Ages and gaming (NeoPets and other games)

[Azurablue]

Hi! I was playing around with Fallout: New Vegas this afternoon (for the thirty-fifth time) and I started wondering about other gamers. When I got to NeoPets tonight, the question was still on my mind. So, I thought that I would ask all of you for your honest opinion to a somewhat delicate question. Now, I really don't want there to be any hard feelings if someone posts an unpopular opinion. We're all entitled to one and I'd really like to know what the general concensus is out there in the gaming world now.

 

What's your opinion on the age gamers should be?

 

Sounds simple, doesn't it? Certain games shouldn't be played by little kids. Ever. Then again, there are some games that adults look a bit creepy playing because they're designed for 3 to 6 years olds. So, it comes down to games in general. Not the games that are for adults only and not the ones for the really little ones. All that stuff in the middle. Including NeoPets.

 

What do you think? Be honest.

Thank you for your opinion, whatever it may be. :mario:

[Atta]

I honestly believe it depends entirely on the person themselves~
Some children are mature enough to handle games with adult themes, and others just aren't.
My parents introduced me to gaming quite young, and I basically grew up playing games like Resident Evil, Bioshock, Etc.
I don't believe it's had any adverse side effects...
Actually, I kind of think having to deal with stressful situations ingame has helped me deal with stress in real life a lot better.
Also I do quite enjoy being able to take my anger out on virtual characters in a game, instead of annoying classmates. ;3

I also don't consider it 'creepy' when adults play games that are made for children. Nobody should ever be degraded for the kinds of games that they enjoy.

I don't know really, I just don't think anybody should be judged for doing something that they enjoy, no matter their age.

[beruichi]

I don't think I understand the poll question, particularly its phrasing, since you're asking if gamers (without qualifiers about which games) should be a particular age range, so I'm not voting on the poll. I get what you're saying in your post, though. I think there are games that should be restricted to those above a certain age, like those with realistic violence and explicit sexual themes.

 

And I strongly disagree with your opinion about adults being "creepy" for playing games designed for kids. That doesn't make any sense to me. That's like saying old people can't watch or enjoy cartoons because those are targeted for kids. May I ask what brought about this opinion so I could see where you are coming from?

[muertadivina]

Approximately 9 years ago i started a neopets account for my now soon to be 13 year old. Shortly thereafter, I started my own account. I was hooked. So, given that i am soon to be 40, i suppose i must "look a bit creepy playing." HAHAHA! :laughingsmiley:

[Pookies]

I created my first account when I was in 5th grade...because the cool middle school kids had accounts...lol. Now I am in my early 20s and still playing. My mom created an account when I did because she wanted to know what I was doing online and she got hooked as well. I have met plenty of people in their 40s and one in their 50s...I think Neopets is for anyone to play. Besides, Neopets has super strict chat rules, so i think it's a pretty safe site for kids.

 

Neopets was originally created for college students, but I am glad that even kids can play it

[Ashbash]

I think if it makes you happy, then who cares how old you are. I could one day grow out of playing neopets, or I might not. (Probably the 2nd one.) And as long as I'm still enjoying myself, then I think it's fine. That's what life is all about!

[Azurablue]

Interesting answers! Thanks!

 

Honestly, I figured I wouldn't get a single reply. I guess I worded the poll badly. Sorry about that. I should take it down. As for "creepy"... that was also wrong of me to say it that way. I was purely looking at it from the stereotypical "creepy old guy preying on vulnerable kids" angle. There's loads of really good, legitimate reasons for why an older person might be playing a game designed for "little kids". If you have children or grandkids, for one obvious example. Just because you like the graphics or because it interests you are two more. So.... scratch the "creepy" reference with my apologies.

 

The reason for my posting this at all was because I've been at a number of other game forums over the years and I usually end up leaving them for one of two reasons: the younger crowd wants me gone because "I'm too old" or they find out I'm a gamer girl and the boys drive me out with any number of nasty tactics. I keep hoping that these two mindsets are changing. NeoPets is one of the nicest places I've found, yet the Battledome Forum has its trolls and flamers. Frankly, they scare me. A lot. Enough that I never post on the boards anywhere there. Here has been the first time in a long time that I've felt comfortable at all in participating. People at TDN really have been kind and don't seem to care about age or anything else. You have no idea how much this is appreciated.

