Yes I am old. Yes I play games. Any questions?

I'm a freaking 41 years old. That sounds old. But in my minds eye I'm still 12, maybe 13. I have always loved the challenge, excitement, and sense of virtual reality to take me away from the real world. I've grown up with pong, Atari 2600, monochrome monitors, TRS-80, Commodore 64 and Amiga, birth of Apple computers, and most of the PC games that set the basis for all the games that are made today. I grew up where 80MB hard drives were all the rage and 640x480 was the normal gaming resolution. Yes I've been through it all. I even spent a good number of years running and participating on a number of gaming website and published magazines and even wrote a few BASIC games myself back in the day. I had a Radio Shack MC-10 4KB home computer when I was ten years old, and slowly graduated to the Color Computer 2, Color Computer 3, and Amiga 500. While my parents had "PC compatible" computers I eventually bought my first one myself out of college in 1994. It's been 20 years since then and still have played games on a fairly regular basis.

I had a vast interest in PC flight simulations in the late 1990's and through the 2000's. I even started a website dedicated to Jane's and other combat simulations. Jane's F-15, Longbow 1 & 2, F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, plus Falcon 4, Enemy Engaged Comanche-Hokum and Apache-Havok. I bought the first PC 3D accelerator, the "Monster 3D" video card for $300 to play the game Descent 2 in all it's 3D glory and spend $400 on a pair of 4MB (yes MB) RAM chips to run 8MB total. I even remember forking over $250 for an 80MB hard drive.

My gaming passion progressed to military shooters like Operation Flashpoint and Battlefield 1942 and Battlefield 2. Of course I also got engaged with the original Warcraft, Starcraft, and other classics like Unreal Tournament and the Doom series. Not to mention many combat and racing games like Crimson Skies, MechWarrior, and Need For Speed.

Over the years I've had times where I lost total interest in PC games for a short while but always came back. I don't think I'll ever leave the PC gaming scene. There's just a lot offered that keeps me interested. My time has been limited, but that just forces me to work with titles that allow me to drop in and out of games for 20-30 minute sessions. I'd love to get back into flight simulators, but that's a significant time suck, although quite rewarding.

Why am I sharing this? I don't know. Just thought I needed to do it. Hopefully more aged gamers come out and admit the same. There's nothing to be ashamed of. I hope to keep doing this, keeping my mind fresh and encouraging spry reflexes.

Although I do find more time spent with analyzing gaming performance and hardware, that's fun too, but nothing beats a great online PC game or better yet, a great single player PC game.

Looking forward to another 30 years of gaming at least.

 

I won't be quitting gaming anytime soon, and I've been gaming my whole life (I'm turning 25 in 2 months). I can admit I don't have time to game as much as I did when I was younger (high school years) with a full time job, but gaming for me allows to decompress from work/stress/life.

 

Yes, it important thing I forgot to omit. It helps me decompress.

I'm 41, full time engineering job, sole single parent to two young kids, always studying for alternate IT certifications, and still make/have time for games. It keeps me sane. All work and no play, well you know the rest.

 

I've got you beat, easy. I'll be 60 years old in October, and I've actively gamed since I got my first PC back in the mid-1980's. I've played all kinds of games, but nowadays I do RPG's like Skyrim (still play Morrowind and Oblivion, though), and the various Fallouts through Fallout New Vegas.

I don't feel at all self-conscious about my age and my hobby. I'm a retired IT executive (started programming in the 1970's) and I've got friends my age who also still game.

I've got a Razer Blade gaming laptop on order, and am very pumped about using it to game when I'm traveling or out on my porch in the warm weather.

You say you'll game another 30 years, when you're 71? Ha! I plan to game until I kick. I'll be organizing game parties at the old folks' home when I'm 90.

 

And that's why we love PC gaming....there are no age limits to fun!No matter what your hobby is

 

I too am an old wizened man of gaming (41 years old).

As well started with the Atari 2600, moving to a Commodore Vic 20, Commodore 64. I've owned loads of little beasts (Sinclair ZX81, Sinclair Spectrum, Atari ST) before finally making the move to PCs. I have had my phases where I'd work game sleep repeat (that would be you Counter Strike and Warcraft), and still have some very rose tinted glasses for much older games (Dungeon Master, Boulderdash, Dungeon & Dragon gold series games). I've had times of 'dry spells' where I just couldn't seem to get into any game, but luckily that just makes the eventual return much sweeter!

Never going to be too old for games. I may loose some of my 'twitchy' reaction speed as I get older, but there are / is a huge library of different genres to move into and enjoy!

