Why do some people say they "grew out of gaming"?

[Clumsybeast]

I don't understand why people say this tbh. I am 35 years old, and been playing games since i was 7 or 8 years old. I am still very much into gaming, even though i dont have as much time to play as i did back then ofc. This claim makes it seem as if gaming is only for kids, when the average age of a gamer is 34. It gets annoying when i hear it. I understand some people move to different hobbies sometimes, but it doesnt mean you "grew out of" anything.

[Grendalcat]

They probably made some kids, married or not, and now spend all of their time working to support them.

[WarHeRo]

some ppl get adulted

[90054321564584560]

i think they moved on from sitting at the desk 24/7 achieving numbers on screens and things that they cant control.

[ṼṏẌṏḭḊ]

It's easier than admitting that they don't have what it takes.

[Dr. Weird]

Nobody grows out of gaming. The games just change.

[The Tunnel Ratencio]

Originally posted by GigaChud:

Nobody grows out of gaming. The games just change.

I agree with this, i dont think i "grew out of gaming" im just no longer part of the audience they are aiming for and thats all right. Im just not that interested in 90% or so of the modern "big AAAa" releases anymore but new games still come out that i enjoy a lot.

[Xero_Daxter]

Me personally I didn't grow out of gaming. I just game less because of life. And to reduce stress I start to play less competitively. Not that I don't ever play competitive but not as often as I use to.

[Haruspex]

Interests do change. That's normal.

However saying you "grew out of gaming" seems to be an effort to elevate yourself above your peers who are still playing games at their expense. You're saying you are better than they are, more mature, and evolved. They are basically still children playing with toys.

This is ridiculous, of course. "growing out of gaming" makes about as much sense as growing out of reading, or growing out of movies.

It's okay to lose interest in gaming. It happens, people move on to other things in life sometimes. If that happens to you, fine, but don't try and use that as a way to diminish others.

[Othobrithol]

In a lot of cases, older generations had much less tolerant views of gaming in general. If you are a millennial or younger, chances are your parents did some gaming and "grew out of it" but still basically understand it as a hobby. Raised by boomers, it is a topic that is simply not spoken about in my family. My grandparents had contempt for playing any game not involving a standard deck of cards. Some of their kin thought all gaming was the work of the devil.

I still avidly game, but my older brother was shamed into giving it up. He still likes to sneak games of Unreal Tournament. Never with me (ever), but that's another story.

It led to an odd situation where I was cast as a bad influence on my eldest nephew because he obsessed about Breath of the Wild (his first big game on his first console, and a fine choice for a first imho). I had played it with him when they were visiting. A month later, got told right off in text while simultaneously I was on facetime with both boys, getting them to calm down, get in bed and watch a movie.

[Haruspex]

Originally posted by Othobrithol:

In a lot of cases, older generations had much less tolerant views of gaming in general.

Yeah. My dad is either on the older side of Gen-X, or the younger side of Baby Boomer. I'm an old Millennial, sometimes called an "Xennial".

I recall in my teens to early 20s before I moved out of the house, I could sit on the couch watching garbage daytime television all day and he wouldn't have anything to say about it. The second I picked up a controller and started playing a game though, it was all "Why are you wasting all your time on that game? You should do something more with your life than spend it rotting your brain with video games."

Mom is just a few years younger than dad. She's certainly Gen-X. She didn't really play games much, but had a better view of them. She did have her moments. Once or twice my Gameboy was commandeered by her for weeks at a time. She started playing "Final Fantasy Adventure" out of curiosity one day, then didn't put that thing down until she had beaten it.

Now both of them are basically glued to their phones 24/7. Mom is Candy Crushing and Dad is doomscrolling on Facebook.

[Top Cat]

Originally posted by OldBeast:

Why do some people say they "grew out of gaming"?

Hey youngster come back in another 30 and ask why.

The terminology is irrelevant as the meaning is the same.

[Paper Rival]

Originally posted by Haruspex:

Interests do change. That's normal.

