Am I getting too old for PC gaming?

philstanbridge said:
Interesting thread actually. I'm 36, I've been asking myself the same type of question. I must admit I don't find a lot of the games keep me as entertained as they would have done years ago.

It's like Mafia II, I got the demo, I like the look of it, but I can't see it holding my attention for all that long. :confused:

I've got GTA4, and that was very much the same - I didn't get all that far in it at all before I moved on to other things. I guess as you get older, you have different priorities in life, and perhaps, you can't spend as much time playing them. I much prefer realistic historical strategies now; particularly games that have enormous depth and realism, but don't get me wrong, a good blast it still fun, and I enjoy the Call of Duty games no end, but only in single player. The escapism is fantastic and so relaxing. Having said that, I do still enjoy pc gaming even if I can't keep up with it like I used to. I'm looking forward to Worms, even if it is short lived. :D
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Exactly my thoughts, especially looking forwards to Worms Reloaded too!
 
npjnpj said:
I'm 54 and I've been playing games since I got my Commodore 64 in 1983. So since then I've followed all trends and developments with interest, and spent endless amounts of hours on games, as much as my family and work allow. Computers only, no consoles.

But now I'm also getting bored and the last 18 months I've been reading more books than I have been in years. The reason is that I've now finally gotten bored because games have reached a stage that there is nothing new at all any more, it's all remakes in one form of another.

We went through a stage where gaming mechanics were improved for better gameplay from one iteration to the next, that I could accept and enjoy, but the last few years has only shown a cosmetic improvement reflecting graphics development, and that's just not enough.

With hardware development accellerating all the time, I don't find it acceptable that single-player game lengths are decreasing at an almost equal rate.

So I think I'm reaching my cut-off point right now. I don't think it's an age thing, it's a matter of getting bored of something once there's nothing really new left to discover.
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Excellent post.

I'm 52 and have been an avid gamer from the old days of my Amstrad CPC but nothing holds my attention for long anymore.

I can still get hyped up about games but ultimately get very disappointed as they are usually a massive letdown.

Online gaming seems to be populated by very rude and spoilt kids who will do anything to win including cheat so usually I don't bother anymore with online stuff the exceptions being ARMA type realism type games which attracts the ahem more mature gamer ;)

I guess it must be rose tinted specs but there was always a great online community spirit which just isn't there now.
 
duc999 said:
I guess it must be rose tinted specs but there was always a great online community spirit which just isn't there now.
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Agreed, back in my MOHAA online days I used to go on the same server almost every day and it had the same players day in, day out to play against, very few cheaters and a fantastic community spirit. Some players played so often on the server that the when the clan set their server to private, they would invite some of the non clan members in for a game. They were great, great days with that game. There won't be another like it, not for me anyway.
 
I'm pretty sure I had Battlezone 2 installed on my last Vista install...I've have to dig out the disk and try it with Win 7.
 
mate i am 3,000% behind you! I cant get into ANY games anymore. I used to sit for hours playing c&c3, civ 4 & rollercoaster tycoon 2,3 but now.. I cant be f'ed :( Maybe its all the lack luster games they were swomping us with.. but games for me NM how hard i try..dont keep my attention :(
 
Having just turned 50, and been around long enough to remember playing games on my 8bit Oric computer, I now struggle to hold enough enthusiasm to do anything other than launch the odd game. Having just bough Napoleon TW I have started it a couple of times and looked around the campaign map but I still can't seem to start a game which lasts longer than a few minutes.
I am looking forward to Civ V coming out and I will pre order that. Whether I play it or not is another thing though.!

A good thing about this type of apathy is that my hardware lasts so much longer now without the desire, rather than need, to constantly update my PC.
 
Yeah, you bought some stinkers. Don't let it get you down. The Assassins Creed games (Yes, 2 as well = pap) are dumb rubbish. Crysis is fun-ish but I personally find it style over substance and I had to 'make' myself finish Bioshock.

There are loads of good games out atm. Just got to find one that suits you. Whatr genre are you after?

Alos, I noticed you mentioned VGA Planets. Check out Aurora in my sig. Might be up your street.
 
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I'm 52 in a few days and I've never enjoyed gaming more.
Apart from the odd flirtation I only really play three games
MOH:SH
Combat Mission
IL2
Been playing them since they hit the shops and still having serious fun.
Find I don't enjoy the newer games as much especially online because I don't give them enough time to learn the finer points. I don't because I prefer my old games and would rather play them.
 
Im 32 and still enjoying games new and old.

One thing I have noticed is that now most games are multiplayer, and can be quite competitive, you kind have to be "up with play" on most of them if you dont wont to get beaten horribly.

I find if I am tired/hungover I will enjoy my gaming much more if I stick to single player games. I will go with the multiplayer games more when I am feeling up for it, or wired on Red Bull (which I try to avoid, that stuff is evil!).
 
fozzybear said:
I bought a GTX 460 the other day to try and get back into some PC gaming. I bought COD4 MW, Assassin's Creed, Bioshock and Crysis on the reccomendations of this forum.

The thing is, I just cannot get back into the swing of things. I'm just not enjoying it. The standout game amongst those 4 is COD4 MW. I'm loving the single player. I've had a look at playing online (through my 3 mobile broadband dongle! :)) and things are just too hectic. I'm 38 now and I think my reactions are going! :eek:

Initial thoughts on Bioshock is that it's going to be repetitive. Assassin's Creed is repetitive. I've played it for long enough already to find that out.

