Questions for fellow Generation X gamers.

[MrPopo]

Just to toss in my own two cents about the Internet divide, I was born in 1985 and remember the world pre-Internet, so I am not sure if it makes a great distinction. I also remember the last years of the Cold War, but coming from a military family, we were more focused on this than most.

I do also know that I don't feel the connection to social media and the like that millennials are so often labelled with. And if you call me a snowflake, I'll gut you with the knife I carry.

Everything Ack said aside from the being aware of the Cold War.

[Exhuminator]

If you and Ack are 32 years old, traditionally that puts you dudes in the first wave of the millennial generation. I understand you can both remember the world pre-internet, but to be fair; no cultural-generational divide is going to be as binary as we might like. There's always going to be a transitional period between generations. In that regard, it's sensible a cusp-rider may make a decision as to which generation they feel they belong too. Now, I don't want to go too far out in the derailed weedlands (inevitable to be honest), but here are some descriptor traits for both generations...

Generation X

(From http://www.marketingteacher.com/the-six ... n-america/ )

Born between 1965 and 1980
The “latch-key kids” grew up street-smart but isolated, often with divorced or career-driven parents. Latch-Key came from the house key kids wore around their neck, because they would go home from school to an empty house.
Entrepreneurial.
Very individualistic.
Government and big business mean little to them.
Want to save the neighborhood, not the world
Feel misunderstood by other generations
Cynical of many major institutions, which failed their parents, or them, during their formative years and are therefore eager to make marriage work and “be there” for their children
Don’t “feel” like a generation, but they are
Raised in the transition phase of written based knowledge to digital knowledge archives; most remember being in school without computers and then after the introduction of computers in middle school or high school
Desire a chance to learn, explore and make a contribution
Tend to commit to self rather than an organization or specific career. This generation averages 7 career changes in their lifetime, it was not normal to work for a company for life, unlike previous generations.
Society and thus individuals are envisioned as disposable.
AIDS begins to spread and is first lethal infectious disease in the history of any culture on earth which was not subjected to any quarantine.
Beginning obsession of individual rights prevailing over the common good, especially if it is applicable to any type of minority group.
Raised by the career and money conscious Boomers amidst the societal disappointment over governmental authority and the Vietnam war.
School problems were about drugs.
Late to marry (after cohabitation) and quick to divorce…many single parents.
Into labels and brand names.
Want what they want and want it now but struggling to buy, and most are deeply in credit card debt.
It is has been researched that they may be conversationally shallow because relating consists of shared time watching video movies, instead of previous generations.
Short on loyalty & wary of commitment; all values are relative…must tolerate all peoples.
Self-absorbed and suspicious of all organization.
Survivors as individuals.
Cautious, skeptical, unimpressed with authority, self-reliant.

(From https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-diff ... Generation )

Generation X is generally used to refer to people born in the 60s and 70s. According to Strauss & Howe, it is a Nomad generation, an archetype they share with the "Lost Generation" of the 1890s and 1900s. Both generations are characterized by a disaffected attitude and general disdain for everything that came before. Xers' hatred of Boomers can be seen everywhere from politics to music; they transformed rock n'roll from cutesy swinging to angry screaming and brought punk, metal, and grunge into the world.

As individuals, Gen Xers are known for being nihilistic and cynical, and this is certainly understandable considering that they came of age just in time to experience the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall, a series of economic crises, and the AIDS epidemic, just to name a few.

Nomads may be hell-raisers as youths, but as they move into middle age they have a growing sense of responsibility to fix the mistakes that the previous generation made in society. Gen X leaders (of which we have a notable example in our own President Obama) are pragmatic, cunning, and hard to fool; they've seen it all and aren't much for bullshit.

Millennials

(From http://www.marketingteacher.com/the-six ... n-america/ )

Born between 1981* and 2000*.
Aka “The 9/11 Generation” “Echo Boomers” America’s next great generation brings a sharp departure from Generation X.
They are nurtured by omnipresent parents, optimistic, and focused.
Respect authority.
Falling crime rates. Falling teen pregnancy rates. But with school safety problems; they have to live with the thought that they could be shot at school, they learned early that the world is not a safe place.
They schedule everything.
They feel enormous academic pressure.
They feel like a generation and have great expectations for themselves.
Prefer digital literacy as they grew up in a digital environment. Have never known a world without computers! They get all their information and most of their socialization from the Internet.
Prefer to work in teams.
With unlimited access to information tend to be assertive with strong views.
Envision the world as a 24/7 place; want fast and immediate processing.
They have been told over and over again that they are special, and they expect the world to treat them that way.
They do not live to work, they prefer a more relaxed work environment with a lot of hand holding and accolades.