However saying you "grew out of gaming" seems to be an effort to elevate yourself above your peers who are still playing games at their expense. You're saying you are better than they are, more mature, and evolved. They are basically still children playing with toys.

This is ridiculous, of course. "growing out of gaming" makes about as much sense as growing out of reading, or growing out of movies.

It's okay to lose interest in gaming. It happens, people move on to other things in life sometimes. If that happens to you, fine, but don't try and use that as a way to diminish others.

Very well put.

[pants]

Gaming has grown out of me, personally.

I mean, I still play, it's just that my tastes have narrowed, as I've really honed in what I genuinely like and enjoy. And I've lived long enough for everything that's a retread to really irritate and annoy me, particularly when I can just... play the oldies. Which are the same, but run better.

I either look for the new, or I look for something that really does what I love most the best. And, honestly, amidst the sea of AAAA and AAA games out there, they just don't. At least not very often.

[Xero_Daxter]

Originally posted by Haruspex:

Interests do change. That's normal.

However saying you "grew out of gaming" seems to be an effort to elevate yourself above your peers who are still playing games at their expense. You're saying you are better than they are, more mature, and evolved. They are basically still children playing with toys.

This is ridiculous, of course. "growing out of gaming" makes about as much sense as growing out of reading, or growing out of movies.

It's okay to lose interest in gaming. It happens, people move on to other things in life sometimes. If that happens to you, fine, but don't try and use that as a way to diminish others.

Did you just say what I wanted to say but smarter?

I like you. c:

[SvarogX]

Originally posted by The Tunnel Ratencio:

Originally posted by GigaChud:

Nobody grows out of gaming. The games just change.

I agree with this, i dont think i "grew out of gaming" im just no longer part of the audience they are aiming for and thats all right. Im just not that interested in 90% or so of the modern "big AAAa" releases anymore but new games still come out that i enjoy a lot.

This.

Originally posted by 90054321564584560:

i think they moved on from sitting at the desk 24/7 achieving numbers on screens and things that they cant control.

You know that you don't have to play a game 24/7 right?

Originally posted by Othobrithol:

In a lot of cases, older generations had much less tolerant views of gaming in general. If you are a millennial or younger, chances are your parents did some gaming and "grew out of it" but still basically understand it as a hobby. Raised by boomers, it is a topic that is simply not spoken about in my family. My grandparents had contempt for playing any game not involving a standard deck of cards. Some of their kin thought all gaming was the work of the devil.

I still avidly game, but my older brother was shamed into giving it up. He still likes to sneak games of Unreal Tournament. Never with me (ever), but that's another story.

It led to an odd situation where I was cast as a bad influence on my eldest nephew because he obsessed about Breath of the Wild (his first big game on his first console, and a fine choice for a first imho). I had played it with him when they were visiting. A month later, got told right off in text while simultaneously I was on facetime with both boys, getting them to calm down, get in bed and watch a movie.

Dude, I am in my 30s and had 16 yrs olds telling me I should not be gaming at this age and that they would stop gaming out of the sudden when they are an " adult ".

The " boomers" never told me I should not be gaming.

Originally posted by OldBeast:

I don't understand why people say this tbh. I am 35 years old, and been playing games since i was 7 or 8 years old. I am still very much into gaming, even though i dont have as much time to play as i did back then ofc. This claim makes it seem as if gaming is only for kids, when the average age of a gamer is 34. It gets annoying when i hear it. I understand some people move to different hobbies sometimes, but it doesnt mean you "grew out of" anything.

I don't think anyone truly grows out of gaming as gaming is an activity... Which means you would have to grow out of enjoying games? But this is not possible as there are games for everyone!
Sure, nowadays a lot less for audience at my age, but its still there.

What I just noticed is that I get less of a kick out of it, I can imagine that in 10 odd years, I play a LOT less or a LOT more, depending of how the games develop. Its just that life is short and since I got family, I want to spend more and more time with them.