Ageism in WoW: Too Old to Play?
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Amatera on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 58 Comments Tags: PvP, World of Warcraft, age, ageism, maturity, mmo, old, playerbase, young
Amatera on Friday, June 26, 2009 - 58 Comments Tags: PvP, World of Warcraft, age, ageism, maturity, mmo, old, playerbase, young
Have you ever made fun of the Alliance for having to go to bed early, or being kicked off their computer by their mommy? Or dealt with someone who had a squeaky, barely pubescent voice on Ventrilo? Rejected someone from your guild for being under the age of 18? When I think of age discrimination in WoW, these are sort of my "go to" examples, but then I came across a post on the official forums that made me stop and scratch my chin. It was a badly-worded, not to mention obvious, attempt at trolling; something not worth recreating here. But it did turn the issue on its head and resulted in a heated firestorm all too typical of internet zeitgeists. Pulling from my dubious inspiration, I pose the question: are we too old to be playing this game?
From those of us who have just entered college to those of us who've earned tenure for teaching it so long, are we playing a game meant for tweens? For the zit-faced, brace-grinning stereotype that has represented the child-like "gamer" for decades?
Let me speak in simple terms: Most of the people I play with are in their mid-20s or older, some have wives or husbands, and just as many have kids. These are men and women with families and jobs and other obligations who nonetheless take a period of time out of their day to get online with a bunch of other yahoos from around the world to yak in guild chat or take on raid bosses.
The obvious answer, of course, is that you're never too old to play games. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that there are more people 18-and-older playing WoW than there are under. Though the research dates back to the game's launch period, Nick Yee's 2005 study posits that the average player age is 28.3, well above the legal standard of adulthood. And don't take online bloggers like Gaming Granny (50+, has probably played/tested more MMOs than you have) or Old Grandma Hardcore (73, mostly into console fare, but as into the hobby as they come) for granted.
Grandma Hardcore probably isn't the only retirement age gamer kicking your hairless tush out there.
They're the real deal and not to be trifled with! It goes to show that age is not the restriction, perception is.
Instead, there is another, deeper issue lurking just below the surface: why World of Warcraft? What power, what draw does it have on older generations of either lapsed gamers or those that have never touched a controller in their life?
WoW, for all of its hardcore playerbase, is probably one of the greatest casual gaming phenomenons this side of Nintendo's Wii. Now, that's being somewhat disingenuous, considering that some of the best and most experienced players I know are some of the ones I mentioned leading the family life, but let's face it: a good chunk of the game's 11.5 million+ subscribers fit snugly into the mold.
WarCraft has several things going for it. First, it's computer-based, which is instantly attractive to a population increasingly familiar with the way these machines work. Console gaming offers a more "closed" experience, but in doing so, divorces itself from overlapping with other daily activities like surfing the internet, typing e-mails, or doing grunt work at the office. It takes time to figure out the more complex aspects of WoW, but an active understanding of the keyboard and mouse makes easing into the control scheme a heck of a lot more managable.
In my travels around the internet, I've also found that older geeks, programmers, and technophiles tend to be hardcore computer gamers, sometimes at the total exclusion of their console bretheren.
Second, it's a replacement for a social life. It's a sad fact of reality that when you work as hard as most adults do, there's little time or desire to go and hang out with friends (assuming you actually have any you consider that close). Your WoW buddies, however, are always there. Both in- and out-of-game communication tools make it easy to hold conversations and the convenience of running a 5-man dungeon with a few pals often outweighs the effort needed to round up real-life acquaintances for a night on the town. World of Warcraft serves as a portal to a sort of social life not easily afforded to folks post-college.
And that's not even taking into consideration the latent competition aspects. After all, socializing is as much about contest as it is getting along. PvPing, or simply racing to the level cap with a friend, can be just as rewarding as playing a game of one-on-one basketball. For those adults unable to leave the house due to physical disabilities or family/spousal obligations, Warcraft can serve as a great substitute for scratching that competitive itch.
