— Zhihu’s “Game Memories Storytelling Session”: Revisiting the History of Video Games

Gouki, Polygon, Fire Wolf, Mollusk, A-King… These names may no longer be familiar to many young people today, but they are a shared memory for a generation of gamers.

On July 4, 2026, Zhihu hosted the “Game Memories Storytelling Salon” event at the China Audio-Video and Digital Publishing Association Game Museum. Surrounded by the museum’s extensive collection of gaming artifacts, senior editors from classic publications representing the era of China’s print gaming media—*Electronic Game Software*, *Game Console Practical Technology*, and *Computer Game Strategy**Electronic Games and Computer Games*, and *Mass Software/Mass Games*—classic publications representing the era of China’s print gaming media—gathered alongside Youyan Society, Chule, and Jike, which carry on the legacy of these media outlets. From the era of manuscript papers with game screenshots taken with film cameras to the present day, where AI has entered content production,spanning three decades and several generations of game content creators. Through real-life stories, they retraced the history of gaming and explored what has changed—and what has remained constant—in the spirit of game media amid the tides of technological advancement.

"Rudimentary Methods" in the Era of Manuscript Paper: The Days Before Capture Cards

In the first half of the event, a print media editor recounted in vivid detail a career history that bordered on that of a “craftsman.”Mollusk (pen name) recalled his early days at *Video Game Software* in 1994, when the editorial office was housed in a side room of a siheyuan courtyard in Beijing’s Gulou Hutong. With no heating in the winter, the editors would push a single bed and a stool together to make a makeshift bunk, with three people squeezed onto one bed.Without a capture card for screenshots, they had to use film cameras to photograph fighting game scenes. “We’d shoot several rolls of film in a single night, only to end up with a few usable shots.”Typesetting wasn’t digital either; after the text was typeset, the photo negatives had to be mounted onto film. Those “crooked black borders” next to the game illustrations in the magazine were the manual traces left by the layout process.

Gouki (pen name) and Polygon (pen name) recounted the industry’s transformation amid technological advancements. By 2000, the editorial team at *Game Console Practical Technology* had grown to more than 30 people, all sharing a single broadband connection.“Who’s downloading stuff again?” was a common refrain in the work chat group. After the staff reduction following E3 2007, Polygon single-handedly produced approximately 120 pages of a 256-page combined issue, completing the entire process—from interviews to final drafts—in just four or five days while battling jet lag.Huo Lang (pen name) recalls the days of *Computer Game Guides* at Factory No. 14, 470 Guiping Road: “You’d finish work whenever you woke up,” with no strict punch-in system, yet content was produced at a frenetic pace.They paint a vivid picture of that era: with rudimentary tools and harsh working conditions, the staff—driven by an insatiable thirst for information and a strong professional conviction—pioneered China’s gaming news industry.

Letters from Readers: Connecting Players on Isolated Islands

In an era of scarce information, gaming magazines were not just sources of news but also served as spiritual bonds for the gaming community. During a remote interview, A-King (a pen name), editor-in-chief of *Video Games & Computer Games*, recalled that in the 1990s, a high school student wrote in a letter with restrained emotion:“Out of more than a hundred students in the entire school, there were ‘no more than three’ with whom I could find common ground in games, movies, pop music, or comics.” This sense of loneliness made the editors realize that the magazine was reaching not just individual readers, but a collection of isolated islands supporting one another.

A story shared by Fire Wolf left a deep impression. He once publicly “scolded” a reader addicted to video games in a magazine using harsh words: “Who are you playing with? Can you afford it?” Twenty years later, that reader appeared in his livestream with her daughter and told him, “I’m the one you scolded back then.”From being understood to being corrected, the gaming magazine and its readers have built a genuine trust that transcends a mere commercial relationship. As Polygon put it, “As long as you do the right thing, do what’s correct, and stick to doing what you love, you’re bound to positively influence someone at some point.”

What you hold dear in your heart will surely come to fruition. The “players on a lonely island” from back in the day finally reunited at this event. For many of those in attendance, it felt more like a long-overdue class reunion.

To meet the magazine editors who had been a part of their youth, many audience members made a special trip from all over the country. One game developer even brought along old magazines he had treasured for years to the event to meet his favorite editor, Huo Lang, marking a “reunion” that spanned many years.He also shared his thoughts in a response on Zhihu: “I started trying my hand at game development these past two years, and it all stems from reading those old magazines more than 20 years ago.”

Hands-On Experience: Revisiting a Game from Over 20 Years Ago—The Emotion Still Endures

During the first half of the event, in addition to sharing behind-the-scenes stories, the guests enthusiastically played a round of the classic games from back in the day, taking the audience on a trip down memory lane to relive their childhood gaming days.The PlayStation platform has produced wave after wave of classic games, and this time, Gouki and Polygon chose *Pro Evolution Soccer 2002* as their match, echoing the ongoing World Cup.In preparation for this match, Polygon secretly practiced a few rounds beforehand and ended up leading the in-game “Brazil” team to a 3–0 victory over Gouki’s “Argentina” team.

During this special PlayStation nostalgia session, the guest showdowns vividly showcased the game’s appeal, drawing constant laughter from the audience and bringing the atmosphere to a fever pitch. To this day, PlayStation has spanned different generations of gaming, much like the timeless classics on the platform, continuing to bring that original joy and excitement to countless players.