 

I'm 29 now, so I'm not far off from being 40 really. I will definitely still be playing when I'm at that age. I find myself going in and out of phases of not caring about gaming, but it's always something that I eventually come back to. I don't think I will ever stop. The only thing that I can really see stopping me would be my eyes getting too bad over time. I think I started playing games around age 5 with the Atari 7800.

 

I'm one of those 24 year old young'uns with my newfangled... body. I don't care about a person's age when gaming, only what kinda person they're like. Though I do have a question for you sir Wingnut.

HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET 151 REP POWER?!?!?!

That question has nothing to do with gaming. Or computing. Or anything else. But it baffles me XD.

 

your still a youngster HTWingNut, i beat you by 10 years.

hes special

 

I still love you HT

 

I feel you HT, back then i have atari and NES, then PS1 to PS2, after that i lay low in the gaming world, until i got a good job at 21 just opted to do pc gaming and never left it ever since, im only in my late 20's now, 2 kids, loving wife, and my pc sits in our room whenever i feel bored, nice life and no regrets

 

41, old! LMAO, you're just a youngster

 

Haven't you heard 40 is the new 25?

37 here and don't feel old at all, nor do I feel bad that I game or spend hours mulling over PC upgrades. Since my first Commodore 64 in 1986, I was hooked. This hobby has helped me in more ways than I can count: it's an outlet for stress, it's propelled me to double major in IT (my other undergrad major and two MAs are in linguistics with which I likely would have amounted to zilch alone), it's helped me meet some great friends. Heck, I'm even lucky enough to game with my wife as she likes puzzle/adventure games. Don't see this changing anytime soon.

 

Dude, HTWingNut is a legend in NBR forum. He has made so many contributions and perspective over the years, he literally integrated the forum as part of his daily life. There are only a handful of forumers who share the passion like HTWingNut does in NBR and I am glad to benefited from his experience and post over here.

More good years ahead, my good friend!

 

We have nearly parallel paths except I have you by 2 years. 43.

 

God everyone is so old..

-__-

 

Wow, it's like a coming out party for the geezers.

Now if we could only bring back the 80's arcades. I hate it now, every place I go that they call an "arcade" is really just Vegas style games to win tickets, grooming our young ones to gamble. I mean seriously. They're more excited about playing stupid coin drop games to get as many tickets as possible so they can "win" a three cent toy than actually playing arcade games for fun and challenge and hanging out. I'll spend $20 for my kids to each get about a dollars worth of cheap toys at the toy counter all while having to fight other pushy kids trying to cut in front of you.

 

found a great arcade in Orlando/Kissimee area about 10 years ago which had every single arcade game that we all loved in the early 80's
my fave was Pheonix but they had all the classics there. was like going back in time.
shame im over 4000 miles away or i would of visited it more often.

 

I'm almost 35 male and single and I game, especially shooters. Mainly Women think i'm being childish for playing games also my father doesn't approve either. I often feel like a big kid and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon.

 

78 here and looking for a game that doesn't have too much blood squirting. But also don't like Sims games either.

 

@HT, I'm a little older than you and grew up with all the same computer and gaming. As a kid I remember marveling at my uncles 300 baud modem! I grew up with an Apple ][e, dial-up, BBS', and searching for local BBS numbers! I remember spending $250 on a Voodoo2 card! Who remembers LPB's and HPB's? !!

Here is a blast from the past, found this in my basement last week when going through some old boxes:

 

I knew you had children so I pegged you for older than myself, but I never considered your age. Besides, as all these guys a demonstrating, there are plenty of gamers in every age bracket. Over at the Bethesda forums I know a few regulars in there 50s, 60s, and 70s.

 

HT... I got a question for you ...... when are us old codgers going to try and revive the true LAN parties that these kids never had with their online gaming?

ahhhhh all nighter's or full 3 day marathons with people napping in corners, tracing network cables, sucking back cola, stale pizza and watching the reactions on the faces of 15-200 exhausted gamers trying to kill each other in classics such as Doom, Descent, MechWarrior and the original Warcraft and StarCraft.

ok the smell emanating from some of those kids I can sure deal without but it was always a real community experience and made some of us lifelong friends.

 

I am 44 and i game all the time, i have all my life i started with an Oric 1 computer with 48k of memory and i have never stopped, my first hdd was 20mb in my Amiga 600

John.

