Gaming into adulthood isn’t sad anymore, what a relief! The number of older people opening their minds to the varied world of video games is growing, and that makes this life-long nerd, very happy indeed.
Growing up, I’m sure most of us had at least one altercation with an adult who said ‘I don’t like video games’. I distinctly remember giving my mum a PS2 controller and letting her play Spider-Man 2; I’d have had more luck sitting her in the cockpit of a nuclear submarine. Watching my beloved hero swing into buildings and get his head kicked in by basic street-thugs was traumatic to say the least. ‘Games aren’t for me’ she argued. That didn’t make any sense to me. There are so many different genres and styles out there; surely you could find something that speaks to you, much like film or music.
This is a message that seems to be slowly hitting the mainstream. In 2017, it was reported in the US that the average age of a gamer is 35, and around 26% of all players in that country were aged 50 or over. This doesn’t mean that you’re going to start getting bullied on Xbox Live by a senior citizen, but there are a wide range of titles out there now that provide a casual experience that can be enjoyed at any pace.
Games have developed a long way from the days of Pong and colourful mascots, some of the most talented people in the world work in the industry and create emotional, meaningful stories that send a real message, without having to navigate a complicated control scheme or use your twitch reflexes (which I’m assured do actually exist). We now have ideas like walking simulators (not as boring as they sound) like Firewatch or Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture , beautifully created pieces of art to be taken seriously, but with no punishing enemies or platforming challenges, just a mystery to solve or a story to unravel.
But they don’t have to be a guilty pleasure; it’s actually been shown that gaming in your later years can have health benefits too. Hard to believe when all its given me is an energy drink addiction and an impeccable zombie apocalypse survival strategy, but it’s true. The first of which, is they simply make you happier. It gives you something to engage in instead of just rotting away watching Antiques Roadshow (that’s what people do in their sixties, right?). It’s an opportunity to keep discovering new experiences, long after you might think you’ve seen it all.
In a world increasingly littered with technology, it’s very easy for the elderly to feel like they’re an extra in Bladerunner; all the talk of online servers and cloud storage is enough to baffle anyone, let alone a 65 year old. Have you ever tried to teach your Nan to text? Don’t. But even the shortest of time spent playing a basic game can help the older generation not feel as excluded by the huge advancements that the rest of us embrace, and make that next piece of tech all the easier to adapt too.
Arguably the biggest benefit, something close to my heart, is the social interaction side. There has long been a stigma around the concept of video games, that players are missing out on social experiences in the name of pouring hundreds of hours into an RBG whilst sitting alone in a dark room at their mum’s house. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. A concept that is finally making its way to the mainstream is just how social an experience it can be. I used to spend hours talking to my mates over the summer, hammering the double XP events on Modern Warfare 2; in fact those days moulded my friendships for years to come. Gaming didn’t isolate me – it did quite the opposite. In your later years, it can be easy to lose those connections, and the will to socialise or leave the house can slowly deplete, but an accessible title to play through together can provide an afternoons worth of entertainment for you and an old friend, without having to leave the comfort of your own rocking chair.
Why shouldn’t your Nan rattle you with a red shell on Mario Kart over the holidays? Why does couch co-op have to be for sweaty teenagers playing Super Smash Bros? Gaming doesn’t need to be isolated to young people anymore. The types of experiences available have matured and grown over time, becoming accessible to pre-pubescent and pensioner alike. So the next time your Gran tells you that our generation has no respect for its elders, prove her right by battering her on Rocket League – It’s for her own good.