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Monday, October 14, 1996
Bird's EyeView
Some KU students pay hundreds of dollars for game systems. evidence that...
Video Games ARE NOT just kids' stuff
Story by Liz Musser
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Drew Sollars, Lawrence senior, sits on his front porch surrounded by several old video systems. Sollars prefers nostalgic video game systems to modern game systems like Sony Play Station. His collection includes older systems like Atari, Intelevision, and Bally Videocade.
intendo. NeoGeo. Sega.
Sony, Atari. Hunter Dileo
prides himself on owning the
latest versions of all the
major home video game systems. The St. Louis freshman spends four hours a day in front of the television playing games. He even reads magazines on the subject.
Some would say that Hunter has no life. He doesn't agree.
"It's stupid to say that video game people are geeks," he said. "I do have a social life. I do have a life. I do have a job. This is just my form of release."
John Head / KANSAN
Weaned on Pac Man and Pitfall, many children of the '80s are now in college and presumably too busy to spend their days glued to the screen. But technology has matured with the video game generation, and, geeky or not, a lot of college students still play.
"You'd be surprised how many people are interested." Dilao said.
Nathan Hedrick, Manhattan freshman, said that although a nerdy stigma surrounded video game playing, it did not stop most people he knew in Hashinger Hall from playing them.
"You can either read, watch TV or play video games," Hedrick said. "At least half of my hall plays."
Ren Childers, Lawrence senior and sales clerk in the electronics department of Wal-Mart, 3300 Ia St., said that among college students, the Sony PlayStation was the most popular home entertainment system.
Games for the Sony PlayStation come
cartridges, Childers said. People like the PlayStation because it has a large selection of games, and because it has advanced graphics and good sound quality.
John Feeney, Lawrence senior, enhances his PlayStation with a big-screen television.
He said he played at least a half hour each day, and bought an average of two games per month.
The habit runs him about $90 per month, Feeney said.
"It's my second-favorite thing to do besides drinking," he said. "If you combine the two, it's magic."
Drew Sollars, Lawrence junior, said that although he thought the PlayStation was the best gaming experience, he didn't want to spend the money to buy one. Instead, he owns the more nostalgic systems like Atari. Intel television and
Bally Videoocade. In defending his choice of systems, he is sarcastically sentimental.
"You know, back then Atari was a family thing," he said. "Dad playe
Atari, everybody played Atari. Dad just doesn't sit down and play a game of Mortal Combat. Now the kid goes and sits in his dark room and plays all by himself." Desrite Sollars," nostalgia."
the modern world of home entertainment systems continues to grow.
Because Dileo ordered it straight from Japan, he has had the Nintendo 64 for more than six months. He said that the system was unique because the games were CD-ROM quality, but came in cartridge form.
On Sept. 29, Nintendo released, in American market, its most advanced video game system yet — the Nintendo 64.
The graphics on the Nintendo 64 are the best around, he said.
"Technology is getting closer and closer to real-life imagery. And with the 64, we're almost there," he said.
Nintendo has released two games for the new 64 system. Sollars said this would probably keep the Nintendo 64 from surpassing the Play Station in popularity.
"Right now, they've only got two games, and that's just not going to cut it in today's market," he said.
"Most people think that it's bad to play a lot of video games because it makes you develop anti-social behavior. But most people are morons," he said.
Feeney, who rented the system when it came out, said he was not overly impressed with the two games, Mario Land 64 and Pilot Wing.
"It's no more a waste of time than watching TV," Sollars said. "It's interactive, it's all about solving the puzzle." Feeney's defense was more adamant.
"They were kind of cool, but I'd like something with a little more violence," he said. "Nintendo is more children-oriented, so they're weenies about violence."
Despite all the time, money and energy they spend, most of the video game afficionados were able to rationalize their hobby.
Employees from Target, 3201 Iowa St., and Wal-Mart said they sold out of the Nintendo 64 systems in less than two hours the day they came out.
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