game PS4/PS5 and I'm online alot, and come this winter with GOWR and 2023 too many bangers coming out on the 5, and pretty much all the other platforms as well.
@@mutalix I agree with him , even 7 months after his comment PS5's library pales in comparison to the classics we're seeing on that shelf In this old video even though all the classics he mentioned came out In 2001 , 2002's PS2 line up alone still destroys the PS5's entire 3 year library at this point. We still get a few gems but overall gaming has went so far downhill.
Exactly. It is funny because I actually own a PS5 but more often I turn on my PS2. With a library of 1000 games the PS2 has at least 100 great timeless classics. After the PS2 era gaming went downhill. But yeah I get it. We have now the better games for online gaming. Too bad I am a single player gamer and I am still not interested in online gaming. The only games I played on my PS5 are Cyberpunk2077, Stray, Ratchet and Clank and the new Sackboy game. Oh I nearly forgot to mention the best game for PS5: Astro's Playroom! I am not even joking. This preinstalled little game is beautiful!
@@j-555 exactly. Each level in the game represents a Playstation system. It is a journey through the whole Playstation history. I started gaming during the PS1 era so I lived and saw the whole history. Don't get me wrong. I loved the mentioned PS5 games but it is really sad that I can only name maybe 10 good PS5 games while I can name around 100 PS2 classics. So it is actually a fact that the PS2 was better. My next PS5 game will be Evil West by the way. So hopefully I can name one more good game.
Gaming near its peak. PS1 era was new and exciting with 3-D graphics and game ideas. PS2 era was still inventive, but graphics and gameplay was more refined. No internet involved too, which was so much better.
bro I was in 4th grade or something. Nothing will come close to the late 90s into the mid 2000s. I know there was great stuff after that but just the magic of those years before social media was insane. You can ever hear the two fellas talk about online gaming and ISP providers. It was a new concept for console gamers. I remember being stunned at the speeds of dsl connection. My brother got DSL in our house during those times. I remember going through different weird websites just to find low res videos of music videos . Anything. Channels like these are to be protected and appreciated. Truly a blessed time for many of us.
Oh man, that Gameshark ad takes me back, I had one for my PS1. I mostly used it for The Phantom Menace game, because I just couldn't beat it. Ended up spending most of my time just running around Mos Espa blowing things up. I also used it in Spyro 2 to give myself unlimited fireballs and it ended up deleting my save file. Needless to say, I never got a Gameshark for the PS2.
I'm 27 and severely depressed have been my whole life since I was a toddler there's something wrong in my brain I've always been mentally ill from a very young age and it's only getting worse but I look on these early 2000's years with wide eyes because I have such fond memories of love and friendship even though they were some of the hardest times I had in my life. I've fallen too often into the trap of thinking about the past constantly instead of keeping my mind on the present and looking towards making a better future and I'm in therapy to try and fix myself so I can do that. In the first harry potter movie albus dumbledore finds harry infront of the mirror of erised that shows him his parents as they were when they were alive and he says to harry "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that." stay well kings and queens
Nice to start the video off with the Spider-Man (2002) movie tie-in game. Man, you can just SENSE your childhood here if you were born in the 2000s. Life was so much simpler back then, no $70 games, the PS2, the Xbox, and the GREATEST Nintendo console of all time, the GameCube, were hits just like how the PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch is today.
I remember getting Spider-Man for the PS2 in 2002 and me and my cousins were disappointed with it as you couldn't go down on to the streets and I couldn't get I to it at all. It was different story when Spider-Man 2 came out in 2004 which was amazing and miles better.
My case i found i couldn't not only go down to the streets but you couldn't fight kraven, that got me upset, as much i love ps2, xbox was ahead of it's time.
man the sixth gen of consoles was so goated. many ppls first games and online gaming changed everything. loved the og xbox and gamecube and ps2 had them all
When every game was a physical release, there was so many more games for sale on a console at a time. Look how packed with different games the shelves are, where as these days the new games sections for PS5 and Xbox have like 10 games.
It's nice that I can buy digital games on steam but nothing will ever beat the feeling of going to a gaming store and browsing through everything and actually owning a physical copy. Just like Netflix, it's great and all but it'll never beat walking into a blockbuster 😂
I was 16 in 2002. Got my first job a month after 9/11 and bought a PS2 with MGS 2 and a Gundam game. Shit was off the hook. Now I have a top-of-the-line gaming PC and a PS5
5:38 man the music of the time for game trailers. Game industry has gone pop. No balls and unashamed “yeah this is us, WHAT?!” ADVERTISED anymore. That Gameshark drum and base song though, HYPE!!!
I mean really that's a mystery to you? It's because it was a new thing then, It's old now over 20 years. What do you expect it to be fresh and lively forever! Seeing a video game kiosk back in the late '90s early 2000s was really cutting edge and school then not so much today!
The 2000's was the best time to be a gamer and no I wasn't a kid in the 00's so it's not all based on nostalgia it's based on the amazing games. From the PC exclusives like Medal of Honor Allied Assault to the arcade racing console games like Burnout ect.. there was a quality of variety in the 00's that hasn't been matched since.
it's because Konami have done a terrible job with every port of the game after the ps2.. so the only way to play the game and not have it be a buggy mess is to get an original copy on ps2 But yes it is amazing 😅
Playing a demo for Spiderman 2 on PS2 at Gamestop was the only time I HAD to get the game after, it was so addicting just swinging around town. It was a great game and they've only gotten better
