When you were a kid........

[Mixah]

did adults tell you that you wouldn't be playing games anymore... and now you're in your late teens, early twenties, and even mid 20s - 30s+?

what do you say to them now?

my mom asked me when will i grow up... and i tried telling her that many adults play... she didn't believe me... bleh.

[dbostick]

Yeah, both of them told me that shit, too. I still play and they don't really say a damn thing about it.

[woof]

my parents never told me that shit


in fact, i think i hear my mom playing that new zelda game right now :rofl:

[plasmakill]

Yeah my parents never said that either. My father plays games though, was the one who put me on.

[DS]

I still get that talk every day. I just got my white Japanese PS2 in the mail with Berserk and GGXX/ and my mom bitched out it talking about when am I gonna grow and stop playing these stupid games. I just roll my eyes at her and tell her she's old and getting bitter with time.

She hates the fact that I like playing fighting games, though. And she considers all video games to be a waste of time and money. Me and my uncles are gamers at heart. It's one of the things that we grew up with as kids. And we get hated on for playing games.

The only thing me and my uncles don't see eye-to-eye with is my love for fighting games and their love for sports games. Till this day, we still don't see eye-to-eye.

[Kayin]

/r/ pics of woof's mom.

[Alzarath]

Parents gave me shit all the time about it. Hell, to this day my dad still asks me why I still watch cartoons.. *sigh*

[Taskmaster]

I didn't get it till I was maybe 14. Half my family asks if I waste my time with videogames when i see them.

[Zantua]

My parents say that even to this day. I just shrug them off and keep playing.

[berserkotaku45]

my mom doesn't really get on my case about playing video games. sometimes she would say that i shouldn't spend all my money on games etc but thats about it. My dad on the other hand would rather i'd be outside playing sports or something. ohwell i don;t talk to him anymore anyways( and no it wasn't because of games)

[Demon Dash]

I think about this a lot... It's all down to last generation people being stuck in the past. They say "read a book, it'll make you smart." Yet they fail to realise the strategic elements in video games today that way excell any benefits you get from reading. What you gonna learn? Page confirm on reaction?

[berserkotaku45]

^ i think you can learn a lot from videogames but you can also learn a lot from reading, people should do both

[Lilman]

Thats one reason i think the newer generation is just getting plain stupider. Just think about it, how easy are the games do they have now? They're braindead easy with the exception of a few. Give a kid Battletoads now and they'll say its not pretty and kill themselves when they try to play it.

[sirblew]

I used to get that all through my teenage years. Into my twenties my parents seemed to give up and just accept it. I'm 29 now and also still watch and collect Transformers, play video games, and spend large amounts of time on my computer. However, contrary to popular opinion back in the day, I do actually go outside, have a good social life, travel a lot and have a wonderful girlfriend. So tell them they'd better get used to it cos it's not a bad thing and not going to go away anytime soon! :wink:

[Taskmaster]

I think about this a lot... It's all down to last generation people being stuck in the past. They say "read a book, it'll make you smart." Yet they fail to realise the strategic elements in video games today that way excell any benefits you get from reading. What you gonna learn? Page confirm on reaction?

What would those be? I've never learned anything from gaming that was usefull in the rest of my life.

Not reading should be a crime.

[ArcadeFire]

My folks told me that when I was younger. Now that I'm 21 I find myself playing VGames in general less and less now. :confused:

[1/2Man1/2God]

i never used to play vgames much until i was like 15 then i was real hardcore with the gaming.Then i turned 18 and i'm like i don't have time to play games theres loads of free vagina out there i gotta get some before it's all std'd.but now i'm back on it since i got a 360 and I downloaded Gunz the Duel and that shit i like crack.I can't stop playing.in fact im suprized i'm not playing now.if you don't have it u should get it.shootin mothafukkas for no reason is loads of fun.

[Digitalbooty]

Ahhhh...

I struggle witht his everyday. The "hardships of a 24 year old gamer. lol


My parents got on my case for a while. Now, they don't really mind. Hell, my dad is 64 years old and has just now shown an intrest in games recently (Wii Golf.)