(From https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-diff ... Generation )

Generation Y is used to refer to people born in the 80s and 90s. Their archetype is the Hero generation, an honor they share with the "G.I. Generation" who fought WWII. Compared to Xers they practically led a charmed life; their parents had ready access to birth control, so they were generally wanted, nurtured children. They were more sheltered by society then their predecessors and their family units were more stable. Helicopter parents and soccer moms are a ubiquitous sight for children of this generation.

Gen Y is sometimes known as the Peter Pan Generation because childhood was so good to them that they have a tendency to delay adulthood. But when they do come of age, Heroes earn their name. They are more orthodox in their approach than Nomads and as policy-makers they may be downright conventional, but they are united by a deep-seated idealism and desire to save the world. Looking at something like climate change or global recession, a Millennial won't blame the past but look forward to the solutions of the future.

To sum up a lot of history in a little bit of space, you can think of Xers as the people who will tear/are tearing down the entrenched institutions of the Boomers, while the Millennials will be the ones to rebuild from the rubble and return order to the resulting chaos.

And a very indepth PDF here contrasts Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials. I am not saying I agree with all the information in that PDF. But it is an interesting read.

Based on that information, a cusp-rider might make a more informed decision, as to which generation they feel inclined to reside within. In that regard, if someone relates as a Gen X'er, and is in their thirties, then by all means answer the OP questions if they wish.

[Ack]

Well, as a cusp, I have a mixture of values from both sets. For instance, I was a latch key kid whose parents divorced and whose dad was definitely driven by career (and still is, just looking at new careers post-retirement). I feel both the optimism and suspicion for government institutions and big business. I appreciate loyalty, and I want to save my "neighborhood," by which I mean my country; I have attitudes towards international relations which some might interpret as outright imperialistic. Saving the world means dominating the world. I'm also driven by the same career focus as my father, and while I joke about being lazy, I typically work 45-hour weeks with related hobbies on the side. I prefer to work alone for the most part, as I've learned I can get a lot done on my own. I do spend a considerable amount of time socializing over the Internet, but I don't use social media much.

Interest in gaming:

Gaming has been a form of escapism for as long as I can remember, whether it is avoiding thinking about bullies, divorce, mental problems, etc. It stayed as a way to lose myself, but it also presented me with something that can tax and challenge my mind and that I can appreciate as an interactive work of art. I also use them to continuously prove I'm still an adept old hand; I hate the thought of losing my edge to dumb kids who don't know a damn thing.

Others stopped gaming?

Responsibilities, not using them for the same reasons I do, seeing them as a childish thing to put away are all things that come to mind. But the truth is, it seems more and more that older folks continue to play games of some sort or are getting into them, so as acceptability continues, I think many will return.

Value about video games?

Art. It gives me a sense of elation and satisfaction, but it can also challenge in ways other media cannot. Most of my hobbies revolve around media, and over time I have begun to admire the simple crafting of it, be it a film or a game. I don't feel this same sort of admiration for other things.

Feel guilty?

Yes. And yet I still play.

Adult responsibilities?

I'm bad about this. It does not interfere with work, but I tend to rely on it heavily as a crutch to relax after work, to the occasional detriment of my relationship. We have developed a sort of compromise however; I play certain games in the living room now, which keeps me present so I can engage instead of just disappearing into my game room. This has come about through communication with my girlfriend.

Back in time?

This may be a cop out, but I would show GOG, both to teach myself about the way games evolve but also to point out the value of older titles and to show I don't always need the next big thing. When I was younger, I had to buy games on day 1. I stopped that behavior in college, but I could have stood to learn patience and an appreciation for what I have when I was a pre-teen. Plus I have so much to play that I always wanted to try! I gotta show myself I make it and get all those games.

Gaming into retirement?

I don't see myself stopping. My interest and means may change, but the core of the hobby is always there.

[Jmustang1968]

I was born in 82, but feel much more in common with the Gen X. I have seen other brackets put Gen X until 84...

As for the questions...

