The Time to give up Games?

Gandalph

I was just wondering when in life do people start to give up on video games? Iv been playing since I was physically old enough to hold a controller and Iv always day dreamed about the day I considered myself too old/ incapable of playing them anymore (If that day actually comes or not I dont know).

So whats other peoples experiences, was it when you started a family/job or anything else that came into factor? Maybe your older friends thought it was a bit immature to be playing games, or maybe you still play but no were near as much as you used to?

I understand this is an odd place to put this thread because most the people here still play games but I didnt know were else to go with it.

So whats your opinions on this? Would be nice to get some feedback off others

BopNiblets

Never!
For example you see old people play chess in the parks in some big cities, never too old for games of some sort, I expect people who enjoyed Super Mario Bros in the 80s will be retired pensioners with plenty of free time in 25-30 years or so, there may be an invasion coming!

Retr0gamer

Never. The day you give up your hobbies and what you enjoy then you might as well be dead. When I've more responsibilities like kids I'll certainly have to curtail my gaming but I won't give it up. I much prefer it to the more socially acceptible yet mind numbing TV.

Helix

stop playing them when you stop enjoying them

easy

jaykhunter

Exactly, you'll have to curtail your gaming when your responsibilities rise (wife, kids, job etc) but you should never give up a hobby that makes you happy.

My girlfriend used to give me grief about playing games (despite her owning a fúcking PS3) and much like other hobbies I told her I'd never quit. I don't play games that often; maybe 6 games per year, who knows, depends on the games out, but that kind of ignorance astounds and infuriates me. How it can be denigrated over watching hours of films/tv etc is beyond me.

Sure unless your gaming involves all-night multiplayer over the net you won't have to do too much trimming. But i'd suggest when you have them, get games that you can play with your kids. Two birds with the one stone.

weiland79

^^ This.

Why give it up if you're still enjoying it. It aint no different to any other hobby.

I'm 35 i have a 5 year old daughter and a 13 year old son and i play a hell of a lot more games than both of them combined, it's just my thing.

I have my gaming room which BTW is not a Daddy's /Kids combo game room, It's just Daddy's (some stern words and a big fvcking lock put paid to that discussion)

Point is, give it up if you're not getting anything from it anymore but if you are, get a big fvcking lock and tell the kids/grandkids to stay the hell out!!!

RedXIV

I've lost a bit of enthusiasm since I had kids but thats mainly because i simply don't have the time to invest in them any more. Or maybe its just my needs redefining what I play. e.g. any game without a pause button is useless to me now!

Mc Love

Still play the odd game, used to love playing racing sims - not as much anymore, might buy Dirt3 though.

Will wait for Saints Row 3 and Uncharted3 to come out, and whatever GTA title comes out.

Played FM11 religiously there for about six months but just got sick of it

Agricola

Games as a form of entertainment media are very much in their infancy and theres a whole generation of people who only associate games with kids toys. Because of this, some of us think we should grow out of it at some stage. This will all change in the years to come. As gamers become the old fogies and (hopefully) as the industry matures into something everyone can take seriously (less Duke Nukems for example) then gaming will be viewed as good tv, movies and books are today.

Personally, my taste in games has changed over the years. Genres I used to obsess about hold much less interest for me now. There also the time constraints, you just cant devote the huge amount of time that is required of some games now. But as long as I get that little tingle of excitement when I read about an upcoming release, or when I open the shrink wrap on a new game, Ill continue to play as much as I can.

Sarky

It will be a cold day in Hell when I stop playing games altogether. If I ever have kids, I'll be whupping their arses in whatever shooter is popular (and good. They'll be raised with STANDARDS, by gum) when they're old enough.

Tastes will vary depending on the amount of responsibility in my life at the moment. I've been doing a masters for the last year and haven't really had the energy for shooters whenever I got home from college. RPGs and casual PopCap-type games are generally where it's at right now. I can just sit back and take my time reading or listening to dialogue, making tactical choices at my own pace.

