Too Old To Be Still Gaming?

[podgie_bear 184]

Much as I hate to talk about this topic, some of the things that have been said to me recently have made me depressingly curious. I have been playing FreeLancer Discovery Mod recently and after joining a couple of factions in the game we tend to get together on skype to chat. Now much as I appreciate the easy way I have been accepted into their cliques, the fact that they feel that at my age I must be protected by them when we play together, along with being regarded amiably as Grandpa and being told by everyone that they hope they are still able to be playing games when they are my age, doesn't do a great deal for my self esteem! There is nothing worse than being in the middle of a space battle in my fighter

ship and have the famous words appear on my screen, "Grandpa's dogfighting, someone give him some support." Then seeing my team mates letting themselves get killed because they are trying to protect me instead of watching out for themselves.

 

I am 52 years old for goodness sake, not 152 years old! Am I really too old to be still playing multiplayer games with all the kiddies?

 

Surely there must be other 'mature' players out there, so how old are you?

[Gordius 6]

48 here.

 

I had a similar experience on Aion from time to time but it was just surprise rather than anything bad. I think of it this way, how many of us/you can remember text based adventure games, for example The Hobbit for the ZX81.

[Knuckles 904]

I'm 46 here. I've realized at this point I'll probably never grow up so I'll be playing well into my rocking chair days

 

Zork I, II and III FTW (or Commodore PC and The Bard)

[locolagarto 15]

I'm just barely shy of 40. I get the grief from people my own age. They can't believe I can sit at my computer and play a game for hours. But they will sit in front of the TV and watch 4 hours of GolfTV highlights . *shrug* Or sit by a river and fish for hours and hours with nothing to do but watch the water flow by. I don't see much difference really, what ever engages you and keeps you going.

[Stormwing 40]

Hehee. Feeling so young here. Only 24. Still, I'd say one's never too old to play games. As long as my eyes and hands won't let me down I'll be gaming. I'd think it's all about the spirit y'know. ^^

[Scleameth 19]

35 here. But I don't think I'll ever quit gaming. That is as long as my old-age fingers can still use a mouse or a game pad. Although I very much doubt that in 20 years we'll be using a physical interface?

[wolfie2kX 528]

47 here... I don't do much online gaming - ok.. I don't do online gaming. I like the ability to pause the game whenever I need to and not worry about getting killed while I do an update on the wiki while whatever I'm updating is there in front of me so I can do it accurately.

 

But what the heck. I say if someone's giving you grief about your age - go in there and kick some arse and show the youngsters how it's done!

 

The minute you give up on something you like such as gaming, that's the day you become an old fart. So best not do it. At least, not until you've got no choice.

 

As far as GolfTV goes - that network should be branded a Class 3 narcotic to be only used when you've got chronic insomnia. Ditto on fishing. Sorry, but it's not my idea of fun.

 

Oh.. And if you ever feel down about gaming, watch THIS...

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMrN3Rh55uM&

Edited December 29, 2010 by wolfie2kX

[lelopexa 0]

I am 29..and being a woman makes it even worse..women are not supposed to be playing games, they have to be in the kitchen cooking, or doing different household chars..according to my friends

But I really enjoy playing games..that somehow relaxes me and keeps my agression , if such, focused on evil beasts and monsters..

Moreover..I have xbox 360, ps3 and wii with balance board...I use to jump and do different exercises on it..it's sooooo funny..

Well, there is always the problem with "time for gaming" but I manage...

[wolfie2kX 528]

I am 29..and being a woman makes it even worse..women are not supposed to be playing games, they have to be in the kitchen cooking, or doing different household chars..according to my friends

But I really enjoy playing games..that somehow relaxes me and keeps my agression , if such, focused on evil beasts and monsters..

Moreover..I have xbox 360, ps3 and wii with balance board...I use to jump and do different exercises on it..it's sooooo funny..

Well, there is always the problem with "time for gaming" but I manage...

 

In that case, you should have a look at the video I posted above. There's a character who has some of the same issues - being a woman and being told she shouldn't play... She overcomes that rather nicely.

[podgie_bear 184]

Loved the video Wolfie!

[wolfie2kX 528]

Loved the video Wolfie!