Why do you think you've remained interested in gaming even into middle age?
It is a hobby I grew up with, and I have embraced modern gaming, and updates in gaming as well as treasuring the classics. I can also play games with old school friends who I don't live near anymore, out of town family, and my wife. I hope to play games with my kids as they grow up as well. I will answer more on this in a question below about other hobbies.

Why do you think most Gen X'ers stopped gaming over time?
Many see it as a waste of time. They get married to someone who isn't game friendly, or have kids and seem gaming as taking away time from them, their marriage, or their careers. I have heard some say they have "grown up" from video games.

What do you value about video games, that you can't find in common adult hobbies such as binging television series, playing golf, watching sports, social media, or fishing/hunting?
Well, one aspect I like is that I do it at home, so I don't have to leave the house, and it is easy and convenient at night. While this perk is shared with tv and such, it is a bonus against many outdoor activities or out of the house activities. I do enjoy some good tv series, and I also like sports. I often play games while watching tv or sports as well. But I mentioned above, the social aspect of playing with friends and family is great. It keeps us in contact. It is also a challenge and an escape. It is more engaging than idly watching something.

Do you ever start to feel guilty about wasting time, when you're playing video games for hours long stretches?
Not at all... I see it as if it is my free time, and I am being entertained, then it is time well spent. I also thing video games have helped gain knowledge (I've played a bunch of historical type strategy games and such) and I think it helps keep my mind sharp and hand-eye coordination.

If you have common adult responsibilities like a full time career, taking care of a property (house/yard/automobiles), maintaining a marriage, raising kids, walking dogs, etc. how do you manage your time for playing video games?
I don't sleep much. My house is new and doesn't require a ton of upkeep. I also hire a service to cut my lawn. I have a wife and 2 kids, but my wife often games as well. I have dogs, but rarely walk them, but I have a large backyard and they run around and play together there.

If you could go back in time, and show yourself as a kid some sort of gaming media/hardware from today, what would it be?
Probably either modern high end PCs, what they can do is amazing, or the capabilities of handhelds such as Vita, 3DS, or even the Switch. Wireless controllers on recent consoles would amaze my young self as well.

Do you think you'll still be gaming into retirement age? Or do you see yourself ever losing interest in this hobby?
I doubt I lose interest, especially that my kids are entering the age they can start enjoying games as well, I believe it will continue.

[isiolia]

Well, born in 1980, so, pretty well fit into this...

Why do you think you've remained interested in gaming even into middle age?
A number of reasons really. My interests and hobbies skew to technology and A/V anyway, and games are often great showcases for that. Games have been a shared interest with friends - if not the primary way I connect with them - since I was a kid. In a lot of ways too, at least with regard to consoles, I've been in the primary demographic targeted. When games started to skew a little older with 5th gen...I was a little older, and so on. So it's not as much of a coincidence that I could keep seeing more that interested me.

On the more realistic, if perhaps cynical side... I'm single with few demands on my time that might have made keeping up with things more difficult.

Why do you think most Gen X'ers stopped gaming over time?
Either didn't have the free time or found things that interested them more to do during it. In turn, they don't keep/upgrade hardware with playing games in mind, and end up with a barrier of entry outside of mobile games or lighter fare on PC/Mac. I think there's also a consideration of taking over the living room or something - I played fewer single player console games in apartments or when I've had people stay at my house. So maybe that plays into it some as well.

What do you value about video games, that you can't find in common adult hobbies such as binging television series, playing golf, watching sports, social media, or fishing/hunting?
Different kind of experience, I guess. Can be interesting from creative or technical aspects, can create a feeling of having accomplished something, or just more involved. Also a more interesting kind of thing to collect since they actually can be used for something (same as other media really).

Do you ever start to feel guilty about wasting time, when you're playing video games for hours long stretches?
Sometimes, depends on what else I need to be doing. Where I tend to look at things more negatively is in retrospect, tallying up all the time put into games over months/years, and what other skills or projects could have been worked on. Leisure time is good and necessary either way, of course, just a matter of more lasting skills or results coming from it.

If you have common adult responsibilities like a full time career, taking care of a property (house/yard/automobiles), maintaining a marriage, raising kids, walking dogs, etc. how do you manage your time for playing video games?

Do the other stuff first. /shrug I have relatively few responsibilities, all things considered, though I do work full time, own a house, etc.

If you could go back in time, and show yourself as a kid some sort of gaming media/hardware from today, what would it be?
Probably a mobile device with some E3 trailers and stuff on it.

