Is there such thing as a gamer age limit?

[Citrus]

Back when I played WoW, I got into a party with a 90-year-old woman (I could tell she wasn't lying because we were on Ventrilo). We had to stop and wait for her at one point so she could rub arthritis lotion on her wrists. And for the record, she was a kickass Rogue.

So no, there is no limit.

 

[hopeneverdies]

Well the Wii totally killed his argument if you ask me.

 

[Crash486]

Recently i was playing with a mate of mine on Marvel Ultimate Alliance when my dad walked in and said " I cannot believe it, you are 18 and still playing games."
This made me think, do you think there is a certain age you get to were games suddenly become boring or uninteresting.

Not saying that all old gamers are losers, but I will say that if you're 35, stuck in a dead beat job, and single, and you spend all your free time playing video games and yelling at 14 year olds over ventrilo in order to fill the void in your life, you probably went wrong somewhere along the way.

Obviously, that's a stereotype and while there aren't "plenty" I'm sure there are a number of older gamers that still manage to find the time to game and lead productive lives. You will however find that as you get older the amount of time you have to spend playing games drastically decreases.

I remember I used to say I'll always be a gamer, but just within the last few years I've noticed the amount of time I spend gaming has rapidly decreased. I'm 23, and I still keep up to date with all the latest games coming out, I still get excited about them, and I even still rush out to buy AAA titles on their release days, but ask me how often I play them, I'd say less than 4 hours a week if even that much.

Alot of I think has to do with the fact that it sort of feels like games are no longer as entertaining to me as they used to be, I don't know if the games that are coming out nowdays are just not the same calibur as they used to be, or if its just a case of "been there done that," but I certainly don't derive the same pleasure out of gaming that I used to. I've been gaming all my life, and I can remember just 4 years ago, things were drastically different, so you can probably expect the same to happen to you if you go to college, get a girlfriend, job, etc.

I do know one thing, I'll jump out the 11th floor of a building before I allow myself to turn into a 45 year old, unemployed, WoW guild leader, spending all my time managing a bunch of teenagers as they bicker amongst themselves over who gets what loot from the raid.

 

[Mongodyr]

I doubt it, but some of my old board games says ages 3 to 101. So I think there is a board-game age limit.

 

[DeviousCrypto]

My dad plays my old ps2, a ton of crappy Star Wars games...pfft. Anyways, no, gaming as a true hobby is only very new. Years and years from now gaming may be everyone's life and how the world is interacted with, you never know. Today's game is tommorow's medical/engineering/military components.

 

[Grabbin Keelz]

I think the only time you should ever stop playing video games is when arthritis forms in your hands.
And even then, you can still play Wii fit.

 

[Rickyvantof]

Why, is there an age limit to reading books or watching TV/movies, of which I wasn't aware? D:

 

[xxtaintdxx]

i play on xbox live, i'm 28...both my parents are in their mid 40's and they play xbox (yes, i even gave them an xbox in order to do so) and they met a guy on texas hold 'em who was 85 (? i think somewhere round there) and one of my good friends i play with on a few games that we have together is gonna be 65 or 66 this year if i'm remembering this correctly. but most of the people i play with are from 12 (have one friend who is, and it's another buddy's son) to 65 (burnout revenge xbox 360, ever hear of the frumunda manuever? hehe, yes, that's him)

 

[Crash486]

Why, is there an age limit to reading books or watching TV/movies, of which I wasn't aware? D:

No, but there should be when it comes to Harry Potter.

 

[Neurowaste]

I'm my Call of Duty clan i know some people in their 40's, you're never too old to enjoy a good interactive experience. It's like asking if you're ever too old for fun.

 

[Nils]

Yea im sure its perfectly possible, i was more alluding to growing up and eventually moving away from the things you did when you were younger because of more pressing priorities. Doesnt mean you cant incorporate the two, just most people seem to go in a different direction at some point in their lives.

I'd normally agree with that, but since Gaming is the specific topic in question, I have to think that you're oversimplifying it, unless you're in the "video games are for children" camp. Like others have said, there are different games for different ages. Some games are applicable for almost every age group ("casual" games).

Saying you're putting down the controller to focus on more important things in life doesn't automatically make you an adult; it just means you're not a gamer anymore.

 

[TheSear]

100% no. There are even games with the big '18' ESRB rating on them. Is 18 to old to sit and watch tv? I bet no one under the age of dead thinks so.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

My granny has a DS...I don't know what that proves. All I know is, until people stop watching "the x factor" and "Britain's got talent" they can't say anything to me about time wasting...it's karaoke...on television...

 

[Nerdfury]

When you find more pressing priorities in your life that take up your time family, gf, etc.

Bzzt. Incorrect. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

There is no age limit to games. Games are no different an entertainment than watching TV, listening to radio plays or reading books. All are forms of entertainment or escapism, whereby the recipient can be entertained passively or actively.

I work for an ISP, and a few years ago a gent called to upgrade to a Wi-Fi modem and a higher speed plan. When I asked him some questions on how he planned to use it, just to make sure it would suit his needs and some punk didn't just convince him he needed it when he didn't, he told me he planned to use it for LAN purposes, because he and some mates wanted to play games both in a LAN environment and over the internet.

I asked what games he played and he said they played Battlefield and Unreal Tournament, and proudly announced he was 97. His account confirmed this with a date of birth in 1910. He'll be 100 this year.

So no. No age limits.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

One day there will be gaming Leaders of State. This is inevitable, and then it shall be OUR world friends! Ours!

 

[Thunderhorse31]

People who were 18 and enjoyed games in the 80's are now almost 40. Most of these people still enjoy games, so the "age limit" is only going to go up higher as older generations of gamers advance in age.

 

[Ayatchi]

As far as I'm concerned, there's no age limit. Age is not the same thing as a state of mind, if you are still capeable of having fun gaming, then kudos, play until you drop. :3

 

[the protaginist]

Well, I'm assuming your father thinks your too old for them, so next time he makes a remark like that, ask him if he'd like to rent a movie. Ask him(force him) to watch Christian Finnegan's standup special "Au Contraire!" with you. You could either watch through the whole thing(it's pretty funny) or skip straight to the part where Finnegan defends video games. He explains that video games are only considered immature becuase they've only been around 20-30 years, and as gaming gets older, it will become more accepted.(hell it's happening now, look at the Wii's)