Most people didn't play video games like today, it only started going slightly more mainstream around 99-2001 especially when the PS2 released but even then it was still mostly an Asian/White dude hobby. Adults played arcade machines when they went to a bar or shopping mall but otherwise their lives didn't revolve around it.

Video games, anime, D&D, trading cards, tabletops, computers etc were still chiefly the domain of the young male nerd and otaku. All of that ended around 2007-2010 however with the release of the iPhone and Wii and high speed internet and social media.