Over 40 and gaming as much as I did when I was 15 - who else?

KamenRiderEra · Aug 16, 2018

scrapple said:
I grew up with Atari 2600, Intellivision and Coleco Vision being my jam back in the early 80's (baseball on Coleco with those crazy controllers is something to behold). Around 1984 or so I discovered my neighbor's Apple ][e and soon begged my father to purchase an Apple ][c for "educational" reasons =). I was soon bringing 5 1/4 floppy disks over to my neigbor's house and she was copying her collection for me (yes, piracy was pretty rampant back in those days as well). Games like Ultima 3, Mystery House, Lode Runner, Karateka, Beyond Castle Wolfenstein and Gemstone Warrior had me up all day and night hooked on gaming. I wish I could find all my hand drawn maps I created for all the dungeons in Bard's Tale, it was insane.

Years later Nintendo and Sega introduced their systems and the rest is history. Eventually around 1991 or so I purchase a Packard Bell 486/sx20 computer and fired up Wolfenstein 3d and I knew PC gaming had returned. Games like Xwing vs. Tie Fighter, Dark Forces and Wing Commander brought back that Apple ][c excitement that I had been missing. I soon created a BBS system for users to dial in and play turn based games like Tradewars and to create a community (before the internet, their was BBS systems that people used 28,8 or 57,6 baud modems to dial into and download shareware games and play turned based games. Later you were able to play games like Doom and Quake over BBS systems against others).

So yea, just curious if anyone else on the forum is over 40 and is gaming as much as they did when they first got into gaming.

32 here and same situation. Love games!

Transistor · Aug 16, 2018

When I was 30 before my kids were born, I would agree. Now that I have a 2.5 year old and a 2 month old, hell no. Hopefully when they're old enough to do their own thing I can get back into it.

Bear · Aug 16, 2018

There's no way I could game 5+ hours per day in my current life. I wish I could, but it's impossible with a 9+ hour workday and wife.

ClutchAnderson · Aug 16, 2018

28 and I wish I could game like I used to. Recently got a promotion which is eating up a lot of my time. Also trying to get out more w/ my girl. I have so many games just sitting there lol.

Aftermath · Aug 16, 2018

36yrs old and my work and travel hours add up to around 11hrs a day combined, that leaves me with 3hrs a day free time afterwork before bed with which I am mostly too tired to game and on the weekend I'm usually too tired until sunday after lunch where I just start to catch my energy back, If I do game thats where I fit it in or Friday night if I can

What with other chores, TV, and other things I wish I gamed a lot, but I do try to squeeze in a bit more now and again, when I was 15 I never had a Job I was in school, so I had tons of free time and also tons more energy.

Thats a long way of saying no

Vire · Aug 16, 2018

bonesawisready5 said:
Yes to all.

I usually work 830am to 530pm. Maybe 1-2 nights of the week i cook dinner, 3-4 my wife will and Friday-Saturday we usually dine out. We often watch TV/movies until 8-9pm and then we will often play a game for 1-2 hours until we go to sleep around 11-midnight.

On weekends its a free for all, we'll stay up much later and i usually fit more extended play sessions at night or random afternoons if i'm Not out with friends, skating, etc.

I need to find a new job I guess or just stay up later, I don't get home until at least 7 PM, then I gotta cook dinner (I do more cooking than she), spend time with the wife and the kitten, and then it's usually around 9-9:30 PM that I'm finally free. That freetime after that is usually split up in a multitude of ways: sex, reading books, instagram/twitter, watching movies, or playing games. I need my eight hours of sleep too... I guess I just gotta sleep less. But right now I'm getting closer to 5-7 hours a week, which isn't enough for me :(

Dringus · Aug 16, 2018

Not quite there yet, 34 years old, but I game more now than I did as a kid with no plans of slowing down. Not having or planning to ever have kids definitely helps too, ha.

UltraMagnus · Aug 16, 2018

The Switch is a godsend for older gamers. I think when you have kids though, from newborn to age 3-4 though ... your time is gonna shrink no doubt.

Abominuz · Aug 16, 2018

Same here, 36 and three kids and still play as much. Now i have money so i owe all consoles. Started with the Atari 2600 and the game Solaris. And fell in love with Mario and Zelda on the NES. And i am passing my hobby on to my kids, they love Mario on the Switch.