 

I don't post my age on any gaming forums anywhere because I'm afraid of the fallout. That said, I trust you guys enough to say so. I'm 50. I go to a game store and regularly get asked if I'm buying Pokemon for my son or grandson. No. It's for me. Been collecting the Game Boy versions since they first started coming out. Been playing Resident Evil games since they first came out. Same story with Final Fantasy, Burnout, Fallout and many more. Most male clerks ask the same question (is it for my son/ brother/ husband/ nephew/ etc.). They don't believe me when I say it's for me. They look at me and ask if I'd like to see the new Barbie game or My Little Pony or Shopping Mania.

 

This is why I asked. I'm really, seriously hoping to find a place where it doesn't matter who you are, young or old, male or female, newbie or veteran. Everyone really is welcome.

 

Thank you.

[Xepha]

I read an article a couple months ago about girls and games. (Read here, it's very interesting.) I think age and gaming is in a similar situation. What I mean is that games are usually designed for a target audience. After all, we are talking of a product, so it has to appeal to certain people who are willing to spend money on it. However, there is no law anywhere that says that if you are outside of a target audience, you can't and won't enjoy the product.

A lot of people have false ideas about gaming, and we can't really blame them. Advertisements and marketing is what forged those ideas in first place. Before the Wii ads, we never really saw adults playing video games in a TV ad. Which is really silly, because most gamers are in their 30's. (I'm gonna leave another reference here, you can check it.)

 

It is very sad that you are victim of a double discrimination (age and gender) when you buy games. Maybe people seem nicer on Neopets because the community doesn't take that game as seriously as say a first person shooter game community. Neopets is rarely about competition. It's about achievements and goals in a much more casual way. Neopets also really cares about the younger audience and they created a family-safe environment for everyone. You will find people of all ages on Neopets, including your age bracket.

[patricebee]

I say whatever floats your boat and makes you happy then do it. These games are not "preying" on anyone and it actually does take a certain amount of skill to play. So people who push stereotypes (like the people in the game shop) are small minded. Don't worry about them because I'll bet there are more people like you than you think! I'm an older, female gamer too and I really don't care what others think. When I returned to neopets (I first played in 2003) I put in a fake BD not because of shame but moreso because there are weirdos out there who break into accounts and such and I don't think anyone should put their real BD online ( I especially believe that for FB). I probably should have said that I was 75 instead of 23! LOL!! I used a friend's birthday to try and help me remember just in case of account issues. Just FYI - I'm in the 30s age bracket so yay for older players AND younger players!

[Azurablue]

It's so frustrating to have people treat me and other older gamers (especially girls) like we're too old to know anything. Okay, I don't code. I admit it. My head doesn't work that way. On the other hand, I can spit out RPG stats for every Final Fantasy game (Game Boy, NES, SNES, PS1 and PS2 ) from 1 to 12 like it was imprinted on my brain. (Excepting 10 because I don't do online subscription-only games.) I'm five times Criterion Elite in Burnout: Paradise. I can take out 10 Raiders with 10 rounds from a sniper rifle from the clifftop above Evergreen Mills and make it a head shot every time in Fallout 3. I know nearly everything there is to know about Pokemon from blue/red/yellow all the way up to X/Y. So, I can't code. So what? I've been gaming since before Pong, back when computers still ran on punch cards. Yet they still treat me like I don't even know what a video game is.

 

Apologies for the rant. I wasn't showing off, BTW. Just giving a couple of examples of what we girls and what we older gamers are capable of, but are never credited with being able to do. I've been trying to stand up for us gamer girls since the late 70's and early 80's. I was hoping to see if things have changed since I was a teen. Attitudes are shifting, but not quickly enough. It's so sad to see a world with so much advancement in technology, so much knowledge flowing through the Internet... but so little respect for one another.

 

Again, forgive the maudlin attitude. I think I should close this thread. There's not a lot of point in it. It is what it is and all the hoping in the universe won't change it.

 

Thank you, ladies, for all of your replies. (Or had none of you noticed that not one male answered? Telling right there, isn't it? Some things never really change.)

 

Good night all. I think I'll leave for a while. I've likely burned a bridge or two by now.

[Xepha]

I don't think you should leave and this thread should stayed opened. There are other people like you out there. Even if it's just us the late 20s and 30s female who are games enthusiasts. As a member of the Neopets community and a TDN staff member, I welcome you to stay around here. <3

 

You are 50, and your knowledge of some games is awesome. I'm kinda jealous actually. I'm trying to catch up on the Pokemon versions I missed. (Had played Yellow and Gold, now doing SoulSilver and considering doing the others I missed after.) I replayed Final Fantasy 8 last summer, and made it to the end for the first time. I had been 10 years since I first played the game but I never bother to finish the last boss. Thinking of it, I don't think it would have worked because my CD ended up bugging during the last cinematic. Also started over Final Fantasy 6 when I saw I could buy it in the App store. There are a lot of games out there that I can't even play since I'm using a Mac. Don't make fun of me. I love my macbook pro. It's awesome at doing other things.

