Are we ever too old for videogames?

Even at the age of 21, some people seem surprised that I play video games. It might be down to the types of games that I play – JRPGs tend to be my forte rather than the more common first person shooters and FIFA games that dominate a typical 20-something’s game shelf. There seems to be something of a stigma surrounding older gamers, as if we’re doing something that we’re not meant to. Even when a game itself isn’t aimed at children, it can feel like the gaming industry as a whole is.
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However, I can’t be the only one facing this problem. The very existence of the Games section in the Boar proves that gaming is a hit with those over the age of 18. The retro gaming market is big business, with remakes and sequels of older games like Pokemon and Final Fantasy consistently topping the charts.

Why is there such a stigma around older gamers?

So why do people seem to think that by the time we graduate, our gaming days are well and truly over? Many of us will end up working long hours in the city, and with the advent of smartphones, many even use the commute to and from work to answer emails, take calls, and prepare presentations, adding another hour or two onto their working day. When is the time for escape? I say that our hair would get grey a little later and our eyes would be open a little wider if we took that time to play games. Trying to find Princess Peach or solving a puzzle on Professor Layton is bound to wake you up more than reading over yet another dreary PDF of market predictions.

So why is there such a stigma around older gamers? At first, it would be easy to think that looking for a fantastical escape could be considered childish. However, if that’s the case, why don’t readers of George R. R. Martin and J.K Rowling get the same stick as the suited up city worker with a Nintendo DS? A lot of the attitude is a remnant of the dawn of gaming, when the belief was that only children and socially awkward adults played games. It’s unlikely that this was true, but what we do know is that the market was much more niche back in the 70s – the target audience of games was much smaller than it is now. However, the market for games is now massive, and I think those gamers of our generation may start to see an improvement in the attitude towards our gaming habits as we become the workforce.

If you want to find an older role-model in the gaming universe, look no further than Hilda Knott, the 86-year-old Grand Theft Auto addict who has been holding a controller since the dawn of gaming. Hilda says that her favourite part of the gaming experience is finding new things and completing challenges, a message that will ring true with most gamers. A look around her game shelf also shows the hardcore tactics game, Disgea, proving that games for older people don’t have to be limited to the likes of sudoku and Brain Training.

You are never too old for gaming, no matter what people say. Games give us that escape from the humdrum of real life, they keep our minds active and they let us play together well into our old age. And if you find that you can’t see the screen anymore a few decades down the line, just do what Hilda did – buy a 60-inch television.
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Here at the Boar we’re never too old for games, but what do you think? Is there a dreaded time when we have to pack away our controllers? Tweet us with your thoughts @BoarGames!