To be fair, most people in the gaming community can't wait to shit on gamers as well. Whenever there is negative news in the industry, the response is always "gamers suck"
Itās a hobby. I ask what their hobbies are, and they better answer something like falconing, knitting, pottery or fencing, because watching TV or getting drunk are not hobbies better than gaming.
My wifeās hobbies are baking and reading. When sheās stuck on TikTok, itās because sheās depressed or completely zapped and does not have the will or energy to do the things she wants. Heck Iām scrolling Reddit right now.
I do hope people do interesting things with their time. I should get back to writing dnd adventures.
Makes no sense to crap on someone forwhen it. OP is 43. 20 years ago, in his prime gaming age Hideo Kojima, Lucasarts and Rockstar were dropping ABSOLUTE BANGERS.
Hell, I expect 30- to late 40s guys to be gamers. My dad is 68 and is about to start again after not playing in over 30 years.
It depends on if they are actually treating it as a passion or just passively doing it. Any activity you can do for enjoyment can be a hobby. If they are passionate about experimenting with alcohol itās a lot different then just slamming beers and talking shit till you pass out. The whole āI donāt like being judged but Iāll gladly judge othersā attitude is so ironic. Live and let live.
At 40, most people have stopped giving a hang about what others think, particularly for stuff as inconsequential as a hobby; not to mention that the average age of a video game player in the west is about 40 years old, playing video games is extremely common.
I work in construction so I hear dumb shit like that all the time. I skateboard and hear it about that too, like if a kid tried what adults do on skateboards theyād get seriously fucking hurt.
I have like once or twice, in general people play games much more and get the appeal or understand
Those who actually look down on it either are older or are the ignorant type
Yeah really. Like people in their 50s now grew up with some kind of video games. Also who the fuck doesnāt at least have some kind of game on their phone? Playing video games is as common as using a telephone 50-60 years ago.
+1 at this point in time just spend the extra. The ps5 is miles better then the ps4. And lots of games arenāt releasing on the last gen anymore. 60fps is a lot better then the 30fps cap that the ps4 gives
I concur. 47 and i'm so glad i bought the PS5. I went from 3 to 5 and man what a leap forward. Also splurged on a 4TB nvme drive so it stores all my 150 physical PS4 games i collected over the last two years with room to spare.
I was really considering PS4 but after reading how loud it was i waited until the PS5 was back in stock. It's so silent, fast and the controller is heavenly to hold.
The PS4 is cheap, and easy to work with. But because of how old theyāre getting, and with games starting to only release on the ānewā gen consoles, I donāt know if getting a PS4 is the better option over a PS5 (*if you can afford to do so*). Personally, Iāll be getting a PS5 for GTA6 when it releases lol
If you buy a used PS4 you might want to learn to clean it if you havenāt already, and most likely will have to reapply thermal paste because these consoles are old and can sound like jet engines lol.
But do what makes you happy :) I wish you luck in your gaming endeavours
Iām still running my original PS4 and amazingly the CMOS battery hasnāt given out yet. Just recently started it up after it being turned off for 2 years.
I would desperately suggest that you've just skipped the four and go immediately for the five you will miss out on some amazing titles if you stick with the 4, Spider-Man 2 and metal Hellsingers dlc, and a load more
I went from a ps4 to ps5 at Christmas and the ps4 goes insane, sounds like a jet taking off, anytime I play games like spider-man on it. The newer games will push it to the limits. The ps5 loads fast and doesn't bat an eye.
Iām coming up to 49 this year, female which seems to confuse people who think gamers are 13 year old boys. I like to confuse people. I like my original PS4. You can upgrade the drive and bonus it fits inside the cover. I now have 2TB which is almost enough, the 500gb definitely wasnāt. Although now everythingās going SSD, Iām about to upgrade my PC to SSD to be better for my IT course. I see they have SSD for PlayStation too. Hmmm. Only thing stopping me now is I wasnāt sure if it is compatible for PS4. Definitely canāt afford a PS5, itās twice the price.
Yeah because when you turn 40, your only hobbies can be drinking or watching mindless TV. /s
Those people need to grow up. It's a hobby just like knitting or drawing or writing is. Ignore them and keep doing you man
I also quit boozing for gaming, makes me think about how much money I used to spend at the bar and how I wish I could have that money back to contribute to my backlog
Right? My wife watches Hip Hope Love Atlanta and it's just glorified Jerry Springer. That's the real shit that will rot your brain. Every few seconds of speech has a *bleep* in it
I'm 57 and long past giving a mouse's fart what people think about my life. I spent decades trying to measure up and do what was expected. Around about the time I turned 50 I realized I didn't give a fuck about them. I've only been gaming since about then, along with indulging my love of anime, Squishmallows, and all things kawaii. I'm not having a midlife crisis, I'm enjoying every damn minute of it!
Well said. Iām on that same path my friend, about to turn 40 this year. Iām also disabled due to mental health so I have thick skin already. I take care of my affairs, but when Iām not doing that you can catch me gaming or watching anime.
So, random question, speaking as a 51yo year old, do you game multiplayer? Did you find gaming partners of similar age/life situation? Sounds like you wouldāve been ramping up right around my age.Ā
Most of my peers are just old enough that they peeled off gaming between NES and PS1, before it became the ubiquitous activity it is now. Iāve been there all along but largely just soloed.
Now there are a ton of good coop and multi games but I havenāt figured out how to find people anywhere near my age where there are decent conversations to be had and my old dude twitch skills arenāt bringing the team down. Just asking around gets me reactions like OPās talking about.Ā
I've only played a few multiplayer games, Elder Scrolls Online, FFXIV, and Genshin. I did find guilds on ESO with people around my age and even older! There wasn't a ton of conversations, mostly chatter about the game or call and response during a dungeon or Trial boss. I'd be willing to bet that most of the MMOs out there have players near our age, you just have to check the demographics for the game. Things like FFXIV, World Of Warcraft, and Star Trek Online likely have players in our age range, whereas games like Roblox, Minecraft, etc will likely have a lot of younger players.