 

Oh the memories, lol. Yes, hours and days of electronic engagement. I'm surprised I graduated college, let alone high school due to some lengthy sessions. It was fun. Now everyone just sits home playing and yelling at each other obnoxiously over a microphone instead of slapping you upside the head. Heck, I remember BBS's with good ol' 300 baud dial up. I remember my 2400 baud dial up modem, I was so geeked. ASCII Pr0n never downloaded so fast.

 

44 here and just bought GTA4 over the weekend, and play online PC games with my buddies whenever I can.

 

Oh look, HT is having one of his senile moments again. And I bet he fueled it with a lil' bit of Scotch...
I too play video games a lot. And the older I grow the more I realize I will be playing them for a long time, which I'm totally fine with.
Of course sometimes I would rather be doing some other things, but I just enjoy the gaming process . And like someone already pointed it out, it sometimes helps dealing with real life crap, like those damn allergies! CoD1 gameplay was so intense that I forgot all about them. Otherwise I had to blew my nose every one and a half second. Thank you gaming! You are awesome! Just please less in game purchases and crap DLC, OK?

Some Dara O'Briain for ye :
<iframe width='420' height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/yKIiUsbOO24" frameborder='0' allowfullscreen></iframe>
Dara O Briain Live at the Apollo - i love videogames ( 09/12/2010 ) - YouTube

 

Its not senile... it's a "senior" moment.

I'm old too... not quite as old as HT... (25 and holding)

LAN parties... all men except that one woman... and if you can get that one woman you are set for life.
Nevermind what she looks like... the heart of gold that games with you is worth more than anything else.
(if she's hot too, you win at life)

I was dumb and picked the diva... skip the Diva... get the gamer!

 

If you're ever in NYC, take a train down to Asbury Park for a 1 nighter, there's a sweet pinball museum on the boardwalk.

 

I don't game even a 1/10th as much as I did in my high school days. And I have not found the need to buy a newer system...at least not until the new Zelda comes out.

Sorry, Grandpa. But it's high time you turned in your Wii.

He makes his presence known.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sit...5516-reputation-points-power-user-titles.html

Formulary based, it's this:

God I love math. It explains everything.

 

Welp, that explains it all. I didn't even know half of all that. I like math.

 

/old man raspy voice/ Huh? I can't hear you, son. Can you speak louder? Wee? No thanks, no need to change my diaper yet...

Something like that. aka I have no life.

But those 18 extra points don't mean 1 rep = 1 point. It's 1000 rep points = 1 more point. So the more points someone has, the more that goes towards yours. So if I rep you, you get 151 rep points towards that 1000. So you better be very very nice to me. lol.

 

honestly, whatever age we are on, what matters is we all feel young at heart when we game, its one of a kind hobby imo. Gamers own!

 

Long live all old farts who play computer games! I am becoming one too, slowly but surely more and more gray hair appear on my head. I will never give up gaming!

 

darnit THAT was my issue, I was the goofy chick who was handing out cables and monitoring the server, not actually gaming!
and I agree, skip the diva, far too high of maintenance for a fashion accessory

 

I'm 31 and console gaming has grown stale for me. I decided to purchase a gaming rig and I'm still awaiting it's arrival. I've always loved gaming and I think this will renew my passion. My wife enjoys reading, she gets lost in books. I don't read novels and such so games are how I "escape". At any rate, you're never to old for gaming!

 

i saw you in bf4 in operation locker.

 

=O I have become a beacon of glorious light. Thank you sir wingnut *sits atop lighthouse*

 

That's right. Because Diva's end up getting fat and hairy just like us men eventually. Well maybe not THAT bad.

I dated a gamer chic in high school. She was cool as heck. But we went our separate ways, and then I married a Diva. That ended badly. Now I'm back to seeking gamer chics, but I think I'd look a bit creepy sitting in at high school or local college LAN meets. But senior homes just don't get all that rowdy, dinner at 5pm and bed time at 7pm, so what's an old man to do!?

 

but you can then go to sleep with a smile on your face as 12 hours later you will be getting a bed bath from 2 hot nurses.
unless you get the short straw and end up with butch and bertha who both have beards

 

What you can do sir Wingnut, is stop calling yourself old, train yourself to become a ninja and then become a pirate. Video game-playing ninja pirates are popular with ALL the females who game.

 

This thread is like a coming out party for closet geezers. :laugh:

 

Play Mechwarrior Online. Big stompy robots. No blood. Free to play. Don't go to the MWO forums or you will end up hating the game. Ha!

 

Oh, and I will be 50 on Christmas Eve. I play games with my son and his friends all the time. They use my Vent server. They are all in their early 20's and it's a hoot to listen to them talk smack to each other. They can be pretty brutal.

