Slashdot Mirror
The Last Games You'd Play?
Rigor Morty asks: "I am an older man (44), an avid fan of video games, and I am faced with a problem; my hands are becoming arthritic as I get older. I fear I will soon have to completely give up the console games I have loved over the years. To that end, let me ask the Slashdot Nation — if you were going to give it up, what games would you insist on playing before you had to quit? I'm willing to make some effort to do this, and spend some cash; I will buy the new consoles if I need to, or try to find obscure titles."
Learn how to play chess. :)
just about the saddest goddamned thing I've ever read on slashdot. The thought of becoming an arthritis-ridden man who can't play video games is just... shocking. *sigh* I am so jumping into an active volcano when I start to get frail...
i know arthritis can be quite painful. is it such that you would be unable to grasp the Wiimote? if you can, well, you might have several more years of gaming in Nintendo's brave new world.
my pet machine
I am an older man (44)
44 is "old"? Oh shit!
Table-ized A.I.
I'd go with Duke Nukem Forever. By then they'll have cured your arthritis.
Well, it'd help to know what kind of arthritis it is. For example, if the arthritis is only in your hands, then you should be largely uncompromised on the Wii, which is largely about the shoulder and elbow. If that's not good enough, it depends a lot on the kinds of games you like. For example, if you prefer fighting games, you're pretty much out of luck. However, if you play strategy games, maybe shift away from realtime (like starcraft) and towards turn-based (like civilization.) That way you can move at a pace that's more in keeping with your hands, and you can consider alternate input devices - keyboards, tiltpads, even voice recognition software if it's bad.
Generally, if neither hand controllers like traditional joysticks nor shoulder-and-elbow controllers like the Wii suit you, then persistant speed-driven games and twitch games are pretty much out. No more tetris, no more street fighter, no more heli attack. On the other hand, timing based games like You Don't Know Jack and Jeopardy are largely unaffected, if you can type. Most turn based games - not just civilization, but traditional games like chess and poker, untimed puzzle games like bejewelled and bookworm, puzzles like sudoku and crosswords, et cetera.
It's more productive to ask which games are removed, and then to just look at a game catalog or a game site, than it is to ask which games are left. All of the console manufacturers have lists of games on their websites. The internet game sale sites have lists, too, unsurprisingly. Look for games which work with input devices you can still use - mice, keyboards, the microphone, et cetera. If you can use the joystick in some situations but not others, figure out what those situations are. Sure you can't play Tekken anymore, but is that because these two specific fingers are hurting, or all of them? What about your wrists? Can you play Wii Sports? There's only one button press anywhere in Wii Sports, namely letting go of the bowling ball.
The disease you have is terrible, but it's also very different for different people. There are a lot of games that are probably still open to you, but until we know what you can and cannot do, as well as what you do and do not enjoy, we can't give you good advice.
I feel for you, man. It's awful. I'm starting to feel it; I'll be where you are in five, maybe ten years if I'm lucky. There are a lot of games left for you, but you get any five people in the room and you're lucky to find two games in common. We need more data.
StoneCypher is Full of BS
Try Dance Dance Revolution. You don't play with your hands, AND you'll get a workout!
Never underestimate the stupidity inherent in all human beings.
I couldn't take the stuff, myself... it gave me migraines after a few weeks.You don't happen to be allergic/intolerant to shellfish do you? Standard glucosamine is made out of shellfish shells. There are non-shellfish sources though which avoids the allergy. Also cod liver oil is good for heart problems, joints and it improves memory, reasoning ability.
Deleted
Pain lasts, kid. Its how you know you're alive. Sometimes I think this growing up thing is just pain management-TheMaxx
Actually, getting a lot of exercise is one of the best things you can do for arthritis.
I'm 30, I also have arthritis, and it's worst in my fingers. Good muscular support around my major joints is one thing that keeps me from feeling the effects there. I'll never be able to play golf, but if I keep in good shape I should be able to swim, bike, and run well into my 70s.
I got my Linux laptop at System76.
The guy is 44. Even optimistically he's not going to live THAT long.
jX [ Make everything as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Einstein ]