Am I Getting Too Old For This?

Jon Hamlin: Don’t take anything you are about to read too seriously, folks.

Let’s be clear about one thing: I’m 24 years old. But if you think I’m actually 24 years old, you’re wrong. If I am 24 in Earth years, that means I’m 37 in Gaming years. 37! Let’s face it, gamers follow the same development trajectory tennis players do. We learn we like to game at an early age, and we do it lot, but we aren’t particularly good at it. Then we become teens, where technique and reflexes are honed and perfected. Then the 20s come. For some gamers it’s when they hit their prime. But for others, it’s when reality, life, and age catch up with us. And by the time we’re in our early to mid-30s, the best of our years are nothing more than a distant memory.

[Zuperman]

Let's get this straight, Your never too old for anything especially Entertainment "Video Games".

[Minato-Namikaze]

You're only too old for something when you think you are too old for something, lol

[Hellsvacancy]

I know im too old to play in the ball pit at my daughters school, every time I look at it I want to jump in

The other parents may look at me like im some sort of a loon if I do

I "sometimes" think im growing out of gaming, im only 28, but then I play something like Dark Souls, or Journey and I think *im not "growing out of gaming, my taste in games have evolved somewhat*

Really looking forward to Beyond Two Souls

[rezzah]

I was going say that!

I missed my opportunity by 5 hours...so close.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

@ Hellsvacancy

You are not too old to play in the Ball Pit, they just need to make bigger ones for us too play in!

[ApolloTheBoss]

I know I'll be gaming until I die.

[banjadude]

Obligatory: Can I get an Amen!?

[ApolloTheBoss]

Amen, my brother!

[imsocool1234]

Even men and women into their 80's are playing games.

[Amplitude]

...so, i cant tell if i should be lolling or be depressed at this article

[kneon]

No need to be depressed, I'm double the the authors age and I still do well in any multi-player if I put in the time. Actually I think I'm better now than I ever was.

[Retroman]

@ pozzle
he use knee and joint pain reliever up that mountain haaaa.

[Wesley85]

It's not age that makes you worse at playing games. It's not having the spare time you had as a teen to perfect your skills.

When I was at school and shortly after I was pretty good at multiplayer games, but that was because I put in over 8 hours a day playing them. Now I have a job, go to university and have a child. I simply don't have to time to put into games as I once did and it shows.

But at the end of the day the time I do get to play games I really enjoy it, and that's what gaming is about ey? Fun.

[kneon]

I think that's why I'm batter at most FPS games now when I'm almost 49 than I ever was before. The kids are older and don't need my attention all the time so I have more time for gaming than in the past.

[swice]

You know that huge back-log of games we all have? I'm building up for my retirement :-)

[Jyndal]

Funny...in a month I actually turn 37 years of age.
....and I can whip some serious ass in Guild Wars 2 PvP.

Age has nothing to do with gaming prowess. The person who taught me to play Ryu the "right" way in Street Fighter 2 was in his 40's. He actually won a Soul Edge tournament, back when they still had video arcades in every mall.

Age is just a number, one that should be left out of the gamer equation.

[kneon]

Deleted, meant to reply

[jc48573]

really depends. Some people's taste do change overtime as they may be affected by something. suddenly disliking some games which are no longer fun. people start looking at games a little different and by that I mean they start to be more "picky" about what to rent or buy. you probably have done this for a while, but maybe you did it to save up. some people do it because their preference has changed.

I've played games like Street Fighter 4 and Arkham Asylum and those games make me feel young, OR that I'm never too old to play a fighting or even play as batman. I personally thought Injustice wasn't the game for me unfortunately. I did feel a bit too old for it, but that's mainly because the "trash talking" is a little dumb to me.

[Kuleman_beast]

I see where he's coming from, games are full of dick jokes and online is being overrun by 14 and 15 year olds. It's become a chore to finish games now too, I have a stack of 20+ incompleted games and they are about as appealing to me as the stack of dirty dishes currently in my kitchen. Eventually you just get burned out, it doesn't mean you have to quit, it just means you need to step away for awhile.

[MilkMan]

I have to agree with the author.
At 41 years old, I find MP games to be boring. I can play well enough, but all my friends laugh at how disconnected I am from the experience. I usually fall asleep about the 5 minute mark.
However a good SP and a good Co-op game holds my interest fully.
Rpg's, strategy, action, adventure, third person, fps..im good with all of them, but running around in the same environment gunning is not my idea of fun...

Although I will say that some of the friends on my list only play COD and they are well into their 40's.

[Psychotica]

I am 46 and I definitely prefer single player games than multiplayer. Maybe because I grew up in the Atari age and that's all there was. I just know after working all day I don't feel like being social with anyone other than my own family.

[FreshRevenge]

I agree. I just don't like when they make MP trophies or achievements required. I think they should be optional and not affecting your score.

[ZBlacktt]

Yep, 44 here and like some, been at this 35 years plus. Still own my Intellivison, NES, 2600, etc. I too find online to be somewhat boring. That and with all the issues online brings...... cheaters, glitchers, boosters, lag switches, modded controllers, laggy servers. It's just not worth so much of my time. Unless I'm going for trophies. Which I like to do. But for the most part, I like the single player and Co-Op's myself. Open 3rd person world games are the best.

[Donnywho]

Practice, practice, practice.

[GodsPerfectK7ng]

If you still love and have the passion for gaming that is all that matters. I am 27 and all I need is a amazing story in a game and I'm set! simple bro!!!!

[Pozzle]

I personally still love games, but I can see where the author is coming from. The games that are released nowadays are quite different than the games from my childhood, and I can see why people my age or older might think they have "grown out of" games, though it's probably because they just don't like the direction they are heading in or the changes to gaming in recent years.

[FreshRevenge]

what? I am 35 years old and I still play video games. People eat. Are they too old to eat? People shop. Are they too old for that?

No, I have to say as long as I have breath in my body. I will play games until I am physically unable to pick up a controller and see the TV screen.

Age is irrelevant.

[FreshRevenge]

I am getting this impression from young gamers that being in your 30s, 40s etc, that we are too slow or brittle. What is that all about?

[Jyndal]

I have a 19 year old niece that thought that I was "past my prime" in gaming....til I took her to the woodshed in Mortal Kombat for the 360.