 

Yah.. It's one of my fave discoveries. They have another music video they put out but this one is more appropriate for this discussion.

 

Btw.. The nerdy looking guy with 8 arms - he's actually singing in Hindi - the guys making the video thought it kinda funny to provide those silly nonsensincal subtitles.

[Bondbug 32]

What the hell are you kids worrying about? I am nearing 82. I don't play Sacred anymore (Sacred 2 refused to play on my system) but I do play 2 other games on line.

 

I have noticed that recently it takes me a few secs to sort out my reactions, so I play solo much of the time where I can develop at my own speed. I do help from outside if I see anyone needs help, but when I am more experienced at on-line games I will need to get down to a limited amount of group play. It would need to be a group that thinks first, not a "fools rush in" job.

 

Tell you what Podgie, if ever I manage to get Sacred to work, and if ever you are in trouble, I will be the first to come to your aid, you poor decrepit old man.

Edited December 29, 2010 by Bondbug

[wolfie2kX 528]

What the hell are you kids worrying about? I am nearing 82. I don't play Sacred anymore (Sacred 2 refused to play on my system) but I do play 2 other games on line.

 

I have noticed that recently it takes me a few secs to sort out my reactions, so I play solo much of the time where I can develop at my own speed. I do help from outside if I see anyone needs help, but when I am more experienced at on-line games I will need to get down to a limited amount of group play. It would need to be a group that thinks first, not a "fools rush in" job.

 

Tell you what Podgie, if ever I manage to get Sacred to work, and if ever you are in trouble, I will be the first to come to your aid, you poor decrepit old man.

 

YeeHAW! You tell 'em! +1!

[chattius 2,522]

8 years army and then 2 years university before our first daughter was born. Then and two more daughters and 12 years later twins and the twins became 3 a week before x-mas. So I am in the age starting with a 4. But still a bit closer to the 4 than the 5. Imaginating that it will be 12 more years till the twins are the age now the first has, probably I will have grandchildren before I can play an age rated game with the twins.

 

Currently we are a bit away from Sacred and play Patrizier4 = Patrician4. My wife and me played Patrician (from Ascon, then Ascaron, now Gaming Minds) already in 1993 on an old Amiga computer. We played Patrician2 with our oldest and now with Patrician4 out we gave it a try too. It is a historic trade simulation so kids learn a bit maths, economics, history and that their mom and dad are mean enemies who prefer to play as pirates and take away the cargo ships of their kids. Way cheaper to steal ships than building them

 

So if I am a bit lazy last days in Sacred discussions, that is one of the reasons. Winter breaks and weather allowing skating, skiing,... another. Visiting relatives and relatives visiting us, ...another. No busses because of weather so if kids want to visit friends we have to drive them, all takes away time.

[Bondbug 32]

You had me worried there Chattius. I thought you meant that you were turning out twins at the rate of three a week. My senile old brain, not your English I hasten to add.

 

You mention the Amiga. My wife still uses it most days for Colonization. The update we waited over 10 years for was rubbish, so she has gone back to the Amiga. That and Settlers I ... subsequent versions of Settlers got worse aand worse. Far too much emphasis on larger and more detailed graphics and a severe loss of game quality. We would still use the old 500 for the golf simulations, but the disks have clogged up.

 

As for "grandpa", Podgie, everyone gets a nickname. Some kids would call you "grandpa" if you were 25. You should be happy to be so well received. I suspect that they are very proud of you (and jealous?).

 

Anyway,you only need to be in your late 30s to be a grandpa. Prime of life (I vaguely seem to remember). Start worrying when they call you great-grandpa and send you a walking frame.

 

And what is this to do with the thread, you may ask ... well...er...put me down as 'over 50'

[podgie_bear 184]

Ah BondBug, I love it! You give me hope for the future and yes I think that some old games are are better than newer ones despite the lack of graphics. I always loved 'Settlers' and 'Settlers2', but I can't play them on my new machine (Win7 64bit) and I still love 'Elite!' and my favourites 'Colonization' and 'Heroes of Might and Magic3' with the WoG upgrade.

 

The game that they have to 'protect' me in, is FreeLancer (Discovery Mod 4.85) and I admit I can't hack the player-v-player anymore, but when I put the Gunboat on auto pilot and man the turrets, I still got a nasty bite! The reactions may be gone, but the experience and anticipation still works better than theirs.