Only downside is i cant play fast reaction games like COD as good anymore. I like my RPG'S and SP games.

MegaSackman · Aug 16, 2018

I'm a bit more selective but I still play a lot, I play and finish every game I want to play. (I'm 35)

StreamedHams · Aug 16, 2018

I'm 39, and gaming is my primary hobby.

When I ensure that all of my life matters are in order, I game. Granted, I game a lot...I'm just not as aloof as I was as a kid/teenager.

So maybe not as much? But that's really all I did back then.

DarkChronic · Aug 16, 2018

Less, unfortunately, but not by choice. Work/friends/family/girlfriend/other hobbies takes up a good chunk of time. You better believe I'd be playing just as much if I didn't have to work 8 hours a day. Miss summer vacations as a kid where you can just dive headfirst into a JRPG all summer long.

It's still my number 1 hobby. I'm still playing/reading about video games more than anything else I do. I love it, and always will.

9-Volt · Aug 16, 2018

Nope. 34 and I game less. I play almost every new game that comes out. Very few I skip on, I have relatively low standards now. Anything that isn't a style multiplayer game, I'm in. But playing only new games means I play a lot less games then I had 20 years ago. I have finished over 50 games in 1999 but for the first half of the 2018 the number is just 8. This makes me sad.

Nephilim · Aug 16, 2018

35 and playing more than ever. So good.

Shan · Aug 16, 2018

ghibli99 said:
This is a silly assumption that gaming is somehow not fulfilling. My wife calls me a dabbler. I like a lot of things... playing drums, learning bass, anime, collecting/building Legos, reading, dining, etc. One doesn't have to be considered better or more fulfilling than the other. Gaming is just a part of the assortment of things I enjoy, but it's of course going to be the focus here since that's the topic.

Thank you so much for saying this. It's so true.

Marjorine · Aug 16, 2018

No. But some of that is because I have a little kid.

I hope to be back in action once she turns 13 and no longer wants to be seen with her father.

Mbolibombo · Aug 16, 2018

35.. not playing more than ever. I wish I could play more though... But considering the amount I used to play back in the days... nothing but multiplayer games on a daily basis from.. 1998-2010 or so. It was kinda crazy.

but I am grooming my son to enjoy games I like so we can play together in the future ;)

Dralos · Aug 16, 2018

34 and i think i play 1-2 hour evevryday.
I thunk that's moro than what i played as a teen. Must be cause i have no home work anymore ;)

Nickerous · Aug 16, 2018

Just about to turn 43, but I'm not gaming as much now as I was in 1990...I'm sure it's closer than I'm thinking though.

Nephilim · Aug 16, 2018

The thing is that games are so good these days, it's hard not to enjoy them:)

G_O · Aug 16, 2018

Wife, kids, full time job. do plenty of family stuff, half decent social life, exercise every day and still have time to play just as much as when I was a teen. And Im 40 in about 14 months

Think because I have a 9 to 5 job helps a lot. People who work shifts and weekends etc... obviously find it harder to find free time.

Gaming is an important part of my life on top of everything. Never really got tired of it. In fact I think every generation has improved considerably. So gaming for me has never been more fun than it is now

Panther2103 · Aug 16, 2018

I'm 27, but I play games as much as I ever have (which is a lot). I did lose the ability to play games consistently for a while due to work, but now I'm in a stable schedule, and I can play pretty much whenever I want, it's great. I imagine it won't change unless I pick up a new hobby on the side, or I find some friends in my area.

Richietto · Aug 16, 2018

I have more time to play now that I don't hang out with friends as often.

Cathcart · Aug 16, 2018

I'm with you, OP. Pretty sure I finished more games last year than in any other year of my life.

PS don't you love it when some punk creates a thread about how he's getting old now and you read it and it starts like "I turned 25 last month"? F'n resetera kids amirite.

jonamok · Aug 16, 2018

50 back in June and thanks to my Switch and DaS Remastered on PS4 I've never gamed so much.

