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I think I'm transitioning into my "old man" stage of gaming.

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
I'm almost 35 and have been playing games for 30 of those straight. No breaks really (probably a mistake during college), just consistently playing for three decades. For the vast majority of that time, I've enjoyed very fast paced and/or difficult games. The last decade plus has been dominated by Souls games and fighting games.

But something changed. 2023 was a very difficult year for me and now that the dust has settled, I think I've come to the conclusion that between all my responsibilities and endeavors, I simply don't have the mental energy for these more difficult games.

I'm starting to seek more chill games. Mostly JRPGs and platformers. Still have a bunch of shmups I'm sprinkling in (I really need to do a 1CC this year), but what's great about these is they're short and you can really get your arms around them.

I'm really working on my health this year, so maybe my increased energy will affect my outlook, but that remains to be seen.

Have you ever gone through a big change in game taste?

I’m 35 going to be 36 soon and I thought of using 2023 as my jump off year because we won’t see a year that packed again for another 7+. M

I’ve been playing more on my steam deck now than anything , and it’s been more retro or old games like MGS2.

MGS2 painted to me that the medium peaked long ago, and very rarely do we get something on that level.

For me in 2024 and on I’m just not playing everything. I’ve learned it’s good games, not games you can’t miss.

Like you I need to get my diet and exercise back in check and focus on that more if I want to make sure I live long enough to play GTA7 some day lol.
 

FoxMcChief

Gold Member
I think my old man moment triggered when I had my second kid (now have 3). My gaming time went down, so I pretty much dropped all multiplayer games except Fortnite with my brother.

I now play the majority of games on Easy too. Not enough time to fuck around with games, so I just play as many as I can on the easiest difficulty. I also drop games faster. If something doesn’t grab me in 2-5 hours, fuck it, your game sucks and you need your intros better.
 

Kings Field

Member
I have unreal expectations of working through my backlog. I’m 37, work 12 hours shifts in healthcare which you would think would allow me to game more on my days off, but it doesn’t. When you think you’re gonna be able to stay up super late you just get tired and say “I’ll play more tomorrow”.

I’m being 100% sincere with you all that are younger lads. Get your gaming in when you are single and young. Once you get tangled up in a relationship and have kids and if you’re a good bf/gf and value your children when they’re young, having a lot of hours a day to game will not be feasible.

I imagine it gets easier when the kiddos get older but spending time with them is priority when they’re young
 

Diseased Yak

Gold Member
Yup, I'm 49, and over the past 10+ years I've transitioned away from any sort of MP stuff (except WoW and FFXIV, which I play 99% solo) and also have just been playing on Easy most of the time.

This was underscored over the weekend as I was playing FFVII Remake and bumped it down to Easy from Normal because any enemy above trash mob was an HP sponge that took a while to kill.

My one except to all that is anything Souls related. I keep playing Soulsbourne games over and over and love those to death (currently on my 3rd run through Elden Ring).
 

FoxMcChief

Gold Member
I have unreal expectations of working through my backlog. I’m 37, work 12 hours shifts in healthcare which you would think would allow me to game more on my days off, but it doesn’t. When you think you’re gonna be able to stay up super late you just get tired and say “I’ll play more tomorrow”.

I’m being 100% sincere with you all that are younger lads. Get your gaming in when you are single and young. Once you get tangled up in a relationship and have kids and if you’re a good bf/gf and value your children when they’re young, having a lot of hours a day to game will not be feasible.

I imagine it gets easier when the kiddos get older but spending time with them is priority when they’re young
Some days, this is me:

 

Dacvak

No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
Mid 30s as well, but I don’t think I’ve grown into a different form of gaming. I just think that my gaming interests cycle around a bit. Right now, I’m hugely into late 80s/early 90s arcade games since I got a MiSTer and PVM. I’ve really been enjoying the simplicity of the games, but mastery it takes to beat them. I recently ran through OutRun and Ghouls n’ Ghosts, both incredible games.

I’m also incredibly excited to chomp into some Saturn games this year, once the MiSTer core becomes more stable. (Or maybe I’ll just grab a Saturn.)
 

protonion

Member
I'm 40 and play more than ever.
I was always a normal difficulty gamer. And let's be honest. For an experienced gamer, normal is easy with a little bit difficult end game.

What has changed for me is tolerance for mediocrity.
If I don't enjoy something a lot, it gets deleted and traded the next day.
I value my time now.
 

rkofan87

Gold Member
i am looking forward to games coming out like ff7r2 and tekken 8.
i love ff16 to death i 100% the side quests and hunts and beat the game in 2 months spider man 2 did not hook me and like i said in my post befor i look at my backlog and go nah.
 
