The article is from MMOsite Blog member Desota.

Too Old for Gaming?

Disclaimer: I didn't do any research so some of this speaks from ignorance. Take it for what it's worth and remember that there will be some factors or examples that can/will be wrong. Also, this is an article that turns into a mindless rant that goes off on a tangent. Enjoy and feel free to leave harassing comments about how wrong and uninformed I am.

How many of you remember playing the old 8-bit NES console back in the 80's? Maybe you've played the Atari or Pong? Well, that makes you at least 20 something years old, and I assume that if you've followed generation after generation of consoles then you're still gaming to this very day. Those were times of your youth and a game console would be that "shiny" new toy that every little boy and girl wanted for Christmas. Well, you're not a kid anymore and you're still gaming, but many still consider that playing video games is a form of entertainment directed towards youth. Is it time to grow up and pack the consoles into the closet, delete any games you have on the PC and pursue a new life when you reach a certain age? People need to realize that gaming has evolved and now caters to not just children but a very broad age spectrum.

I can't speak from experience about the day when television didn't exist or the day when episodic stories on radio were popular and suspenseful so bear with me as I try to formulate an example. People had certain ways to entertain themselves and as time went by and technology advanced, some of those ways were stored away and forgotten over a long period of time. What happened to the hoop you pushed with a stick? What about a game of jacks or marbles? They're all just in a comatose state, periodically reawakened for nostalgia and quickly put out to pasture for another long slumber. These games were mostly played by kids but are now for "old" people. Technology advanced and newer, cooler things are out there; the next generation didn't adopt tiddlywinks or wooden sticks and opted for video games and pokemon cards (yes, huge time gap). If you're still pushing a hoop with a stick, well, what the hell are you doing? That's a kid's game. Wait, no, you're old! Quit playing wrinkly people games and live your age (a conundrum, I know).

Let's just forget the first and second paragraph to some extent. How about I summarize this up since many hate reading? "Point, please?" Widdle iddy biddy kiddy games are originally *gasp* games for kids. As time goes on, they eventually somehow evolve into hobbies. Hobbies are for many people of different ages. This may come as a shock but people grew up on playing video games; that was a long time ago and they're still doing it today. Why? Because it is a hobby; it is a form of entertainment that evolved to follow those individuals who have grown up. Because it's fun, damnit! So all you 15 year olds running around in Maple Story who boast that you're older than others on forums by calling other people "kid" then telling anyone older than you to stop playing because the game is only for kids need to freakin' make up your mind! Mommy isn't going to pay for your virtual clothing to fund the game servers, is she? "P2P sucks and everything should be free because I don't have to pay to breathe!" Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is emitted from the human body (among other things). Your existence is detrimental to the Earth so there's an air pollution tax. You're being taxed because you drive a car and because you breathe (wait, you're 15 so you shouldn't be driving unless, uhhh, it's legal where you live).

And that last paragraph was a sham. If you're still reading then congrats to you. Gaming is for everyone now; it's not just for kids. Until people grow tired of playing video games, or something new and exciting comes into existence; i.e. advancing technology, generation after generation will adopt gaming as a past time, adults will continue and newcomers (kids) will be welcomed into it to repeat the cycle. Whether or not a game is catered towards a kid or adult, one thing is clear about any kind of video game: it can be fun for anyone regardless of the packaging.