Do You Think That Video Games Are Childish?

Whoever says that to you is so out of touch with reality. LOL Seriously, there are A LOT of "adults" who play video games. We grew up in the dawn of the video game age. I know guys in their early 40's who play video games. My part time employee's father kicked him off their console so he could play a video game.

I'm what you'd call a "fanboy" (though I never ever dress up like some do and I'm far from the geeks on big bang theory) I'm part of a small yet huge community of people who there are several around my age or older. Just look at the boom of comic book movies lately, it's becoming more socially acceptable over the years. We're realizing just because we get older doesn't mean we have to grow up and be stuffy adults with our heads stuck up our ass. I pity those who are.

Sci-Fi said:

Whoever says that to you is so out of touch with reality. LOL Seriously, there are A LOT of "adults" who play video games. We grew up in the dawn of the video game age. I know guys in their early 40's who play video games. My part time employee's father kicked him off their console so he could play a video game.

I'm what you'd call a "fanboy" (though I never ever dress up like some do and I'm far from the geeks on big bang theory) I'm part of a small yet huge community of people who there are several around my age or older. Just look at the boom of comic book movies lately, it's becoming more socially acceptable over the years. We're realizing just because we get older doesn't mean we have to grow up and be stuffy adults with our heads stuck up our ass. I pity those who are.

Click to expand...

It was my aunt who called me a "Man Child". This coming from a woman who stays up 24/7 sucking down menthols and playing "Casino Kid" and "Solitaire" on her computer.

If it is childish, then I'm staying a kid for a long time. I don't really think it is, and people who say that just don't know the joy that is gaming.

VanillaCreme said:

If it is childish, then I'm staying a kid for a long time. I don't really think it is, and people who say that just don't know the joy that is gaming.

Click to expand...

Exactly.

You only need to worry if you go out with a towel tied around your neck. Now that may get strange looks.

Although I don't play them I don't think it's childish for adults to play them.

Adults need to have some fun in their lives and if they enjoy the games more power to them.

I don't see anything childish about video gaming. In fact I'd much rather play my "childish" video games than get cleaned out at the "adult" games that get played in casinos. I have fond memories of the mid-eighties when people played games on machines like the Commodore 64 or Sinclair Spectrum. You'd spend minutes watching the opening screen load from the tape drive. There's also the point that some games have storylines that are definitely not aimed at kids. Lastly when I hear the "grow up" argument in connection with things like gaming I always like to reply with this quote: "Growing old is compulsory; growing up is optional."

Are video games childish? Yes, sometimes, it depends on the context.

As Sci-Fi alluded to we’re the first generation who have grown up with gaming and like other first generations we’re going to come up against opposition and misconceptions about our activities before it becomes the acceptable norm. There is no quick fix to all this, things will take time to develop but for the record I’m willing to bet that if you look back far enough into the depths of history you’ll find older people being criticised for listening to music or even reading books. That’s just how things happen and I for one see video games as being the equivalent to music, books or movies. It’s another viable medium that shouldn’t be discredited just because some people don’t practice it.

But like I said, depending on the context even I have to admit that it can be childish. As is stands, due to work commitments I only have time to game for an hour or so at the weekends, I’ll listen to gaming podcasts, read websites or magazines and even attend the occasional event (if anyone has a chance to visit Video Games Live then do it). I’m responsible, I pay taxes and complete chores, to me the hour or two of gaming is no different than sitting down to watch a movie or read a book.

On the other hand are the gamers who game above all else, who shout and scream at other players, who turn up at might night launches with the sole intent to cause trouble, who hold a false sense of elitism and sit around oblivious to all else while demanding others to serve their interests. In this case it isn’t gaming that is childish but the addictive nature of the gamer that makes it look so but like history as shown; all you need is one bad apple to sour the orchid.

Gamers like that make us all look childish and it’s not just the kids unfortunately.

i too know more adults that play video games than kids. like you said, nothing wrong with being a kid at heart.

lol, I've been a gamer since the age of 6, now going on 37. My dad is in his early sixties, and still playing games. Mind you it moved away from the mainstream stuff but his Train simulator and Flight simulator games are the stuff that he keeps himself bussy with.

Boys and their toys, the older the boy the more expensive his toys... some play with RC airoplanes, others with expensive cars, it is all the same thing in the end.

^True that.

books
comics
movies
videogames

even toys... some are for adults, some for kids.

now there might be more for kids but as time goes by there are more adult games, the gamer generation is growing, and I wouldn't be surprised if someday there were more adult games than kids games.

and if you put together the adult porn games, I'm quite sure there are more adult games than kid games.

Well, if the video game is based on Dora the Explorer or something, then yes... it's childish. I see nothing childish about a lot of the video games out there. They're way too violent and/ or sexual.

Just the act of playing a game couldn't be childish. After all, adults play games based on athletics, cards, trivia, drawing, all sorts of things. The fact that you're using an electronic tool to aid you in the game doesn't suddenly make it childish.