Media Transformation: From Industry Symbiosis to Decentralization

In the second half of the discussion, the topic shifted to the transformation of media in the mobile internet era. cOMMANDO (pen name) and Oracle (pen name), drawing on their entrepreneurial experiences at Chule and Youyan She, pointed out that the fate of gaming media has always been inextricably linked to the industry’s ups and downs.Oracle observed that since 2016, players have gradually come to view games as “services” rather than “works,” and the resulting controversies and divisions have become the norm in the new media era.Addressing this issue, Bai Guangda (pen name) jokingly referenced Jike’s public relations crisis within the gaming community—the “Miracle Incident” (the controversy surrounding reviews of *The Last of Us Part II*).Faced with the divide between player and media perspectives, how should game critics position themselves? This has perhaps been a difficult balance to strike from the era of print media right up to the present.

When discussing whether “game media is still needed in this era” and “the differences between media and KOLs,” Oracle offered a level-headed assessment: Media has the advantage of a stable structure and won’t suddenly “crash” due to an individual’s personal circumstances or public opinion storms.cOMMANDO, on the other hand, believes that the value of media lies in serving as an “extension of the reader’s senses,” helping audiences see further and uncover unknown inside information. However, there are differing perspectives on this topic as well. Fire Wolf illustrated his point with his two entrepreneurial experiences: the first time, he wanted to prove that “mobile games need media,” but ended up laughing and saying, “It took me over a year to prove that mobile games don’t need media”;The second time, he attempted to create a live-streamed talk show, only to discover it was too far ahead of its time. He concluded that whether you’re ahead of or behind the times, the times will eliminate you either way.

Technological Reflections: A Sober Look at Digitalization and AI

Audience members also raised some more pointed questions. For example, when discussing the trend that game discs might become a thing of the past by 2028, both Polygon and Mollusk expressed concerns about game ownership once physical media disappears.Polygon believes that after full digitization, the biggest issue for consumers will be the lack of ownership or usage rights over these products. He stated bluntly, “One day, when we leave this world, we won’t be able to leave behind any of these digital products we bought with our hard-earned money.”Soft Animal went even further, warning that “the internet might be a detour in human civilization,” and called for preserving the value of physical existence while embracing technology.

In the face of the AI wave, both pessimistic and optimistic views coexist.Soft Animal takes a cautiously pessimistic stance, arguing that AI could “destroy your spirit, destroy your values, and destroy your aesthetic sensibilities.” Polygon, on the other hand, holds the opposite view, believing that AI is “developing too slowly” and hoping it will quickly replace menial tasks, “giving people the opportunity to do more high-level work.”Firewolf’s practical perspective is more balanced: AI is currently capable of producing content rated between 60 and 80 points, but “will never achieve the flashes of inspiration that come from a person’s so-called spirituality.” When AI can mass-produce mediocre content, the core value of humans will shift toward curating taste and aesthetics.

Legacy: Words of Wisdom for Game Developers in the New Era

As the event drew to a close, the guests shared their insights with young people aspiring to enter the gaming industry. Both Bai Guangda and Huolang emphasized the importance of “acting first, thinking later.”Polygon repeatedly urged attendees to “endure the solitude”: once you turn your passion into a career, you’ll inevitably face a lot of work you’re not good at, don’t like, or even look down on. “Passion can’t replace professionalism, but it can sustain you through the drudgery.”cOMMANDO reminded creators that their careers have a “shelf life” and cautioned against burning out too quickly. Oracle, meanwhile, believed in “separating hobbies from work.” Gouki’s conclusion was the most straightforward: “Follow the right people and take the right path.”

Constant Evolution: The Screen Bears Witness to History

To bring these memories to life, Philips’ high-end dual-core gaming monitor, “EVNIA,” also set up a “Gaming Evolution” nostalgia gallery at the event venue.From 1972’s *PONG* to 2026’s *Resident Evil 9*, spanning more than 50 years, the long yet fleeting history of video games was condensed onto the screens of this era.Through the Philips “EVNIA” monitors, attendees were able to revisit these landmark games in gaming history, experience the leap from the pixel era to the 3D graphics revolution, and witness the evolution of every technical detail and the iteration of every design philosophy.

From manuscript paper to the cloud, from 56K dial-up connections to AI-assisted content creation, the medium and form of China’s gaming media have undergone a dramatic transformation. Gaming media editors, who once secretly vied with one another for exclusives, first-run stories, and readers, now gather around a roundtable to laugh and reminisce about the past as the era of print gaming media comes to a close.Looking back on that era, competition was never a bad thing—it was always the players who benefited. Together, they lit the earliest dawn of China’s gaming culture; they are a group of gaming pioneers who must never be forgotten.

Zhihu organized this “Gaming Memories Storytelling Event” in the hope of using real-life experiences as a starting point to document industry memories that haven’t been brought to light by trending algorithms. As Huolang said, “There is nothing new under the sun,” but every generation of game developers and creators must find their own way of expressing themselves and surviving amid the tides of the times.

Zhihu brings together a large community of hardcore gamers, industry professionals, independent developers, game journalists, and dedicated reviewers. The platform consistently produces practical content such as in-depth analyses, walkthroughs, Easter eggs, plot interpretations, and industry insights, making the Zhihu community a vital hub for fostering in-depth exchanges within the gaming industry and inspiring cutting-edge innovation.Furthermore, Zhihu extends its professional vision to offline events—from Game Jam development challenges to indie game exhibitions and specialized gaming sessions at the “Salt Salon”—committed to connecting players, developers, and industry resources, ensuring that every piece of authentic content is seen, and contributing to the growth of the gaming industry.