 

If creating games is something you want to do, you can send me a PM and I can point you to resources. If that's not your cup of tea, that's fine too. You don't have to become a game designer to enjoy games. Obviously not.

 

So you are 50, and know a lot of things about games. Some people know all about a TV shows, music, literature, mechanics, cooking, skydiving... It's your passion and it's your right to dedicate time to it. You know what my mom, who is turning 50 this year, likes to play and spend money on... It's Angry Birds. Mainly the one you can play with friends on Facebook. She also plays a variety of those social games on Facebook like Buggle, Pepper Panic, Super Ball, etc. Some people might remember all those games Meteor Games (Adam and Donna) tried to create. She played all of them, and clung to her Island Paradise until the last second when the company went poof. She has played other type of games in her life too. That's how I was first introduced to game after all. Many adventure games like the King Quest saga, the first Sim City, Mario Bros etc. The only reason she gives me for not playing more hardcore games today is because she's afraid she would get addicted to them. I still show her some things I play. My beautiful Minecraft creations for instance.

 

Anyway, all that to say that age shouldn't matter that much. We are not talking of dating here, but spending time discovering narrative, universe, game mechanics and being in the flow of a beautiful piece of art. The experience should be available for everybody who wants to be part. You definitely want to play game, and you are good at it. Keep playing and be proud of who you are. Games probably shaped your identity. It's part a part of you as much as the color of your hair or the tone of your voice.

 

I hope you reconsider and decide to stay around, because you are awesome and we need more people like you around here. :)

[Naamah D.]

When you become an adult you should be able to play whatever games you want without being criticized. I love kid's and adult games. I can go anywhere from Hello Kitty Birthday Adventures.

 

I became a gamer at a very young age and I'm proud of that because I have a lot of knowledge. Sometimes I get called a poser yet my first game was Pokemon Blue or maybe before that. I don't know :)

I'm not the best at Call of Duty, but I enjoy playing it. When I found a Call of Duty: Ghosts shirt for girls I was so excited because I couldn't wait for the game. I still don't have it, but I hope to get a PS4 for my birthday. I could talk about Heroes of Might and Magic, Soul Calibur and Mortal Kombat all day.

 

You shouldn't have to ask permission to live your life :)

[HomuraAkemiTheHero]

I been playing video games since I was 4 or 3. Age doesn't matter too much in video games although some mature games are better to be played by adults it depends on the child. I played Rampage:World Tour where you play as a mutated human that turned into a monster and you go around destroying towns and some would get nightmares but it didn't bother me much.Also it's fine if adults play games made for 3 to 6 year olds if they want to after all if they spent their money on the game then it's fine since they worked for the game. so it shouldn't matter what games they play. Again age doesn't matter on games if you use them right you could teach a kid how to read because that's how I learned and it doesn't define a person on the games they play some people I know play kids games and you wouldn't think that they would just like on how some kids play games like Grand Theft Auto and you can't tell that they do so I think it doesn't matter what games people play as long as they enjoy the game.

[Leerie]

It is somewhat telling that no one male answered, but then I think neopets in general skews female. (Or am I wrong on that? IDK.) Issues like age and gender can get really depressing in a gaming context, so yeah, you did end up a bit maudlin, but I think not unreasonably so. I don't have much to add to what other people have said here, I just thought I'd put my hand up as a girl nearing 30 who loves gaming. *hand*

[antiaircraft]

It is somewhat telling that no one male answered, but then I think neopets in general skews female. (Or am I wrong on that? IDK.)

I can say with a fair degree of confidence that this is true. It's only an approximate measure (as with all demographic surveys, this kind of thing is skewed by selection bias, social stigmas, etc. - we're also only a tiny proportion of Neopets users), but the demographic analysis for TDN's Facebook page hovers around 79% female, with more than half of users (of all genders) aged between 18 and 34. That said, we have significant representation from all age ranges, from 13 right up to 65+ (of course this doesn't cover kids too young to have Facebook accounts).

 

Age

 

I guess I should cover the main topic raised here first - my opinion on age is pretty straightforward, and in line with what most people here have said. As an older gamer, you should be able to play pretty much whatever game you want. What grown adults do with their free time is their own business, as long as they're not harming anyone else. Even in a community there are no rational or ethical grounds for excluding people simply based on their age. We are people, we define who we are, not an arbitrary time period between the present and a birth event. On a personal level, I know many much older gamers who get along just fine with young adults and teenage gamers. They're cool to have around. They're all unique people with different personalities. As far as I can tell, age really doesn't make a blind bit of difference, so there's no reason we should pretend it does.