 

Plus they can't roleplay for toffee, their efforts make mine look like genius there! But they're good kids and I love them all really.

[lujate 575]

I used to have a Commodore Amiga. "Pools of Darkness" for the Amiga is the only computer game I ever really played.

[essjayehm 58]

I'm just barely shy of 40. I get the grief from people my own age. They can't believe I can sit at my computer and play a game for hours. But they will sit in front of the TV and watch 4 hours of GolfTV highlights . *shrug* Or sit by a river and fish for hours and hours with nothing to do but watch the water flow by. I don't see much difference really, what ever engages you and keeps you going.

Heh... sitting riverside is pretty darn exciting, compared to fishing atop the ice...

 

I do appreciate the matureness of the community (esp. here at FDM) although I was surprised to see only 1 vote < 20 (at time of posting).

Edited December 29, 2010 by essjayehm

[stubbie 21]

God bless you Bondbug.

I though at 54 I might be getting the oldest player gold award but you win hands down.

There's hope for all us gamers after all.

[Genenut 8]

ummm I just celebrated the 11th anniversary of my 29th birthday .... I remember the atari 2600 and my first computer was a TI 99 4a with a TAPE drive. I also remember when stores had the machines to test the tubes in your TV.... *sigh* my eldest doesnt know what an LP is and cant remember a time when TV didnt come in color.

[lujate 575]

ummm I just celebrated the 11th anniversary of my 29th birthday .... I remember the atari 2600 and my first computer was a TI 99 4a with a TAPE drive. I also remember when stores had the machines to test the tubes in your TV.... *sigh* my eldest doesnt know what an LP is and cant remember a time when TV didnt come in color.

That reminds me of a funny story.

 

Last summer, I was driving my two nephews (ages 10 & 11) somewhere. They asked if they could roll the window down, and I said OK. I heard some shuffling from the back seat, so I turned to look. They could not figure out how to roll the window down. They were frantically pressing on everything they could. I laughed and told them to turn the crank. The oldest tried and I heard "Cool!", followed by the inevitable, "I want to try, I want to try!".

 

Yes friends, they were fighting over who got to turn the crank to roll down the window.

[podgie_bear 184]

I know, they don't know what they have these days do they? When we had a power cut a couple of years ago, I got out the candles and suggested a game of cards, to which my daughter replied; "God, cards? It's alright for you, they probably didn't have electricity when you grew up!", then complained because her CD player wouldn't work.

[chattius 2,522]

Our oldest knows vinyl records, but they asked why the disc player had 3 speeds: 33, 45 and 78. Good old Schellackplatten from the time before vinyl came into broad usage. First rock and roll songs were still on the old format. A nearby village does a golden fifties weekend each year. Free entrance to people who come dressed with pettycoats, or in a car of the time (only time the year our ancient Isetta leaves the barn).

 

Summer 2008 our oldest was 3 weeks in a youthcamp which had no electricity. 90% of the kids had mp3 players, but forgot either the batteries or that there would be no chance to recharge them. They even didn't know how our daughter made music with a Maultrommel:

 

Maultrommel (translates as mouth drum), I think english name is mouth haro is something like this:

 

Mundharmonika translates as mouth harmonica

 

From 130 kids only 3 had instruments: 2 with guitars and ours with the above 2. And that is really sad. I remember that at my time the ratio was like one of five had an instrument at youth camps.

[stubbie 21]

Hehe chattius, double post.......you sure that dementure isn't settling in lol

 

and I noticed that on the poll the over 50's are in front

[cider_steve 26]

Hi there.

 

I'm 42 years old, and have the wrinkles to prove it.

 

Great thread topic Podgie mate.

 

I have massive respect for a lot of you guys. I fret some times, as I don't have a lot of game time these days.My job, and real life stuff takes up most of my time. But a lot of you are married with children too...........goodness knows how you squeeze in a bit o' game time ?!?! I'm single and struggle for the odd hour here and there ! I think back to the days when I would put in sooooo many hours, ah, happy days, lol !

 

See ya,

 

Steve.

Edited December 30, 2010 by cider_steve