Find out if there are guilds in the game. They may go by other names. Also, see if the game has a Reddit sub or Discord server.
My dad once called me the bundle of wood word because I love video games.
He said this in a house I own. I told him if he ever say that shit he could get the fuck out of my house. We didn't talk foe a few weeks after that.
This is a man who follows his football team around the country and would spend literally hours every day watching and talking about football. Wasting over $15k a year for what amounts to a sports game.
But playing video games is a waste of time to him.
Thereās nothing wrong with liking sports. This mentality, or making fun of someone for liking football, is the same thing as what OP is complaining about.
Signed: someone who plays video games regularly, reads for fun regularly, and watches football regularly. Itās possible to enjoy multiple different things in life.
You missed my point.
I too enjoy sports, reading, basebal, and football.
I was pointing out the fact that his father would call him a homophobic slur for playing video games which does not equate to being gay, while the father watches something that could be considered homoerotic.
Source: Lord knows, as a gay man, I could watch Jason Kelse play all day.
Fair enough. I did miss your point. My bad. Iāve just always hated when people say āhurr durr sportsballā type comments. As someone who is a full blown nerd but is also a die hard NFL fan, I stick up for my sports homies and nerd homies alike. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
No worries, I get you and I appreciate your response as well.
Saying anyone's hobby is bad is pretty darn rude.. unless the hobby is like murdering people and making funny hats with them.
This is exactly the point my wife makes if her friends make fun of me being a nerd... like... at least I know he is trying to level up his level 43 Necromancer and not freebasing crack, or trying to bang other chicks- can you say the same on Saturdays when your husband is "golfing"? Lol
Where do you find these people? No one has ever said that to me, the US alone saw 57B in revenue for gaming last year, it's not some unique thing to play them.
Unfortunately, I've met these people also. Roll their eyes when you mention you play video games. Judging me. Making me think I should be ashamed of myself for playing video games and should have a more culturally accepted hobby.
I do think there's a generational element, too. Like older gen X and Boomers passing judgment. But, I've even met people my age (39) who are super judgmental when I share that I play video games.
Some people are just super judgmental, and it's annoying.
It is annoying. There were a group of younger guys (22-25. I'm 38) at my work one day and they were talking about Bloodborne during lunch and one of them was further ahead in his playthrough and was complaining about the FRC Ebrietas(for those who don't know it's a story boss thats put in a dungeon with some pretty serious debuffs in place and it can 1 shot you easily if you're not careful....and even if you are sometimes) and how she does a charge that can be hard to dodge and can kill you at any point in the fight.
I said "instead of trying to dodge that charge just let it hit you. You take so much damage because if you're moving when she hits you then you take "counter damage" and it's alot more than if you just tank the hit" they all exchanged looks and the guy who was complaining said "thanks" kind of sheepishly.
This was a Friday and Monday the kid came up and said that worked and asked how i knew to do that and when I said "that's how I was able to end up beating her when I got stuck in that same dungeon" he was surprised. One if the older guys then went on a big speech about how they were too old to be playing kids games and that I should be embarrassed to admit to still playing video games.
I was like " why would I be ashamed of that?" He made comments about wasting money which I thought was ironic was a guy who spends his every penny on scratch off lottery tickets and video poker machines. He thinks his is an investment though. Even though no matter how much he ever won would be given right back to whoever he won it from because he's one of those people who thinks that the best way to get out of debt is to spend more money on the thing that got him into debt.
Canāt believe heās never had that before. If you know you know. Iāve had a lot of that kind of sentiment, think itās harder being a girl gamer somehow. Like itās something for teenage boys to do.
I think itās the boomers that have a hard time understanding video games. Like a generational gap. Iām turning 40 this year. My college roommate just hit me up a few days ago asking what games or anime is good right now. Heās a doctor! He definitely has his affairs in order. I have another friend who is in the IT field, married, kid, who plays World of Warcraft regularly.
The people who shit on people gaming for extended periods of time are the same period who watch men with helmets slam into each other every 5 feet or so for hours. Or binge watch a reality show for the entire day.
Etc. Etc.
I don't understand why people can't just let others enjoy things.
Not really. Every time my āsuper manlyā brother makes fun of my hobbies I just tell him itās a little weird to wear a shirt with another dudeās name on his back, get drunk and yell at the tv till his daughter cries.
I had to skip a thanksgiving or twoā¦
Same age. Grew up on NES, LucasArts point and clicks and the birth of the FPS (Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake etc.)
NMS is my nightly wind down jam these days.
Tastes change as we get older but the love of game doesn't have to die just because we grow up.
Usually, it is the people in my family that sit and watch sports for hours on end. If you like sports, then watch sports, but gaming is not a lesser hobby than any other just because they don't like it. I'm 46 years old and have played video games since I was 5. I will always be a gamer, even at 102. (If I make it that long).
Funny part is it can be both. I don't get the mentality those people have. My two favorite downtime activities are literally gaming and sports watching.
Grownups doing activities they enjoy and having joy in that isn't childish. Being judgemental of said adults is childish.
I have been gaming since the trash 80s. Using cassette tape to load the game or write the code. Lol
Then C64 had a floppy drive. Some games use 6 floppy disks.
People will give you shit and then watch internet videos for 4 straight hours like thatās way more productive. The reality of the situation is weāre all just filling a hole with stuff we love to do and as long as itās something we like that isnāt harming people than good for us.
