My Grandma Can Kick Your Ass At Halo

from the don't-count-out-the-over-fifty-fraggers dept

Fri, May 19th 2006 1:49pm — Mike Masnick

A couple weeks ago, we pointed to a study that pointed out how widespread video games were in society -- and how they weren't just for teenaged boys any more. That's not all that surprising, really, and has been reported in the past. Many point out that the generation that first generation that grew up with video games has now reached adulthood -- so it's no surprise they're still gamers. Also, while there's been talk about the "bored housewife" market for casual video games, there hasn't been too much said about older gamers. A new study actually claims that a quarter of gamers are over fifty, though the report does not get into what sorts of games they play. It does, however, point out that many gamer parents play video games with their kids as a family activity. Since the report is from the Entertainment Software Association, and clearly designed to portray gamers as positively as possible, it also includes fun little tidbits about how video gamers exercise quite often (three times as long as they play games!), and also how they read a lot and go to museums and such. Next thing you know, we'll find out that they're (gasp!) just normal people.

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30 Comments

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not important, 19 May 2006 @ 2:01pm

Bored Housewife Market
I thought the milkmen and the poolboys already had already saturated the entertainment side of the "bored housewife' market
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Aaron, 19 May 2006 @ 2:05pm

define "game"
Seniors wasting time playing computer solitare? Online poker? I'd believe that.

"Game" is a terrebly broad term, and just like you can hardly compare the movie-going experience for Austin Powers to Pride and Prejudice to Star Wars, I'm sure you can come up with all sorts of gaming demographic crap if you're careful about where you draw the boundries.
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- Hautedawg, 19 May 2006 @ 2:51pm
  
  Re: define "game"
  A game is a game. Just because you play shyte that blows stuff up, doesn't mean granny (GMILF anyone?) playing online poker isn't playing a game. Yes, a game is a game, no matter if you think you are uber macho playing WoW, or the "bored housewife" is playing poker (or with the pool boy playing "poke HER"). At any rate, it didn't break down the list of games, but I am sure that most would agree that a game is a game, whether "Splinter Cell" or "Hoyle's Bridge". Gaming is still gaming.
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Jason, 19 May 2006 @ 2:27pm

Nothing new
Well, no shit. Haven't you seen Grandma's boy! This is old news.. Demonik kicks ass!!!!
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anonymous coward, 19 May 2006 @ 2:35pm

you should see granny on two tabs of e playing dance dance revolution.
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- Jason, 19 May 2006 @ 2:43pm
  
  Re:
  I would but my roommates might not be too happy about it
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GIJoeBob, 19 May 2006 @ 3:14pm

well, duh
I'm a member of an online gaming community - 2old2play.com and all of our members are 25 years old and up.

A good portion of them are in their 40's and 50's and a few 60's and 70's in there as well.

Tired of playing with all the screaming Timmies on the internet? Give 2o2p.com a shot.

GIJoeBob
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nes gamer, 19 May 2006 @ 3:20pm

mom gamers
Its not odd that they are finding that older adults are gaming or playing games with their kids. My mother back when we still played NES would play most of the same games as us.. Duck Hunt, mario brothers and so on. She still games just now that she has moved on internet and online gaming on her desktop. So now there is a study to prove want many have known for years.
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- Celes, 19 May 2006 @ 7:50pm
  
  Re: mom gamers
  I hear you. My mom kicked butt at Bubble Bobble and just about any RPG you can think of, and sometimes stay up later than I could manage. She's now 58 with a strong appetite for all sorts of games (minus the ones that get all bloody, I guess). Nothing wrong with that - I'm sure most of us will be playing video games well into our later years!
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Ben McNelly, 19 May 2006 @ 4:11pm

Breaking news...
New studies show that water isn't a fish's game anymore! Thats right, nearly 50% of humans can swim, or at least wade! This comes on the heels of reports that oxegen might not cause brain tumors.
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JAMES C KAZEL, 19 May 2006 @ 4:17pm

PLAYING HALO
I AM 65 YEARS OLD AND I PLAY HALO

EVERY DAY ON MY XBOX 360 !

ALSO I PLAY HALO ON LINE !
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- Dave Butters, 27 Jul 2006 @ 1:36pm
  
  Re: PLAYING HALO
  I am 56 and I have a 21 rank in Halo 2 slayer and it is legit. Sometimes up sometimes down and a 16 rank in team sniper. I'll play with ya sometime if ya like. unseensword is the gamer tag. Meet ya online. My son is a legit 37 in slayer and in double team. He is a Halo god!
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- mario, 8 Aug 2006 @ 5:05pm
  
  Re: PLAYING HALO
  where do you play halo online because i really want to play it.
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Damon Alexander, 20 May 2006 @ 12:26am

Old folks have more time than potheads
I play BattleField Europe (formerly World WarII on-line).

