Can you really outgrow gaming as you get older?

I was just pondering this point today. IMO, it might be possible, but odds are it won’t ever “really” happen.

If you grew up as a gamer, odds are you will continue to game. You may become more selective in what you buy. Or buy more retro games that you liked, or missed out on back in the day.

What are your opinions on this, forum folks??

I can't speak for everyone, but for me, I'm in my late 30s and gaming has always been a passion of my hobby. I've been gaming since the early 90s with SNES/Sega Genesis. But nowadays, I game souly on PC as its way more coinvent to play all of my games on one system vs consoles.

I do see myself continue playing games until my body isn't able to. I could see myself no longer playing games in my 90s...if I reach that age of course.

I don't really play like I used to when I had time in my teens and 20's. I still enjoy gaming though can go months without playing anything. I think it's normal though am somewhat more selective on what types of games I play now.

@pillarrocks: agreed. I’m 41 years old. And I’m slower than when I used to be in my 20s. I just can’t go around playing every game. I’ve become very picky as to what I play due to time constraints.

I think if you grow up playing a lot of games you easily able to outgrown it. I personally feel that as we been playing a lot of games we simply run out of games to play and less interested in new genres. I been playing a lot of JRPG and nowadays its pretty hard to come across a really great JRPG so I been playing a lot less.

People grow out of things all the time, but that doesn't necessarily mean as you grow older you'll move away from the things you used to like. Perhaps just change some of your habits and find a new sweet spot. For me personally although I still like online multiplayer I've been playing more RPGs, MMOs, and coop games with friends and family, so of something feels stale or a force of habit just break the mold and try something outside your normal wheelhouse. You never know, you might wind up finding some new genres you previously overlooked.

I think you hit the nail on the head there. I play less games but am more selective and play more retro. Right now I'm playing Pokemon Yellow. Very nostalgic for this game.

I think I could tell that I was sort of wavering in my interest in gaming when I was In teens like as soon as I got to 18 ,I always tend gravitate towards more retro stuff when I had the Xbox 360 either that or go for niche titles

You can probably go through phases with any hobby where you are more into it at times and less at other times. It's natural to be captivated by different activities at different times.

I think more than outgrowing is becoming time limited.

When you are kid you have all the time in the world.

As a grown up you have work, wife, kids, friends. You just can't justify the time unless you are very comfortably financially and don't have very big advancement aspirations.

Like I still game, but only a short time during weekends. More if I am sick, but nothing like I used to. Maybe 5% of what I used to.

@outworld222: I turned 40 not too long ago, and my love for gaming has only grown stronger. It helps having more income as an adult and basically being able to say "I want that, I will buy that, and I will buy it now" to any game I come across that catches my interest 😋

I will say, however, that my tastes have become more refined and different than in the past. I tend to stick mostly to sandbox building games or city builders and things like that. I've all but gotten out of multiplayer shooters, my bread-and-butter in my youth. And other things like that.

I still dabble in A LOT of games, though, and I will always be down to support an independent or small-scale developer with a risky purchase into a genre I normally don't play, but I tend to focus much of my game time into very specific subgenres.

There are times when I doubt myself, that I'm being childish or could be doing something better, but then I remember a.) there's nothing childish about it, the urge to "play"--be it a game of chess, a video game, a puzzle, a model kit, etc--is not only natural, but critically important to happiness, and b.) what exactly is "doing something better"? I already work, pay my taxes, spend time with my family, hang out with friends...I have enough.

I would say I find my getting more burnt out quickly and more picky with what games I buy. A couple generations back I used to go crazy and buy everything.

No, and I'm tired of pretending that you can.

Agreed. I think that after work, you only owe it to yourself to wind down and play a good video game. It doesn’t have to be a video game, either. Could be a board game, or any of the things you have mentioned.