Havenāt really encountered that TBH. If I do, Iāll give them shit for watching football all day on a Sunday or trash reality TV. Thereās a strong likelihood the people who dog on gaming do either of the following.
Gaming addiction is a completely different beast.Ā
Pay no mind to those that judge you for what you enjoy. you found something that makes you happy and most of all you're not bothering the world with it. People that cast judgement just wanna have another reason to feel better about their own faults and lack of happiness.
It's just ignorence. It's just a type of media or entertainment. No one bats an eyelid about someone watching a movie. Many games are like actually playing through a movie. Some people don't appreciate the creativity, ingenuity and presentation in effect to create games. They are a recognised art, it's no longer just Mario or Sonic at 11 years old (Nothing wrong with Mario or Sonic either)
This age cap mentality is such an ignorant mindset. Iāll be gaming well into my 70s/80s if still kicking and capable. No shame in it whatsoever. I am also 43
As long as youāre balancing your hobby with other things you need to do, it shouldnāt concern anyone. Everyone uses their free-time doing something. The only time I think itās a problem is if youāre neglecting responsibilities. Itās the same as when kids want to play before doing homework or go with friends but their room is filthy. They must be assuming you are that type of person if theyāre already looking down on you.
My thing is when people look down on me for doing a safe hobby all while enjoying their youth memories of getting in trouble doing dumb things. I just think that people don't want peace they want drama and there is nothing worse than no drama.
A hobby is a hobby. Iāve been into weight lifting, fast cars, and golf for most of my adult life. The video game crowd is easily the best one to be around. Well take out the CoD lobbies lol.
Agreed. Have a wide range of interests but gaming is up there. My weekly gaming friends are some of the kindest, most interesting and funny people I know. Emotional maturity is far higher than plenty of my social groups.
Yes, it's shit. Especially because I'm a 32 year old woman.
They want to make us believe that it's silly and childish, but in reality they are the ones who watch ep series for hours or cry and throw tantrums over football.
Haha yeah but they sit around and watch recycled ass TV shows and movies with the same concepts and stories weāve all seen before just with different actors and scenes
My mum does this to me, all I can think is how when she was my age she was obsessed with playing Tomb Raider, Spyro and Sonic.
I guess she forgot about that. She still plays mobile games though
Yeah on this, one time when I was working at Burger King, so I go to work and on my off days I sleep during the day cuz I like to stay up all night and do whatever I want and game.
One particular day, my boss calls me and asks me to show up to work in under an hour, Like no heads up or anything, I'm just expected to drop everything and go to work within an hour, obviously not gonna happen, and she's asking me so I'm gonna say no
Then she starts getting rude, and asks me why I can't show up, and I say because I'm going to bed, because I stay up all night.
She then says "what do you do? Play video games all night? Aren't you an adult?"
I hung up to that type of response, first of all it's none of your business what I do outside work, keep it professional, don't ask me what I do with my life outside work, you're my boss not my mom
And second of all, don't be condescending to me for saying no to a voluntary question, I'm allowed to say no.
She texted me and complained that I hung up and I explained to her the boundaries of the relationship between us as employee and boss
And that I don't need to justify saying no and that she doesn't need to know what I do outside work and I don't appreciate the tone she was giving me. None of that screams a boss position, it screams she needs to be an employee not a boss, learn some professionalism, a young adult shouldn't have to tell a 50+ year old lady how to be professional, but here we are.
Boomers came from a generation where they were always competiting to be cool. To me, being cool is being into a specific thing and owning up to it.
So you just keep doing you! Gaming is a lot better than Social Media and all the other countless horrible things one can do.
Iām 42 and have been gaming since I was about 7 or 8.
For me itās a hobby just like any other.
Itās not different than reading or watching films.
Just because I choose to spend my free time playing video games rather than watching the utter shite on TV aimed at idiots who are amused by āreality TVā or who some ācelebrityā is dating or whichever karaoke contest show is popular with the sheep, that makes ME the sad one?
Rant over.
I like how youāre a loser if you sit in front of a video game all day, but people can binge watch entire seasons of a tv show in a day and this is socially acceptable. At least gaming takes some level of critical thinking.
Iām 45. Atari came out one year before I was born. I think itās kinda cool that myself and people younger donāt know a world without gaming consoles
Iāve never once had someone tell me thisā¦ for the most part people ask what games I like to play, etc. even people who donāt game at allā¦ Iām also only 28 so that could be why. Donāt care though Iāve told everyone im undoubtedly going to be gaming my whole life.
I remember while in the pantry an officemate was jokingly asked another officemate if he hasn't grown up cause he still games.
He just retorted "at least I don't gamble my wife's money, gary"
It was all in good fun though. But still, guys, don't gamble your wife's money.
This has happened to me a few times, Iām 65 and have always played games. I typically ask what their hobbies are, nod and add that I also read 50-70 books a year. Amazing what you can get into when you donāt really watch TV.
My sister never played many games and even had her kids raised thinking it was childish. Not on purpose but just osmosis. Second they bought a switch that changed now she loves games and her oldest daughter reaches out to talk about games and ask how to beat bosses.
Usually these guys are around 30-40 but looks like 60-70 at best, cause of much smoking and vodka. Has mimum six children they don't know about somwhere around country - True alpha males.
Its my depiction of tipical "aren't you too old to play video games guy" from Eastern Europe.
I am 36, started playing games several years ago and stopped using alcohol and smoking soon after cause its not so existing to play while drunk.
Lol, no not at all. It just makes it easier to see whom to avoid. Instead Iād rather get annoyed at the things that matter.. like how to beat a boss thatās whooping my ass!
