13 Ways to Tell You're an Aging Gamer

[ComputerSpaceFan]

As an official "old guy" of the gaming scene (I'm 41) I read this list and could not help but find myself chuckling at how many of them apply to me. Thought you all might like a read. About a third of these are 2600-related.

 

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/gallerie...g-gamer/?page=1

 

Now excuse me while I wheel myself back into the nursing home

[littleman jack]

Great link. Thanks for pointing it out.

[Lucky Man]

That was very funny...but I've got you beat, old man! I'm 44!

 

I'll race you back to the nursing home!

[+LS650]

I love how the photo they have to go with "You distinctly recall when and where you were when the 1983 video game crash happened" is a screenshot of E.T.

[ninermaniac]

LOL... I do have an Atari hooked up to my HDTV. This was cool.

[accousticguitar]

Battle Toads, Super Smash Brothers, Ninja Sushi-X? What is this guy talking about?

[+Random Terrain]

"You distinctly recall when and where you were when the 1983 video game crash happened."

 

Who in the heck was aware of that? I didn't know there was a 'crash' until I read an article in the March, 1984 issue of Electronic Games magazine called "Can Electronic Gaming Survive the Big Shake-Out?"

[Rick Weis]

they used one of our NWCGE flyers!

 

Rick

[shadow460]

I'm 33, about half of those statements pertain to me, and I'm not joking when I say I'm headed back to the nursing home.

[Chris-in-NJ]

I'm 36 and all the employees at Game Stop are indeed younger than me

One time though, when I bought the Taito Legends CD-ROM, the employee was actually older than me and had a working 5200, or so he claimed...

[cosmosiss]

I got another one:

 

The most exiting topic at the forums you visit is entitled 5200 Tempest WIP screenshots!.

[aftermac]

I don't have an Atari hooked up to an HDTV, but my 7800 is connected to my 20" Dell monitor (via composite, through a VCR). I even added a composite switch box, so I can easily toggle between the 7800 and my Apple //e.

 

I do prefer cartridges to discs... Have you ever tried cleaning a disc with sandpaper? Not pretty.

 

I realized I was getting old ( though not as old as some of you... I'm 28 ) just a few days ago. I was talking to some people about playing Atari since I was a kid. This girl just gave me a confused look and asked, "What's Atari?". I then added that it was one of the first video game systems. Still confused, I stated, "It came out before Nintendo... in 1977". The lightbulb turned on... "OH, I PLAYED OLD-SCHOOL NINTENDO!". I said, "Oh, did you have an NES when you were a kid?" There's that confused look again... "um... I had a Super Nintendo..."

 

Yup, that was the unmistakable feeling of talking about things from your childhood and someone having absolutely no idea what you are referring to. The more you try to explain, the worse it gets. Old.

 

Several years ago, I was playing Maze Craze (one of my favorite games) with my (now) brother-in-law, who is 15 years younger that I. After about... lets call it 2 minutes... he just sat the controller down and walked out of the room without saying a word. Yup... old.

Edited May 9, 2008 by aftermac

[classicgamingguy]

*holds hand up*

 

I'm 41 myself, soon to turn 42. The heyday was Atari, and frankly still is (to me, anyway)..I don't have a video game related question to a kid, but, I did mention to some 11 or 12 year old "you missed the record days.."

 

He replied, "record??" I responded.."yeah, record. Big round disc that goes on a record player."

 

At this point he looked like a grew a second head. I'm absolutely sure he thought I was totally insane or older than dirt. So I thought about it a minute and said,

 

"How about like a CD, but infinetly bigger?"

 

He nodded sagely at that. "Yep, you must be pretty old."

[Ransom]

Yep, gettin' older. I'll be 40 this year.

 

I may not have played Halo, but I can kick any whippersnapper's hiney in the BEST first person shooter -- Star Raiders!

Edited May 9, 2008 by Ransom

[thomasholzer]

Me...50...played linked-up Checkered Flag the other day with another Lynx user, barely beat him, my reflexes are getting slower. I can still play a mean Enduro though.

Edited May 9, 2008 by thomasholzer

[dwh]

We should add that the young kids at the vidio game store will remind you that you are old when they call you ,"Sir."

I got my first "Sir" at age 35;that's when I knew it was downhill from there.

Should also add that we are all old enough to know that we will be keeping our old TV sets around ,once everything goes digital, just to play the old game systems.

[mister_pal]

That was very funny...but I've got you beat, old man! I'm 44!

 

I'll race you back to the nursing home!

While I myself am not that old(15) I can vouch for my Dad seeing as he is 51 going on 52 .

Ironically though he has played Halo and knows who Master Chief is :!:

[Mirage]

I'm 36. Recently, I've been realizing more and more often that people I tend to think of as "older", are actually about my age. I just started at a new job, so it's all people I didn't know before, so the effect is even more pronounced. Scary. And the newest console I own is a DreamCast. Anything newer than that hasn't been tempting enough, but I'd sure like to try out GTA IV!

[POed]

Nice link, they have some excellent points there.

I'm 40 (that's why i'm POed )

I've recently gotten back into the classic gaming scene after all these years and love it - wish I did it sooner!

[Sincity]

I just turned 41 myself. Getting ready to get the video mod boards for my 4-switch, orig INTV, and ColecoVision. Can't wait!

[doctorclu]

"I am younger than I will be tomorrow." (copyright Doctor Clu)

 

Basically as long as I have the sound mind to realize I can operate a video game, I plan to play one.

[Dauber]

"You distinctly recall when and where you were when the 1983 video game crash happened."

 

Who in the heck was aware of that? I didn't know there was a 'crash' until I read an article in the March, 1984 issue of Electronic Games magazine called "Can Electronic Gaming Survive the Big Shake-Out?"

 

Got you beat -- I wasn't even aware that there WAS a video game crash until at least a year or two AFTER I joined Atari Age!

 

Seriously, I remember when home computers were coming in, but the thing is, the transition was so smooth I didn't even notice, and before I knew it Nintendo was out with the NES.

[classicgamingguy]

I've been reminiscing (sp?) about the old arcade games of late. The town I work in used to have an arcade where Gnomon Copy is now. Their "receiving dock" was where you would enter Putts Alley (no kidding, that was the name), decend a small flight of stairs, and end up in a smoke-filled, dimly lit dungeon where ALL the latest games would be. Amazing they could cram all those arcade machines (and even a pinball machine or two) in there. The latest games were up front where you first entered, then the "older classics" were in the back, but still visible.

 

I told the people who work at Gnomon Copy about what their place used to be....I received odd stares from two of them and a "uh huh" from the other one that told me he could have cared less. My poor heart broke at that. I began to think that I was the only one who remembered the arcade and where it was. I spent tons of time there after school...playing Dragon's Lair, Ms. Pac Man, and many old favorites. Now I have them on compiliation discs on my computer that replicate them down to the exact patterns, sound, and graphics. And no, I don't want to set up a MAME machine, thanks.

 

Got me thinking of how much time I'm spending thinking of the "good old days" lately, and how much I miss the arcades. That's why I classic game, and forget this new stuff. I'd rather be playing Atari, anyway.