The Thrifty Gamer

I get a lot of criticism for playing video games. "What is a 29 year old doing playing video games?" Aren't you too old to be playing X-box? I've heard it all and quite honestly I'm getting tired of it. Video games have been a part of my life since I was six years old. That's 23 years, so in my eyes this is more than a hobby it's more like a passion. As I have gotten older I play less but video games are still a big part of my life. So that raises the question, "should adults play video games or leave them to the kids?"

First of all there are different ratings for video games just like movies are rated. You have rated "E" for everyone, "T" for teens and "M" for mature. The fact that there is a rating system for video games lets you know that they are made for different age groups. So with that being said would you let a 5 year old kid go see a rated R movie? Chances are you would not because there is going to be adult language and violence. Well, the same principles apply to video games. Some games are designed for children, while others are designed for mature gamers ages 18 and up. Take for example Grand Theft Auto IV by Rockstar Games. This is a wonderful video game, however I would not let my children play it. The main reason being the game has a M rating. There is more violence and graphic language in this game than a Terrantino film. The graphics and the game play are awesome, not to mention the game has a great story line to it but this is meant for a mature audience. My point is, some video games were created specifically for older gamers.

So my answer to the question is no. There is no age limit for someone who enjoys video games. I will still be a gamer when I reach age 50. It's just a part of my life that I don' t plan on changing. Now, let's discuss the adults who have a video game addiction. I am a recovering video game addict. I used to play at least four hours every day. Weekends, forget about it seven or eight hours easy! Listen, if you are playing that much and it is not your profession then you too are a video game addict. It wasn't until I started my online business that I was ready to do something about it. I always knew I had an addiction for video games but I never took that next step to do something about it. I can still remember playing Mario Bros. on my Nintendo for nine hours straight until the ac adapter blew out. A big part of running an online business is personal development. I realized that in order for me to develop into the man I want to be, some things had to take the back seat.

It's as simple as this, older gamers like myself have to get their priorities in order. If you don't have a job, you should not be playing video games all day. If you have kids, you should be spending much more time with them than on the video game. If you have a significant other, he or she should not feel like the video game is more important than they are. If you haven't been outside or seen another human in days because of video games, you need to evaluate your life. You can't expect different results if you don't take a different approach.

I can understand the argument from people who are against adults playing video games. Like drugs and alcohol, video games can ruin lives and destroy families. By no means am I putting video games in the same boat as heroin but it is an addiction. Before I started getting my life in order and prioritizing, my wife and I would argue three to four times a week. 95 percent of those arguments were due to me playing the video game excessively. She had no problem with me playing x-box, she had a problem with me playing for 5 hours a day. She had a problem with me being tired to get up for work. She had a problem with me not coming to bed because I was online with my buddies playing Gears of War. I honestly believe if I didn't slow down on my gaming she would have left me.

So where does a video game addict start when they decide it's time to grow up? Do what I did and listen when someone is telling you that you play too much. You have to admit to yourself and be ready to make a change. Next, you have to find another hobby to replace the gaming. You don't have to quit cold turkey, the point is to learn how to play for a reasonable amount of time. So instead of playing 6 hours a day, you only play 2 to 3 hours daily. Find something else to fill in that time that you would have been gaming. Personally, I started my online business and now this takes up more time than my gaming. Sure I miss playing as much as I used to but when I do play I enjoy it much more now. Not to mention, once my business takes off I will have the freedom to play when ever I want.

We know that us adult gamers have a negative stereotype. They think we are all lazy, burnouts who still live at home playing video games in our parents basement. You have to take responsibility for your actions and one by one we can give the gaming community a new image. I know the World of Warcraft(WoW) has a huge following. Some even go as far as to call it a cult. I'm not big into computer gaming but I can relate to them. There was one guy I read about who lost everything because of WoW. He would play for hours until it affected his job performance. Next thing you know he got fired, then the snowball effect came into play. A few months later his wife left him, then his home was foreclosed. The guy had literally allowed WoW to destroy his life. So to sum it all up, I am still going to side with my gamers and say that there is no age limit for video games. If a 30 year old wants to play Gears of War I feel that he has the right to do that. However, if that person's life is not in order they should not let video game interfere with their personal development. There is one question I want to ask all of those who criticize adult gamers, "how many hours of television do you watch a day?"

Discover how a laid off, video game addict turned his life around and now generates income online. The Paid Gamer