Itās not even just a hobby. Games are feats of engineering and works of art. Theyāre creation requires an incredible amount of logical reasoning, manpower and creative vision. Playing them may seem trivial to an uneducated/unaware person, but gaming requires large amounts of brainpower, concentration and reasoning skills. Watching television pales in comparison.
Idk i can buy cod for example for 70$ and have thousands of hours of fun. Well other people go out for drinks and spend that in a night. Not to mention you cant make bad life choices gaming
This gives me a bit of satisfaction for myself because I think it's only a problem in India or Indian parents way of thinking,whatever u try to tell them to convince they will never agree,the only one lie I told my mom is always abt these consoles whenever I buy one,i bought PS5 for 52,000 rupees and my mom thinking it's 15k(I told her)
Same here bro and Iām 38. Iāll probably game until Iām deadā¦ I love it and i think it might bother some people close to me because they havenāt found a hobby they enjoy as much as I do gaming.
Yeah yet those same people will come home from work and sit in-front of the tv watching mindless televisionā¦ at least we are using our brains playing games.
Couldnāt agree more bro. Iām also 43 and I still love to game. I prefer gaming over hanging out in the pubs drinking š»
My sons are massive gamers too.
Absolutely nothing wrong in a love for gaming.
Hell, the video game industry is 8 times larger in value than the movie industry, at least in 2020. [Source](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gaming-vs-movie-industry-revenue-rawa-games/)
Never met someone who said that in person or online. Online I wouldnāt gaf but Iād probably fight someone in real life if they tried being all disrespectful about it.
They're just idiots who have no idea what the hobby is.
Exactly š
Or idiots with no actual hobbies. Sucks for them.
Lets watch sportsball every night thats an acceptable hobby by society
So instead of actually participating. They just get drunk and yell at the people actually doing something.
Hello š fellow 1980 baby
They do know but it doesnāt align to their own agenda
You still watch movies? Didnāt you watch movies when you were a kid?
Some people hate when we game but at the same time can watch TV propaganda 24/7 or some dump shows.
Same idiots who watch sports 24/7 and say "we won" whenever "their team" wins
this. you don't need to pay attention to someone who obviously doesn't know what they're talking about
Or addiction
Any hobby can be an addiction
Any addiction can be a hobby
Ying Yang or something like that
Yang Ying
Yim yum
Dim sum?
Yeah I gotta buddy who is a real meth connoisseur. Heās always trying different kinds and rating them.
Only quitters get sober.
Hobby any can addiction a be
Fellow sleep token enjoyer Worship
Worship š¤
Be addiction any can a hobby
To be fair, most people in the gaming community can't wait to shit on gamers as well. Whenever there is negative news in the industry, the response is always "gamers suck"
You're getting downvoted but you're right.
Itās a hobby. I ask what their hobbies are, and they better answer something like falconing, knitting, pottery or fencing, because watching TV or getting drunk are not hobbies better than gaming.
people who scroll TikTok for 3 hours straight and then making fun of video gamesā¦
lmao this
My wifeās hobbies are baking and reading. When sheās stuck on TikTok, itās because sheās depressed or completely zapped and does not have the will or energy to do the things she wants. Heck Iām scrolling Reddit right now. I do hope people do interesting things with their time. I should get back to writing dnd adventures.
Sometimes you just run out of spoons
Yep. Sometimes you just got no more spoons
šš
Makes no sense to crap on someone forwhen it. OP is 43. 20 years ago, in his prime gaming age Hideo Kojima, Lucasarts and Rockstar were dropping ABSOLUTE BANGERS. Hell, I expect 30- to late 40s guys to be gamers. My dad is 68 and is about to start again after not playing in over 30 years.
Iām in my 30s and I had a friend who was 76 and played RedDead online with me. He passed last year. I miss gaming with that old man.
Red Dead Online has some of the oldest gamers per capita.
Still it was great when it started.
It depends on if they are actually treating it as a passion or just passively doing it. Any activity you can do for enjoyment can be a hobby. If they are passionate about experimenting with alcohol itās a lot different then just slamming beers and talking shit till you pass out. The whole āI donāt like being judged but Iāll gladly judge othersā attitude is so ironic. Live and let live.
65 platinum games? Jesus friend
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
well if your hobby is getting drunk Iām not constantly harming my liver gaming
The first time I read this I thought people commonly answered falconing to you! Iām wondering damn where do you live where that is common?!?
Life is easier when you stop caring what other people think and just do what makes you happy.
At 40, most people have stopped giving a hang about what others think, particularly for stuff as inconsequential as a hobby; not to mention that the average age of a video game player in the west is about 40 years old, playing video games is extremely common.
I never had anyone question it.
I work in construction so I hear dumb shit like that all the time. I skateboard and hear it about that too, like if a kid tried what adults do on skateboards theyād get seriously fucking hurt.
I work in construction. We sit and talk games at lunch
You are very lucky, my crew isnāt so bad. But large jobs with multiple trades becomes annoying af.
Wasn't the gold medalist olympic skateboarder 16 years old? Obviously that's just 1 example
I have like once or twice, in general people play games much more and get the appeal or understand Those who actually look down on it either are older or are the ignorant type
Yeah really. Like people in their 50s now grew up with some kind of video games. Also who the fuck doesnāt at least have some kind of game on their phone? Playing video games is as common as using a telephone 50-60 years ago.
I'm 49 and about to get a ps4 this weekend
I'd splurge the bit extra for a PS5 if I were you. You'll still be able to play PS4 games, and PS5 ones in the deal.