Third, it's a good distraction! With it's wealth of content and cheaper entry fee, WoW is a wonderful substitute for more traditional past-times like watching CBS' primetime lineup, and when you're not raiding, it doesn't make undue demands on your time. It's easy for people log on to chat or run a few dailies while they do house-chores or take care of the kids. And speaking of the younglings, playing Warcraft can be an excellent way to connect with your kids. That's right, questing together to replace tossing the ball back and forth in the front yard as the primary way for a dad to spend quality time with his son! Heard it here first!
When you add these three aspects to WoW's innate fun factor, it's not hard to see why more and more adults are turning to MMOs as a way to spend their free time. Ageism may be alive and well, but I believe there's absolutely nothing shameful in being an older player. There is nothing in the game's lore or content that suggests outright catering to a teen-specific crowd.
As for the younger people reading this? Showing just a little bit of respect can take you a long way with your gaming elders. After all, you don't magically become a mature adult on your 18th birthday, no matter what the government might think. In fact, I've played with many-a-married-couple who've stormed off and ragequit a guild for the silliest, most purile reasons. Certainly, age is only the basest of factors in determining who is capable of being a reasonable person!
Readers, do you agree or disagree? Have you ever encountered family members, co-workers, or other people your age that have questioned why you spend so much time playing "stupid computer games?" Ever caught lip from a younger player online? Or, quite simply, as an older individual, what about WoW has drawn you in so much? The discrimination works both ways, so younger players feel free to chime in with your own observations! But, let's try and keep it civil, OK?
From those of us who have just entered college to those of us who've earned tenure for teaching it so long, are we playing a game meant for tweens? For the zit-faced, brace-grinning stereotype that has represented the child-like "gamer" for decades?
Let me speak in simple terms: Most of the people I play with are in their mid-20s or older, some have wives or husbands, and just as many have kids. These are men and women with families and jobs and other obligations who nonetheless take a period of time out of their day to get online with a bunch of other yahoos from around the world to yak in guild chat or take on raid bosses.
The obvious answer, of course, is that you're never too old to play games. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that there are more people 18-and-older playing WoW than there are under. Though the research dates back to the game's launch period, Nick Yee's 2005 study posits that the average player age is 28.3, well above the legal standard of adulthood. And don't take online bloggers like Gaming Granny (50+, has probably played/tested more MMOs than you have) or Old Grandma Hardcore (73, mostly into console fare, but as into the hobby as they come) for granted.
Grandma Hardcore probably isn't the only retirement age gamer kicking your hairless tush out there.They're the real deal and not to be trifled with! It goes to show that age is not the restriction, perception is.
Instead, there is another, deeper issue lurking just below the surface: why World of Warcraft? What power, what draw does it have on older generations of either lapsed gamers or those that have never touched a controller in their life?
WoW, for all of its hardcore playerbase, is probably one of the greatest casual gaming phenomenons this side of Nintendo's Wii. Now, that's being somewhat disingenuous, considering that some of the best and most experienced players I know are some of the ones I mentioned leading the family life, but let's face it: a good chunk of the game's 11.5 million+ subscribers fit snugly into the mold.
WarCraft has several things going for it. First, it's computer-based, which is instantly attractive to a population increasingly familiar with the way these machines work. Console gaming offers a more "closed" experience, but in doing so, divorces itself from overlapping with other daily activities like surfing the internet, typing e-mails, or doing grunt work at the office. It takes time to figure out the more complex aspects of WoW, but an active understanding of the keyboard and mouse makes easing into the control scheme a heck of a lot more managable.
In my travels around the internet, I've also found that older geeks, programmers, and technophiles tend to be hardcore computer gamers, sometimes at the total exclusion of their console bretheren.
Second, it's a replacement for a social life. It's a sad fact of reality that when you work as hard as most adults do, there's little time or desire to go and hang out with friends (assuming you actually have any you consider that close). Your WoW buddies, however, are always there. Both in- and out-of-game communication tools make it easy to hold conversations and the convenience of running a 5-man dungeon with a few pals often outweighs the effort needed to round up real-life acquaintances for a night on the town. World of Warcraft serves as a portal to a sort of social life not easily afforded to folks post-college.