Of course once I'm done with the thesis, I'll be getting stuck in to The Witcher 2, Deus Ex 3, Duke Nukem, AC Revelations and Arkham Asylum in a big way. At least, while I don't have a job or another research offer.

d'Oracle

I bought a PS3 a week after coming back off my honeymoon.....

Manach

Ditto with the never. After a certain age, all night Civ marathons are out but the occasional few hours at the weekend is relaxing, and definitely not as stressful as golf.

Gandalph

Agricola wrote: »

Personally, my taste in games has changed over the years. Genres I used to obsess about hold much less interest for me now. There also the time constraints, you just cant devote the huge amount of time that is required of some games now. But as long as I get that little tingle of excitement when I read about an upcoming release, or when I open the shrink wrap on a new game, Ill continue to play as much as I can.

This is how I see myself. I used to love RPGs, I couldnt get enough of them with their whole character customisation, making choices etc. But they are dead to me since the coming of MMORPGs...I broke out of my MMORPGs last year and I dont see myself going back, they are far too enjoyable and time consuming for me. I am just on the ponder of when this will happen to me with other games, the evolution of RPGs destroyed them (in my life). Anyone else have any similar views in personnal opinion?

weiland79

d'Oracle wrote: »

I bought a PS3 a week after coming back off my honeymoon.....

Ah yes start as you mean to go on. You in one room herself in the other the chasm of silence and bitterness ever widening, the same old arguements day in day out

' You do love that fvcking machine more than me'
' When are you ever going to grow up and stop playing with toy's'
' You talk to your online buddies more than me'

oops i may have said to much

moonboy52

I just love escapism, whether it be a good book, game or TV show.

I am looking forward to escaping into the new Star Wars MMO this autumn

mrm

weiland79 wrote: »

Ah yes start as you mean to go on. You in one room herself in the other the chasm of silence and bitterness ever widening, the same old arguements day in day out

' You do love that fvcking machine more than me'
' When are you ever going to grow up and stop playing with toy's'

Sorry Weiland, which of you two is it that is asking those questions?:p

I loved gaming when I was younger but I dropped it for 7 or 8 years to devote the time to rearing the family. And when I decided to* return to gaming I bought my first next gen console and recommenced. I play each evening now after the kids have gone to bed. I'd say I play more now than before as I no longer have the same quantity of interests and gaming is now one of my few primary interests. Gaming is so easily accessible now and with instantaneous returns re casual entertainment.

My biggest problem for me with gaming presently is keeping my 75 year old father in games that suit him (he leaves it to me to choose his games). I constantly try to push certain games types on him but he's primarily an FPS/TPS player- loves his CoD's/ Gears of War's. I currently have him playing Vanquish and hope to introduce him to Frozen Synapse soon. Would love to see him at Demons Souls but I'd say the menus and upgrade system will melt his head.

So in short maybe changing your gaming schedule to suit certain phases of your life is required, but certainly no need to consider giving up completely due to age. If you still enjoy gaming the thought shouldn't even enter your head.

* read 'she let me'

Burning Eclipse

I did an MSc last year. The best lecturer we had (largely agreed among the class) was a man in his early sixties... When he asked the class if anyone had heard of Bayonetta, I figured he was a gamer Ended up doing my thesis under his supervision, and I discovered just how much of a gamer he was To give one example, the guy had imported Demon's Souls from Asia upon release and sunk 100 hours into it.

Moral of my story: You're never too old or too busy to game as long as you enjoy it!

Magill

People watch soaps until they die... i'll be the same with gaming

If you have free time on your hands and nothing better to do then there is no reason not to play some games if its something you enjoy. Obviously you shouldn't be hardcore raiding every day for the rest of your life, but yeah...

Fnz

“We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”

George Bernard Shaw.

Validation, at last.

MitchKoobski

I lose a bit of enthusiasm every two months or so, but I'm usually brought back into it by discussing a game in the pub or getting roped into a few rounds of Tekken at a session.