Do you think you'll still be gaming into retirement age? Or do you see yourself ever losing interest in this hobby?
I figure I'll continue gaming in some way, since the particular things I've spent time on have varied a lot over the years already. I could see vastly cutting down or refocusing things if needed or wanted though, and kind of assume that'll be the case at some point.

[dsheinem]

1979 here, so I suppose I am a Gen Xer too...though I never very much felt affinity with the folks in Singles. Great soundtrack, though. Hmmm...

I am a cusper, I guess. I dunno, we have these "generational differences" debates in higher ed all the time and the more I have had them the more I am inclined think the generational categorizations are more of an obstacle to understanding differences, trends, etc. than a help.

That said, the questions here are still worth considering, so:

Why do you think you've remained interested in gaming even into middle age?

For me, that question is like asking "Why have you remained interested in watching movies?" or "Why do you continue to enjoy sex?" or some such. I just can't really imagine wanting to cut an entire medium or activity from one's life after they've already determined that it is enjoyable for them. Tastes evolve over time, but I feel like there's more than enough variety in gaming and game history to always find something to explore. I may no longer enjoy watching sports or sitcoms on TV, but that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy the well-made dramas or political shows that air on the same technology. (It also doesn't mean that I won't some day find that I enjoy sports or sitcoms again.) Video games afford this flexibility.

Why do you think most Gen X'ers stopped gaming over time?

Did they? I don't know that there's good empirical evidence for that claim, since the ESA's annual research on the average age of gamers seems to be staying right about what my age has been for almost my entire life. Right now the average gamer is a Gen Xer (or at least a late Gen Xer) and that's because we have had the medium bending to our evolving interests our entire life.

What do you value about video games, that you can't find in common adult hobbies such as binging television series, playing golf, watching sports, social media, or fishing/hunting?

I enjoy lots of other "adult hobbies" as well, so I don't know that video gaming scratches a decidedly different itch than any of my other interests do. I tend to seek things like kayaking or hiking or reading or writing as hobbies - these are almost all things that can encourage engagement and exploration, interactivity and socialization, isolation and introspection, etc. I feel like games can offer all these experiences as well, so it is a very natural hobby to have amongst many others.


Do you ever start to feel guilty about wasting time, when you're playing video games for hours long stretches?

At times I feel guilty for spending too much time with games (in general or in a specific session), but I don't consider it time "wasted" in any way. I think gaming has to function at various priority levels at different junctures in one's life, and sometimes these can get flipped around in ways that create some of the sense of guilt you are alluding to here. But the time wasn't wasted if it feeds my enjoyment of a hobby that I like to delve into with regularity.


If you have common adult responsibilities like a full time career, taking care of a property (house/yard/automobiles), maintaining a marriage, raising kids, walking dogs, etc. how do you manage your time for playing video games?


I have the luxury of pretty much setting my own schedule and of being able to stay home with no specific work expectations for long stretches of time every year, so I do much of my gaming when I am home alone. I don't know that I'd be a good candidate for being able to manage time for playing games with a regular 9-5 schedule, though. The thought of that makes me shudder.


If you could go back in time, and show yourself as a kid some sort of gaming media/hardware from today, what would it be?

Coincidentally, probably the three games I have spent the most time with so far this past week. All of them are PSVR games.

I'd show myself Jeff Minter's Polybius, because it is basically what every 1980s TV show/film promised future VR video games would be like. It is a truly transcendent experience, and it blows my mind as an adult....I can't imagine what it would do to me at age 10 or something.

I'd also show myself Skyrim VR, as its open world would probably be far beyond the scope of imagination for what games could one day be...especially the idea of walking around in such a vast environment.

Finally, I'd show myself Doom VFR, because it would have scared the shit out of me and I'd probably have loved it. It would also teach past version of me something about game design evolution through its inclusion of classic Doom levels (in VR) as well. I feel like I'd start myself with the original Doom in VR, then switch to Doom VFR to finish it up.


Do you think you'll still be gaming into retirement age? Or do you see yourself ever losing interest in this hobby?

I don't see myself ever losing interest in gaming, no. I do wonder if I will hit an ability gap at some point, though, where I lack the necessary motor skills or vision/hearing/etc. to make gaming enjoyable. If playing games starts to feel like an unpleasant reminder of my elderly ailments, I will probably stop playing.