I'm considering selling up already and getting a PS3 for playing more 'leisurely' games like Tiger Woods, FIFA, G1 Jockey and Red Dead Redemption.

Has there been a cut off point for you? And at what age? Have your gaming choices and preferences changed as you've got older?
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I know how you feel. I keep buying new games and keep feeling so let down. I think it is just the case that there is very little "different" out there now. Spore was looking good, but that was a massive let down. Just Dust looks incredible, but I am not getting my hopes up. I am looking forward to F1 2010 and TDU2 - so hopefully I end up enjoying those!
 
43 and still gaming regular, problem i have now after so many years is keeping interested playing single player games. I feel like i've seen that been there and done it in another game but just not as good looking.

Still love multiplayer, old Tribes2, Quake2 player and played all the BF series to death. Still go to Lans and enjoy the banter.

Deffo can't play as fast or as long as i used to but still love it all the same.. I'll game for as long as my RSI lets me :)
 
In my 30s and its the case of so many games are a "seen it all before", however there are some quality games around, currently playing BadCompany2 (best fps game ever imo) and StarCraft2 (best GUI ever).
 
games take themselves to seriously these days

at first it was a novelty like playing the lead character in a film but it has become tedious very quickly

they have lost the fun factor
 
Will probably get rid of Assassin's Creed and Bioshock this week. Both are boring me to death already. :)

The thing is I've tried getting into games like Command and Conquer and can't get into them. I might try something like Company of Heroes or similar.

Treebiter, I'm not into any particular genre. As I've said, I like games that drag me in and keep me playing. UT2004 has a magic about it that keeps me coming back (Instagib only). I can't put my finger on it but it's just satisfying to play.
 
fozzybear said:
I bought a GTX 460 the other day to try and get back into some PC gaming. I bought COD4 MW, Assassin's Creed, Bioshock and Crysis on the reccomendations of this forum.

The thing is, I just cannot get back into the swing of things. I'm just not enjoying it. The standout game amongst those 4 is COD4 MW. I'm loving the single player. I've had a look at playing online (through my 3 mobile broadband dongle! :)) and things are just too hectic. I'm 38 now and I think my reactions are going! :eek:

Initial thoughts on Bioshock is that it's going to be repetitive. Assassin's Creed is repetitive. I've played it for long enough already to find that out.

I'm considering selling up already and getting a PS3 for playing more 'leisurely' games like Tiger Woods, FIFA, G1 Jockey and Red Dead Redemption.

Has there been a cut off point for you? And at what age? Have your gaming choices and preferences changed as you've got older?
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I am older than your average member, about your age.

I have two *important* bits of advice.

1) There is no dishonour in turning a single player game down to 'easy' :)

I am starting to do it with all my games as soon as they get frustrating now, and on 'easy' you see so much new content so quickly it actually makes the game better if you haven't got a lot of time - the few hours you can put into it you see all you can, rather than 'I'm still stuck on blimin' level 2 - screw this'. I reckon I turn down to easy, at some point, about 85% of my games at some point now. It's 1000% better than not playing any more as you keep dying so missing the content altogether..

2) Internet gaming, especially 'twitch games', you will have to get used to just being bad at it's the way of the world.

The young 'uns are just better AND as a general rule have more time (especially students), I reckon it's kinda' in the same way that young 'uns make the best footballers and formula 1 drivers and stock market traders .. their brains are just healthier than ours or something (they haven't yet had the 20 years of too many beers!) .. Get used to it, not frustrated. Try to really not care if you're in the bottom half of the table at the end of the game every time -- just care about if you had a laugh.


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Finally as I have got older I've got more dosh so been able to give up on games a LOT easier. When I was a kid I HAD to get moneys worth out of any game I bought. Now if I'm halfway through level 1 and don't like it, off it goes .. and I don't have to justify £25 down the toilet to anyone particularly (and it didn't take me 2 night shifts of some nasty manual 'none-stop' job to earn that £25!).
 
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I dont think the "young 'uns" have more capable brains, more time perhaps but when i put the hours into the bad company 2 I was regularly at the top of the score boards.
I agree putting all games to easy is the best way to get the most content in a short time, i should have done this with fallout 3 tbh.
 
(Yes I'm only 26)
To the post above, the thing is a lot of us who've been gaming most of our lives have honed our skills in online shooters for example. I've found that sure, I'm not a master at any game nor do I play professionally but I'm well above average and can pick up pretty much any game and play well on it very quickly.

However, despite this I'm losing the interest in playing online because you never know who's cheating, it gives me a false sense of how good I actually am at competitive play, it leaves a sour taste and I really can't be bothered at all any more.

BC2 was my latest example when they fixed punkbuster to actually work every single game I play in it would ban someone, every game, always, without fail. Left, right and center it was just finding people cheating all the ****** time. That's only the ones it catches! :( I'm not sure what it's like now because I've gone off it.
 
I think its a matter of finding the right game. I am the same age as the op and I still love my gaming. Good SP games will always suck up loads of time.

I do find now that if I play CSS after a days work and maybe a beer that I'm not so good and struggle to get interested in it. However if I have a day off and play early in the day I can destroy anyone.

I got into L4d2 which has loads of older players and women, one of my steam friends is 60 and is really good at the game. I have played it a lot but still love the more intimate nature of having 4 pepolpe with mics a brilliant time.
 
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