In August of 2000, I got my first job. I had just finished high school, and was hired at Blockbuster Video. After a couple of months at that location, a new BBV location opened up closer to my house. I was offered to transfer over there, and thought it made more sense, especially since I didn’t own a car and was riding my bicycle to work every day.
About a month into working there, my manager called one of my coworkers into the back office for a “meeting.” The other clerk and I had no idea what was going on, but immediately suspected the worst. After about 15-20 minutes, the coworker came out and said, “Andy, head on back.”
My heart started beating faster, nervous as to what could be going on. “Uh, what’s it about?” I nervously asked — or, something along those lines.
“You just gotta go back and talk to Chris,” he responded, emotionless.
Trepidatiously, I headed to the back office. There was the manager, Chris, sitting on a metal folding chair, with another chair set up next to him, pointed at a TV with a gaming controller sitting on the seat. It was the black Playstation 2 controller, and the cord led to the PS2 console — Chris was giving us an opportunity to try out the brand-new video game console, on the clock.
“Sit down and play me!” Tekken Tag Tournament was playing on the TV — the fourth game released in the Tekken fighting game franchise.
I’d played Tekken at my cousin’s house when he first got the original Sony Playstation about 5 years earlier, as well as at a local pizza joint my friends and I wouls get lunch at sometimes. And I’d messed around with the arcade machines for Tekken 2, and Tekken 3 when I was out-and-about. But most of my knowledge of the series was from reading about it in GamePro magazine.
“Oh, rad!” I said, and sat down.
In addition to VHS tapes and DVDs, Blockbuster would also rent out video games, as well as hardware such as gaming consoles and VCPs — Video Cassette Players. These were different from VCRs, in that they could not RECORD onto a tape. The PS2 had come in for us to rent out to customers. But apparently my manager decided to take a crack at it first.
I don’t remember the details of who we played as (although it was my first time seeing the character Kunimitsu) or who won more matches. But it was a blast!
15-20 minutes later, Chris sent me out to go send the third clerk back for his “meeting.”
I think it was the following year for Christmas when my brother and I got our PS2 for the house. And eventually bought my own in 2006 when I moved out for the first time.
October 26th was the 25th anniversary of the release of the Sony Playstation 2 console in the United States, hence this journey down memory lane.