 

Predatory behaviour is an entirely different subject from age and gaming. If you are using any communication medium (gaming included) to engage in abuse, whether sexual or otherwise, this is disgusting and wrong ethically, morally, and probably legally, and quite frankly you are a horrible person. This is true regardless of your age or the target demographic of any game you use. An older predator finding younger victims through a game made for young children is no better than a teenage predator finding similarly aged victims through a game made for teenagers, and this should have no bearing on an older gamer's right to play games marketed at younger audiences.

 

The question of age appropriate games for younger audiences brings a fair degree of general controversy into the mix. There are many games with mature content, be it violence, sex, or other material, that may or may not be appropriate for younger kids. There are a few very extensive and very well resourced national and international rating systems that for the most part do a pretty good job of labelling this content. They are thorough and backed by a lot of legal muscle to make sure games get rated properly. Combined with the massive amount of information available on the internet, it's not exactly difficult to figure out what is in a game and whether it's appropriate for your kid.

 

And that's where the ultimate issue comes in: parenting. No amount of resources poured into rating systems or game store legislation can do a parent's job for them. It is parents who are responsible for doing the research (even if it's nothing more than reading a rating label) to make sure a game is appropriate for their kids, taking into account all factors - not just age, but mental and emotional maturity, past experiences, potential future experiences, personal preferences, and so on. It is parents who are responsible for actually keeping an eye on their kids and paying attention to what influence it's having on them. It is parents who are responsible for sitting down with their kids and explaining important concepts they may need help understanding (be it sex or financial responsibility). A gaming console, computer, or mobile phone is not a surrogate parent. No rating label can understand a child like their parents can. Whether a child can handle a title meant for older audiences is very much dependent on the child, and only the child's parents are in a position to actually make the call.

 

tl;dr: Older gamers should be free to pick our own games, regardless of age. Young kids may need some help from their parents, and their parents should be ready to provide that help.

 

Coding Ability

 

A brief tangent here because I (typically for me) want to put emphasis on something that should be self-evident: your ability to write computer code has zero relevance to your right to enjoy a game and participate in its community. The truly ridiculous elitist attitudes generally (I both believe and hope) come from people with trivial knowledge of some basic coding, a vague impression of what programming is, and no understanding whatsoever of actual game development. These people, just like trolls everywhere on the internet, latch onto whatever pathetic excuse they can find to feel superior to everyone else.

 

Heck, I'm an experienced programmer, and a darn good one, and beyond general "this is how computers work" facts and some speculation, I wouldn't dare try to speak from a position of developer authority on a game I had no insider knowledge of, let alone discriminate against other gamers based on largely irrelevant additional knowledge. I'm no game developer. Sure, I can write software. That's not the point. Just because you took Coding 101 in college and can throw together basic macros doesn't mean you're more qualified than anyone else to enjoy a game. Just because you're a graduate software engineer working for an IT company doesn't mean you understand game development in all its science, art, terror and glory. Just because you're a 40-year game industry veteran with a pedigree of outstanding titles you've helped develop doesn't make you more qualified to discuss a game than the developers and gamers making up the community around it (granted that one would lend your opinion some weight).

 

tl;dr: You (usually*) don't game by coding, ergo coding should not be a requirement to enjoy a game or participate in its community.

 

* There are some intriguing educational and concept games that actually have an element of coding as part of the game mechanics, but nothing really significant.

 

Gender

 

Ah yes, the big painful issue that's somehow still an issue. I don't think anyone here seriously believes that females shouldn't play video games, or that they're somehow less invested or competent in video games they play, so I won't belabour this point like I did the coding one. It is truly sad to see that sexism is still a major problem in the game industry and among gamers in general. And it's not just games - despite massive strides towards equality and general respect across the globe in all walks of life, sexism remains an issue just about everywhere in just about everything. It's not always obvious and it's not always deliberate, but it's still there. As Azurablue said, attitudes are changing, but not fast enough.

 

And here's the thing: I honestly believe that gamers do comparatively well in this respect. Ranging from religion/traditions to the film industry even to serious level-headed professionals like engineers, discrimination is rampant in the world, whether it's in how women are portrayed, what they're "allowed" to do, or in how much they're paid. Relatively speaking, gaming is one walk of life where women are fairly well accepted and respected. Most gamers are fairly savvy people who will happily game alongside men and women, and I say this knowing my fair share of gamers (granted of course that this view is skewed by who I choose to associate with). They don't discriminate because, well, aside from the English language's somewhat awkward enforcement of gender-specific pronouns, they don't really care what gender you are. And honestly, that's probably how it should be.

 

So why then is there the popular perception of gamers as generally immature and sexist? Well, this and many other issues link back to another deep-rooted issue with gamer communities in general (I'm hesitant to label this as a "problem", at most it's a perception problem). This is the issue of the "silent majority", or the "vocal minority", depending on which angle you prefer. Simply put, we have a few very loud people, and many, many relatively quiet ones.

 

Gamers are pretty vocal people. As far as the various walks of life go, we are among some of the loudest, shoutiest, most determined folks out there when it comes to making our voice heard - when we're upset. When we're content? Not so much. Emotionally charged gamers, or people simply seeking attention, have plenty of motivation to post angry, ranty, rude, or outright discriminatory content on gaming forums and social media. The calmer, more sensible gamers are generally disinclined to invest time and emotion in a discussion (especially an unpleasant one) when they could be, well, playing games.

 

As a result, it's ultimately the ones that shout the loudest who get heard. Sadly, it's often the case that the louder people are the irrationally angry ones, and the loudest of all are the hate groups seeking to stir up "controversy" for the most ridiculous reasons. It tends to be the case that a few people with opposing views get very upset themselves, only serving to make discussions shoutier and even more unpleasant. This occurs in everything from legitimate opposition to bad business practices, to more controversial stuff like balance debate, to completely ridiculous subjects like sexism in a modern industry where it has no right to be.

 

The one comforting point I personally like to take from all this is that the vast majority of gamers really aren't blatantly sexist or otherwise abusive - they just don't want to dive head-first into a crapfest. Unfortunately, this doesn't mean that the world of gaming isn't still terrible. We should be doing far better than we are today but we're not. The painful discrimination Azurablue experienced at game stores is one example. The widespread use of the term "girl gamer", as if the gender-neutral noun "gamer" is exclusively male and a special "girl" pass is needed for a woman to enjoy a game, is another. And then of course there's the sexist portrayal of female characters in many, many titles (it sells well, so studios stick to it - can you really blame them?). We may be ahead of the curve, but we're very far behind where we could be, and I sincerely hope that with a little time we can get to where we really should have been a long, long time ago. I would like to know at least one walk of life where people aren't treated as lesser beings, whether it be by age, coding ability, gender, skin colour, or any other arbitrary factors.

 

And well, last I checked, we didn't operate computers with our genitals.

 

Full disclosure: I am a male.

[CrazyBiscuit]

Azurablue, I hope you leave the thread open and don't leave for too long. I really doubt you've burnt any bridges, and you're entitled to your opinion as much as anyone else is.

 

Frankly I'd be very annoyed if someone at a games store wanted to convince me to pick up a typical girly game. There's nothing wrong with those games if that's what you're in to, but it's insulting that they're more or less saying "I think you're confused about the game you want. This has racing, and shooting, and fighting - wouldn't you prefer to play dress-up or look at the pretty ponies, instead?" :rolleyes_anim:

 

I'll admit to liking a few female-friendly games (marketed towards or equally) such as Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, and The Sims, but I also like Saints Row, Burnout, Pokemon, and various MMOs. I'm more likely to share my age than my gender on gaming websites (it does depend on the community though) because they can be downright toxic. I hope one day it will change and women won't feel they have to hide away or be told to prove themselves based on a hobby, but we're not quite there yet.

 

Don't be discouraged though! In recent years there has been a slight shift in how gaming in general is viewed and now everyone else is beginning to realise that it's not just for teenage boys (something we've all known for years). There are a few websites out there that cater to female gamers specifically, and slowly more women are getting into game design. I think it will always be somewhat more male-dominated, but they'll just have to get used to us lady gamers... we're not going anywhere.

 

After writing all that I realise the topic was about age rather than gender so I'll add that I'm nearly thirty and the majority of people that I know who play video games are my age or older. I can't imagine that I'd play on the Commodore 64, NES, SNES, and SEGA Genesis as a child, then the PC and various consoles as a teenager and in my twenties, but give up when I reach my thirties (or any age). If you like something then your age is just a number and no one has any right to say you should change. As for games marketed toward a certain age, I really think parents should make the decision whether their child should play a game or not based on their own opinion of the game rather than on a rating that most people tend to ignore anyway. If the parents aren't gamers themselves, they should supervise their child while they're playing. The graphics are much more realistic now and the gameplay much more in-depth so there's even more need for it, but when I was a kid that's what happened in my household. Finally, I'll just add that I'd play a game no matter what age or demographic it was for if it appealed to me. :)

[Azurablue]

Wow. Thank you all for your support. The post from Minister of Pizza was truly something else (and yes, I noticed from a member of the male community!) as were all of your heartfelt replies.

 

I would like to address one or two points, if I may:

 

1/ coding: The reason I brought that up was purely based on several experiences I had at NeoPets, not here at TDN. Some of the college aged players there have poked at me on the Forum in the past because I didn't understand something which they had posted. This was because it was in coder slang. (Please don't ask what precisely; I decided it wasn't worth my time or energy to remember it since they were being rather brutal to me for being, as they put it, "ignurent". (That was how they spelled it, not me.)) I had the idiocy to ask what it meant. That became the rallying cry to go on the attack. My bad. So, I have developed a little bit of a sore spot when it comes to it. No offense was meant to the coders on here. IMHO, you have a great talent and I admire it. However, I feel that because of the fact that I don't understand how to do any coding at all, it becomes a barrier beween myself and other players who use it all the time. I have no NeoFriends because the time I opened up myself to that, I was again poked at for not knowing what they were talking about because some was text speak, leet speak, code speak, etc. They figured out I was older and they gave me the sharp end of the age prejudice stick. I immediately closed myself off again and have been terrified to try again for fear of another attack like that again. May I remind everyone that this was at NeoPets, not at something like Call Of Duty or Halo or World Of Warcraft, where viciousness is business as usual.

 

2/ retro-gaming: I am most definitely one of these. I still own every video game system I ever personally bought: all the different Game Boy systems from the original to today's 3DS XL, Game Gear, TurboGraphix, NES, SNES, Genesis (w/ Sega CD drive), Commodore 64, Atari 1040 STe, PS1, PS2, PS3, PSP, XBox, XBox 360. I play them all. I have emulators for those games I can't find the original of or can't afford. I have the first game I ever bought for the first system I ever owned (Game Boy; "Final Fantasy Legend") and it still plays wonderfully. (Stunning battery life in that thing. Same battery, still working, from 1989.) I plan to get a PS4 at year's end, sooner if Fallout 4 or Final Fantasy 15 come out before then. Again, not showing off. Just demonstrating that gaming is my life-long passion and I still love every one of the old systems as well as the new ones. They all have their good and bad points. I have stacks of games. Boxes and boxes full of them. Some trash, some treasure. I play them all. Even if it's old, it can still be a great game. Sometimes, the older ones are better than newer ones. Just ask anyone who's played Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past. Fantastic game. Secret of Mana. Not perfect, but really awesome. The classic fan fave of many RPG players: Final Fantasy 7. Terrible graphics by today's standards, but one of the greatest stories ever told. That's why I retro-game. (Not that I'm giving up my copy of Skyrim any time soon. I'm on my 53rd time through and still finding new things. *grin*)

 

3/ "Female Friendly Games": The Sims. Oh yes. Been there, done that. Would still be playing it if The Sims Vacation disc hadn't destroyed my computer and forced me to go and buy another one. Scared me off that franchise on PCs forever. It's not nearly as much fun on consoles or handhelds. Sure, I've played a lot of the kind of thing that usually falls into this category, like Hidden Object Games (HOGs), Match-3 games (like Bejeweled, etc.), even a few of the Time Management genre. I even have one that involves shopping. What angers me is that we women, especially older ones, are expected to only be interested in that type of thing. I feel truly sorry for any of the guys who say that they just love Shopping Mania or Fashion Boutique or My Little Pony. They get hammered as badly as we ladies do if we say we're into Fallout or Diablo or Resident Evil. Heaven help him if he likes Barbie, just as much as the woman who says she's crazy for GI Joe. Sexism is just plain wrong, no matter who is on the short end of it. The Battledome is just as bad for it in the NeoPet Forums as is places like Battle (dot) Net at Blizzard with Diablo or WoW. Been there and done that. (The guys at EB Games still don't believe me that I am Burnout: Paradise Criterion Elite five times over, even when I show them screenshot proof. *shrug*)

 

Do I have a point? Maybe not. Maybe I'm just griping. I am very grateful for all the nice things said here and the show of support that proves that not everyone is against persons who are older. Maybe someday I'll get up the courage to try a game of Key Quest. I have loved board games ever since I was a small child. Can't get enough of them. Sadly, I've seen some scary stories on the NeoPet Forums of people getting burned and blasted for being slow or accidentally pulling out of a game because they're not familiar with how it works and have hit the wrong button. If I were a seasoned gamer, I would try to play with the newbies when I had the time in order to help them learn it. I know what it's like to be a newcomer and how hard it can be when you have others who are too impatient and pressuring you into a move. First, I have to get myself to where I can play the game like a pro so that I can help others. Maybe I'll get brave enough to open up to the community again enough to try.

 

Thanks again to everyone who has taken the time to have their say. Everyone's welcome. The thread will stay open. Maybe others can come here and see that they're all welcome, regardless of age, gender, or experience. Very welcome to come and pull up a Simple Blue Chair, have a Borovan and say hello.

 

(:

[antiaircraft]

I am glad you're enjoying your time at TDN, Azurablue. ;) We put a lot of effort into moderation and I like to think that helps create a community which is generally more pleasant than many corners of the internet. Of course we have our problems like anywhere else, but we also have enough cool people in the community to overcome them without too much trouble, and that's what makes us a little bit special. :)

 

As far as stuff like Key Quest and Neofriends goes, one thing I can recommend is meeting people through TDN and adding Neofriends from there. I've found it's a great way to get to know people without having to deal with as much drama. From there it's easy to arrange things like Key Quest games (or even exchange real-time contact details with people you know well to make things even easier) and generally talk and have fun. As with many multiplayer games (even ones with relatively toxic people in their communities), playing with friends makes the experience a whole lot better.

 

1/ coding: The reason I brought that up was purely based on several experiences I had at NeoPets, not here at TDN. Some of the college aged players there have poked at me on the Forum in the past because I didn't understand something which they had posted. This was because it was in coder slang. (Please don't ask what precisely; I decided it wasn't worth my time or energy to remember it since they were being rather brutal to me for being, as they put it, "ignurent". (That was how they spelled it, not me.)) I had the idiocy to ask what it meant. That became the rallying cry to go on the attack. My bad. So, I have developed a little bit of a sore spot when it comes to it. No offense was meant to the coders on here. IMHO, you have a great talent and I admire it. However, I feel that because of the fact that I don't understand how to do any coding at all, it becomes a barrier beween myself and other players who use it all the time. I have no NeoFriends because the time I opened up myself to that, I was again poked at for not knowing what they were talking about because some was text speak, leet speak, code speak, etc. They figured out I was older and they gave me the sharp end of the age prejudice stick. I immediately closed myself off again and have been terrified to try again for fear of another attack like that again. May I remind everyone that this was at NeoPets, not at something like Call Of Duty or Halo or World Of Warcraft, where viciousness is business as usual.

Regardless of the game, medium, or setting though, there is no excuse for that kind of elitist behaviour. I am glad it didn't occur on TDN, but am very sad to see it cropping up on Neopets or anywhere else. From its earliest days, the spirit of programming and development has always been one of collaboration, sharing knowledge and building on each other's work. I'm sure everyone with technical knowledge gets frustrated with less savvy users at some point (just ask anyone who's worked tech support), but to use that knowledge as a stepping stone from which to hurl abuse at someone else is simply wrong. :(

 

The idea that anyone should be made to feel like an idiot for asking to learn about some coding terminology is absolutely horrifying. I've always seen ignorance as refusal to learn, not lack of knowledge. Nobody actively seeking to learn and gain a better understanding of things should be treated like that. Ever. Granted, some of us technical folk may start directing people to Google after answering the same question for the 37,000th time. :P

 

Ultimately, if you're trying to resolve ignorance by attacking people trying to learn, you're doing it wrong.

[Azurablue]

The idea that anyone should be made to feel like an idiot for asking to learn about some coding terminology is absolutely horrifying. I've always seen ignorance as refusal to learn, not lack of knowledge. Nobody actively seeking to learn and gain a better understanding of things should be treated like that. Ever. Granted, some of us technical folk may start directing people to Google after answering the same question for the 37,000th time. :P

 

Ultimately, if you're trying to resolve ignorance by attacking people trying to learn, you're doing it wrong.

Oh, so very well said. I truly believe that there's no such thing as a stupid question. It doesn't matter if it's coming from someone who's 9 or 90. Knowledge is a gift to be happily shared, not something to be ridiculed. Thank you for saying so.

 

I have taken the first step and gone to the Key Quest thread to look for a sypathetic soul to take on this humble newbie. As I said there, I don't mind losing. It's how you learn. I just want the chance to try it and not get burned by some hot-shot who hasn't the patience for someone who's never played it before.

 

I'm very glad to have found a home here at TDN. You've kept the place nice and tidy and user friendly. I will try my best not to muddy the carpet and to welcome others to the fold. :laughingsmiley:

[gamer_mommaof3]

In my opinion, you're never too old to enjoy gaming. I agree that children shouldn't be playing certain games, but I see nothing wrong with kids enjoying games either. For us, it brings me and my boys closer together. It gives us more in common and it's something that we can all enjoy together.