The people I get the REAL hate from are my friends and people my age. I have some friends that play as well, but they never leave their house. I have some other friends that I go out with and drink or whatever. Most of them think I'm stupid for gamming. They say it's a waste of time and for a long time made me feel really shitty about it. Like, there was something wrong with me and I needed to grow up. I took a step back and looked at the people who have tried to clown me for all that time. I thought about what most of them have acomplished and what I have acomplished. Most of them are on that yay almost every night going broke. If it's not that, than they have social issues where they feel like they have to go to the bar every night to have fun. They have to have "friends" around them at all times and sleep with randoms because they're so insecure they don't know what else to do. None of these people have any hobbies. None of them are really passionate about ANYTHING for that matter. I used to be JUST like them, but I think I'M the one who grew up.
Now, when they have something to say, it doesn't phase me at all because WTF are they doing that's so fucking great?

Even my GF says shit like, "you'll grow out of it. You won't have time in a few years." (She's a few years older than me.) I may have less time, but I think it will always be a hobby of mine. What's the difference in a grown man watching football every Sunday as opposed to playing SF once a week?

[Demon Dash]

^ i think you can learn a lot from videogames but you can also learn a lot from reading, people should do both
I agree...

[DrumlinerJoe]

My ma used to tell me that when I was a kid, now she just laughs and says she can't belive my friends and I (26-28 years old) are still into it. It doesn't bother her, hell she bought me an X-Box for Christmas a few years ago.

[frostfeuer]

My parents told me this a few times, but they've come to realize that video games also "grew up" with me as the content became more mature and sophisticated (did I just use this word to describe games?), and that into adulthood, I'd still be playing.

I'll do a little devil's advocating and say that I don't think I'll ever stop playing games. Those who think gaming is a child's phase that will go away are behind in the times and need to understand that gaming is an integrated part of this culture. Not everyone is into it, but it's prevalent enough where I believe everyone, regardless of age or gender, should at least acknowledge it as a legitimate pasttime. This is the last bit that I think deep down, drives a lot of gamers crazy, is that there is still an amazingly ignorant part of the society that can't get past the notion that games are for children or immature adultolescents living in their parents' basements.

On the other hand, as I continue to age, I do find myself playing games less frequently. I don't have hours to raid on WoW, or, sadly, have as much time to practice fighting games as much as I'd want to. There's a reality that for any adult who takes care of him/herself, more responsibilities pile up, especially for those who have families. That will take away time that younger people have for gaming. Nothing wrong with young people playing games more than older folks can, and there's nothing wrong with taking care of your daily chores to maintain a good lifestyle and therefore, be able to fit video games into your life.

There just hasn't been a precedent before in our society to deal with this phenomenon of video gaming. That's where you also get these ass-backwards people telling you what gaming is and isn't, despite they have had no life experience in dealing with games. At the same time, none of us, who have grown up playing games, know what lies ahead of us decades from now. Maybe we will wake up one day at 50 and decide gaming is shit and quit. No one knows. The oldest generation of gamers is, right now, in their mid-30's (I qualify this group as the first who play games from childhood on, into a society that at least supports their hobby in product, if not in spirit), and we have no idea what a gamer generation looks like when they're 70.

So after all this crap, my point is this: No one, gamer or not, can say for certain how far you can game into your life. All you guys who are in high school or something (and I'm not talking down to anyone based on age), I just wanna say that you guys should enjoy it, and don't let an adult tell you when you will outgrow it. Make that decision yourself and take care of your own shit.

[SpinalBlood]

At 60 years i will probably still playing sf and stuff :)

[Vynce]

At 23, I realize I'm still somewhat young, but I still try to find the time to play video games when I can. No one I know knocks the habbit, as almost every single male friend of mine, ages 20-38, plays video games. Maybe it's the weather up here in New Hampshire, keeping us all indoors for six months at a time.

Some background- I'm a 23 year-old with a very active social life. I live in an apartment with two roomates, in a small city near the town I grew up in. I work full-time (48 hours a week, actually), and have a girlfriend with whom I'm in love. It's not always easy to find the time, but I manage. I actually had her in my room practicing fireballs in Alpha 3, not 20 minutes ago.