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MikeM

Gold Member
Mid to late thirties here and same. Its why I avoid Souls games- limited time to get good but also orefer games that respect the limited time I have sank into it .
 
Yea, modern AAA gaming is pretty shite. I value time more than I ever have in my life and it's definitely changed the way I approach which games I want to play. Outside of PSVR2, it's mostly retro, though I do play ER coop with my 2 bros from my hometown.
 

Ibara

Member
I’m 34 now and for some reason I’ve gone the opposite way.
I don’t find enjoyment if I don’t get kicked in the balls within 5 minutes. Either that or get the dopamine going. I don’t have the patience anymore for long stories or games that take significant investment to hit the kind of gameplay im seeking.
These days im playing souls/action stuff, shmups, I’ve actually been loving hell let loose

As long as the balance with fun & frustration isn’t overwhelming. I also don’t want to bash my head against a wall or seek ultra challenges, but I do like feeling some sort of achievement without 2 weeks worth of investment into some story.
Sadly platformers became something I don’t enjoy anymore (other than Celeste) for games in the last few years
 
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Phase

Member
Seriously.

If you're in your 30's get the fuck out. You're still young.
While true, it doesn't mean our minds are stimulated by the same things as we mature. Our experiences in life change our perspectives. I used to be all into Quake, Tribes, CS, Halo, basically every fast paced MP. But I don't find those experiences much fun anymore. The novelty is gone and my motivation to play them is gone with it. I've gravitated towards more mentally stimulating games over reflexive competitive ones. The short gameplay loops of MP bore me too fast now.

A recent example of a game I thought I was going to love was Diabotical. I was like "oh damn, time to get back into the arena groove" but after playing a few hours I grew bored even though I think it's a great arena shooter. I yearn for more drawn out and slow-building experiences now.
 

Chuck Berry

Gold Member
While true, it doesn't mean our minds are stimulated by the same things as we mature. Our experiences in life change our perspectives. I used to be all into Quake, Tribes, CS, Halo, basically every fast paced MP. But I don't find those experiences much fun anymore. The novelty is gone and my motivation to play them is gone with it. I've gravitated towards more mentally stimulating games over reflexive competitive ones. The short gameplay loops of MP bore me too fast now.

A recent example of a game I thought I was going to love was Diabotical. I was like "oh damn, time to get back into the arena groove" but after playing a few hours I grew bored even though I think it's a great arena shooter. I yearn for more drawn out and slow-building experiences now.

I was kidding lol
 
op: as a genuine 'old man', i'm now slowly, painstakingly, but very enjoyably cheesing my way through an elden ring replay. have fun doing whatever it is you do...
 

Papa_Wisdom

Member
Im 40, I’m the same

The best console gaming period for me was between the Saturn/PS1 to the Dreamcast/PS2/Xbox GC era. Theres so many games I can put in from this era and just play with a smile on my face.

Still enjoyed a lot of the ps360 Gen but that is def when my interest took a serious nosedive, these past 2 gens I’ve bought games but don’t actually play half of them. Only prob play maybe 3 games a year now.

Tbh I’m looking to move to a new place this year and hopefully get somewhere with space to setup my train set for the first time in 20 years. If that happens I don’t see myself coming back to gaming as a hobby. Just playing retro games from my past.

Edit: I’d probably stick around solely for VR.
 
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Welcome to the club.

For me it's not about difficulty. It's more about engagement. And I find most AAA's and AA lacking. Most writing is childish and garbage, and most subject are about saving the world. (With exceptions). These epic fantasy world I can't relate with. Or mechanically a lot of big budget games still feel like you're playing like a actor without reading the script beforehand. (I.e: Go run over there an a set-pieces will take place)

Games like Disco Elysium and NORCO really spoke to me, now that i'm in my 30's, and showed how immature and infantile the greater industry is when it comes to content.
The “more about engagement” part is the truth. I still do play a select few more difficult games, but if the story is garbage I’m definitely not sticking around. Well said.
 

bender

What time is it?
I'm almost 35...
giphy.gif
 

bender

What time is it?
Modern gaming is starting to be like modern music: I just don't understand that shit because it's designed for a whole other group of people.