[tk421beth]

Approximately 9 years ago i started a neopets account for my now soon to be 13 year old. Shortly thereafter, I started my own account. I was hooked. So, given that i am soon to be 40, i suppose i must "look a bit creepy playing." HAHAHA! :laughingsmiley:

This is hilarious! I'm 45, and feel creepy playing some of the games. I'm not creepy though...I JUST LOOOOOVE NEOPETS!!

[Naamah D.]

I'm almost 21 and I still watch cartoons. I love Hello Kitty. Frozen is one of my favorite movies. I play Neopets. I have tons of Pokemon trading cards. A lot of people would think that I'm childish for all of that, but you shouldn't have to give up what you love when your an adult.

 

I still have the same interest I had when I was in middle school. Growing up doesn't mean you have to be a business casual wearing, coffee drinking person. You can still be who you were long ago.

 

Growing up in my case was simply gaining more knowledge and developing who you truly are on the inside.

 

So I don't think that all because you love Neopets and childish things that it's creepy.

[Zombiiesque]

Well. I clearly missed this thread in the midst of my crazy life - I've been on hiatus from staff because life got in the way, but I feel like it's important for me to chime in here as both an avid Neo fan and a female of a certain age.

I think this might be my favorite age, because I'm such a huge fan of Douglas Adams - I'm 42.

I'm so glad you expanded on your opinions and opened up here, Azurablue, because as you can see you'll find a lot of support through the TDN community.

Now, although I've been on hiatus, because life has taken me largely away from TDNF and Neo temporarily, I'm going to share a secret with you. I'm the oldest TDN staffer. And Spritzie can testify on my behalf, when I first applied for staff I was absolutely TERRIFIED to do so because I thought that my age might be a deciding factor against me.

Isn't that sad? What kind of statement does that make about our society and the rules we impose on people? I think that was the first thing I said to Spritzie - and she was SO nice to me about it. I said, I thought y'all wouldn't want me on staff because I'm "old". I mean, I had to work up the courage to apply and I was really worried that they might actually reject me because of it! How sad is that?

I don't FEEL old. Matter of fact, half of the time I feel like a 12 year old girl, although more and more often lately my body keeps trying to tell me that's not actually the case. I do some of the most ridiculous things for a 42 year old. Neopets, actually, is one of the least ridiculous things I do.

I listen to music full blast, constantly. And I listen to everything under the sun. I like to dance like a madwoman when I'm alone. I laugh at EVERYTHING. If you say something remotely dirty I start snickering. See? 12 year old girl.

I just don't feel old. But I've experienced agism - not sure how that should be spelled - for quite a while now. About seven years ago I was doing YouTube makeup videos and makeup reviews and I was told I was both too old and too fat to do them.

I'm not sure who makes up these rules but it makes me freaking IRATE. Irate, I tell you.

I wouldn't consider myself all that fat, but how terribly demeaning and insulting is that? If I were terribly fat, I mean, I could get that way, why shouldn't I wear makeup? And who made up the standards for women wearing makeup? I know 90 year olds, literally, that wear makeup.

So there you go, when I got to TDN and decided I wanted to be a staff member, I'd already heard all kinds of things about my age and what I shouldn't be doing.

Oh, one more. I read an article shortly before I turned 40 that women 40 or over shouldn't wear glitter.

Again, this made me irate. Guess whose nails were absolutely COVERED in glitter for her birthday? This girl, that's who.

I have a not so polite expression for things like this, but we're in polite company, so I'll be nice.

So anyway. Nobody on our amazing staff, nor any of our amazing members, has ever, EVER made me feel bad about being my age and wanting to be on staff or play Neopets. I am eternally grateful that I applied because I have made some of the best friends a girl can ask for. Spritzie I think was in absolute shock when I asked her that - she didn't even know that I was worried about it because the thought never crossed her mind.

One more thing - if you were getting a bunch of flack on the Neopets boards, I am NOT shocked. I never go anywhere near those anymore unless I have something specific I am looking for - it seems so many trolls like them and are just looking to make you feel bad about yourself.

I bet you're as glad as I am you came across TDNF. I hope you stick around.

And JASPER That was Theo, not Jasper :P. My goodness. I absolutely wish I could have liked your post about five times. You're so amazing, since I haven't told you enough lately.

PS TDNSTAFF, I LOVE YOU GUYS, IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW. You're the best ever.