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> I don't think that these games were available for anyone coming from either my generation (in my 20s, now) or any of the previous ones. S.E.U.C.K. [1] was pu

by mrec 9y ago

> I don't think that these games were available for anyone coming from either my generation (in my 20s, now) or any of the previous ones. S.E.U.C.K. [1] was published in 1987. RPGMaker [2] was first published in 1992 and is still going. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoot-%27Em-Up_Construction_Kit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoot-%27Em-Up_Construction_Ki... [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPG_Maker https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RPG_Maker

LolWolf 9y ago
I did use RPG Maker, having found out about it in middle school (though I had programmed before), it was actually kind of fun to mess with, thanks for reminding me about it! I may pass it on. But, anyways, my point was less that they didn't exist, but rather than one had to know this was a community and actively seek it out, whereas now an interested parent can go look up "learn to program" in the app store and have plenty of apps to install and have their kids run on an iPhone or iPad ready to go, instead of having to go through several websites along with setting up applications on their computer, etc., to get everything ready for their kids' use. Perhaps more succinctly, they have to have no prior knowledge of programming or of the existence of this community in order to have their kids be a part of it. Of course, before we could still Google stuff and see that it exists, but it seems to have more of an activation energy than a ready-to-install app from the app store; I should also note that this all was also pre-Code.org push, too. Compared to so many of the people I know with kids in elementary and middle school, many of whom are already starting to learn how to program, I can't remember this being the case at all with my year. All of this comes with the big warning label of "anecdotal evidence," but I'd love to know if there are any numbers on this!

by mrec 9y ago

LolWolf 9y ago

I did use RPG Maker, having found out about it in middle school (though I had programmed before), it was actually kind of fun to mess with, thanks for reminding me about it! I may pass it on. But, anyways, my point was less that they didn't exist, but rather than one had to know this was a community and actively seek it out, whereas now an interested parent can go look up "learn to program" in the app store and have plenty of apps to install and have their kids run on an iPhone or iPad ready to go, instead of having to go through several websites along with setting up applications on their computer, etc., to get everything ready for their kids' use. Perhaps more succinctly, they have to have no prior knowledge of programming or of the existence of this community in order to have their kids be a part of it. Of course, before we could still Google stuff and see that it exists, but it seems to have more of an activation energy than a ready-to-install app from the app store; I should also note that this all was also pre-Code.org push, too. Compared to so many of the people I know with kids in elementary and middle school, many of whom are already starting to learn how to program, I can't remember this being the case at all with my year. All of this comes with the big warning label of "anecdotal evidence," but I'd love to know if there are any numbers on this!