"Old" people are some of the only video game streamers worth watching. Filled with the wisdom that comes from age, seniors are the necessary corrective to Twitch and YouTube channels currently dominated by excitable whippersnappers. Fortunately, as outlined in a piece NBC’s Kalhan Rosenblatt that explores this world, video games are gaining popularity among the elderly. The piece references a study (by the American Association of Retired Persons and the Entertainment Software Association) that found “38 percent of Americans age 50 and older said they play video games” and looks at those who belong to this demographic.
Rosenblatt mentions the social benefits of video games as well as studies that show how, “with their complex controls and fast pace” they provide “a mental workout for seniors” that could help “delay or slow the onset of degenerative neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.” This means that, aside from providing a subgenre of game streams that are far more entertaining than the usual, these seniors are potentially improving their health as well.
It’s a sign of the times as many highly skilled developers and gamers pass through their 50’s and 60’s and now find themselves retiring and having heaps of time to do more of what they love doing. Like we have under 18-year-old sport, or men’s vs women’s sports teams, I see this segment growing strongly in future for eSports, after all, it does not require one to run across a soccer pitch kicking a ball.
See https://news.avclub.com/welcome-to-the-world-of-old-people-playing-video-games-1837740951
#seniors #gaming #esports
#^Welcome to the world of old people playing video games
As we’ve discussed in the past, old people are some of the only video game streamers worth watching. Filled with the wisdom that comes from age, seniors are the necessary corrective to Twitch and YouTube channels currently dominated by excitable whippersnappers. Fortunately, as outlined in a piece NBC’s Kalhan Rosenblatt that explores this world, video games are gaining popularity among the elderly. The piece references a study that found “38 percent of Americans age 50 and older said they play video games” and looks at those who belong to this demographic.