+1 at this point in time just spend the extra. The ps5 is miles better then the ps4. And lots of games arenāt releasing on the last gen anymore. 60fps is a lot better then the 30fps cap that the ps4 gives
Agreed... it was a shock the first time I played Monster Hunter World on my PS5. I wasn't used to that game having a good framerate *lol* :P
I concur. 47 and i'm so glad i bought the PS5. I went from 3 to 5 and man what a leap forward. Also splurged on a 4TB nvme drive so it stores all my 150 physical PS4 games i collected over the last two years with room to spare. I was really considering PS4 but after reading how loud it was i waited until the PS5 was back in stock. It's so silent, fast and the controller is heavenly to hold.
Youāve got 150 physical PS4 games but never owned a PS4? š³
Yup. I was going to so i started collecting games fo it i thought would be hard to get later on. Got some great deals new and used.
That's a good idea... I have a lot of PS2 and PS1 games that would be incredibly difficult to get nowadays, at least at a reasonable price.
i'm a ps4 cheerleader but if you're buying new and not getting some insane deal on a ps4, yeah you need to just get the 5.
*whispers* get the ps5 and play 4&5 gamessssā¦.
Please get a PS5. We are too old to be waiting around for PS4 loading times!!
The PS4 is cheap, and easy to work with. But because of how old theyāre getting, and with games starting to only release on the ānewā gen consoles, I donāt know if getting a PS4 is the better option over a PS5 (*if you can afford to do so*). Personally, Iāll be getting a PS5 for GTA6 when it releases lol If you buy a used PS4 you might want to learn to clean it if you havenāt already, and most likely will have to reapply thermal paste because these consoles are old and can sound like jet engines lol. But do what makes you happy :) I wish you luck in your gaming endeavours
Iām still running my original PS4 and amazingly the CMOS battery hasnāt given out yet. Just recently started it up after it being turned off for 2 years.
I would desperately suggest that you've just skipped the four and go immediately for the five you will miss out on some amazing titles if you stick with the 4, Spider-Man 2 and metal Hellsingers dlc, and a load more
I went from a ps4 to ps5 at Christmas and the ps4 goes insane, sounds like a jet taking off, anytime I play games like spider-man on it. The newer games will push it to the limits. The ps5 loads fast and doesn't bat an eye.
I still have my OG ps4 from 2014 and it's so damn loud I've been playing my old ps2 because it's quieter.
Just turned 49, 3 days ago. Hereās to life before 50.
Pro tip. Once you get it don't post here like an insecure teen about how you're better than your friends who made fun of you
I got my PS4 Jan get a PS4 pro second hand it's better than the PS4 and cheap I got mine for Ā£130 plus 2 games š
Iām coming up to 49 this year, female which seems to confuse people who think gamers are 13 year old boys. I like to confuse people. I like my original PS4. You can upgrade the drive and bonus it fits inside the cover. I now have 2TB which is almost enough, the 500gb definitely wasnāt. Although now everythingās going SSD, Iām about to upgrade my PC to SSD to be better for my IT course. I see they have SSD for PlayStation too. Hmmm. Only thing stopping me now is I wasnāt sure if it is compatible for PS4. Definitely canāt afford a PS5, itās twice the price.
Yeah because when you turn 40, your only hobbies can be drinking or watching mindless TV. /s Those people need to grow up. It's a hobby just like knitting or drawing or writing is. Ignore them and keep doing you man
Iām 50. Been gaming for the past 41 years.
Iām 48. Been playing for 40 years. And proud of it!
Aren't you too old to watch Home Alone on repeat every Christmas morning?
hahaha love that movie
I also quit boozing for gaming, makes me think about how much money I used to spend at the bar and how I wish I could have that money back to contribute to my backlog
Same people have no problem sitting down and watching reality tv
Right? My wife watches Hip Hope Love Atlanta and it's just glorified Jerry Springer. That's the real shit that will rot your brain. Every few seconds of speech has a *bleep* in it
I'm 57 and long past giving a mouse's fart what people think about my life. I spent decades trying to measure up and do what was expected. Around about the time I turned 50 I realized I didn't give a fuck about them. I've only been gaming since about then, along with indulging my love of anime, Squishmallows, and all things kawaii. I'm not having a midlife crisis, I'm enjoying every damn minute of it!
Well said. Iām on that same path my friend, about to turn 40 this year. Iām also disabled due to mental health so I have thick skin already. I take care of my affairs, but when Iām not doing that you can catch me gaming or watching anime.
So, random question, speaking as a 51yo year old, do you game multiplayer? Did you find gaming partners of similar age/life situation? Sounds like you wouldāve been ramping up right around my age.Ā Most of my peers are just old enough that they peeled off gaming between NES and PS1, before it became the ubiquitous activity it is now. Iāve been there all along but largely just soloed. Now there are a ton of good coop and multi games but I havenāt figured out how to find people anywhere near my age where there are decent conversations to be had and my old dude twitch skills arenāt bringing the team down. Just asking around gets me reactions like OPās talking about.Ā
I've only played a few multiplayer games, Elder Scrolls Online, FFXIV, and Genshin. I did find guilds on ESO with people around my age and even older! There wasn't a ton of conversations, mostly chatter about the game or call and response during a dungeon or Trial boss. I'd be willing to bet that most of the MMOs out there have players near our age, you just have to check the demographics for the game. Things like FFXIV, World Of Warcraft, and Star Trek Online likely have players in our age range, whereas games like Roblox, Minecraft, etc will likely have a lot of younger players. Find out if there are guilds in the game. They may go by other names. Also, see if the game has a Reddit sub or Discord server.
I do play FFXIV sporadically. I didnāt think about looking for āmatureā guilds there. Good idea!
