This is one topic that has been debated over at countless gaming community sites. And this is what I have to say about this: Gone are the days when videogaming was meant only for kids. Today, video gaming is meant to be enjoyed by people from all ages and from all walks of life.

And how, you ask, do I support this claim? With games of course! Game titles to be exact. But more on that later.

Today’s game developers and publishers might be tough competitors with each other, but I believe they all agree with one fact: the old school gamer has already grown-up. And with this knowledge, they brought to table certain elements that cater to the old school gamers: Mature content, Nostalgia, and Family appeal.

A character from Dead or Alive: Beach Volleyball err… relaxes on the beach

Mature Content
No one can argue that Dead or Alive: Beach Volleyball for the original Xbox triggered great interest (especially from the mature male crowd) because of its content that can be considered soft pornography in nature. The revolutionary Grand Theft Auto series that started on the Playstation gave new meaning to videogame violence as you play a thug and future mobster. The game allows you to steal and kill anytime you want.

Trailer for the original Dead or Alive: Beach Volleyball

Nostalgia
One gaming enterprise stands out in this department: Nintendo. With their diverse cast of gaming icons, they can easily make games that old school gamers can relate to because they grew up playing those game characters. Games such as Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, Pokemon and Donkey Kong are just a small part of their very robust repertoire. I’m proud to be part of the generation that grew up playing Super Mario, and I’m even prouder to say that I’m one of those old-school gamers who grew up loving games in general.

Mario’s family appeal and worldwide popularity never fades

Family Appeal
Games with family appeal are those that can be picked up just by anyone, and that includes grandma and grandpa. These types of games have brought in a new type of gamer generally called the casual gamer, as opposed to the hardcore gamer. Popular games that can be considered as having family appeal include the real-time dance simulation game Dance Dance Revolution, Will Wright’s The Sims franchise, Nintendo’s town life simulation, Animal Crossing.

Grandma and grandpa plays the Nintendo Wii
Conclusion
The Nintendo Wii, today’s leading gaming console, has launched a handful of titles that have appealed even to senior citizens. Among these games include Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Both games simulate sports and fitness using motion sensitive game controllers and peripherals.

Of course, the “new” gamers (a.k.a. kids of today) are never left out of the equation as there are new games developed which are geared for the youngsters. But that is probably best discussed in another post. There are other factors aside from the three that I have discussed above. But I find these mentioned facts to be most interesting.

So is anyone “too old” to play video games today? Never! Video gaming is for all ages.

(This post is dedicated to the passionate gamers of Philippine Ragnarok Online Boards a.k.a. Ragnaboards)

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