So, please help me confirm my assumption...
How old are you?
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Beancounter
- Watchman
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:37 pm
- Location: New Hampshire
How old are you?
It seems to me that strategy computer gamers are getting older. 20 years ago we were all in our 20 and 30's, now we're in our 40 and 50's. and lots of the younger kids have migrated to video games, and they prefer 1st person shooters.
So, please help me confirm my assumption...
So, please help me confirm my assumption...
Re: How old are you?
At church, I hang out with the 20-30 crowd. In my model railroading club, I am amongst 40 to 70 year olds. I'm actually in that 30-40 bracket, belonging to both demographics in some ways!
I think that there's something to be said for younger generations having never developed the patient thoughtfulness of those of us who got started playing board games and only adopted the computer later. An interesting board game is full of intricacy and detail; an "interesting" video game is, much like an "interesting" movie these days, full of splash and dazzle. Playing an RPG with stats sheets and multi-sided dice required one to invest a lot of thought and imagination into the character, in order to be awed by it; a graphics-heavy computer game, however, can require almost none of either, and just simply show that character to you. People younger than me have grown up in the ubiquity of computers, and just expect games to show things to you, rather than require imaginative participation, and so for them the best games are the visceral action FPS-types. People older than me frequently find, much like a moviegoer who first read the book, that what a game shows never quite equals what they could picture in their imagination... and they've grown up expecting to employ that imagination. Games that still employ some level of abstraction, as strategy games must, are thus more appealing to the old farts.
That's my take. I'm not an old fart yet, nor am I a young fart. I'm just a fart, I guess.
I think that there's something to be said for younger generations having never developed the patient thoughtfulness of those of us who got started playing board games and only adopted the computer later. An interesting board game is full of intricacy and detail; an "interesting" video game is, much like an "interesting" movie these days, full of splash and dazzle. Playing an RPG with stats sheets and multi-sided dice required one to invest a lot of thought and imagination into the character, in order to be awed by it; a graphics-heavy computer game, however, can require almost none of either, and just simply show that character to you. People younger than me have grown up in the ubiquity of computers, and just expect games to show things to you, rather than require imaginative participation, and so for them the best games are the visceral action FPS-types. People older than me frequently find, much like a moviegoer who first read the book, that what a game shows never quite equals what they could picture in their imagination... and they've grown up expecting to employ that imagination. Games that still employ some level of abstraction, as strategy games must, are thus more appealing to the old farts.
That's my take. I'm not an old fart yet, nor am I a young fart. I'm just a fart, I guess.
=Winchester, Paston & Portsmouth=
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Beancounter
- Watchman
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- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:37 pm
- Location: New Hampshire
Re: How old are you?
I completely agree with you. I loved AD&D and other RPG's when I was younger. No imagination anymore, just see the "pretty" picture and keep on demanding better and better graphics...
WPandP wrote: I think that there's something to be said for younger generations having never developed the patient thoughtfulness of those of us who got started playing board games and only adopted the computer later. An interesting board game is full of intricacy and detail; an "interesting" video game is, much like an "interesting" movie these days, full of splash and dazzle. Playing an RPG with stats sheets and multi-sided dice required one to invest a lot of thought and imagination into the character, in order to be awed by it; a graphics-heavy computer game, however, can require almost none of either, and just simply show that character to you. People younger than me have grown up in the ubiquity of computers, and just expect games to show things to you, rather than require imaginative participation, and so for them the best games are the visceral action FPS-types. .
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Beancounter
- Watchman
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:37 pm
- Location: New Hampshire
Re: How old are you?
Oh boy, no wonder almost no one responded to this poll...
I swear I didn't see the one from January.
There's nothing so hard to find than that which is right under you nose...
I swear I didn't see the one from January.
There's nothing so hard to find than that which is right under you nose...
Re: How old are you?
Good moment for me - was the last occasion to select 51-60 ... 
There's no business like RT business ...
Re: How old are you?
58 at the moment. A couple of months ago I was 75. My Baby Girl informed us that Fireball and her were giving us our first Grandchild.
I grew up playing Avalon Hill war games. And then their other games as they branched out. Moved to D&D as The Wife and I waited for our first born. Life got complicated and we stopped with table top pen an paper. Moved to console games.
Went to computer games. Now we play Dungeons and Dragons online. Myself, The Wife and our elder Son. Our Daughter is a snob. She will only play pen an paper D&D. Our Son plays a mixture as besides PC games he has consoles and a persistent table top group of Rift players. And he is certified to host Magic the Gathering events. And works two jobs. He is busy.
I do understand the imagination that was used in the table top games of our youth. And miss it somewhat. I say somewhat as I still feel I use it, even now with what I do. That is when I am 20 again.
I grew up playing Avalon Hill war games. And then their other games as they branched out. Moved to D&D as The Wife and I waited for our first born. Life got complicated and we stopped with table top pen an paper. Moved to console games.
Went to computer games. Now we play Dungeons and Dragons online. Myself, The Wife and our elder Son. Our Daughter is a snob. She will only play pen an paper D&D. Our Son plays a mixture as besides PC games he has consoles and a persistent table top group of Rift players. And he is certified to host Magic the Gathering events. And works two jobs. He is busy.
I do understand the imagination that was used in the table top games of our youth. And miss it somewhat. I say somewhat as I still feel I use it, even now with what I do. That is when I am 20 again.
Never, Never, Never give up. Winston Churchill
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Beancounter
- Watchman
- Posts: 67
- Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 9:37 pm
- Location: New Hampshire
Re: How old are you?
It's terrific to see that almost 20% of us are 20 and under. 
Computer strategy gaming will live on!
Predictably 62% of us grew up playing space invader, asteriods, and other quarter munchers
My son's hand held games (Nnintendo DS) give him endless lives (legos star wars, batman, etc).
Where is the challenge?
He looked at me in amazment when I told him that it used to be 3 lives... no more, after that, the game was over.
Computer strategy gaming will live on!
Predictably 62% of us grew up playing space invader, asteriods, and other quarter munchers
My son's hand held games (Nnintendo DS) give him endless lives (legos star wars, batman, etc).
Where is the challenge?
He looked at me in amazment when I told him that it used to be 3 lives... no more, after that, the game was over.