And that's not even taking into consideration the latent competition aspects. After all, socializing is as much about contest as it is getting along. PvPing, or simply racing to the level cap with a friend, can be just as rewarding as playing a game of one-on-one basketball. For those adults unable to leave the house due to physical disabilities or family/spousal obligations, Warcraft can serve as a great substitute for scratching that competitive itch.
Third, it's a good distraction! With it's wealth of content and cheaper entry fee, WoW is a wonderful substitute for more traditional past-times like watching CBS' primetime lineup, and when you're not raiding, it doesn't make undue demands on your time. It's easy for people log on to chat or run a few dailies while they do house-chores or take care of the kids. And speaking of the younglings, playing Warcraft can be an excellent way to connect with your kids. That's right, questing together to replace tossing the ball back and forth in the front yard as the primary way for a dad to spend quality time with his son! Heard it here first!
When you add these three aspects to WoW's innate fun factor, it's not hard to see why more and more adults are turning to MMOs as a way to spend their free time. Ageism may be alive and well, but I believe there's absolutely nothing shameful in being an older player. There is nothing in the game's lore or content that suggests outright catering to a teen-specific crowd.
As for the younger people reading this? Showing just a little bit of respect can take you a long way with your gaming elders. After all, you don't magically become a mature adult on your 18th birthday, no matter what the government might think. In fact, I've played with many-a-married-couple who've stormed off and ragequit a guild for the silliest, most purile reasons. Certainly, age is only the basest of factors in determining who is capable of being a reasonable person!
Readers, do you agree or disagree? Have you ever encountered family members, co-workers, or other people your age that have questioned why you spend so much time playing "stupid computer games?" Ever caught lip from a younger player online? Or, quite simply, as an older individual, what about WoW has drawn you in so much? The discrimination works both ways, so younger players feel free to chime in with your own observations! But, let's try and keep it civil, OK?
Reader Comments (58)
I dont get why one should have any restrictions on WoW age or otherwise... its a game... meant for fun and relaxation, things that both kids, grown-ups and even the elderly people want
The fact that it DOSNT have a age barier only means that WoW gets the be a family game turning into tradition.
Personaly I hope WoW or its succesor will still be alive when I retire so I can keep playing and spending quality time with my grandchildren :)
Personally, I must say, I enjoy playing with older people more then I do with the younger. I'm 19, so that's maybe somewhere in the middle.
I prefer playing with reasonable, more mature players.
My father and I play together. :)
I'm a 15 year old girl and I haven't really run into problems with another player about my age. As a matter of fact, I'm usually the mature one in a raid.
well i am raiding ulduar almost every week i am in a good raiding guild and have th2 second best gear.
i also happen to be teeling my guild the tacs for bosses in ulduar and am still 14 years old.
despite thi si have been kicked out of several guilds for not being older than 18 which i think is bull#@%=
this is a ecsample of that the age doesnt tell how good you are its your experiance and skill that does.
You know I think you make a good point. Im only14 and have been kicked from several guild becuase im not 18 and yet I've seen people alot older act inmature. I try to show as much respect when going into another guilds vent or in a pug. I dont think age has anything to do with it I think its if your respectful and being maturehelps too.
I'm not too old, people who make posts like this are too young. And as far as the under-eighteeners getting kicked from guilds goes: sorry, guys, but it's not a democracy - they can kick you for whatever reason they want. There are plenty of kid-friendly guilds, populated by nice people, out there in the ether. Go join one of those.
Well, I'm 16. But there are some older people in my guild I just hate. There is a 20 year old who does nothing but talk in vent and ask the same questions over and over "Whats my heal assignment?" and every time we tell him "raid heals! first off your a druid and second off your not that skilled, so we put you on as 7th healer for raid onlyy!" This happens every week and we tell him not to ask. Maybe he keeps forgetting cuz he's stoned. Not at all kidding. He came to a raid as high as can be one time.
I know it's mean but I try to avoid 'kids' in wow, and other gaming communities. I'd say under 15 is my avoid zone. Most people that old don't have the maturity to play a community game with hundreds, if not thousands or millions of other players. I have completely stopped playing XBOX Live because I am tired of logging into a game and listening to some 13 year old try out his new swear words he learned that day while mommy and daddy are still at work or in the other room. If XBOXLive had a way to mass mute everyone under a certain age I would play games on my system more often.
