From humble beginings...

I started on Xbox.

I mean, if we want to be all exact about where I started gaming you could go right back to my first set of bricks, moving up to my cook-along kitchen playset at my grandparent's house, right up to when we got the family computer with this brand new and super exciting game called 'ZOO Tycoon' (the likes of which I'd never seen before! A combination of mind-blowing graphics and animal dung - wowzers all 'round!) when our dial-up connection finally got a bit faster, I hit the web to have a bash at this whole 'Runescape' phenomenon and eventually wound up totally hooked on MMORPGs.

Between that and the PS2 entering our household, our family acquired its first ever TV console. It was a shockingly small little thing, connecting to the television with just two cables. But from its unassuming machine box jutted a striking and familiar joystick. A red button sitting proudly beside it. It was the magnificent Namco Plug 'n Play 5-in-1.

Source: http://videogame.brando.com

Joyous shrills would time and time again ripple through our family as we gethered together to watch each other play through Dig-Dug without being scorched by the pixel dragon, or laughter would fill the room as my little brother lost time and time again to the ghosts chasing him 'round the screen on Pacman.
It was beautiful, and we were heartbroken when it finally broke. I think I'd sat on it, actually. I like to think I chucked it across the room in rage and after being beaten by one of the other three games you could play on it, like a true gamer.

But it's alright yo, we bought another one.

I don't know what exactly happened to make us stop, maybe like all toys, it eventually just lost our interest. I cannot imagine how with the likes of Rally X, the most incredibly high-tech racing game you will EVER see in your LIFE. But yes, it happened.

Then Playstation entered our lives when my little brother bought a PS2 from a kid in town.
It eventually 'broke' but I watched some tutorials online, took that sucker to pieces and fixed it up again. When it broke for real we were deeply sadden... So like the trusty little joystick box that had kept us entertained before, we just replaced it with another one.

The playstation was tons of fun, and I'd really enjoyed the hours spent owning and being a general musical god on Guitar Hero... But I was growing up and finding less and less time for gaming. I left my little brother in his own world to scour the streets of Vice City in Grand Theft Auto or stuff his face with donuts (or whatever) in The Simpsons Hit and Run. With him, I left gaming behind completely.

Sort of.

I met this really nerdy kid called Alex about three years ago. He GENUINELY looked like an actual 'drowned-rat' when he stepped off the train with my bestfriend who was introducing us that day. The palest skin possible and some kind of funky afro thing seemed to be growing from his head, I don't know... I thought it was his pet at first... Anyway. It wasn't long before he got all passionate about his gaming side, insulted when I called him simply a 'gamer'. "I'm a hardcore gamer!" he'd reply, full of pride.

He started me on Halo. I failed miserably, usually taking to hide behind walls until he cleared each area for me. Occassionally I'd peep out to shoot our comrade marines, because in Halo 1 that totally makes them glow pretty colours!

I didn't care for it then, but moving in with the nerd, not to mention being all engaged to him and whathaveyou has exposed the world of gaming to me in all its wonderful glory, and completely changed my mind on everything. I'm replaying through Halo now I actually care. I'm trying my best not to shoot our marines this time. I'm actually starting to take gaming seriously, and get to at least amateur level on my looking around skills...

Though technically not my first console, I will always feel that I started on Xbox.

Tell me about your beginnings as a gamer?