[SmallDeadGuy]

That just sounds like all you had access to was a Nintendo console, not necessarily due to your own choice. I missed out on all the early zelda, metroid, and mario home console games because we were a playstation family until the wii.

[surajrmal]

I played plenty of PC games such as Warcraft, StarCraft, and random stuff on steam. I was just not much into FPS (although TF2 was an exception). I also had all 3 consoles (all of my teenage paychecks went into games), but I think it was really Nintendo games which were commonly played by everyone I knew. Even if you didn't have one you'd play them via local multiplayer at someone's house.

[nwsm]

Saying “everyone” played those two titles is still incorrect. Personally I think the landscape was more fragmented then.

[antonyh]

Absolutely is fragmented. Even though I own a Wii I've never played Zelda or any Mario games, and I don't think I know anyone who owns a modern Nintendo. We all live in bubbles. And we change bubbles occasionally; I no longer play Fifa or CoD mostly because of the kernel anti-cheat. I got bored of CSGO. I play less gory games now because of family. We play less Lego games because we grow up.

[hbn]

Until the 2010s, PC gaming was fairly niche in US/Canada. Growing up I didn't personally know anyone that gamed primarily on a PC.

I feel like it was when Minecraft took off that people started investing in gaming PCs, kids were asking their parents for them, etc.