 

GREAT post HT. Here's my coming out nerd story. I started gaming with the Apple II GS and playing Oregon Trail. I am 34 going on 35 and have had the privilege to own the following consoles with brief gaming memories for each:
NES: Karate Champ, Punch Out, Elevator Action, Legend of Zelda, SMB I,II,III etc.
SNES: Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat II...Nuff said (Arcade finally brought home)
Genesis: Sonic
Sega CD: Night Trap...nuff said
Sega Saturn: Virtua Fighter and Panzer Dragoon
3DO: My friend and I saved our money and both bought the $700.00 system and shared it for awhile (somehow remained friends)
CD-I: Another rare console where I played 7th Guest
Turbo Graphix 16: Nothing really notable about that system
PS1: Crash, Jumping Flash and Wipeout.
N64: Ocarina of Time and Mario64 were definitely WOW moments in gaming there
Dreamcast: 09/09/99 Sophomore in University and spent many missed classes with my roommates playing Soul Caliber. W00t.
PS2: Just never had that wow factor that the Dreamcast gave me.
Xbox: Halo FTW along with MK Deception. Ranked 3rd in the world on XBL
360: Fight Night Round 3: At one time ranked 1 in the world by taking out "Odious" in an online ranked match.
PS3: God of War/Uncharted
PS4: My current and only Console

Handhelds (pretty much all with even the obscure Lynx and Turbo Express...with TV tuner lol).

PCs: I have built one custom computer but found RMA'ing and troubleshooting during a busy work schedule to be too much for me. I don't have the patience for that anymore.

I have found a love for notebook gaming ever since I bought the Dell XPS with the MR9800 with 8 pixel pipelines in 2004. I loved the miniaturization process of mobile gaming which is part of the fun for me to game on a notebook over a desktop. So it's not necessarily the mobile factor (my AW 18 isn't that mobile anyway) but the miniaturization process and following the mobile tech space that interests me.

Some of my PC wow moments were in 2004 when I loaded up Far Cry, Doom III, Half life 2 and FEAR and compared them to my xbox games and realized how much power PC computing really has. 2004 is when I went from almost strictly console gaming back to PC gaming.

My biggest surprise was how competitive I got with my gaming once I got entrenched into playing Counter-Strike Source. Never a CPL or even CAL-I player, I did enjoy playing a bit Cal-O and spending hours on end playing this shooter and getting into silly online arguments about the best FPS. That competition for CS:S took me back into online fighting games where I would be researching frame advantages and strats for VF and MK (consoles).

I will always love video games and believe in their benefits over their negative risks. I wrote many graduate level research papers (psychology based) on the benefits of gaming and possible areas of interest (neuropsychological implications of gaming and the morphological changes it likely has on the brain and reward pathways).

I find gaming to enhance reflexes, spatial reasoning, great for "decompressing" as others have noted and even to decrease depressive symptoms, and help some people with ADHD.

Weird things I like about gaming. I have always had a fascination about "water effects" after playing Wave Race on N64. I love games with good water lol!

Why am I writing this? Just like you..i dunno. But it was fun.

Fin

 

Last I heard, you did just fine anyways...

A lot better than I did as my Diva decided she liked girls, (didn't bother me a bit, but she wouldn't share) then cheated on her too with another man, then cheated on him.
Let's just say I am open minded, but don't like my life as a soap opera.

I am okay with watching or even acting in a drama.... I am not ok with BEING the drama.

Incidentally, my Diva was a performer... not a fashion accessory. (although it somewhat applies)

 

know how you feel

Go back to school at a local or state college for a few classes. While they won't have the slightest clue what a LAN party is, finding an online game lots of people focus on is quite common now.
The good news is, there are more girls who grew up with their dads playing games... there might even be TWO gamer girls at any one gathering. There also might be one or two of the women around your age doing something similar. (tech fields tend to always need education...) Don't make it about age and you will be surprised.

It's never creepy if you are the host and you make it about the games. Especially the classy host with the nice house and equipment.
One of the advantages of being older (and a bachelor) is having a much larger bankroll than either a college student OR a married man.

 

My dream job, as geeky as it sounds, would be to open my own arcade. Add "pods" for Xbox and PS4 and Wii there, but more importantly classic console games and PC stations to play with others there and online. I think it would be fun, it would be a hit, and show the youngin's what real social media is all about.

 

If you do it, I want to be hired. You'll have to give me a work visa and transport me to the US =D.