40 years old and gaming strong

Should I feel like there is something wrong with what i'm doing? There is this stigma with gaming where most people my age don't understand it. Thing is ii've been successful. went to college. GF. Good job. Was planning te done with video games in my early 30's. But just started playing games again. What else would i be doing honestly? Isn't life supposed to be fun vs trying to fit into some status quo? If i enjoy playing games i should play them? I'm starting to feel that way. I'm really excited for this gen got a ps4 there are abotu 10 games iw ant this year. lol.

Should if eel like there is something wrong with me and i should be achieving something else? I've been there done that.

That's silly. I'm in my 40s. And I'll stop playing video games when they pry the controller from my cold dead hands.

It's a good hobby. It's interactive art, it keeps your mind sharp by practicing problem solving skills, keeps your hand eye coordination strong. And it is way more exciting than a round of golf. ;)

Do what makes you happy, if you dont want to pursue a traditional lifestyle thats up to you. And no theres nothing wrong with you for enjoying your hobby.

I was raised like games were a waste of time but yet my father is the one who got me into games with the commodore 64 when I was a kid. Been gaming my entire life pretty much although had years where I didn't play much. Thing is I've done the whole relationships stuff and working my way up the corporate ladder. I'm trying to think of other hobbies I should be doing. People in my family travel and do all sorts of stuff. I am more excited about what's coming out for the ps4 lol. I just part of me doesn't think it's overly productive. But some of these games these days are really fun.

I get on psn kick the crap out of kids playing nba 2k and killzone. Watch them quit. I'm really good at these games too.

How old you are is irrelevant... I'll keep playing games until I stop enjoying it. Whether that's when I'm 80 or tomorrow, who cares.

LOL ... agreed! I'm also in my 40's and love love love gaming. My husband plays occasionally but I'm the gamer in the family. Life is good. I will never stop playing. Too much fun and games now a days are crazy cool with so much to offer in terms of story line, graphics, and lets not forget gunfire & explosions! ;)

Why should you feel like there is something strange about playing games? do you feel strange about reading a book or watching a tv-show or going to the movies.

If you are in your 40´s you are the first gen who grew up with videogames even tho they were in arcades and were pretty much pong-style, but you grew up with them so i would say its pretty normal to still be playing today, as normal as it is watching a movie or TV or reading a book.

But in the end Its all about entertainment so why not use the sources you have available.

I'm 49 and I still game fairly regularly as do friends of mine both younger and older. I would assume that anybody that oddly looks down on anyone for gaming (odd as it's a very common interest these days) are simply people who never really got into gaming regularly. No doubt it's the same way I look at people getting all excited about the highs and lows of various sports teams an almost alien thing.

Nothing wrong with that as long as you enjoy playing video games.

if playing games makes you happy, do it.

Who cares what age you are. Gamers can be any age. I know people in their 30's, 40's, and 50's who play games and they will never stop. And I myself will only stop playing games when I die. Games are not just for kids, they are for everyone. It would be like saying that only young people can watch films.

I propose a toast to OP. May he live to be 120 and game to the very end.

I'll never stop gaming, just as I'll never stop enjoying movies, reading books, listening to music, or appreciating art.

I'm 42 and I'm still going strong.

@Celtic_34: Keep on gaming if you enjoy it!

Oh jesus.....this is old thread "Im old should I be ashamed because I play games blah blah blah" again.

Get over yourself. If you like games then play them, if you don't then don't. It really is that easy. But lets be honest, you wanted some attention and paid special attention to by a bunch of strange guys on a internet forum because you thought youd get a lot of responses praising you because you think youre older than most of the other users.

My neighbor and a good friend of 20 years played battlefield 4 last night with me and we talked on mumble while he flew the choppers and I gunned for him. He is 67, so I laugh at your "Im 40 and I play games". Im 38 so I just don't care. You don't deserve special attention for playing games despite your age.

And really now? Why the hell is this in system wars? Or that's right......this part has a lot of traffic so you were hoping more people would see it and cheer you on for being an old man gamer.

That's how i feel. I just see games as another form of entertainment. I don't watch a ton of tv so games are my entertainment that way. i wish i was younger in ways and was ahead of my time lol. Still people who game in my age group but i was one of the few people in my high school who was really into gaming at the time. It wasn't really mainstream like it is now.

^^ good for you keep on gaming my friend ^^

Do you need a hug?

Well, no, nothing is wrong with that. I may be young now, but hell with that. I'll play video games till I'm 80. Which is close to 60 years from now. You can take out your anger in the games, that's what I do. I use video games as a way out of the real world, this society. Books worked for me for a while, but gaming gives you a larger imaginative structure in each game, depending on the certain gaming genre. You get to chose how you want certain stories to go and some stories have multiple endings so you can end the game how you see it ending, the best way. It's completely normal.

Men have hobbies. Thats what we do in our free time. For some guys it's golf, hunting, sports, fishing, comics, movies, etc. For our generation the main hobby of choice is gaming.

Don't worry about what women think about your hobbies because women have always complained about their man's hobby because they would prefer all your free time to be spent with them.

And don't worry about the opinion of older people cause older generations are usually out of touch with the latest forms of technology. So their opinion is biased.

You make a good point. I wish I'd thought to bring that up earlier.

I've read a study that says Catharsis isn't as useful as people once thought it was. But I say bollocks to that. When I was getting divorced oh so long ago, I played fighting games as a way to vent frustration. I've never, in nearly 42 years on this planet, picked a fight with anyone. I've never raised my fists in anger or willfully brought physical harm to another person. But that doesn't mean I never thought about it. Games have always served as a good outlet for aggressive feelings for me in those situations. That may not apply to everyone, but it's done wonders for me. Tekken was my angry game of choice around that time. And luckily there was a character in that game who shared my name (Paul).

Like the old saying goes. "Age ain't nothing but a number". It's all about maturity. Nothing wrong with gaming at any age as long as it doesn't interfere with your day to day priorities. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Plus, depending on your preference, gaming can offer more reflective analysis than books, movies or crap reality tv.