Here, I'll start. When I was 8 years old, my parents went to a dinner party and plonked me down in front of the host's computer so I'd stay out of their way. The game they booted up to keep me occupied was Space Quest II. Little did they know what impact that would have on me...
Hint books. Those wonderful, overpriced little books that required you used a special yellow highlighter to reveal the answers. And the Sierra hint line, if it existed at that time.
Honestly, I was just so blown away by the "3D graphics" that I didn't mind its brutality. For me, that was just part of the game. Maybe these games are what helped me to learn patience and diligence.