Assuming you knew what to type into the file and ohh, it wasn't actually easy at all. It took you out of Windows into the solely text-based DOS operating system then usually expected you to bung in a floppy disc that had a config file known as autoexec.bat to do the heavy work for you. I remember trying to get games like Theme Park to run, and it was quite the battle. That sounds absurd now, doesn't it? Still, back then, Windows just wasn't a legitimate gaming platform. As Bruce Ryan, Microsoft product manager at the time, explained to Business Insider: "None of the game companies had any interest in. Much of that selection stemmed from the Microsoft Entertainment Pack.ĭesigned by Microsoft's Entry Business team, the Entertainment Pack project's budget was mostly non-existent. What started out as a work tool for both my parents, as well as an educational tool for me, soon turned into a place where you could find a scrappy selection of games to lose your free time to. I distinctly remember the family PC costing a good £1,000 or so, and it took up a lot of room too. Who could blame them? PCs were expensive. We take it for granted these days, but back then people weren't sure if they actually needed a PC at home and small businesses had other plans. It's weird to think about now but, back in the early 90s, Microsoft needed to make Windows more appealing to both homes and small businesses. Once upon a time though, casual gaming skipped the word 'casual' and focused squarely on 'you mean I can play games on my office computer instead of look at these dull spreadsheets?!' And that's how so many early 90s PC owners found themselves hooked on a Microsoft Entertainment Pack. It conjures up images of ad-laden freemium games where you spend more time watching a video about another game than actually playing the one you downloaded. Casual gaming can be a bit of a dirty phase these days.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |