Slashdot Mirror
Video Games Conquer The Elderly
bedake writes "The New York Times has up an article discussing the increase in retired people getting interested in online computer games. 'PopCap Games in Seattle, the maker of the diversions so popular at St. Mary, says its games have been downloaded more than 200 million times since the company was founded in 2000. A spokesman said that the company was stunned by results of a customer survey last year: 71 percent of its players were older than 40, 47 percent were older than 50, and 76 percent of PopCap players were women.' The piece goes on to discuss the popularity of the Wii console, as well, a subject discussed on Slashdot before."
My grandpa for one welcomes his new 8-Bit overlords.
Since when is 40 "elderly?" There are lots of people of retirement age who play games like those made by PopCap and who play on pogo.com and like sites. In fact, the article focuses mainly on people who are over 60.
Yet the quote for the article summary is a survey done on age brackets at 40 and 50 - hardly people who could be called "elderly".
ACs are modded -6. I don't read you, I don't mod you, I don't see you. Don't like it? Don't be a coward.
Youth and young adults don't take surveys. Old people with too much free time do. Read into this as you will.
Hopefully, we'll stop having to hear these assholes talk about how the Wii is "kiddy". People will come to their senses and realize that by "kiddy" they simply mean, "not between the ages of 12 and 18", which makes the other consoles look a mite immature by comparison.
Multiplayer Gaming (defined): Sitting around, discussing single-player games with my friends, at the bar.
It's not really surprising that the older generations are getting into online games. With the trend of computers and technology being an integral part of almost all aspects of society, it's only natural that everyone eventually gets involved. The stereotype of old people viewing modern technology as "evil" or "weird" is left to the fading past.
It's also interesting to see the outlet for older people to conversers and interact with a larger, and broader group of people. Not saying that the elderly don't get out, but games and online experience do allow them to "get out" on a larger scale.
"I only know 2 things: The love for me, and the fear of me."
To conquer the elderly, drive them before you, and hear the lamentations of their pacemakers!
Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
I can't wait until I'm elderly and in a nursing home with a computer and internet connection. It will be nothing but gaming all day and all night ("all night" being 4pm-8pm). And I'll have someone to bring me food and clean up after me. It will be just like NES years. Only with more organ failure.
Nintendo has been bragging like hell about their "touch generations" stuff like Brain Age. The Wii, too. It does have some success, but real games for granddad are yet to come. Besides, Brain Age and Wii Sports compliment old people by giving them a lower age!
The Nintendo Wii: it's not your father's game console--it's your grandfather's game console.
Note to young whippersnappers: this joke references an advertising slogan for a defunct brand of automobile.
Further note to young whippersnappers: get off my lawn.
org.slashdot.post.SignatureNotFoundException: ewg
We won't have alzheimer's - continuing to play video games may help prevent or hold off its onset - but we'll all have surgery for our carpal tunnel every few years when we hit our 70s because we WON'T stop playing video games. I may as well buy those wrist braces now...
Elderly people have been playing networked games for several years now.
They even travel great distances to play.
The places that host these games are called casinos. They have addictive gameplay, and are networked together to the extent of determining the maximum jackpot awarded.
Game: Player 'Donald J Trump' now has AI skill level 'experimental'.