4 ms·

Oh man, I'm not a full blown gamer, but I do play games. I fondly remember getting violently mad at my nintendo playing SMB in the livingroom. Throwing the cont

Oh man, I'm not a full blown gamer, but I do play games. I fondly remember getting violently mad at my nintendo playing SMB in the livingroom. Throwing the controller, screaming. All that good stuff. I remember fighting endlessly to get to the end and save the princess... Just to be on the final level and my mom comes in, hits the power button and says "Time for bed." Those moments growing up were the bane of my existance.. Super Mario Bros was the first game I ever fell in love with.. To this day, even with modern gaming and modern graphics. Super Mario Bros still holds my attention longer than any of those games ever could imagine. Here I am sitting at my computer having just turned 30 years old 5 days ago, and I see this. My childhood friend just turning 30 years old too. I can't wait to introduce my daughter to the wonders of Super Mario Bros, and I will do it on the same Nintendo Entertainment System that my mother bought me and my sisters in 1985, that I've kept this whole time and still works flawlessly today.

coldpie 11y ago
> the same Nintendo Entertainment System that... still works flawlessly today This is what worries me about modern gaming's "Day One patches" and other games released on disc in an unplayable state. Sony and Microsoft are going to take down those update servers someday. Will I be able to take DriveClub out of the closet in 30 years and play it on a PS4 purchased off eBay? I doubt it. And thanks to DRM & Friends, the patches will never be distributable by 3rd parties.
- agumonkey 11y ago
  The internet era aka the coupling era.
- madez 11y ago
  I think there should be a law forcing to release into public domain published works after their copyright has ended. And, independently from that, the prolonging of copyright needs to stop.
  - MereInterest 11y ago
    This already exists. Everything with an expired copyright is, by definition, in the public domain. The problem is the absurd length of copyright, which has meant that no copyrights have expired in quite some time.
    - madez 11y ago
      You are right. I meant to require them to release the source, but I didn't say that.
      - bitJericho 11y ago
        That's what the patent system is for. You patent something you're required to explain exactly how it works. In exchange you get exclusive use to that work for a period of time. I realize people don't give source code to the patent office, instead it's treated like copyright which I think is inappropriate (since source code is essentially a mathematical formula)
        Natsu 11y ago
        With copyright, I think there was a time when you were supposed to file a copy of the work with the Library of Congress.
- Killswitch 11y ago
  Indeed. It's also funny that the 800 number on the back for support still works today.
  - saganus 11y ago
    Really? Care to expand a bit? This sounds quite interesting!
    - Killswitch 11y ago
      http://i.imgur.com/Xdy2S.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Xdy2S.jpg In Nintendo's defense, this is their general customer support number that just has never changed and it's not meant to be just for the NES. But they do get people who ask about the NES and do help with issues still.
      - gergles 11y ago
        (That's an SNES in the picture, but yeah, the number is the same.)
        petersellers 11y ago
        It's actually one of the top-loading NES machines they made for only a couple years before the NES was discontinued. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System_%28Model_NES-101%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System_%...
benihana 11y ago
Playing the first SMB was probably the first defining moment in my life at the age of 5 or 6. I still remember every little detail about it - the super 1980s tv console, sitting on the tiled floor to play it, the Paula Abdul and Madonna posters on the wall, being amazed that I could press a button and Mario would respond instantly. It was at that moment that I fell in love with video games and haven't been able not to love them ever since.

coldpie 11y ago

> the same Nintendo Entertainment System that... still works flawlessly today This is what worries me about modern gaming's "Day One patches" and other games released on disc in an unplayable state. Sony and Microsoft are going to take down those update servers someday. Will I be able to take DriveClub out of the closet in 30 years and play it on a PS4 purchased off eBay? I doubt it. And thanks to DRM & Friends, the patches will never be distributable by 3rd parties.

agumonkey 11y ago
The internet era aka the coupling era.
madez 11y ago
I think there should be a law forcing to release into public domain published works after their copyright has ended. And, independently from that, the prolonging of copyright needs to stop.
- MereInterest 11y ago
  This already exists. Everything with an expired copyright is, by definition, in the public domain. The problem is the absurd length of copyright, which has meant that no copyrights have expired in quite some time.
  - madez 11y ago
    You are right. I meant to require them to release the source, but I didn't say that.
    - bitJericho 11y ago
      That's what the patent system is for. You patent something you're required to explain exactly how it works. In exchange you get exclusive use to that work for a period of time. I realize people don't give source code to the patent office, instead it's treated like copyright which I think is inappropriate (since source code is essentially a mathematical formula)
      - Natsu 11y ago
        With copyright, I think there was a time when you were supposed to file a copy of the work with the Library of Congress.
Killswitch 11y ago
Indeed. It's also funny that the 800 number on the back for support still works today.
- saganus 11y ago
  Really? Care to expand a bit? This sounds quite interesting!
  - Killswitch 11y ago
    http://i.imgur.com/Xdy2S.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Xdy2S.jpg In Nintendo's defense, this is their general customer support number that just has never changed and it's not meant to be just for the NES. But they do get people who ask about the NES and do help with issues still.
    - gergles 11y ago
      (That's an SNES in the picture, but yeah, the number is the same.)
      - petersellers 11y ago
        It's actually one of the top-loading NES machines they made for only a couple years before the NES was discontinued. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System_%28Model_NES-101%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System_%...

benihana 11y ago

Playing the first SMB was probably the first defining moment in my life at the age of 5 or 6. I still remember every little detail about it - the super 1980s tv console, sitting on the tiled floor to play it, the Paula Abdul and Madonna posters on the wall, being amazed that I could press a button and Mario would respond instantly. It was at that moment that I fell in love with video games and haven't been able not to love them ever since.