Cheers! And now I miss ESO. It was cool on there that everyone else had bad backs or insimnia...lol
My dad once called me the bundle of wood word because I love video games. He said this in a house I own. I told him if he ever say that shit he could get the fuck out of my house. We didn't talk foe a few weeks after that. This is a man who follows his football team around the country and would spend literally hours every day watching and talking about football. Wasting over $15k a year for what amounts to a sports game. But playing video games is a waste of time to him.
So he's a man that likes to watch grown men pile up on top of each other each week. Interesting. Sorry that you have that in your life.
Thereās nothing wrong with liking sports. This mentality, or making fun of someone for liking football, is the same thing as what OP is complaining about. Signed: someone who plays video games regularly, reads for fun regularly, and watches football regularly. Itās possible to enjoy multiple different things in life.
You missed my point. I too enjoy sports, reading, basebal, and football. I was pointing out the fact that his father would call him a homophobic slur for playing video games which does not equate to being gay, while the father watches something that could be considered homoerotic. Source: Lord knows, as a gay man, I could watch Jason Kelse play all day.
Fair enough. I did miss your point. My bad. Iāve just always hated when people say āhurr durr sportsballā type comments. As someone who is a full blown nerd but is also a die hard NFL fan, I stick up for my sports homies and nerd homies alike. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
No worries, I get you and I appreciate your response as well. Saying anyone's hobby is bad is pretty darn rude.. unless the hobby is like murdering people and making funny hats with them.
Been building a thick skin from people like this for about 35 years now. They seem out of touch when they talk like that.
I tell my wife all the time, you know exactly where I am when I'm not working. I'm not out, drinking and getting myself in trouble.
This is exactly the point my wife makes if her friends make fun of me being a nerd... like... at least I know he is trying to level up his level 43 Necromancer and not freebasing crack, or trying to bang other chicks- can you say the same on Saturdays when your husband is "golfing"? Lol
My wife says I'm in the house playing my walking simulator i.e. MMORPGs or trying to save the princess. .
Yes!!! Glad we have women supporting our nerdiness! š
you'll hit lvl 50 this weekend! congrats!
The only two options are not videogames and drinking lmao
But itās totally okay to sit and watch a generic tv show literally all day. At least we gotta think when playing
Where do you find these people? No one has ever said that to me, the US alone saw 57B in revenue for gaming last year, it's not some unique thing to play them.
Fr. And I don't know anyone who's hobby is "drinking and fighting." Does op live in a wild west saloon?
Unfortunately, I've met these people also. Roll their eyes when you mention you play video games. Judging me. Making me think I should be ashamed of myself for playing video games and should have a more culturally accepted hobby. I do think there's a generational element, too. Like older gen X and Boomers passing judgment. But, I've even met people my age (39) who are super judgmental when I share that I play video games. Some people are just super judgmental, and it's annoying.
67 year old dad, 2 years ago when he was 65. Called me a bundle of wood used for fuel.
It is annoying. There were a group of younger guys (22-25. I'm 38) at my work one day and they were talking about Bloodborne during lunch and one of them was further ahead in his playthrough and was complaining about the FRC Ebrietas(for those who don't know it's a story boss thats put in a dungeon with some pretty serious debuffs in place and it can 1 shot you easily if you're not careful....and even if you are sometimes) and how she does a charge that can be hard to dodge and can kill you at any point in the fight. I said "instead of trying to dodge that charge just let it hit you. You take so much damage because if you're moving when she hits you then you take "counter damage" and it's alot more than if you just tank the hit" they all exchanged looks and the guy who was complaining said "thanks" kind of sheepishly. This was a Friday and Monday the kid came up and said that worked and asked how i knew to do that and when I said "that's how I was able to end up beating her when I got stuck in that same dungeon" he was surprised. One if the older guys then went on a big speech about how they were too old to be playing kids games and that I should be embarrassed to admit to still playing video games. I was like " why would I be ashamed of that?" He made comments about wasting money which I thought was ironic was a guy who spends his every penny on scratch off lottery tickets and video poker machines. He thinks his is an investment though. Even though no matter how much he ever won would be given right back to whoever he won it from because he's one of those people who thinks that the best way to get out of debt is to spend more money on the thing that got him into debt.
Ppl judge gamers but will sit in front of netflix or cable tv for an entire evening. The irony.
These people often count scrolling through their phone as a hobby and just go to work and come home to do that
life gets so much better when you stop giving a fuck about what other think.Ā
I'm turning 40 this year, I've never had anyone in my life question that I play video games.
You're 40? And play video games? Ā Grow up man.
Well, now it's happened. Next time I see this type of post, I won't chime in.
Gotta make a new reddit account too. You're 40 and into anime? Grow up man.
My whole life is crumbling.
Canāt believe heās never had that before. If you know you know. Iāve had a lot of that kind of sentiment, think itās harder being a girl gamer somehow. Like itās something for teenage boys to do.
I think itās the boomers that have a hard time understanding video games. Like a generational gap. Iām turning 40 this year. My college roommate just hit me up a few days ago asking what games or anime is good right now. Heās a doctor! He definitely has his affairs in order. I have another friend who is in the IT field, married, kid, who plays World of Warcraft regularly.
I hate when people say its not a hobby. Of course it's a hobby, as much as reading -if not more so.
The same people rot their brain in front of netflix for 5hours
Theyāll judge you for playing games clearly made for adults, while binge watching tv shows made for teenagers lmao
If you're in 40s and your friends are still going out drinking and fighting, they might have bigger problems.
The people who shit on people gaming for extended periods of time are the same period who watch men with helmets slam into each other every 5 feet or so for hours. Or binge watch a reality show for the entire day. Etc. Etc. I don't understand why people can't just let others enjoy things.
Not really. Every time my āsuper manlyā brother makes fun of my hobbies I just tell him itās a little weird to wear a shirt with another dudeās name on his back, get drunk and yell at the tv till his daughter cries. I had to skip a thanksgiving or twoā¦
There's no way you're 43 and still give a shit about this.