[UltraDavid]

my parents never told me that shit


in fact, i think i hear my mom playing that new zelda game right now :rofl:
How old are your parents though? Aren't you pretty young?

[Angel 666]

My parents dont care about that. Maybe cause i also work with videogames. Anyway, my dad is helping me building another arcade stick, and he plays too from time to time. So i guess they're not against videogames. Just in case you wanna know, i'm 24 and my parents are 46-52.

[SwmmrManShen]

its not playing video games thats the problem, its spending ALL your time playing video games. gotta have diversity

[Angel 666]

its not playing video games thats the problem, its spending ALL your time playing video games. gotta have diversity

well, i dont know then. i have a social life, or at least i try :)

[PsychoSquall]

What I can't stand is people who play MMORPGs to the point where they neglect their friends, familiy, job, showering, etc.

[reiji1337]

my parents are pretty old, im only 13 and my mom is 45 or somethin :sweat: I never got the game talk and i've played games since 4 years old (street fighter hand held ftw) heck, my uncle encourages me to play games (im a 3.8 avg student btw, so i can play as many games as i want)

[KStella55]

I'm guessing why parents say that is due to the fact that most of them only grew up with pong and shitty PC games that had no depth. Its most likely their view on video games even to today.

Its starting to change nowadays, video games are much more time consuming. Hell I would buy a really deep fighting game for $50 than buy 5 DVD's to watch.

[Biolink]

They kept the controller in my hand when I was little.They said

"At least we know where you are"

Now I am addicted to videogames and now they want me to get out a little more and get more involved in the school in which I absolutely loathe along with the majority of its students.I like to get out,but at heart I would much rather stay home than crusing around the mall or wherever else.

[Mixah]

My mom complains when I invite like, ten friends over and we have an all nighter street fighter 3 tournie... its' definitely not the sound, cuz we're at the other end of the house on a different floor, and sometimes in the sound-proof garage when we play... she just complains that we're all destined to be losers in life... bleh

[Chozen1]

did adults tell you that you wouldn't be playing games anymore... and now you're in your late teens, early twenties, and even mid 20s - 30s+?

what do you say to them now?

my mom asked me when will i grow up... and i tried telling her that many adults play... she didn't believe me... bleh.


parents, siblings, relatives gf, fiance, wife, gay bf or gf, whatever & whomever will never understand us and our love of the game; we"re all kids at heart.

[Humbag]

What i fucking hate is when my dad always say "Well maybe if you hadnt spent all your time playing videogames, you woulda blah blah blah" everytime i dont do so well on some school assignment. Im sorry, i really only play games in free time when others watch tv really. Its a hobby just like how people like pogs or fix cars or something.

[elvis_a_presley]

As a kid, my parents never had an issue with me playing games and watching cartoons. As long as my school grades didn't slip, they never had a problem with anything I did.

I think I was lucky enough to have open-minded parents that understood that everyone blows off steam in different ways, and just because they didn't like games didn't mean it was "wrong". The wouldn't understand Street Fighter if it jumped up and bit them on the bum. But that didn't mean they felt the need to reject it.

I'm 28 now and I still play every games and watch cartoons every day. Instead of parents I have a wife now that questions my habits, but again has no problems as long as the mortgage is paid and I don't ignore my family. But now with some young children (the oldest is 6) they have a dad who loves games and cartoons as much as they do. I'm not one of these blokes who disappears all weekend at the golf course. My kids get plenty of quality time with their old man, a lot of which is shared doing things we both enjoy.

Plus my wife would rather me "at home on the arcade machines then out and about at pubs with skanky whores" (her own words). She gets to keep an eye on me, and I get to have fun. It's win-win. :)

There's nothing wrong with staying young at heart, and there's nothing wrong with doing things you find enjoyable and relaxing. If people want to have a mentality that games are "only for kids", that's their loss. I know how much fun it's brought me, and nobody can change that.