Chasing production value in has ballooned costs and forced developers to mostly play it safe. It's all so boring but it does make me appreciate the likes of Nintendo, FromSoftware, and oddly enough, Kojima, who can be attributed with the push towards values with the Metal Gear Solid franchise. It's too bad the lessons learned from his games was trying to be like a Hollywood movie and not the sandboxes and deep mechanics found within those titles.
 

Mercador

Member
Around 30, I stopped playing FPS like Q3A and CS, I didn't had the edge I had when I was younger, I wasn't quick enough. Nowadays, I'm 46 and I have difficulties with games with too much choices, like BG3 or even P5R (where time is sensitive). I'm overwhelmed by choice and the fear paralysis kicks in. So what I am seeing over my four decades of gaming is that my cognitive abilities aren't going up and I have to choose games accordingly.
 

YukiOnna

Member
Nope, I can't relate. My tastes haven't changed nor has my reason to commit time into it reduced. Age has nothing to do with it and you can always find a way to make time or have a resurgence IMO. Besides, a hobby can be considered productive as long as you enjoy it, and they help as a distraction through difficult moments.

Only real change would be I cut out useless titles I know I was just forcing myself to play to justify my console purchase. I quickly realized that was stupid.
 

Mercador

Member
What has changed for me is tolerance for mediocrity.
If I don't enjoy something a lot, it gets deleted and traded the next day.
I value my time now.
^^ This as well. I'll play 10 hours of Vahalla on Gamepass for the sake of it but probably no more than that. I played like 80 hours of Elden Ring (at the half I think) and I know I'll play it again. But I can't stand filler like Ubisoft titles.
 

Dr_Ifto

Member
I hit old man stage last year too. My desire to just play everything cool ended. Now I just play what I really want to. As a trophy hunter ,I rarely went back to older games I liked, but now I'm replaying games all the time. Also taking my time and enjoying games more.
 

phant0m

Member
I'm almost 35 and have been playing games for 30 of those straight. No breaks really (probably a mistake during college), just consistently playing for three decades. For the vast majority of that time, I've enjoyed very fast paced and/or difficult games. The last decade plus has been dominated by Souls games and fighting games.

But something changed. 2023 was a very difficult year for me and now that the dust has settled, I think I've come to the conclusion that between all my responsibilities and endeavors, I simply don't have the mental energy for these more difficult games.

I'm starting to seek more chill games. Mostly JRPGs and platformers. Still have a bunch of shmups I'm sprinkling in (I really need to do a 1CC this year), but what's great about these is they're short and you can really get your arms around them.

I'm really working on my health this year, so maybe my increased energy will affect my outlook, but that remains to be seen.

Have you ever gone through a big change in game taste?
same op. mostly, I can't handle live service games.

like, I installed Star Rail on my PS5 last week and after spending 2 hours(!) getting through the prologue (aka actually get on the train). the game throws like 4 more types of content at you. do these dailies! do these weeklies! collect these and those! 3 types of currency! don't forget special event!! banner+++

I literally said "I don't have the energy for this shit", closed the game and uninstalled it.

I don't have the energy to keep up with Destiny 2's strikes/dungeons/gambits/events and various mechanics for craft weapons and shaping weapons and these modifiers and those modifiers. But don't use those modifiers, they don't work anymore. Don't use that gun it's not meta -- they nerfed the Flabbergaster Bambino builds like 3 patches ago.

I want shoot gun, kill enemy. RoboCop: Rogue City was a good game.

RE4R is a good game.
 
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Will turn 38 this year.

The two best games I've ever played came out last year. (BG3 and TOTK)

The convenience of the cloud is becoming more appealing to me.

At this point, the games I will play now need to respect my time and offer return on that investment.

Alan Wake 2 is a perfect example of a game that despite it's critical acclaim and graphical prowess, didn't respect my time. I hate it, and games that pull similar shit I will avoid like the plague.

Another is the Hogwarts. Tried playing with my son and just getting to the school and started was such a shitty experience. And the payoff was just more tutorial menus.

If a developer takes my money, breaks my trust and wastes my time I won't be back.
 

Gp1

Member
I don't have the energy to keep up with Destiny 2's strikes/dungeons/gambits/events and various mechanics for craft weapons and shaping weapons and these modifiers and those modifiers. But don't use those modifiers, they don't work anymore. Don't use that gun it's not meta -- they nerfed the Flabbergaster Bambino builds like 3 patches ago.

Sometime i don't even consider games that are complicated to buy.

You need a fricking manual to understand which version of Hitman is the most complete one. And in some cases even if you buy the Ultimate Pro Deluxe Premium Complete, you may miss some dlc here and there.
 
