Middle-aged people are still addicted to games, and all they want is their own pleasure
When a person reaches middle age, if he still insists on playing games, will it be regarded as a manifestation of a wasted career and a depraved mind? Perhaps some people will look down on those middle-aged people and feel that they no longer conform to the behavior and mentality that mature people should have. However, as someone who has experienced the post-80s era, I think such a judgment is too one-sided and biased.
The post-80s generation has witnessed first-hand the development and evolution of the video game industry. We are not only participants in the game, but also witnesses and enjoyers of its development. Each generation of consoles, every classic game, has brought us endless fun and indelible memories. Video games are like the most dazzling stars of our youth, shining in our lives.
Remember the summer of the 90s, when we sat on a mattress and blew a ceiling fan, sitting around in front of a black-and-white TV and typing in cheats to get endless lives? Classic games like Contra, Super Mario, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles made us linger. At that time, we only had one life, and we took turns to take on challenges, and each expedition was a mixture of victory and defeat. Even if we hide in our cousin's house at night and are considered mischievous by our neighbors, we think it's worth it.
However, after high school, we rarely had the opportunity to play games anymore. But for me, sneaking out to an internet café on a quiet night to play games has become a luxury and fulfilling. The feeling of being immersed in the virtual world made me forget about academic pressures and family responsibilities for a while. Although it was a short time, it is deeply seared in my memory.
After work, I bought my first Xbox 360 console and bought a Kinect motion gaming device. At first, I was fascinated by somatosensory games, but then I was interrupted by daily chores. Still, the experience of playing online against players from home and abroad and communicating in broken English is still unforgettable. Grand Theft Auto 5 was the pinnacle of playthrough, a virtual city where I could fly a plane, a yacht, or even a tank to confront the police and fire two shells. In Grand Theft Auto 5, I was able to pursue freedom and excitement.
Video games give every player the opportunity to find their own joy and fulfillment. Unlike in real life, you can have a luxury car, a mansion, and countless beautiful women to show you all the time, and you can be your true self. As time went on, more and more high-quality games such as Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us 2, Once Upon a Time, Ghost of Tsushima, God of War 4 and Cyberpunk 2077 were released and became widely discussed and popular. As a multi-platform player, I've experienced several of them myself and found my own joy and satisfaction in them.
Video games are one of the symbols of modern technology and the information society. It is not just an entertainment, but also a culture, an art form. Games give us the opportunity to interact with the world, allowing us to experience fun and adventure in a virtual world that cannot be brought by real life. It brings together music, drawing, programming, storytelling, and more to create a whole new way of experiencing it.
It's not a wrong choice for middle-aged people to still devote themselves to the gaming world. We should not judge them with bias and one-sided views. Everyone pursues happiness and fulfillment in different ways, and gaming is just one of them. As the post-80s generation has experienced firsthand, video games have been an integral part of our upbringing, bringing us endless joy and precious memories.
In this age of technology and information, let's accept and respect the choices of middle-aged people to play games. They're not obsessed with it, they're pursuing and having fun in the activities they love. As a game enthusiast, I'm proud and happy that I've played and still play games. Let's celebrate the joy of gaming instead of prejudices and stereotypes against middle-aged people who still love gaming.