Hello there.

My name is Ian Rathbone and I am an addict.

I'm addicted to the world of video games.

Everything that they involve, the industry, the people (yes you), the history, the propaganda, the technology and most importantly the games themselves.

I blame my Dad. Unwittingly for him however, he introduced me to a high tech bit of kit that would forever change my world when he brought into our household a Sinclair ZX Spectrum+.

This shaped my future in two ways, it sparked my interest in computer games and would also prove later to be responsible for my career in Software Engineering. The latter is hardly of any interest to you chaps so lets focus on gaming.

Early days with the Spectrum were focussed on figuring out how to load games from cassettes, breaking cassettes, breaking cassette players and trying to figure out what in the world Make a Chip actually did. I still don't know what it does.

I think I left it for a while after this.

Something changed later on, I think my friends were all playing with the next generation.

Better Spectrum machines, something to do with the Commodores and I think I knew someone with an Amiga. I went in for an operation whilst living in Edinburgh and came out with a compilation of Dizzy games. That was it. I loved all of them.

I found myself making egg effigies laden with hats out of plasticine. An egg who embarked on adventures, trying to solve puzzles whilst only being able to carry three things at once.

Thinking about it now I can honestly say I don't recall every completing any of those games. I came extremely close with Magical Kingdom Dizzy, but I ended up losing all of my free lives in a volcano.

Things were tough back then. I had Back to the Future 3. It was to be incredible as that trilogy served to be the only set of films I was ever interested in. Two cassettes which were double sided had to be loaded, which seemed to take forever and when they did load I would assume control of Doc Brown chasing after Clara who was supposed to fall down that damned ravine.

I could never make it past the first barrel that rolled from her cart, as when it did the game would crash.

Imagine if we had to put up with that today. I could only vent to my mates at school or upon my sister's little pony.

Yet people of today complain of exclusivity, graphical prowess and sales figures every day on countless forums, blogs and sites.

The world has changed dramatically in a short amount of time and within an ever changing, growing industry.

I remember when I got my first true console. It was the NES, and yes I was the Nintendo fan.

A third of me still is. A recurring theme here is that with most consoles I was not an early adopter, and in the earlier years of my life I was not in control of this and do not regret it. The NES came with Super Mario Brothers 3.

I'd fallen in love with it after watching the Wizard, (that film with that kid from the Wonder Years) and after watching the automated demo of the first Super Mario Brothers go round and round at the Sainsbury's Savacentre in Edinburgh.

I don't remember playing anything else but Super Mario Brothers 3 until I got Battletoads and later on Mega Man 2.

Both of which I have not completed to the day, but I did get close with Battletoads. At least I think I did. Other games appeared too, Duck Hunt, the other Mario brothers and I had many hours of fun hacking away with a Game Genie.

Not much later my sister got a Master System which I spent a fair amount of time playing Sonic and Alex the Kidd on.

Fast forward, I think I was about 14 when I got my SNES. Again it was a late adoption, I was gifted the Killer Instinct pack.

Reflecting on my gaming history so far I've realised I didn't really play much of the stuff that people reminisce over. I played the big titles like Street Fighter, Track and Field, Manic Miner, Space Harrier and Tetris on other people's systems.

I spent a lot of time playing Killer Instinct against my dad, who was actually really good despite his need to constantly flail his arms towards the left of the room while playing.

Skip to the end? Okay. Keeping with the theme I ended up with a Nintendo 64. Diddy Kong Racing and Goldeneye were the big ones for me.

Diddy Kong provided a bigger challenge than Mario Kart and Goldeneye prevented me from doing anything else with my life for a year.

I think Goldeneye was to blame for me never finishing the Ocarina of time. Perfect Dark was released on my 18th Birthday. It cost fifty English pounds, not to mention I required the expansion pack I had already picked up for Turok 2. Expensive times indeed.

I remember I had started working for Electronics Boutique at this time so I was very happy to get the staff discount as well as be of age to actually be able to purchase the game.

I continued to work for Electronics Boutique through to my move to Bournemouth (from Luton) where I worked at the shop on Old Christchurch Road.

This eventually turned into Game when the group threw the EB name back over to America, and finally turned into Lush, the most potent shop in Bournemouth.

It's still odd to see girls in the Game of yesterday. In my time at EB / Game I met Kevin, a likeminded soul who shall also be outpooring on BourneGamer.

My career at EB / Game took my through the next generation or two, I enjoyed the Dreamcast and it's ambitious potential. I loved Crazy Taxi too much, I spent too much time on Shenmue and I loved playing House of the Dead 2 with both guns.

I bought a PlayStation 2 when the groundbreaking GTA 3 appeared, and with Kevin smashed company records when we managed to take more preorders for Vice City than could almost fit in the tiny basement.

Of the last generation I ended up with an XBox on the day LIVE appeared with the first Ghost Recon.

I'd had minimal success with PC gaming and Ghost Recon was my major love. Months were spent online with Kevin playing some modern classics like Ghost Recon and Project Gotham 2 before I became hooked on advancing through the ranks on Halo 2.

Fast forward to the launch of the 360 and I was very pleased and three replacements later my happiness has not been doused. I'll get this out of the way now, I'm a bigger fan of the 360 than any of the other consoles.

I do not own a PS3, not because I am against it or do not like it but it is simply down to the fact that I don't have as much spare cash or time as I used to and no one game or the BluRay format has enthused me enough to take the plunge.

I do have a Wii and I do like it, but it is not my primary platform of choice. We'll have plenty of time to talk about it.

Today I lead a very different life, one of which I always wanted and have strived to build.

As previously stated I am a Software Engineer from Monday to Friday and I work in Ferndown. Last year my lovely girlfriend gave birth to our first son Leo who has become the light of my world.

My perspectives on life have completely changed in ways I never knew possible, and gaming has taken a seat quite far back.

That doesn't mean I'm not interested anymore. Far from it. Right now I'm using any little time I have to play through Ghostbusters on the 360, and I do spend a fair amount of time with iPhone gaming. Expect my contributions to this blog to be a little different to what you're used to, and hopefully be something that you won't find elsewhere.

I'm excited about being able to talk about games given the history I've got, and also now with the perspective of a parent.

Oh and before you ask, no I'm not into Call of Duty. Kevin will be your man there!

Looking forward to seeing you soon.