[F.Y.C.N.]

yeah i used to catch a lot of shit from my folks about playing video games. Mainly bc they just didn't understand the games themselves. My sisters would watch me play Third Strike with friends when they would come over and run hour long sessions and they (my sisters) would constantly nag me about "playing a kids game" and stating that it was a "cartoon game" and they would question me and my friends about the validity of the game itself. "Its not like a REAL sport" and then i would say "what about chess?" isn't chess widely considered a competitive sport? I would have to explain that MOST fighting games are unique to video games in general in that they are a interface for two minds to collide. a TRUE thinking mans game. there is a level of depth to most fighting games that most people will never truly see, which is why i think we catch shit for it. the amount of intricacies and nuances that exist in fighting games are layered in such a way that you cant possibly understand them unless you've played the game enough and been around enough people that already understand it to further your own understanding... much like chess... which also gets a lot of shit but is also considered a grown mans game.

also i don't give a fuck what people think, as long as there is good comp for me to play with i won't stop playing Fighting games... but if they do fade then back to puzzle games for my curious mind

[Mechanica]

No. My mom didn't care, and my dad did, and still does, play video games.

[Yenian]

When we got our first computer back in the early nineties, I got my father into Flight Sims, and eventually Civilization.

He'll never see the appeal of FPS, and probably never fighting games, but he still sees that games are enjoyable.

So I never got the 'you'll grow out of it' speech. But my father played paper-counter wargames back when he was in college, so maybe that just transferred.

[Mixah]

What i fucking hate is when my dad always say "Well maybe if you hadnt spent all your time playing videogames, you woulda blah blah blah" everytime i dont do so well on some school assignment. Im sorry, i really only play games in free time when others watch tv really. Its a hobby just like how people like pogs or fix cars or something.

RIGHT!!!
i hate that fucking shit.

[Oni_Ryu]

^ i think you can learn a lot from videogames but you can also learn a lot from reading, people should do both

You can, with RPGs :tup:

[Taichi]

My dad pretty much just accepted it.

now, he just lets me be.

when my brother came over to visit, he watched us playing Guitar Hero, and it was my DAD who suggested my bro take it up, and see how good he was at it.

so, he has pretty much realized it's not a fad (same with me collecting toys into my late 20s)

[woof]

You can, with RPGs
yes i am going to learn all about slaying dragons and terrible writing in the rpgs of today

[Josh-TheFunkDOC]

Hah, this has been kinda funny how things turned out...

I used to spend a lot of my time playing games when I was younger. My parents happen to be some of the coolest people ever, so they liked it, and they appreciated the fact that I loved to read just as much. Also, they always made it a point to take me to see concerts, go on road trips, and do other things with them. This didn't do much for me at first, but over time I have come to appreciate more and more of the world around me.

I learned about the fighting game scene through alt.games.sf2 and then SRK, and this is the main way gaming can teach you about life, I think - through competition and the power of community. I've met some of my best friends here, and enjoyed all sorts of memorable experiences.

However, I began to play other games less and less as I grew up, and now I do so hardly at all. I get my test of skill from fighters, and hardly any video games offer any other sort of experience that truly compels me. The only one left that honestly means anything to me is Valkyrie Profile, for reasons too long-winded to get into here.

So maybe our parents were right - about some of us, anyway.

[Lantis]

Yeah, my mom still gives me shit to this day. In fact, she even went as far as saying she would put me in "video game rehab". :rofl:

Then again, my mom gives the damnedest reasons to hate on my gaming habits. She says I keep thinking about video games when I do random stuff like eating or doing chores. Who died and made her psychic anyway? And if she did have those powers, I would be busy figuring out the lottery numbers. I don't know where she gets the idea, though, as I NEVER mention video games in any conversation I have with her...and even if I did, I doubt she has enough knowledge to know WTF I'm talking about.

She has also blamed video games for my unemployment, which is actually a consecuence, not a reason (ergo, if I had a job, I would technically be playing less video games).

I think the only thing left for her to say is that SF causes AIDS, Final Fantasy is the reason for poverty in Africa, and that Halo causes global warmth. :looney:

But of course, I could give a shit bout what she says these days.