Diarrhea Day-Lewis · Aug 16, 2018

Vire said:
I need to find a new job I guess or just stay up later, I don't get home until at least 7 PM, then I gotta cook dinner (I do more cooking than she), spend time with the wife and the kitten, and then it's usually around 9-9:30 PM that I'm finally free. That freetime after that is usually split up in a multitude of ways: sex, reading books, instagram/twitter, watching movies, or playing games. I need my eight hours of sleep too... I guess I just gotta sleep less. But right now I'm getting closer to 5-7 hours a week, which isn't enough for me :(

Yeah sleep is usually the loser when i get more game time. It's very important to still pay attention to your partner too.

I have cut out social media generally if i'm At home since there are activities i could be doing that i can only do at home (mostly) like playing video games.

Also don't be afraid to grab a cup of coffee at 8-10pm on a Friday/Saturday (or whatever your weekend is) and stay up playing games.

Good luck finding a balance! We're all in pursuit of a good balance of game time, regular life, etc.

G_O · Aug 16, 2018

Abominuz said:
Only downside is i cant play fast reaction games like COD as good anymore. I like my RPG'S and SP games.

Heh, same here. Really is true what they say as you get older you do get worst at games. I never really attempt multi player games anymore. It's a sad sight whenever I try

Ruffy666 · Aug 16, 2018

43, married, employed, etc. I still play video games pretty much every day but in shorter bursts. No more marathon sessions!

Vire · Aug 16, 2018

bonesawisready5 said:
Yeah sleep is usually the loser when i get more game time. It's very important to still pay attention to your partner too.

I have cut out social media generally if i'm At home since there are activities i could be doing that i can only do at home (mostly) like playing video games.

Also don't be afraid to grab a cup of coffee at 8-10pm on a Friday/Saturday (or whatever your weekend is) and stay up playing games.

Good luck finding a balance! We're all in pursuit of a good balance of game time, regular life, etc.

Thanks for the tips! I think I'm gonna try this Friday to just stay up and get a few hours in for "me time". My game night if you will.

ZugZug123 · Aug 16, 2018

Same here. Gaming is my main hobby for after work and I happen to still be able to function with 4-5h of sleep so I don't mind playing games until late at night. Only weird thing is most my online friends are in their 20s and a few are teenagers so I zone out during a lot of convos that no longer apply to me :)

Syf · Aug 16, 2018

I'm nowhere near that age but don't see myself ever really stopping. I'm sure I'll play less, but it's a hobby I'll continue to enjoy.

ghibli99 · Aug 16, 2018

This thread really got me thinking. While I can easily see myself playing and enjoying games until the day I die, it's the aging/physical deterioration aspect (or something worse like cancer) that sometimes keeps me up at night. I mean, of course I think about not wanting to leave my wife a widow, or passing away before my parents do, but it's a bit strange (perhaps comforting?) that not being able to play games is one of my biggest fears as a result of those things. I guess if anything, thoughts like that prompted me to start eating better and exercising regularly last year. Dropped nearly 40 pounds, got myself out of the overweight category, and my blood test numbers are back into the normal ranges. I love gaming in my 40s, but don't forget about your health. -your father ;)

Mentok · Aug 16, 2018

38, and gaming is my main hobby. I'm lucky that I have an understanding wife, who's okay with me getting in some gaming time (plus having the switch is a Godsend for portable play). Having two toddlers definitely prevents me from gaming as much as I did when I was a teenager, but there are the odd occasions I can get a long session in. It's hard to juggle, but definitely something I know I won't be giving up anytime soon.

Chopchop · Aug 16, 2018

Hell no. Between kids and work, I don't have much free time anymore. And any free time I do have is dotted with interruptions and such, so the ability to pause has become way more important. Can't play most multiplayer games anymore because I never know when I need to stop and do something.

low-G · Aug 16, 2018

I'm almost 40 and sadly not even close, but that's because I have other responsibilities, a kid etc. If I had little going on I'd totally be gaming as much as I used to.

Obviously I wouldn't go back to not having stuff going on, but I do wish I had more time for games. My mindset about games hasn't changed.

Hell when I was 15 I skipped a lot of school, and gaming was ALL I HAD (pretty much).

My kid likes video games ok so far but she's still a bit young. She likes Mario. My S/O likes games OK too, but nowhere near as hardcore as me (who is?)

Raider34 · Aug 16, 2018

39 and I try to play a few hours every night a week just for relaxation and stress release on the weekends I wish I had more time to play. But my wife and kids keep me occupied. That's why I'm glad fall is coming soon rainy weekends and colder ones I can stay in and game all weekend while they watch Netflix and Plex

P-Switch · Aug 16, 2018

No young kids, OP?

