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How old is too old?
- Thread starter Wucked
- Start date
I don't know any witty/funny put downs but for me it's about escapism mostly, when I read an amazing book or watch a superb film I want to be there and experience it first hand which is obviously impossible but being able to inhabit the 'world' like in LOTRO and control (in a limited way I grant you) the destiny of my character is an experience and riding along on horseback with Weathertop in the distance and thinking about the history of the world and the adventures I can have pleases me no end.
Oblivion ticked so many boxes for me as it put me in a beautiful world (even vanilla with the dodgy textures) and I was free (in a limited sense again) to live a life of adventure, what's not to enjoy?
I think gaming still has a long way to go, for all the technical and graphical improvements we still only have a handful of games with truly great stories. I hope over time more resource is spent on crafting games with deep meaningful stories which really touch you rather than being bland kill 10 of this, fetch 10 of that tripe which fill many modern games.
Is this a photo of you ??
Ah mah gad, how did you get my picture?!
It is different. When you are into a game, it's almost impossible to break away, especially when playing online. It demands and absorbs much more attention than watching TV, which can nowadays be paused, rewound and recorded as you wish. As someone who has done a lot of both, I can say that TV was definitely much less demanding on my time and money.
That entirely depends on the game you are playing, it might be inconvenient to quit a game mid-raid but it's not impossible, that just comes down to prioritisation and self-control, and if my missus is involved... self-preservation
That entirely depends on the game you are playing, it might be inconvenient to quit a game mid-raid but it's not impossible, that just comes down to prioritisation and self-control, and if my missus is involved... self-preservation
But it's still more demanding on your time and attention than TV for the reasons I listed, that was my point.
Man of Honour
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But it's still more demanding on your time and attention than TV for the reasons I listed, that was my point.
Is it such a bad thing that it requires more attention and concentration? I can't really argue with the money point but assuming that you're not concentrating on your gaming to the detriment of your relationship/socialising/etc then I don't see the harm personally.
There is nothing sweeter than coming home after a days work, clearing anything you need to do, putting the kids to bed and getting a pass from the other half for a couple of hours escapism. Some people read, paint, collect coins or watch television - as an armchair soldier I like to plan and execute military operations or join a hectic battle. Simples.
Teamwork, planning, communication and reasoning are all skills which gamers can develop , not to mention technical skills maintaining and upgrading PC hardware and software. I also have some friends thanks to online contact.
I envy younger people since todays powerful PCs and consoles were not an option when I had all the time and money to play years ago. So I enjoy it now and never, ever feel guilty (unless there is a meaty upgrade I must have, cos I'm worth it) .
cj
Teamwork, planning, communication and reasoning are all skills which gamers can develop , not to mention technical skills maintaining and upgrading PC hardware and software. I also have some friends thanks to online contact.
I envy younger people since todays powerful PCs and consoles were not an option when I had all the time and money to play years ago. So I enjoy it now and never, ever feel guilty (unless there is a meaty upgrade I must have, cos I'm worth it) .
cj
But it's still more demanding on your time and attention than TV for the reasons I listed, that was my point.
And that's a good thing.
Personally the fact gaming is more interactive is precisely why I like it rather than sitting there and having re-runs of Friends, awful pap like X-Factor or TOWIE and ads rammed down my throat every 5 minutes.
While that is true, I think some of the overriding points in the thread were that there are many other good things to do besides spending the majority of your time (not you personally, just generally) either gaming or watching TV.
Soldato
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I often wonder if I will still be gaming when I am in my 40s/50s 
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I'm 36 and will game for as long as I'm physically able to do so
Can't say I've ever met any real negativity to it, but then I don't usually bring it up or talk about it, unless I know that particular person is into it.
I mainly game for relaxation after work, and rarely at weekends, as I'm usually out and about with other automotive related hobbies
edited to add: I agree with the escapism point, to me its like reading, the chance to immerse myself for a while and forget the real world
Can't say I've ever met any real negativity to it, but then I don't usually bring it up or talk about it, unless I know that particular person is into it.
I mainly game for relaxation after work, and rarely at weekends, as I'm usually out and about with other automotive related hobbies
edited to add: I agree with the escapism point, to me its like reading, the chance to immerse myself for a while and forget the real world
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I often wonder if I will still be gaming when I am in my 40s/50s
Well why not, i'm 40 and will never stop regardless of age.
I've often found those that dont have a hobby like gaming or whatever, because they see it as childish, and that time should be spent doing something grown up, are often the most sociably inept people with a warped sense of what is and isnt acceptable for others to do.
Thers a guy at my work ( i work in IT) who thinks the guys here shouldnt be playing games during there lunchtime or after hours, and should instead be furthering there education or bettering themselves in some way. He's a freak and a total nob end and nobody likes him.
With any luck i'll still be playing warhammer games with my freinds once i've retired in 30 years lol.
Thers a guy at my work ( i work in IT) who thinks the guys here shouldnt be playing games during there lunchtime or after hours, and should instead be furthering there education or bettering themselves in some way. He's a freak and a total nob end and nobody likes him.
With any luck i'll still be playing warhammer games with my freinds once i've retired in 30 years lol.
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Soldato
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Soldato
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gaming > tv
the quality of tv now days is shocking
the quality of tv now days is shocking
There is definitely a trend toward gaming being more socially acceptable for adults.
About 10-15 years ago, I used to 'hide' my gaming habit from most friends, I'd never really talk about it. I went to a LAN in Sweden and just told friends I was going there with uni friends. I remember being 17 and wanted an N64 but was too embarrassed to ask my dad for it as a Birthday present as the stigma was that you should be growing out of games at that age.
Nowadays, people in their 30s openly talk about gaming at work although I still downplay things a little and it only represents a small proportion of the topics I discuss.
About 10-15 years ago, I used to 'hide' my gaming habit from most friends, I'd never really talk about it. I went to a LAN in Sweden and just told friends I was going there with uni friends. I remember being 17 and wanted an N64 but was too embarrassed to ask my dad for it as a Birthday present as the stigma was that you should be growing out of games at that age.
Nowadays, people in their 30s openly talk about gaming at work although I still downplay things a little and it only represents a small proportion of the topics I discuss.