Aging and gaming

[RickR]

It's occurred to me that a lot of us are nearing or past the big 5-0 in age.  And we've been gaming for a good 40 years!  Let's talk about gaming as we get older.  Your complaints are fine here, as are tips.

 

I'll start.

 

First of all, I turn 50 this year.  For the past couple of years, I've had a lot of trouble seeing the various handheld consoles (PSP, DS, GBA, even Lynx ).  I'd end up taking my glasses off to see more clearly, but would end up with a huge headache every time.  Plus, I just wasn't as good at those games anymore.  But then....I got progressive lens eyeglasses...and BOOM!  Back in the game, baby!  I can see no problem now.  I feel so good now, I've sent my Lynx out for a McWill screen upgrade.

[Atari 5200 Guy]

I'm not 50 but turning 44 next month comes pretty darn close. It would be 40 years ago when I seen my first video game, a game that remains my number one favorite. That game is Space Invaders.

 

While my reflexes may be getting slower my memory still retains that first encounter. I'm not as good at the game as I use to be but I still play the 2600 port often. I do like the version the 5200 got as well. I get my daily video game exercises in.

[StormSurge]

Fast approaching 45.

I love my old games more now than I did when I first experienced them, as I have a greater appreciation for them. But a huge part of that love is based on nostalgia for all the hours of joy those old games gave me when they were fresh out of the box. 2600 games, NES, Genesis, you name it.

 

I also appreciate & love all the modern gaming has given me. Currently, I'm addicted to Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (subpar Xbox version). I literally play that every night for at least two hours. That's just the game du jour. There have been plenty of others prior to PUBG that have given me MONTHS of playtime. From FPS with friends like this one to games with great stories to simple time killers, I enjoy them all.

I'm grateful for growing up with the classics and I'm grateful that the video game industry has grown along with me.

 

Here's to another 40+ years of gaming!

[RickR]

Great points, fellows.  It's true...ours is the generation that grew up with the video games industry. 

 

 

 

 

Here's to another 40+ years of gaming!

 

   Indeed.  To 40 more years of fun.

 

My mom lives in an assisted living facility -- kind of interesting to imagine what a place like that will look like for us.  Probably an old gaming console in each apartment!   

[StormSurge]

 

 

My mom lives in an assisted living facility -- kind of interesting to imagine what a place like that will look like for us.  Probably an old gaming console in each apartment!   

 

As long as my hands work & I can see, I plan on playing right up until the end. 

[RickR]

Me too!

 

One interesting thing at my mom's place is that they do weekly "Wii Bowling" tournaments.  I've been trying to get my mom to try, but that's just not her thing. 

[TrekMD]

Me three!  As long as I'm able to do it, I will keep on doing it.    I'm 50 but, so far, my eyes are not giving me trouble and my reflexes are still good. 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

If I am ever placed in a home my 5200 stuff goes with me! If I can have more than one console it would be all the Atari stuff. If I can't then the Lynx will go with me. I'll be darned if I'm going to be caught without some sort of gaming machine. I can hide a Lynx in a drawer beside a bed.

 

As for modern stuff, the 360 and Wii are as modern as I have. Wife and I play Borderlands a LOT and it still surprises me that the developers are still issuing Gold Keys for Borderlands 2 and the Pre-Sequel. We were more than happy to kill Handsome Jack after what he did to his daughter. He deserved it. His daughter, known as Angel, has become my favorite NPC character of all-time. I could only imagine what skills she would have if she was a playable character. We also play Terraria, Minecraft, Farming Simulator and Farming Simulator 2015 on 360. I have also dug into all of the Saint's Row series. I like Halo but I am not a huge fan of the series.

 

Wii Bowling tournaments? Are you talking about the bowling game in Resort? It is a fun game. And the Wii is really a good console. So far I have not ran into any shovelwear. Then again I have been getting picky with the Wii games I try to find. Right now I have been working on Six Meier's Pirates which has been a lot of fun.

 

On the PC side of things, Steam is my gaming source of choice. It is here I have discovered six of my top-favorite modern Indie games. Both Euro Trucking Simulators, American Trucking Simulator, Car Mechanic Simulator 2013 & 2015, and a physical copy of Farming Simulator 2013 edition.

 

As for living through the early years of video games, the likes of Atari, Coleco, and Mattel may have started the video game industry but we are the reason the industry is still around. Its not because they kept releasing machines, its because we bought and supported them. Without us they wouldn't be here.

 

I have to admit that it is a shame that there isn't any differences between a modern PC, XBOX, or PS4 now. All are X86 systems. XBOX canned its Indie support a while back. The only company making a difference is Nintendo with its Switch hybrid console/tablet and allowing Indie developers to make games for it with great success. For the first time ever anyone can join Nintendo's development program for free, obtain their development software for free, and get started right away. The only drawback is the developer will have buy the development hardware which makes sense. However, I have no clue how much that costs. I would love to try my hand at it someday.