[Sarge]

There apparently is a thing where those kind of stuck between generations are considered a micro-generation, in this case, Xennials.

http://m.startribune.com/sandwiched-bet ... on=variety

Also forgot to mention that I was born in '79, so late Gen X for me. Although ironically, other than my affinity for tech stuff, I think I'd have felt even more at home in the '50s. I'm sure that's a function of my parents and when they were born.

[Exhuminator]

Did they? I don't know that there's good empirical evidence for that claim, since the ESA's annual research

There's always a debate about the ESA's claims. They consistently show older people as "gamers", but they count playing browser and casual phone games as "gaming". Technically those are games, but not in the same sense as strapping a VR helmet on and playing Polybius is gaming. So when I say "stopped playing" I am talking about serious gaming, not fluff gaming.

I don't consider it time "wasted" in any way.

I wasn't trying to imply entertainment is a waste in and of itself. Rather to the point of burying your head in a video game when you know you've got more important things that need to be done. Or perhaps using your time more constructively like woodworking training, practicing guitar, learning Japanese, programming a sentient AI, that kind of thing.

I do wonder if I will hit an ability gap at some point, though, where I lack the necessary motor skills or vision/hearing/etc. to make gaming enjoyable.

I figure when/if that happens to me, I'll just stick with turn based genres like strategy, adventure, RPGs, puzzlers and the like.

Like Sarge and Dsh, I was also born in '79.

[Sarge]

Yep, that's why I'm getting in all my twitch action games now!

[marurun]

Though I was born in '77, I consider myself a Xennial and part of the cusp. Technology is advancing quickly enough, and influencing society and individuals quickly enough, that I think this notion of distinct generations, though always somewhat iffy, has become even more questionable. I think as little time now as 5 years can make a massive difference. Further, individual differences in personality or preference are now more widely accepted and acknowledged, where when I was born there was still additional pressure to conform. There are certainly up- and down-sides to this change. That said, these questions still resonate with me, despite my thoughts on the context.

Why do you think you've remained interested in gaming even into middle age?

Because it never stopped being fun, and if you give up what you find fun, what do you have left?

Why do you think most Gen X'ers stopped gaming over time?

Social expectations (games are for kids), social demands (peers not into games), less time as adults.

What do you value about video games, that you can't find in common adult hobbies such as binging television series, playing golf, watching sports, social media, or fishing/hunting?

Interactivity, fiction, and escapism. I've always been into fictional worlds, I will always look for ways to escape the daily grind, and I think interactivity adds a compelling depth to those experiences when done right. I still read fiction for the fiction and escapism, too.

Do you ever start to feel guilty about wasting time, when you're playing video games for hours long stretches?

Yes, absolutely. More now that I have a kid than ever before, because it takes time away from him AND leaves more on my wife.

If you have common adult responsibilities like a full time career, taking care of a property (house/yard/automobiles), maintaining a marriage, raising kids, walking dogs, etc. how do you manage your time for playing video games?

I don't, really. Most of the time I spend gaming is keeping up with a single freemium game on my phone. Otherwise, I might be able to slip in an hour over the weekend. Trying to deal with that more now that I have a DS, a flash card, and a couple Japanese translations. Fingers crossed it will help.

If you could go back in time, and show yourself as a kid some sort of gaming media/hardware from today, what would it be?

Probably the cheapest piece of junk Android smart phone I could find. My younger self might be super impressed with the latest iPhone (or Android device), but if I spent more time with it I'd probably come up with some of the same complaints I have today: why hasn't voice recognition and assistance improved faster? Why are we still messing with touch screens? Don't your fingers get in the way? Where are the buttons for stuff that needs buttons? Why is there all this stuff you still can't do in light of all you can do? I think the low-end junky Android device is probably a better thing to show off. Look at what the really low end is now! You didn't even have cell phones. They were only these things in rich peoples' cars on TV, but now look. They're these tiny touch screen computers, and even though this cheap POC is highly imperfect, look at what this lowest-common-denominator piece of tech can do!

Do you think you'll still be gaming into retirement age? Or do you see yourself ever losing interest in this hobby?

I can see my interest in certain genres or types of games changing, just as they have since I was a kid, but I don't see myself ever truly giving up gaming unless I never manage to recover enough time for myself to play. I could see life getting harder and responsibilities more time-consuming and having to give up gaming as a practical thing, but never just because I no longer want to do it.