How old is too old to be a gamer?

[remnant_phoenix]

How old is too old to be a follower of a show? Or an avid reader of fantasy novels? Or a devotee to a certain band or style of music?

There is no age limitation on those things; likewise, there is no age limitation on being a gamer.

I see a lot of "when I'm too old to see" and the like, but that's not necessarily connected to age. There's a correlation, yes, but plenty live to their dying day without suffering from a loss of hearing or arthritis or anything else that would mess up their ability to be a gamer.

Dead.

That is too old.

Quoted for truth.

 

[CaitSeith]

It's never too old to be a gamer.

 

[Captain Anon]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2488613/Is-UKs-oldest-gamer-78-year-old-queues-past-midnight-hands-new-Call-Duty-game.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHoOrFdgYR8

 

[Micalas]

Dead.

That is too old.

Some of the people I get into competitive games with beg to differ. The only thing explanation I can think of that explains how bad they are is that they're actually playing from within their coffin.

Realistically? About the time arthritis sets in.

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis since birth and it hasn't impacted how I play games.

Off topic: What is your avatar from?

 

[joest01]

Never obviously.

I thought it was so cool in Bayonetta 2 you can play with the immortal marionette equipped and using the touch screen. basically you can play one of the most technically sophisticated games on the planet, with, your, nose.

I think they won an accessibility award for it.

Just mentioning because not enough games keep in mind that not everyone who enjoys games has the eye hand and finger dexterity of a Istanbul pick pocket. But might still enjoy them.

 

[Aerith]

Like others have said before, it's not about how old you are. You can be in your 90's and still rock on as a hardcore gamer. :3 The one thing that will screw with your ability to game will be your health. Arthritis and stuff. Though, even then, there are many games out there that you might still be able to play. Hearthstone. Or Hidden Object games, even.

 

[TrevHead]

I got my dad into PC gaming 10-15 years ago, he's now 68, retired and plays (mostly) SP FPS games everyday, it's his main hobby and keeps his mind active.

While he plays on easy he is like me in that besides the odd RPG like Skyrim he prefers linear experiences and hates all the MMO style busywork that's trending atm. He spent all of last week playing Far Cry 4 with most of that time going around in circles doing random event sub quests because he couldn't tell which what parts were the main quest to advance through the game, now he's sacked it and is currently cleansing his palette with Wolfenstien.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

Dead...and that's only if we're counting this reality and not some kind of alternate, postmortem reality or any other life-after-death scenario. I don't understand the stigma against gaming in general but I can understand why people would stigmatize the caricature of the hardcore gamer.

 

[CrystalShadow]

This isn't a "yur a grown mahn, ye shu'd git a real jub" thing, but more of how physically old can you be to still be a gamer? For example, football (the REAL football). You can play football in your youth, and still follow teams and games and stuff even when you live in a retirement home. But since you probably won't be able to still play games when you're 60, do you think you could still be interested and keep up with gaming developments, and therefore still be kinda a gamer?

Eh, the way I look at it, you can be a gamer until it becomes too difficult to do physically. For me, that could be soon, but that's health problems.

There's 2 major things, and it depends on what you play. A lot of games rely on reflexes, so once those start to go you'll get progressively worse at them, even if you are really experienced at it.

The other one is if you start to develop actual physical problems that affect your manual dexterity. (well, unless technology progresses to other forms of input.)

60 isn't even that big a deal though I have to say. My mother is 60, and physically and mentally close to as capable as she was at 40. (also routinely mistaken for someone younger, but that's a side issue).
That won't hold for everyone, but I seriously doubt if she had ever been into games in the first place she'd have any reason to stop now.

The whole idea of trying to set an age limit is a little silly...

 

[Netscape]

My grandma played Odyssey 2 games well into her 70s, if that counts. My uncle still has the old system and it's still functional as far as I know.

 

[Timeless Lavender]

Age should never be used as an obstacle to enjoy a hobby. If you enjoy the hobby at 90, then there are no reason for you to lose your gamer card . I think people assume that people who liked videogames, any toys or cartoons must out grow their hobby in order to fit as a "mature" citizen. Of course that would not happen to the fans of the hobby.

 

[Haerthan]

I will stop gaming when I am dead son. DEAD. Nothing will keep me away from my computer or playing with my future kids. NOTHING. Hell itself can come and block my path, I will headbutt it.

 

[nightmare_gorilla]

you can't play games when your 60? shit that's bad news someone better tell my mom she has to delete bookworm and mahjong off her phone...

There was a video recently of a guy who is paralyzed from the neck down playing diablo 3 with a controller made for him by a disability company. I will never stop playing games, hell if my body breaks down it will likely increase the time i spend entertaining fantasy world settings...

 

[Grouchy Imp_v1legacy]

>No idea what that was about<

EDITed due to nonsensical drunk post.

 

[MrFalconfly]

Well we could always alter the question a bit.

How old is too old to be a petrolhead?

To which I give you the answer "never". I mean sir Jackie Stewart can still drive with the best of racing drivers at his age of 75 (and seeing as driving in Formula 1, especially when Jackie Stewart was at the wheel required super-human reflexes, I'd say the same could extend to gaming).

 

[zumbledum]

This isn't a "yur a grown mahn, ye shu'd git a real jub" thing, but more of how physically old can you be to still be a gamer? For example, football (the REAL football). You can play football in your youth, and still follow teams and games and stuff even when you live in a retirement home. But since you probably won't be able to still play games when you're 60, do you think you could still be interested and keep up with gaming developments, and therefore still be kinda a gamer?

well im 41 , twenty years ago i was top tier in the quake 2 world , the reactions have slowed the hand eye co-ordination isnt as good and im just slower and worse than i was but i still enjoy playing all genres , admittedly i more prefer co op shooters than pvp, but i think thats more about if i cant do that at the level i used to i would rather not bother. but there are tons of games that age is no impediment to at all. i expect to be playing games to remain my main pass time.

 

[Lisker]

You are never too old to do anything you enjoy. Anyone who tells you to "grow up" should take a long hard look in the mirror. Growing up doesn't mean you have to stop doing things you enjoy it means you can do those things without having to explain yourself to anyone.

 

[RobXSIQ]

used to know a fantastic gamer, also part time dev. she was 56 years old and had no intention of ever stopping. Her boyfriend, of equal age, was also a gamer.

 

[McMarbles]

Dead is too old to be a gamer. And even that would be debatable if ghosts and vampires existed.

 

[AuldMan]

I'm in my mid 60's and have been gaming since the late 1970's. The kids grew up gaming and the grandkids will grow up with a controller in their hands. You are never too old or too young to play games.