The Problems an Older Gamer Faces

For me personally, video games have been a part of my life for somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 years.  From those early days of playing Lode Runner and Swashbuckler on the Apple IIe, to the current next gen consoles, to games like Crysis that bring even the most powerful of PC’s to their knees, it has been a long, winding, and eventful road.  Certain points in time stick out in my mind as I think about how video games have been, in some form or fashion, a part of my life for a quarter of a century.  Finally beating Swashbuckler, convincing my dad to get an Intellivision, a Nintendo for Christmas, finally beating Mario Bros., hours upon hours of discovering the “sweet spots” on Double Dribble, Super Tecmo Bowl, Bases Loaded, Sonic, Sega CD, the internet, Madden NFL Football, Playstation One, Metal Gear Solid, being the first in line for a PS2 at Best Buy (which I still have and use on occasion), Gran Tourismo, and on and on the list could go leading up to my latest addiction- Call of Duty 4.

            In those early days, I was young and the problems of life were simple.  Who to play with and how much sugar could I sneak into my diet?  What is a video game?  How do I play this?  Soon those problems evolved and became more complicated.  Does she like me or not?  Which game should I get?  How can I afford more games?  I continued to grow up, as did my questions and problems.  What should I major in?  Study or drink?  Should I buy Madden 97 as soon as it comes out or wait and see if it is better than 96?  On to questions like, should I take this job or stay at my current one?  Am I ever going to get married?  Is it worth standing in line for a PS2 or not?  (Yes!  It was!) 

            Life moves on.  The questions and problems we face evolve.  Some more difficult than others.   Today, being the CEO of a company, those challenges for me are tougher than ever.  As is the case in real life, the challenges facing the older gamer are more complex and difficult to wade through than they ever have been.  And so, I pose to you, the questions and challenges facing today’s older gamer:

Should I buy a band aid box?

LCD or Plasma (or should I wait for Laser)?

CoD4 VS. Halo 3?

What time is too late to stay up till?

Is playing another 30 minutes worth risking the banhammer?

Is the crap I will have to listen to worth the extra ______ minutes I will get to play when I don’t ________(take out the trash, etc.)?

Is it worth having to put up with the Timmies to make the flip to Prestige and continue ranking up?

How long can I get away with pretending to not hear my spouse?

Do I take sick time or vacation time when ______(whatever game) releases?

Will I be able to get the gamebox to work at my hotel room while on that business trip?

How do I convince my spouse that Clan Night is important?

Is special/legendary edition worth the extra money?

Are my reflexes getting that slow?

What the crap happened to my hand-eye coordination?

Where are my glasses?  I can’t see the TV!

Bathroom breaks in between each round.

Not enough time to pee during the intermissions.

Not understanding the slang of the Timmies you are playing with.

I am sure there are many many more things that could be mentioned.  Consider this an abridged list that will continually be added to.  Feel free to add your own...

We may be older, but we are still gamers.