Drey1082 · Aug 16, 2018

36 here, I would say I average anywhere from 3-7 hours a week (skewed very much towards the low end). I actually started waking up some days at 5am (typically get up at 6:30 for work) just to get some extra gaming in.

Issues for me:

-My wife dislikes video games, so not something we can enjoy together
-I have a 3 year old, and another one on the way, which makes it extremely difficult.
-I'm a big destiny fan, which demands a lot of you from a scheduling and time commitment perspective. (every raid I've done has had to be scheduled well in advance). I'm the ultimate solo destiny player, though not by choice.
-My job is fairly flexible, but my wife's isn't, so any of my downtime is spent helping out with chores and the children.
-I've been taking the CFA exams for the past 3 years, which is complete torture (3 exams offered once a year and requires about 300-400 hours of study per exam). So for 6 months out of the year for the past 3 years, I've been working on that during any free time that would have been used for gaming.

I assume that once i'm in my 40s, the kids will be older and the routine will be a little more established, so I might be gaming quite a bit more. But right now I'm in the thick of the family / career thing, so gaming is very much an afterthought. Sucks, but life is about tradeoffs. My desire to game comes way after my desire to be a good father / husband. A little sacrifice now should hopefully pay off down the road.

Survivortype · Aug 16, 2018

Dirty thirties too.

Don't get to play as much as before due to living with the gf, but still get a whopping in Tetris from her every once in a while XD

Probably play about 6-10 hrs a week.

Seth_M · Aug 16, 2018

I also am old.

chrisypoo · Aug 16, 2018

31 here. I want to play more, but it's getting harder and harder to make time. I'm hoping to make a career change next year though, and hopefully it leads to more stable, consistent life styles for my whole family. Also, at some point I really need to make a standing game set up,as I can't really sit down for too long these days due to some pretty severe back pain.

Malcolm9 · Aug 16, 2018

I'm 38 and I don't get as much time as I used to, mainly due to having a very busy HR role and having a very active one year old son.

I probably get about an hour a day which isn't too bad.

Maxximus · Aug 16, 2018

Had homework and a social life as a kid. As a middle aged adult, after work I have 4 hours a night to game. On weekends I can usually get chores done Saturday before the afternoon and i can put in plenty of game time.

SlimeKnight · Aug 16, 2018

I'm single and have no kids, so I have plenty of time to game. Pretty nice actually. However, lately other hobbies of mine (particularly running, reading, and baking) have been cutting into my gaming time. Still probably gaming around 20 hours a week.

Sir Guts · Aug 16, 2018

All of you 40+ that are still gaming are my idols and I love you. I get so happy when I see people 40+ still gaming and didn't lose the passion

DirtyLarry · Aug 16, 2018

43. I game as much as I can, but it is nowhere near as much as I used to. But if you mean do I still want to play as much as I ever did? Sure, probably more so since there is so much different shit to play.
However I do not game anywhere near the amount I used to. Not even 1/10th I would say. There were weeks on end I would play when I was younger. Now I am lucky to get somewhere between 10-15 hours a week, and that is a good week.

smash_robot · Aug 16, 2018

scrapple said:
So yea, just curious if anyone else on the forum is over 40 and is gaming as much as they did when they first got into gaming.

I'm over 40 and also started on the 2600. I'd say that when I have a game I want to play I will play it about the same time as when I was younger (as in a few hours most days if I'm not doing something else) however I'm now choosier about the games I will play so overall I play less.

watdaeff4 · Aug 16, 2018

Over 40 and gaming like a teen.

Being semi-retired helps tho.

Keizza · Aug 16, 2018

40's here as well....

I still love that new game smell.

Deleted member 2595 · Aug 16, 2018

Aaron D. said:
Small example, when I hear "bad graffix" for a modern title I just chuckle a bit. Man, when Adventure 2600 blew your mind back in the day, it's difficult to get ruffled 'cause the latest Fallout has some graphical compromises.

Not in the same boat but yeah, both "these graphics are bad" and "graphics can't improve that much more" are hilarious things that people say all the time

Over 40 and gaming as much as I did when I was 15 - who else?

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