We have always had a large percetage of older people playing this. Now I understand much of this is due to the time peroid of the game but it's still a fact. Oh and one more thing. SO WHAT! I love it. I'm 33 and the damn kids piss me off. I have had countless hours of fun with focused older folks. Not to say all kids are no fun but I seem to have more fun with the older crowd.
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Damon Alexander, 20 May 2006 @ 12:31am

What about my mom
Just to add. My MOM played Atari and NES with us when I was a kid. I'mm 33 and she's 65 now. The newer games are a little harder to understand so i think she wouldn't do that now but she played just like we did for hours. Next time I go home to see her I think I bring my 360. just to see if she'll play it.
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DittoBox, 20 May 2006 @ 8:33am

That's nothing...
My grampa bought me my first Genesis/Mega-Drive and a ton of games...and my First N64 and some games...and my First Dreamcast and some games.

He had one of each himself, and played them regularly. He had bad rheumatoid arthritis and I guess the using the controllers and moving his fingers a lot was supposed to help.
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Razz, 21 May 2006 @ 2:56pm

It can't be true
It can't be true that 25% of the gamers are above 50 years of age. The survey probably found out who buys the games. The survery most probably found the people who buy the games for their kids. Alot of games cannot be bought by 13 years olds. And their are alot of 13 years who are good at things that we 20 year olds arn't good at.
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Dan Gallagher, 21 May 2006 @ 9:01pm

Adults and Video Games
I agree. I started out with a TI 99 4a, then got a C64 where I played hundreds of games. I still, at 51, play Halo, Doom III, MOH, Adventure Pinball, Half Life 2, and Clive Barker's Undying. Virtual worlds open to exploration are what I crave most, and I haven't lost the gaming urge. My daughter is a Sims 2 fan addict, but she also plays Half Life as well. I wonder where that came from?
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mike, 21 May 2006 @ 10:08pm

Games are fun
There is nothing incorrect about your research. My mom too love playing games and she play it for sheer fun.They refreshes her mind from the long day chores. Now she has started playing it online and quite happy. I too accompanys her whenever i have time.
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Darknet, 21 May 2006 @ 10:23pm

Yeah, grandma power!
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Ikolian, 22 May 2006 @ 2:53pm

I know for a fact that MMORPG games are played by older members of the community- back when I played Star Wars Galaxies, part of my player guild was composed of a grandfather, his three kids, and five of his grandkids- most of the grandkids being adults and teenagers.
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logan, 15 Jun 2006 @ 12:35pm

Halo on the pc
does any body want to battle me on me on halo on the internet im freaking 10 years old who gives a crap how old i am i bet i can kick anybodys ass.
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logan, 15 Jun 2006 @ 12:35pm

Halo on the pc
does any body want to battle me on me on halo on the internet im freaking 10 years old who gives a crap how old i am i bet i can kick anybodys ass.
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logan, 15 Jun 2006 @ 12:35pm

Halo on the pc
does any body want to battle me on me on halo on the internet im freaking 10 years old who gives a crap how old i am i bet i can kick anybodys ass.
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- Anonymous Coward, 22 Dec 2006 @ 8:11pm
  
  Re: Halo on the pc
  See, it's people like you who give younger gamers a bad name. At least spell your challenges right, so anyone knows to take you with some semblance of seriousness. Seriously, with all the money we spend on the education system, little fuckbrains like you piss it away. I'm not a lecturing adult either, I'm a 14 year old.
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Eric Still, 7 Dec 2006 @ 4:25pm

ha ha
I can kick your her ass bitch anytime
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Feb 2007 @ 9:16am

I would have to agree that theres no way that 25% are over 50. Just imagining how many teenagers and kids play video games. Now take that into consideration and imagine how many adults over 50 would have to play. Towards the top 6th comment Hautedawg said that a game is a game. But in fact there is a huge difference between playing online poker and playing a video game. Playing online poker has no video to it. It may have some card animations but not a video game. So if you count poker it may help that 25% but in my opinion online poker is not a video game. But then again who's to define what is and isn't a video game
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gabe, 10 Jul 2007 @ 8:58am

i want to play it to
i'm fucken 10 years old to but i can't find halo 1or 2 to play on the internet. so fuck bungie gotta go
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allen, 12 Mar 2008 @ 1:11pm

halos gay
halos the gayest game ever
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Softmod Wii, 29 Nov 2010 @ 7:26am

I know for a fact that MMORPG games are played by older members of the community- back when I played Star Wars Galaxies, part of my player guild was composed of a grandfather, his three kids, and five of his grandkids- most of the grandkids being adults and teenagers.
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