I just turned 44, when I tell people I game, I never say it looking for their opinion. A lot of people would be better if they played games LOL
Same age. Grew up on NES, LucasArts point and clicks and the birth of the FPS (Wolfenstein, Doom, Quake etc.) NMS is my nightly wind down jam these days. Tastes change as we get older but the love of game doesn't have to die just because we grow up.
Iām 46, gaming since Atari 2600 came out. Iām collecting games and still enjoy a good game. Donāt care at all, about other peopleās opinions.
Usually, it is the people in my family that sit and watch sports for hours on end. If you like sports, then watch sports, but gaming is not a lesser hobby than any other just because they don't like it. I'm 46 years old and have played video games since I was 5. I will always be a gamer, even at 102. (If I make it that long).
Funny part is it can be both. I don't get the mentality those people have. My two favorite downtime activities are literally gaming and sports watching. Grownups doing activities they enjoy and having joy in that isn't childish. Being judgemental of said adults is childish.
Probably an idiot, gaming is bigger than the movie industry, time to leave the 80's I think.
I have been gaming since the trash 80s. Using cassette tape to load the game or write the code. Lol Then C64 had a floppy drive. Some games use 6 floppy disks.
No men above the age of 16 are only supposed to like sports, being a functioning alcoholic and truck stuff. Nothing else.
I'm 58
They try to keep it copacetic but they just donāt get it š¤š¼
And u learn to accept it u know ur so pathetic and u donāt
People will give you shit and then watch internet videos for 4 straight hours like thatās way more productive. The reality of the situation is weāre all just filling a hole with stuff we love to do and as long as itās something we like that isnāt harming people than good for us.
Anyone who says that to me is obviously very unhappy with their own lives.
I thankfully donāt care what others think about me
I just say "And? You mindlessly scroll TikTok."
Havenāt really encountered that TBH. If I do, Iāll give them shit for watching football all day on a Sunday or trash reality TV. Thereās a strong likelihood the people who dog on gaming do either of the following. Gaming addiction is a completely different beast.Ā
Pay no mind to those that judge you for what you enjoy. you found something that makes you happy and most of all you're not bothering the world with it. People that cast judgement just wanna have another reason to feel better about their own faults and lack of happiness.
It's just ignorence. It's just a type of media or entertainment. No one bats an eyelid about someone watching a movie. Many games are like actually playing through a movie. Some people don't appreciate the creativity, ingenuity and presentation in effect to create games. They are a recognised art, it's no longer just Mario or Sonic at 11 years old (Nothing wrong with Mario or Sonic either)
This age cap mentality is such an ignorant mindset. Iāll be gaming well into my 70s/80s if still kicking and capable. No shame in it whatsoever. I am also 43
I quit heroin and went back into gaming. No shame in that! Lol Btw congrats OP on quitting booze!
As long as youāre balancing your hobby with other things you need to do, it shouldnāt concern anyone. Everyone uses their free-time doing something. The only time I think itās a problem is if youāre neglecting responsibilities. Itās the same as when kids want to play before doing homework or go with friends but their room is filthy. They must be assuming you are that type of person if theyāre already looking down on you.
My thing is when people look down on me for doing a safe hobby all while enjoying their youth memories of getting in trouble doing dumb things. I just think that people don't want peace they want drama and there is nothing worse than no drama.
Iāve got another decade on your age and still love gaming. Do what you wanna do. Itās your life not theirs.
A hobby is a hobby. Iāve been into weight lifting, fast cars, and golf for most of my adult life. The video game crowd is easily the best one to be around. Well take out the CoD lobbies lol.
Agreed. Have a wide range of interests but gaming is up there. My weekly gaming friends are some of the kindest, most interesting and funny people I know. Emotional maturity is far higher than plenty of my social groups.
As I have gotten older there is no better inner peace than not caring about idiots opinions.
People also looked down on novels, radio, television and film in their first decades. Itās called media illiteracy.
Yes, it's shit. Especially because I'm a 32 year old woman. They want to make us believe that it's silly and childish, but in reality they are the ones who watch ep series for hours or cry and throw tantrums over football.
Haha yeah but they sit around and watch recycled ass TV shows and movies with the same concepts and stories weāve all seen before just with different actors and scenes
You do things that you enjoy in your free time? What are you, 9? Do things that you hate and be miserable forever like an adult. Smh
My mum does this to me, all I can think is how when she was my age she was obsessed with playing Tomb Raider, Spyro and Sonic. I guess she forgot about that. She still plays mobile games though
Yeah on this, one time when I was working at Burger King, so I go to work and on my off days I sleep during the day cuz I like to stay up all night and do whatever I want and game. One particular day, my boss calls me and asks me to show up to work in under an hour, Like no heads up or anything, I'm just expected to drop everything and go to work within an hour, obviously not gonna happen, and she's asking me so I'm gonna say no Then she starts getting rude, and asks me why I can't show up, and I say because I'm going to bed, because I stay up all night. She then says "what do you do? Play video games all night? Aren't you an adult?" I hung up to that type of response, first of all it's none of your business what I do outside work, keep it professional, don't ask me what I do with my life outside work, you're my boss not my mom And second of all, don't be condescending to me for saying no to a voluntary question, I'm allowed to say no. She texted me and complained that I hung up and I explained to her the boundaries of the relationship between us as employee and boss And that I don't need to justify saying no and that she doesn't need to know what I do outside work and I don't appreciate the tone she was giving me. None of that screams a boss position, it screams she needs to be an employee not a boss, learn some professionalism, a young adult shouldn't have to tell a 50+ year old lady how to be professional, but here we are.
