frenchfrynoob

This article is based on my real memories — every experience, detail, conversation, and emotion. In the writing process, I used AI tools to help polish language, suggest structural improvements, and smooth out certain sentences. All specific examples mentioned — “blowing into cartridges,” the “Water Level 8” rumor, the arcade owner’s bowl of noodles, using the PSP as an MP4 player — are my real experiences or things that actually happened around me. AI did not fabricate any factual content. I choose to state this openly out of respect for readers. Thank you for reading.

I was watching some retro gaming videos on YouTube the other day. There was a channel diving deep into the story of SEGA’s Sonic. As I scrolled through the comments, I saw other old-time players sharing how they saved up for cartridges as kids, or how they first held a Mega Drive controller in a small shop. Their memories overlapped with mine.

What surprised me more was the comment section itself. People were rational. They disagreed without fighting. And they were quite welcoming to me, a Chinese commenter.

So I thought: I’ll write too. I’ll write about how we played, growing up on this side of the world.

Not to compare who had it worse, nor to claim we understood games better. Just our real experiences — blowing into Famicom cartridges, getting yelled at by arcade owners, going from grey-market PS2s to an official Chinese version of the Switch.

We are all gamers who love life. We just grew up in different places.

Before I begin, I want to say a few things. Not as a defense, just to let you know where we started.

First, we don’t run from the piracy issue. Back then, there was no other path. When we grew up, we bought legitimate copies — not to whitewash the past, but because we genuinely wanted to pay that ticket.

Second, Steam helped a lot. For many Chinese players, the concept of buying legitimate games began with Steam. For older games that never got remastered, we still seek out original physical copies from back in the day.

Third, the game console ban and the “war on gaming addiction” did shape us. I’m not here to talk politics, but to say this: it was a generational disconnect, not anyone’s fault.

Fourth, the shift from grey imports to legitimate copies was a natural process. I’m optimistic about China’s console market and its games. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to join us.

Fifth, we just live in different places. The love for games is the same. Chinese people are often busy, but the way we support legitimate games may be a little different from yours.

Alright. Let’s begin.

Hello !games community 👋

I'm 26, born in 1999 in a small Chinese town. You can call me French Fry Noob – or just Fry.

Let me explain the nickname. In China's Battlefield community, we call new players "French fries." 🍟

Why? Because you're fresh, you get eaten alive out there… but you always come in large numbers. It's a self-deprecating way of saying: "I'm still learning. I'll probably die a lot. But I'm here to have fun."

So yeah – I'm a forever French Fry Noob.

A bit about me

I grew up blowing into Famiclone cartridges, sneaking into arcades, renting PS2 time by the hour, and using a PSP as an MP4 player. Just like many of you – just in a different place.

I don't work in games. I'm just a player.

Recently I wrote a long, personal piece about how my generation in China grew up with games. From the Famiclone era to Steam. It covers the console ban, the grey market, the "Steam tipping point" – and why "piracy" was never the full picture for many Chinese players.

I've shared it with Chinese gamers, and the response was warm.

I'm currently working on an English version. It's a story about why a kid from a small Chinese town ended up buying a physical PS2 copy of Most Wanted years later – just for closure. Not politics. Just games.

I'll post it here in the coming days. I hope you'll give it a read.

A quick note

I'm new to Lemmy. Still figuring out the etiquette. If I do something weird, just tell me – I'll listen and adjust.

Thanks for having me. And if you play Battlefield… I'll try not to trip on your revive.

🍟

– French Fry Noob

The first time I played Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Black Box Studio was already gone. Disbanded. I wanted to give them my money, but there was no one left to take it.

That hit me hard — missing the chance to pay for a childhood favorite.

See, back in the day in China, most of us played this game as a cracked copy. No other way. No official retail. No Steam. No way to pay even if you wanted to. We were kids with dial-up internet and a dream — and a pirated ISO from a local PC café.

So years later, I thought: maybe a physical PS2 import copy would help. A kind of spiritual closure.

Luckily, I didn't get scammed. Found an old-school seller who knew his stuff. Got it at a fair price. We talked a bit about why I was buying it — he was genuinely happy for me.

Also grabbed a few titles on Steam during sales. Two bucks each on average. Felt good.

I have mixed feelings about this franchise. Part of me still hopes it can rise again. Make something world-changing. Like it once did.