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Hello, I'm 31 years old and I play video games. Sounds like I should be standing up at a Gamer's Anonymous meeting. Actually, I play quite a lot of video games, a fact which I'm sure would surprise many of my co-workers. You see, I'm a working professional setting up a successful career through dedication and a work ethic that never quits.I even have a happy family of a wife, 2 kids, and a dog. I exercise almost every day and love kick-boxing. Not necessarily the stereotypical gamer, huh?

I fell in love with video games early on in life. My dad bought my brother and I an Atari 2600, my grandparents had Colecovision, and my friend had a Commodor 64 (those games weren't that great). It never stopped from there I guess. I had the Nintendo, skipped the Super Nintendo, but played the Sega system with friends. I bought my own Playstation when it came out. I now play, almost exclusively, Xbox 360 with an ever growing group of fellow "old" gamers. Most of us are over 25, play the same types of games, and like playing with a more mature crowd.

See, that's the key right there. We enjoy playing with people of our own age. We're able to play together through the newer consoles rather than being limited by a physical location as in the past. The advent of Xbox Live and Playstation Network allow gamers of all ages and interests to game cooperatively and competitively. I talk to a friend in New York City almost daily through my Xbox. We catch up on how our families, jobs, wives, etc. are doing while we blow-up some aliens.

There are some frustrations with playing online. For me these deal with the maturity of other gamers. I'm not sure what clicks in people's minds that allows them to spout obscenities at each other overa game. I'm not about to go on record as stating older gamers don't have crazy mouths either, but I think the odds are most keep quiet. One of the things about getting older, your toleration for crap talking youngsters is drastically reduced (especially since I went over the 30 mark).

I've found that my taste in games hasn't really evolved as I've grown older. I still like shooters, stealth action, and sports games. I don't have as much time to invest in gaming as I used to, but I still like to see all my games through to completion. The innovations in cooperative on-line play have made this even more enjoyable. I can now connect with another gaming geezer and play through a game side-by-side.

Getting older and having a passion for video games isn't odd, it's just another hobby. The enjoyment at this stage in my life is now derived from the social aspect of gaming. My gaming life started out simple, my requirements were minimal. As I've gotten older the industry has continued to deliver newer and exciting content and methods of immersing the gamer in the experience. I know I'm not the oldest gamer out there, but it's funny to think about what I'll be gaming when I'm 60.

Learn more about this author, Jarrod Coulter.
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