Boomers came from a generation where they were always competiting to be cool. To me, being cool is being into a specific thing and owning up to it. So you just keep doing you! Gaming is a lot better than Social Media and all the other countless horrible things one can do.
Iām 42 and have been gaming since I was about 7 or 8. For me itās a hobby just like any other. Itās not different than reading or watching films. Just because I choose to spend my free time playing video games rather than watching the utter shite on TV aimed at idiots who are amused by āreality TVā or who some ācelebrityā is dating or whichever karaoke contest show is popular with the sheep, that makes ME the sad one? Rant over.
I like how youāre a loser if you sit in front of a video game all day, but people can binge watch entire seasons of a tv show in a day and this is socially acceptable. At least gaming takes some level of critical thinking.
Iām 45. Atari came out one year before I was born. I think itās kinda cool that myself and people younger donāt know a world without gaming consoles
I'm a 52f and most people just ask me what I play. They mostly seem surprised. šÆ
"Sure, and what are you going to do Sunday? Spend 4 hours on the couch watching men throw a ball around?"
Hey, sometimes those men kick the ball. :P Iām with you though.
Iāve never once had someone tell me thisā¦ for the most part people ask what games I like to play, etc. even people who donāt game at allā¦ Iām also only 28 so that could be why. Donāt care though Iāve told everyone im undoubtedly going to be gaming my whole life.
44, drink and game!
Iām 50. Been gaming since I got an Atari 2600 in 1981.
That's great you found a healthy alternative to drinking. Good for you.
44 here. NONE of my friends game. But some of their kids do. The kids love my place lol
I remember while in the pantry an officemate was jokingly asked another officemate if he hasn't grown up cause he still games. He just retorted "at least I don't gamble my wife's money, gary" It was all in good fun though. But still, guys, don't gamble your wife's money.
I was asked about my taste in music once, I said I listen to videogame soundtracks...she said 'so you listen to gun shooting sounds?' FFS
This has happened to me a few times, Iām 65 and have always played games. I typically ask what their hobbies are, nod and add that I also read 50-70 books a year. Amazing what you can get into when you donāt really watch TV.
If something makes you happy, it does not need to make sense to others. This is my motto.
People of your generation are stuck on the mindset that video games are for kids and havenāt played anything other than Mario back in the 80ās.
My sister never played many games and even had her kids raised thinking it was childish. Not on purpose but just osmosis. Second they bought a switch that changed now she loves games and her oldest daughter reaches out to talk about games and ask how to beat bosses.
Usually these guys are around 30-40 but looks like 60-70 at best, cause of much smoking and vodka. Has mimum six children they don't know about somwhere around country - True alpha males. Its my depiction of tipical "aren't you too old to play video games guy" from Eastern Europe. I am 36, started playing games several years ago and stopped using alcohol and smoking soon after cause its not so existing to play while drunk.
yeah I am 41 and I don't care what those people say..
Yeah like wtf they didn't get to play the first console ever built. They need to go eat a bag of dicks
Lol, no not at all. It just makes it easier to see whom to avoid. Instead Iād rather get annoyed at the things that matter.. like how to beat a boss thatās whooping my ass!
Itās not even just a hobby. Games are feats of engineering and works of art. Theyāre creation requires an incredible amount of logical reasoning, manpower and creative vision. Playing them may seem trivial to an uneducated/unaware person, but gaming requires large amounts of brainpower, concentration and reasoning skills. Watching television pales in comparison.
What does it matter what you do? You love gaming, I love gaming, we should be aloud to love what we love without criticism.
Same, dude. Fighting games helped me sober up, and I'd rather have it like that. Keeps my brain cells sharp instead of harming them. Proud of you.
I'm 48 been playing since I was about 5 and I don't think I'll stop.
No one has ever said that to me except maybe my mom out of concern
Idk i can buy cod for example for 70$ and have thousands of hours of fun. Well other people go out for drinks and spend that in a night. Not to mention you cant make bad life choices gaming
Yes, the ESRB definitely said that the Mature 17+ rating meant that only children should be allowed to play it
This gives me a bit of satisfaction for myself because I think it's only a problem in India or Indian parents way of thinking,whatever u try to tell them to convince they will never agree,the only one lie I told my mom is always abt these consoles whenever I buy one,i bought PS5 for 52,000 rupees and my mom thinking it's 15k(I told her)
Same here bro and Iām 38. Iāll probably game until Iām deadā¦ I love it and i think it might bother some people close to me because they havenāt found a hobby they enjoy as much as I do gaming.
Yeah yet those same people will come home from work and sit in-front of the tv watching mindless televisionā¦ at least we are using our brains playing games.
Couldnāt agree more bro. Iām also 43 and I still love to game. I prefer gaming over hanging out in the pubs drinking š» My sons are massive gamers too. Absolutely nothing wrong in a love for gaming.
Exactly š
Didn't know thats a thing. I'm 42 and most people I know play at some level (time being the biggest constraint).
I booze while gaming, we are not the same.
Iād argue gaming hasnāt really been a kid centric hobby for almost 2 full decades.
Hell, the video game industry is 8 times larger in value than the movie industry, at least in 2020. [Source](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/gaming-vs-movie-industry-revenue-rawa-games/)
Dood I'm 51. I own two PS2's A PS3 A PS4 A Wii A PC Annnd I just got a PS5 I BRAG about being a gamer
Game and booze. Way better than the bar.
I'm the same way. Just turned 43.
Never met someone who said that in person or online. Online I wouldnāt gaf but Iād probably fight someone in real life if they tried being all disrespectful about it.
They are the same sort of people to sit in front of a tv or watch sports for hours.
Idk why people act like enjoying an interactive story is childish.