Difficult games require too much time and commitment. I'm 42 and lately I just can't play all these AAA games nor any multiplayer games with all the countless progression systems. I've been playing more Nintendo games, vr and some retro arcade games for fun...
 

Quantum253

Gold Member
This is right around the time the same thing happened to me. 35 years old, I’m 42 now. I’m still playing the lighter games, I have no interest in going back to what I was playing. When it started to feel like a chore, that’s when I gave it up completely. Video games should be enjoyed by you, whatever that means to you.
You know you hit the apex when you hear a game is 100 hours and don't even consider playing it due to time constraints. Or it's the only game you play that year.
 

Rac3r

Member
I turn 30 soon and have felt the same recently. Just don’t have the energy to blitz through every game with ease like I used to.

In my teens and early 20s I obsessively tried to beat every game I started; whereas I have 5+ unfinished games from last year alone.
 

VinnyMac

Member
I'm 35. And have been mainly sp games for about 5-8 years now. It definitely is alot better online gaming is just to much hassle imo
 

Duellist

Member
lol, I’m a old man gamer (49)but not because of marriage or kids. My kids are 22 and 19 so I pretty much have as much time as I want to play. My wife is not a cling on or needy. She does her thing and I do mine. Problem with me is games are not as engaging as they used to be. I hate it because the games are so amazing. They just feel like a slog sometimes and I don’t feel like putting in effort. I still play and beat most of what I play it just takes me awhile lol
 
I’m almost 30, and I have run out of patience for the majority of these “cinematic” narrative driven games made by Western Developers. I’m not getting any younger, and these games deliberately waste my time. I don’t want a game to be over 15 hours if the gameplay and story doesn’t meaningfully justify the length of the game.
I don’t want to walk slowly while hearing mediocre to bad dialogue be constantly delivered, I don’t want to be subjected to the work of game developers who see themselves as story auteurs first and gameplay auteurs second, and I don’t want them to mold gameplay around what is “realistic” or what looks best “cinematically.”
 

IAmRei

Member
Im at 38, and my finger is not what used to be, slower and often makes me choose eaiser gameplay. But sometimes, i went wild and playing souls. Also the soul games are akin to tactical for me, with shield. I'm more to gameplay now, although sometimes i watch my friends playing AAA on our studio ps5. Between works and play, and i worked as gamedev, i can still playing games freely rather than only my separated times. I dont know if i worked in another industry, i might not have time to play more complex games anymore.but switch can be savior at those situation.

I have friend who is at 35, and he give up hack and slash or fighting games. More to turnbased JRPG or something that can be enjoyed slowly.
 

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
It's actually the opposite for me.

The older I get, the more focused my taste in gaming becomes.
Same, I result I buy less games compare to others but I rarely get disappointed with the games I buy.

Some people might say my taste is limited and maybe they are right but I couldn't be happier.
 

Moonjt9

No Silksong? = Delivering the pain.
As I get older, I don’t do fps games anymore or competitive multiplayer for the most part(outside of street fighter 6).

My focuses have really revolved around story heavy games, and if a game has difficulty settings that shit goes right to easy mode. I still love my souls games though and hard platformers like Celeste, so I still git gud if I have to
 

sigmaZ

Member
Turning Around GIF by Max

I completely understand where you're coming from. My late twenties and early thirties marked a significant transition in the way I engage with games and media as a whole.
That one South Park episode really hit the nail on the head.

However, I've navigated through this phase by adopting a more critical lens towards gaming. I now focus on the mechanics and the craftsmanship behind games and stories, appreciating the 'how' of their creation. This approach has allowed me to enjoy gaming in a new light, moving beyond the initial excitement of hype or familiar tropes that no longer have the same impact on me due to overexposure.
 

Raven117

Member
By my mid 20s I stopped playing all online games and just started playing single player narrative driven games. Now in my 30s, I play about 4-7 games a year which I give my full attention one at a time. I much prefer it this way. No stress of having a backlog or feeling that games are too long when you're just focusing on one. Or the stress that comes from junk repetitive online games. I make the most of this smaller selection of games. Another habit that changed was when I play games, which during the working week is in the late evening from around 7pm and after dinner once errands are out the way. Usually I'll play a few hours at most. On the weekend it's more carefree but I like to get outside during the day and see people, unless the weather is truly awful. I prefer having this structure and I'm enjoy the hobby more than ever.
Floating White Cat GIF by lilcozynostril
This is basically me.
 
