video game console timeline

 I did this for my cell phone history, figured I should keep track of my video game consoles too. 

NES

(released 1985)

circa 1988 - circa 1993

My first console. Started on Mario 1. Played lots of sports games like Tecmo Super Bowl, Tecmo Basketball, Nintendo World Cup, NES Play Action Football, Major League II, Blades of Steel. Mario 3 was awesome. Other notables: Tetris, Excitebike, Vegas Dream, Ducktales, Hoops, Danny Sullivan's Indy Heat. 

Sega Genesis

(released 1989)

circa 1993 - circa 1998

I remember wanting to play Mortal Kombat and my mom was not on board. We also discussed if we should buy our first computer. I remember convincing my parents that a Sega Genesis was much cheaper than a computer. The first game I got was NHL '94. An absolute classic. Bill Walsh College Football 95 was awesome. Then I got NHL '96 and it was even faster, better than the 94 version. I know I had a bunch of games, World Series Baseball (1994), NFL QB Club 96, FIFA 95. Basically I just liked sports games. 

Note: I pretty much missed out on everything from Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64. Occasionally, I got to play Goldeneye at friend's house but was so inexperienced that I never really got to enjoy it. Same for Mario Kart. 

Sega Dreamcast

(released September 1999)

circa 2000 - circa 2005

My absolute favorite game from this system was Tony Hawk 2. Also played a ton of College Football 2k2. Some others I remember: Crazy Taxi, Spider-Man (2000), Sonic Adventure 2, Jet Grind Radio, NBA 2k1, Resident Evil series. 

Note: By high school I was able to visit friends and play a lot of PlayStation. In fact, because several friends had a PS1, I think that was a reason that I wanted the Dreamcast for variety. I fell in love with Metal Gear Solid, Tony Hawk 1, Driver, the Twisted Metal series, and Madden 2001 on the PS1. 

PS2

(released October 2000)

May 2005 - June 2008

So GTA3 came out in October 2001, a month after I started college. I did not have a PS2 but I wanted to play GTA3. So I did what anyone would do. Played the entirety of the game on Borello's PS2. I seriously logged 40+ sitting on his floor playing his game and system. NO REGRETS. I got through college on the Dreamcast, see above. But after I graduated, the Gamestop on campus was selling PS2 systems and games for very cheap. So I went ahead and picked one up at the end of its era. Good value. 

Got to play GTA Vice City and San Andreas, Metal Gear Solid 2, College Hoops 2k5 (including the Illinois Final Four team), NCAA 06, Burnout, Guitar Hero 3, Hitman Contracts/Blood Money and more. 

Just looked it up. I paid $16 for San Andreas in 2006. Got a bunch of great games at low prices, a few years after they came out. 

PS3

(released November 2006)

June 2008 - June 2015

I distinctly remember that I got the PS3 so I could play Grand Theft Auto IV. And it was awesome. 

I feel like the PS3 was a big step up from everything before this. This is the dividing line of modern gaming to me. PS3 is when I started playing online, there were trophies, you could even download games. 

On October 9, 2008, a little independent game called Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle Cars came out. It seemed cool so I paid for it, downloaded and was uploading highlight videos to youtube by October 13, 2008. 12 years later, Rocket League has over a million active players. But more on that later. 

The PS3 is where I got started on the Assassin's Creed series with the brilliant AC2. Likewise with Portal. 

Another reason I consider this the beginning of modern gaming? I literally have a record of all the games I've played. Anyone can scroll down and see all the games I've played right here. 

Loved Portal 2, The Saboteur, NHL 11, AC3, GTAV, Driver SF, Red Dead Redemption and plenty more. I distinctly remember logging 40+ hours in AC3 trying to complete everything before our second child was born and video games would go back on the shelf for a bit. 

Played that system a ton and after 7 years of constant use, it finally died. The first time a system ever stopped working before I moved on. 

PS4

(released November 2013)

August 2015 - Present

As it turned out, the PS3 dying in June 2015 wasn't the worst timing. Rocket League launched in July 2015 so I went ahead and got a PS4 in August 2015. Also got Madden 2015 and The Last of Us with the new system. 

The PS4 has been great to me. Love Hitman 1 + 2, Far Cry 4&5, Firewatch, Just Cause 3, Mafia 3, RDR 2, Spider-Man, and Tony Hawk remastered. 

Playstation has been good to me for the last 15 years and I'm sure I'll get a PS5 one day. I'm happy to wait a few years, so it can drop in price. I'm sure there will be a game that's only available on PS5 that will make me pull the trigger...or maybe the PS4 will die one day. 

(I also got a Nintendo Switch for the kids, and I play it occasionally with them, but don't consider that my console.)