I grew up during the initial gaming boom in the 70’s and 80’s, from a BBC Micro and Kings Quest all the way through to modern day AAA FPS first person shooters like Call of Duty and Apex legends with their bunny hopping and slide cancelling sweat lords with [TTV] in their name. Somewhere along the lines PVP was introduced to FPS games and gradually along the way I grew older and, over the last 12 months or so especially I’ve started to enjoy the games less and less. The online PVP ones at least.
First-person shooters (FPS) can be challenging for older people for several reasons, primarily related to age-related changes in physical, cognitive, and perceptual abilities.
As people age, their reaction times tend to slow down. FPS gaming often require quick reflexes to respond to fast-paced action, such as dodging attacks, aiming accurately, and making rapid decisions. Older adults might struggle to keep up with the speed demanded by these games.
Aging can affect fine motor skills, which are crucial for precise control in FPS games. Things like aiming with a mouse or controller, executing quick turns, and don’t even get me started on button mashing combos, because they all become more difficult with decreased dexterity and hand-eye coordination. The new shooter, The First Descendant has a whole bunch of key combos to remember to launch a characters ultimate weapons and defences.
Certain cognitive functions, including memory, attention, and spatial reasoning, can decline with age. It can take a split second longer to work out if you want that bit of floor loot over the one you have, at which point a team mate has stolen it. FPS games often require players to remember maps, strategies, and the locations of enemies and resources. I’ve been playing Apex for years and I can’t remember the names of places, except bunghole & butthole, I know where they are. Maintaining attention and processing multiple stimuli simultaneously can also be more challenging.
Aging can affect vision and hearing, making it harder to perceive important game details. Reduced visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and depth perception can impact an older player’s ability to spot enemies or navigate complex environments. This is heightened if you play on a TV across the room, doubly so if you’re not gaming on a 4K screen.
Extended periods of gaming can lead to physical discomfort, such as eye strain, joint pain, or fatigue. Older adults may find it harder to play for long durations without experiencing discomfort.
Interest in FPS games can vary significantly with age. Older adults might prefer different types of gaming or activities that do not require the same level of intensity and quick reflexes. Motivation to invest time in mastering a challenging FPS game might be lower compared to younger players who are more invested in gaming culture.
While older adults can certainly enjoy FPS games and improve their skills with practice, these age-related factors can make the experience more challenging. Developers can consider these aspects to create more accessible gaming experiences, potentially incorporating features such as adjustable difficulty levels, customizable controls, and visual and auditory aids to accommodate a wider range of players.
It would be great if game designers took this like this into account, tools like aim assist and altering sensitivity settings don’t help either, neither does skill based matchmaking as that just leads to games that are too hard for everyone, a relentless march of the sweat lords … I think what I really want is an option under the cross play toggle that says “No Twitch Streamers” to get rid of the kids who haven’t had their Ritalin today.
There’s another thing not to overlook too … our mortgages are paid, the kids have moved away and we have more and more spare time to fill as well as the disposable income to pay for it!
You’re old… too old