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"How old? You should know better"

I wonder what the average age of gamers are?
Myself, I am fast approaching 28 yet still purchase games on a (too much for my wallet) regular basis.

I personally believe it's because my generation grew up with video games and computers, we've evolved as they have and see them progress each time, and sit back puffing on our pipes saying "I remember when Atari was the business"

I remember the 1st console I had was that big old black Atari - the games were brilliant then. Night Driver, Combat, Tennis. Sure, they were little white lines on a black screen but it was new. It was fresh and exciting.

And as I have grown, so has that console sitting in my house. It may be faster/better/smoother, but it still gives me a chuckle to think I'm still doing the same thing now as I was at 7. Getting a new game, going home and playing solidly that evening.
A connection to childhood? Rose tinted glasses?
No idea, but I do know that the older I get, I never lose interest in playing games.

I have a pc, it's used for WP and all manner of things, but time and time again I return to simply playing games.
Doesn't interest my parents at all, but then they didn't grow up with computers as an entertainment accessory.
I did, as so many my age.

It feels nice to know I was there at the start of the whole industry, and as it progressed to the BBC, Vic 20, Commodore 64, Spectrums etc, so did I.
A continued evolvement on both parts, which is why I still love to be a kid.

And, I think that having a disposable income helps a lot.
Games cost £30-£40, and the average kid has to beg and plead for a game, it's a treat.
Me? I see something I like, wander over and slap down my greenbacks. No asking for the money, no waiting until I've saved enough to purchase one.
Impulse buying, hence I have some decidely suspicious titles in my collections (K1 Arena Fighters anyone?).

I have no doubt that as I get older, new consoles will impress and I will buy. I don't forsee a time when I stop playing games, simply because they are ingrained in me, part of my upbringing and something I derive great pleasure from.
Roll on the day when it's Virtual Reality helmets etc, because I know I'll sit there, grankids gathered around my feet, fire up the pipe and lean back in my ratty old armchair and begin with
"When I was younger, the PS2 was cutting edge. Sure you may laugh now, but there was a time when we were stunned over it."

Hey, may just be me but I'm sticking with the whole "link to your past" theme of my original posting.

Maria Whittaker helped me.
As did Sam Fox, Charlies Angels and Wonderwoman.
And if Spielberg can polish a T-Rex, ol' Maria can be made as good as my mind holds her.
Ah, I feel all seriousness leaving my persona again.

> you would make a mint. And still have Maria Whittaker on the
> poster.


Not entirely sure about that... be a bit, well, droopy now, probably. A severe case of TB, no doubt!

Yep.

Some minor curves in the white block road edges.

It's just occured to me that I posted a serious, attempting to be thoughtful posting back there a couple of times.

I wonder what came over me?

See, I can be an adult sometimes.
And as for the woman getting into games thing?

My girlfriend loves Tekken, I try to pull off combos and she mashes buttons,kicks my behind and then makes fun of me.

But I win by not putting out at night.

Er...that doesn't mean I win though does it?
Curses.
Back to the drawning board

At 23 I'm a few years younger than you lads, but feel quite the same.

Gaming is still a great fun pasttime.

I've even gotten my wife into it. She's a bit of a female Hitler in her attitude towards game characters though, sending hundreds of men to die in Age Of Empires rather than waste gold on siege weapons. Then there was the time she worked that lil' Harvest Moon guy right through the night smashing rocks....

I can't see myself stopping in a hurry, and look forward to when young Malibu and No.2 (due in 10 days) are big enough to play too, and I can beat them (at games) and laugh, in a way my parents never could.

Wasn't Night Driver the one with the paddle control?

So many of our age do.

It is a link to childhood, being chuffed at looking where we are now and where it all started from because we were there, we helped shape the industry in a small way by playing these games and buying the consoles.

And some of us still have these ancient clunky systems, wheel them out from time to time and play Combat School, Way of The Exploding Fist, Target Renegade, Jet Set Willy etc.

Compared to today's standards, they might suck but it's being able to go back to your youth.
And being safe in the knowledge that, considering how far it's come in 20 years, we'll still be here to witness amazing new systems that we could never have thought possible.

We played games as kids, we play games as Generation Xrs and we'll still be hammering 'em when we have no teeth and our offspring laugh when we cant figure out how to turn on the PS18 and mumble about easier times and how the old games were best.

It's not being immature to play video games, and if it is?
What's wrong with being happy and not taking life seriously all the time?

I say update Barbarian for the PS2, come on developers, you would make a mint.
And still have Maria Whittaker on the poster.
That saw this youth through many a confused evening

May I just take this opportunity to agree with every darn word you just posted, Goatboy.

I'm a couple of years older than you, but I feel *exactly* the same way!

I wonder what the average age of gamers are?
Myself, I am fast approaching 28 yet still purchase games on a (too much for my wallet) regular basis.

I personally believe it's because my generation grew up with video games and computers, we've evolved as they have and see them progress each time, and sit back puffing on our pipes saying "I remember when Atari was the business"

I remember the 1st console I had was that big old black Atari - the games were brilliant then. Night Driver, Combat, Tennis. Sure, they were little white lines on a black screen but it was new. It was fresh and exciting.

And as I have grown, so has that console sitting in my house. It may be faster/better/smoother, but it still gives me a chuckle to think I'm still doing the same thing now as I was at 7. Getting a new game, going home and playing solidly that evening.
A connection to childhood? Rose tinted glasses?
No idea, but I do know that the older I get, I never lose interest in playing games.

I have a pc, it's used for WP and all manner of things, but time and time again I return to simply playing games.
Doesn't interest my parents at all, but then they didn't grow up with computers as an entertainment accessory.
I did, as so many my age.

It feels nice to know I was there at the start of the whole industry, and as it progressed to the BBC, Vic 20, Commodore 64, Spectrums etc, so did I.
A continued evolvement on both parts, which is why I still love to be a kid.

And, I think that having a disposable income helps a lot.
Games cost £30-£40, and the average kid has to beg and plead for a game, it's a treat.
Me? I see something I like, wander over and slap down my greenbacks. No asking for the money, no waiting until I've saved enough to purchase one.
Impulse buying, hence I have some decidely suspicious titles in my collections (K1 Arena Fighters anyone?).

I have no doubt that as I get older, new consoles will impress and I will buy. I don't forsee a time when I stop playing games, simply because they are ingrained in me, part of my upbringing and something I derive great pleasure from.
Roll on the day when it's Virtual Reality helmets etc, because I know I'll sit there, grankids gathered around my feet, fire up the pipe and lean back in my ratty old armchair and begin with
"When I was younger, the PS2 was cutting edge. Sure you may laugh now, but there was a time when we were stunned over it."