It’s Never Too Late

(click to enlarge)

No, I didn’t create a time machine, travel to 2060 and take a picture of my future self, rather this is the present day where an old person is discovering the magic of Pokemon for the first time. What? It’s more entertaining than golf  or shuffleboard.

It’s common sense that most old people (many of our parents included) don’t play video games now because they never grew up with them, and therefore never got into them. But will we remain gamers our whole lives? It’s a question I’ve touched on before, but just wanted to reiterate briefly along with this image here. I think once we’re “adult” adults we’ll simply have a lot less time to play them due to spouses and kids and work and all that, but after retirement? I think we might have an elderly generation of classic gamers on our hands.

[photo via MezzoChan]

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17 Comments

  1. I think yes, we will continue to play video games. Our parents we raised with television. And what are they doing every evening of the week? Watch television together.

    I think it can be the same for us, but with video games.

  2. My first video game system was an atari 2600. As a kid, my father would flip out if he caught us hooking it up to the color TV because he was convinced it would break the TV.

    I’m 30 now and I really don’t have time for video games. The last system I had was in the military when I held on my Super Nintendo until it died. Last Christmas, my dad was recovering from a serious neck surgery. My mom was really struggling to keep my dad focused on his rehab.

    I got them a WII last year. When I visit, it still makes me chuckle seeing them play with the grand kids. It helped my dad deal with his depression and kept him from just sitting in front of the TV. Even better, I got to tell them “You kids better use this damn thing” like my dad used to say when we got a video game system.

    Its great to see him and his grand kids go nuts playing table tennis or bowling and its just enough physical activity that keeps him moving but doesn’t risk him getting hurt.

    Its just strange thinking that now my parents have a video game system and I don’t.

  3. I’m 26 and kind of a big-shot lawyer and although I do own a Wii and a PS3, I’ve probably only finished 5 games in both systems. Whatever free time I get, I spend it with my friends or my girlfriend. Also, I prefer to travel and never spend the holydays at home like I used to. When I get home early and have a couple of hours to kill, I still have to choose between playing a game, watching TV or a movie, reading a book or downloading some music.

    I was an avid gamer as a kid, but now videogames get a fifth of my already scarce free time. I’d say I play 10 hours a month, so now I get the impression that games are a lot more complicated and time consuming, which is nice for gamers I guess, but doesn’t work for me. I don’t think I’ll be playing by myself in 10 years, only with my kids, which should be a nice change of pace.

  4. After months of begging i finally got my mom to try guitar hero… and as i thought, she liked it. i’m not going to attempt to get her into pokemon any time soon but im good with guitar hero for now…. i miss my first pokemon games it was yellow version, got it after going on a poop strike…for a month!!! i had to go to the hospital but it was worth it.

  5. 57 here and was the first Pokemon Master (Red) in our household. Pissed the kids off immensely. Used to chase my son around with a chainsaw while playing Q3 Arena. Aah, father/son outings. He’s now taking Engineering, and we talk Skyrim these days.

  6. we can cash in on gamers 40-50 years from now. when all the folks are livin in the retirement communities. make games accessible for old people.

    gamers for life!

  7. I know for sure that I’ll be playing vidah games forever 😀 But I worry sometimes… Will I be able to adapt to new technologies or be kinda stuck in the past like my parents…. :/ It makes you think…

  8. I have a working Nintendo 64 with four controllers, Goldeneye, Gauntlett, Pokemon Stadium, Donkey Kong, Rogue Squadron, Mario Kart, World Is Not Enough and Super Smash Brothers. I am set for life as a gamer.

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