Live data from Hacker News

Am I too old to videogame?

news.ycombinator.com

21–30 of 38 posts

Re: Am I too old to videogame?

#21

Yes. Same here with the Commodore 64 and PS3. After Skyrim that was a wrap. I tried Diablo III but it was never the same. I lost interest in gaming entirely. I'm not sure exactly why but I think it's wanting to use my time doing things that are productive. Working out, gardening, home improvements, investments. I just closed on an additional property for example. About to buy a zero turn mower...way more exciting tha…

I totally get what you mean. For example, my wife got a 3d printer for me this past Christmas and OMG that was something that sent me to the rabbit hole like nothing before! So many things to learn about 3d printing and so many things to design and create.

Re: Am I too old to videogame?

#23
Any hobby is fine at any age, provided you're taking care of the adult things you need to do like pay bills, your health, etc. You do hobbies because you find enjoyment in the activity, if you find yourself not enjoying your time, take a break or stop the hobby. Maybe start small and rent/borrow a console and don't sink $5k into a gaming PC.

I went thru something similar around when I had kids there was a change in how much time I had for gaming (i.e. little to zero), then as they grew older they became interested so I got back into it more. I've tried retro gaming and sequels but they don't hold my interest very long, it feels like "been there, done that". That doesn't mean you can't have fond memories of those times when you were younger. Everyone likes different styles of games, there are retro graphics games out there in likely every genre if that's what you like.

Re: Am I too old to videogame?

#24
Since you mention to like nostalgic games and saving space; every PS3 can easily be jailbroken these days. And yes, it can run emulators for almost every older platform. There is more to try than you have time so the real question is; what do you like ? The least time consuming way to find out is asking people who are like you and already answered that question. I gues you already there, gl & hf !

Re: Am I too old to videogame?

#26
68 and still play video games. The issue for me these days is finding a game that offers something different or new. Over the years, I’ve played everything from Decathlon to Balance of Power, Doom, System Shock, Command & Conquer, StarCraft, Civilization, even several years of WOW. Recent years, I’ve tried several other MMOs, as well as frequently well reviewed games like Kerbal, Crusader Kings, etc. After 30-40 years of periodic gaming, most of what I see comes across as derivative, offering little that’s new or intriguing. In the absence of immersion and flow, video games fail to provide the relaxation effect that I look for in games to balance my more intellectual pursuits.

Re: Am I too old to videogame?

#27
Get a PS5, buy a few (physical if you want to resell) games from a genre you're into (YouTube is full of reviews so you can check out the gameplay). Seems like you can cut on iPhone and trade it in for some gaming time.

Don't force yourself into playing. Prefer short to medium games (see howlongtobeat.com). Single player because you can pick it up and stop whenever you please.

If you decide it's not for you, sell the console and games at a small loss.

There have been so many great games since PS3 era, plenty to choose from :)

Re: Am I too old to videogame?

#29
Maybe try something not so retro and not so modern.

In my experience, many games today just want money. It's all about getting people to spend more time or spend money on loot. Many seem to be remakes or dull expansions on prior works. In-person multiplayer options suck. Portability can suck since there are no disks. Some are all about connection - somehow it seems even worse than in the past (looking at you Halo). I don't think I'll ever buy another console I'm so disappointed. Games are a business to milk as much profit as possible these days.

The really old stuff is hard to find, hard to support, hard to do any multi-player and just doesn't have the wow factor of the graphics.

There are some great games in both of those categories. It just seems like they are too much effort to find and support.

I think I like games from about 2000-2015. You can still find them. They shouldn't break the bank. They have some nostalgia to them for me. No gimmicks or time traps, just straightforward game play. Huge selection due to it being peak console years.

A couple games I like and re-play occasionally are: Castle Crashers, F-22 TAW, Comanche Gold, Hexic, Splinter Cell (not past Chaos Theory), and Halo 1-4. Newer games that I find tolerable: Destiny 2 (non-PvP, can be long due to all the expansions), World of Warships (don't expect top tier stuff without paying or extensive time), and Halo Infinite (non-PVP). I guess I should also mention that multi-player seems to be plagued with quitters these days.

Post reply on HN