Doubt I'll ever give it up.

Tbh I think the reason people are always expected to grow out of Gaming is that in the last 20 years it's a relatively new 'big' hobby. 30 years ago gaming was still touch and go, there was no online community you know? Whereas now there's plenty to keep people coming back and playing with millions of other people.

weiland79

mrm wrote: »

Sorry Weiland, which of you two is it that is asking those questions?:p

Ha ha to be fair my wife is the only one that see's gaming for what it is. It's the rest of my family and friends that consider it childish.

I recently got my old man on side by installing Company of heroes on his laptop.
Now he can't get enough of it.

I think it reminds him of the old war comics he used to read as a boy.

tallaghtmick

fallout 3 got me some stern looks from the ex when we where together.....probably why im single.....ah well more game time:D

the_syco

Can't see it happening.

I know a few people who play games for an hour or two whilst their OH watch Corrie/Emmerdale/East Enders, etc.

deathrider

In my late twenties at the moment, and already starting to go grey... Won't be putting down the controller any time soon though. A little while back, I was juggling a full-time job, a full-time high-maintenance girlfriend, and a full-time band, and I still managed to keep my gaming up.

For me, it's not an age thing at all. That isn't even an issue. Just the same as I'd never be too old to read a book or watch a movie. I'll give gaming up when my hands and my mind are simply too old to keep up with the action on screen.

ShadowHearth

newer say newer, but i guess ill say newer! . i am only 25, but alive and kicking! oh yeah, and waiting for misses to bring me 6870 gpu from her holidays

Me and misses now 7 years together, she newer ever griefed on me becouse of gaming. it actuolly gives us time to be separate from each ather, so we dont get bored from each ather and we can do our own things/hobbies.
work - working full time job since 19, after work i like to relax with some quality gaming. i dont see problem in that.
took out morgage few weeks ago and it still does not influence my gaming habit.

Its a hobbie and one of the biggest entertainment industrie. some people like to relax with pint in the hands, athers fishing or modeling. Athers just watch telly and do feck all...

believe it or not, but this hobby is cheap too, and i am pc gamer. I had to give up on car hobby and put offroad my 400hp car just becouse i cant afford it now. gaming is still there thought!

if i will be able to game next to my kid in near future, then i will be the happiest person alive.

the_syco

deathrider wrote: »

I'll give gaming up when my hands and my mind are simply too old to keep up with the action on screen.

You'll just become a "retro gamer" :P

weiland79

Just what Deathrider said about the hands.
I'm a jeweller and as such i deal with peoples hands or more specifically with their fingers. One thing that scares the sh!t out of me is Rheumitoid arthritis. Some peoples hands are so gnarled from this terrible affliction they can barely hold a cup let a lone a controller.

Heres hoping motion controling comes on leaps and bounds before that happens.

deathrider

the_syco wrote: »

You'll just become a "retro gamer" :P

Haha, too true, buddy

el dude

As has been said, when you get bored of them.

I'm only 26, but the last few years I've found it harder and harder to get excited for games like I used to. And i'm not sure if its me, or the games, but they don't really seem to capture my imagination as they used, which is understandable I suppose. But now when I browse gaming sites and whatnot, it's always sequels and FPS's at the forefront.

pdbhp

the_syco wrote: »

Can't see it happening.

I know a few people who play games for an hour or two whilst their OH watch Corrie/Emmerdale/East Enders, etc.

Thats my prime gaming time, every night the other half must destroy her remaining brain cells by watching some retarded shít of a soap so I whack on some games and pump the volume up as loud as I can

nyarlothothep

Not as much as when I was a teenager, essentially I have too many project going on at the same time, music and art related and when I play games I tend to take them seriously so I like to invest all day in playing them rather than 1 or 2 hours. Once I start I find it hard to stop. However I don't get how people say games are a waste of time, given that reading fiction or watching movies would also be a waste of time.