36 here and still enjoy souls games. However, I've noticed that in the last few months I'm playing older games and less newer titles. I even played through MGS1 a few months back and now I'm playing through 007 Nightfire and San Andreas on Steam Deck.

I still play some new stuff, but I've got basically no desire to pick anything new up aside from Dragons Dogma 2 this year. I think as you get a bit older you realise that your time is really valuable and you want to utilise it better. At least that's how I feel.
 

JusticeForAll

Gold Member
Mid thirties here. Don't play any multiplayer anymore. Only thing I'm playing are single player campaigns. All in my own tempo. Between a busy and demanding (although rewarding) job and a family, that's all they I have time for. And that's fine. I know I can't compete with a 14 year old who has time enough on his hands to get better at any online shoot 'em up than me, but I don't feel like I need to.

I also don't want games wasting my time. So Ubisoft copy and paste open worlds for example, are also off the table. I don't collect shit in games for the sake of collecting it. I don't care at all about trophys or achievements. Games I don't like, I just stop playing. Starfield was so boring I stopped playing after 10h or so. Being older and making enough money allows me to just drop a game. When I was younger, I just wanted to finish all of them to the end. Now I simply stop when it doesn't seem enjoyable anymore. I also don't replay anything. When I want a new game, I buy it.

It doesn't mean I can't play longer games anymore it commit to a game. Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate 3, both long games, example, finished. But they respect my time and are well made.

Just a different attitude towards gaming then 20 years ago. Still enjoying my time doing it.
 
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NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
Games are the only real challenge for youths who don’t live in high-stress school settings like Japan, or who don’t practice sports. Even more so now that school is even easier than 30 years ago. When the challenges of adult life kick in and you don’t have as much time to game, you tend to lose interest in challenging games. Yeah, there’s 40+yo people who still play every single action game at max difficulty and still performs like a champ, but that’s not for me.

The issue isn’t necessarily the difficulty. It’s that the time required to get to a certain level of skill means that I’m very likely to drop the game, because my gaming time is very inconsistent. If I can’t play a skill-based game regularly, it’s useless to even try. A more relaxed game is more of an incentive for me to play it even when I’m not feeling top form, which is often.

This doesn’t mean I like to play cinematic games at normal difficulty, though. I’ve been enjoying retro games and more arcadey games where there’s little down time. Sitting in front of the TV also doesn’t feel right to me these days, so I love my Switch for its portability. I do play every game on normal, like I always did, and if it’s good I may be tempted to replay it at higher difficulties. Starting on hard will typically ruin a game for me, for the reasons already discussed.

Even if I had a whole day to game, I probably wouldn’t game all day. It’s a rare game that makes me do that. Only the two latest Zeldas and Elden Ring glued me to the screen like that in the last several years. The gameplay loop must be that good. Otherwise, I can manage two or three hours before my unproductiveness alarms start going off in my head and I have to do something else. Being a responsible adult does that to you.
 

clarky

Gold Member
I'm almost 35 and have been playing games for 30 of those straight. No breaks really (probably a mistake during college), just consistently playing for three decades. For the vast majority of that time, I've enjoyed very fast paced and/or difficult games. The last decade plus has been dominated by Souls games and fighting games.

But something changed. 2023 was a very difficult year for me and now that the dust has settled, I think I've come to the conclusion that between all my responsibilities and endeavors, I simply don't have the mental energy for these more difficult games.

I'm starting to seek more chill games. Mostly JRPGs and platformers. Still have a bunch of shmups I'm sprinkling in (I really need to do a 1CC this year), but what's great about these is they're short and you can really get your arms around them.

I'm really working on my health this year, so maybe my increased energy will affect my outlook, but that remains to be seen.

Have you ever gone through a big change in game taste?
I'm 50 this year, I've gone the other way. Rarely can I be arsed with single player story games, Alan wake 2 I just didn't get on with at all for example. I mostly play FPS's, multiplayer games or the odd outlier like Cyberpunk or Starfield these days. Keeps the hand eye coordination and reactions up, or at least I like to think that it does.
 
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31 and gonna actually get into my backlog. Gave up on MP years ago
MP sucks. You spend countless of hours on something that doesn’t really do or give you anything. Buy an Ayn Odin 2 and put some old fashioned emulation games on it. It’s totally awesome! Brings you back to your childhood where games were still just unadulterated fun.

Where girls could still look hot and not like a man-baby. Where not everything was super serious and dark. When stories could just be fantasy and not have to be deeply rooted into todays society.
 
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