Edited April 11, 2018 by kamakazi20012

[dgrubb]

I have a little way to go before getting to the big 5-0, but the last decade of aging has had a huge effect on my gaming experiences. Specifically, I got married, started a real career and had children so the time involved in a game has become a huge consideration. I'd love to play through Symphony of The Night, for instance, but there's no way I'll make any reasonable progress in the small amounts of free time I can snatch!

 

 

I have to admit that it is a shame that there isn't any differences between a modern PC, XBOX, or PS4 now.

 

A'yup.

 

It's mostly the reason why I find retro-computing/gaming far more interesting.

Edited April 12, 2018 by dgrubb

[Sabertooth]

I hit 40 in the last year. For me, the main appeal of retro gaming is that many classic games are relatively short affairs. This is particularly true of the earliest consoles, where arcade ports were the norm. Balancing family life, work life and other commitments leaves little free time for long adventures. I do manage a modern RPG or two a year, but that's it and it takes me weeks of late evening playing. Also, I injured my shoulder last summer and it still isn't back to where it was. This can make longer gaming sessions uncomfortable.

 

I did notice that a lot of the VR titles are relatively short too. I picked a PSVR up at the end of last year and have been spending most of my gaming time on it. Moss, for example, was just a few hours and it was one of the best gaming experiences I've had in recent years. Rebellion's Battlezone reboot is easy to pick up and play for a short time. If you're on a time budget, this might be a good way to play modern games without have a tremendous time commitment.

[Starbuck66]

Not quite to the big 4-0 yet, but rapidly approaching it. I noticed my thumb joint was quite sore after playing some 7800 Asteroids for 45 minutes or so the day after this past weekend. I remember playing the 2600 version for HOURS, sometimes most of a day when I was a kid, rolling the score and not feeling any pain the next day.

[Atarileaf]

 the main appeal of retro gaming is that many classic games are relatively short affairs. This is particularly true of the earliest consoles, where arcade ports were the norm. Balancing family life, work life and other commitments leaves little free time for long adventures.

 

I'll echo this sentiment. Although I do love some longer game sessions whether playing one of the older Sims games on the PC or a couple of hours of Star Wars Battlefront II on the PS4, I primarily prefer the shortness of the older games. When I have some down time I may dedicate a half an hour to play a few 2600 or NES arcade ports and have a blast in that time and then put it away. 

 

I'm 48 now so closing on 50 in less than a year and a half and I do find that as I get older and particularly in the last year or so that collecting is a lot less important to me than playing is. I don't know if it is a coincidence of age or not but having a small, compact out of the way collection is much more appealing to me now as a 48 year old than a room of doom in my 20's and I actually find that the less I own, the more I play. I'm not sure it makes a lot of sense but as I age the playing is definitely more important than hunting and collecting. I used to be so focused on hunting that I hardly ever actually played anything.

 

I'm sure part of that is because I've owned almost every console that I've wanted to try at one point in the last 25 years of being in this hobby and I've already experienced so much that the pull to get more just isn't there. I'm very happy with this change in my viewpoint as the experience is now so much more important than the physical thing. Getting old still sucks but I'm glad to have a hobby that continues to help me feel young.

 

I still miss my hair though

Edited May 16, 2018 by Atarileaf

[Keatah]

I had a new VCS when I was a kid in 1977-1978. And today I still enjoy playing the original games, maybe not for as long, but enjoying them all the same. I eventually acquired many many other cartridge based systems and the same holds true for them as well.

 

In the 90's I got into PC gaming and that continues to be my platform of choice. Today currently I enjoy complex simulations, but haven't really moved away from the simplistic games of the 80's either. Combat, VideoPinball, Phoenix.. Love'em all the same.

 

The passing of time has added MORE richness and variety to the hobby. But the desire to simplify is stronger than ever. Modern hardware and emulation allows one to do just that. Most people dislike emulation, that much is clear. But it's just a vehicle and a means to an end. As nostalgia gestates we become more interested in the software. It's the essence of the game.

 

If anything i've grown totally and utterly impatient in dealing with physical hardware. So it's going to be emulation all the way. Not to mention the easy portability factor. I clearly recall having and hating to lug consoles and carts to sleepovers and " game conferences". Today it's different it all fits on a microSD card, and yet its still a novelty for me to bring an entire library of VCS and Apple II games with me to the north cabin. Still amazing.

 

As we age I think people will start to value convenience and reliability. Those two points are really invaluable. And without such "features" I doubt I'd be in the hobby or play as much as I do.