Same goes for WoW. Now I am in a guild that doesn't stop kids from joining, but luckily muteing annoying people in vent and in game is a lot easier and quicker than Live. =/
It's rated T for teen anyway. You shouldn't even be playing this game if you aren't at least 13.....
the expression, "wisdom comes with age" is bullshit. morons believe that kinda shit. i say wisdom comes from experience. and if wisdom is a sign of age then i have played with some of the oldest-young people ever.
its a fact that some times younger, immature people can teach some of life's greatest lessons. and someone that is removed from a group or guild for being less than 18 or less than 20 or what ever the fuck, then that person who did the removing should really rethink their life. because they take life way to seriously. now i know that this kinda shit happens, i am just saying it shouldn't. "life, liberty, pursuit of happiness" is a god given right, and can in some way be related to the act of having fun, or playing games. i am only 25yo, and i do not believe that age should be a requisite or limitation on ones want to have fun. even the immature little fucks, and the brats prolly dont deserve to get booted. its the players that steal from the guild or other players, you know the ninjas or players that threaten the survivability of the guild or group or raid that deserve to get booted, banned even. not fucking kids, or fucking oldies.
P.S i am aware that my statement was directed at kids but it goes for adults as well. but i think kids get the shit treatment more, so i directed this at them.
An excellent post. i'm 38, work full-time, have children, and time/money/age means i can't get out to socialise as much as i used to in my youth (if ever lol).
I play to socialise and have fun, to relax after a hard day at work. i don't raid all that much cos it seems too much like 'work'.
As for age-ism, i have a 13 yr old in my guild who acts more mature than a 59 yr old woman we used to have. Age is just a number.
My raid leader is a 79 year old war vet o.0 lol...
I know of a 15 year old who's one of the most mature people in the game that i've met. There's also a 16 year old and a 13 year old who are very immature.
I am in a guild that doesnt allow members under 18. We dont necessarily ask, but if someone refuses to get on vent... or speak in vent... its an auto G kick. We are a 'mature' 'adults only' guild but its 99% based off of behavior and not your age. Most of our members go to work every day... or are in college... have kids... etc etc and we choose to stick with others that are like us. The 'gotta go to bed' thing isnt a big deal cause most of us have early a.m. jobs and have to call it on raids come 11pm. So i guess you could say we age discriminate but its mainly cause we want to raid with people who are on the same wavelength. If you dont pay for your own wow subscription you probably arent for us.
Age is not the years you have, but the knowledge you hold within them.
- That is my quote. I am 16.
Everyone please quit, this game is TERRIBLE. Too Easy. Crap graphics. Crap gameplay. BrokeN pvp. Broken Game. BROKEN. Crap. Jesus, this game SUCKS. It's is ment for 8 year olds and people who love to whine all damn day.
Not to mention the community in this game IS IN FACT the worst community in any online multiplayer game.
I'm 37 and just started playing WoW last summer ('08). WoW, for me, is a D&D replacement of sorts. D&D has gotten rediculous with all of its reincarnations and reinventions of the rules over the years, not to mention, that everyone that all my gaming buddies live in other parts of the country now. WoW gives us the opportunity to game together again.
As for the age thing, as has been stated by many, it really is more about maturity level. I've been in PUGs with teens who played their toon very well from both a combat perspective as well as a respect for others perspective and I've played with 20 and 30 somethings that acted like 2 year olds when a /roll didn't go their way.
I've also seen people who do play WoW with their kids. My best friend, who is 28, plays with his 15 year old step-son and his Dad who's in his 50s. I have a guildie who's son, at the age of 12, is the youngest player in our guild.
I think that's what makes WoW so entertaining - just like RL, you have learn to interact socially with people of all ages and backgrounds.
We have a 14 year old in our core raiding group (the the rest of us being around 18/20), but we don't mind at all. We sometimes tease him when his mother goes into his room just as he's asking for buffs and we hear her go "Go to bed already!" xD
Anyway, he's a good player, and we're glad to have him. I've seen players with double his age act like 3 year olds though -_-'
I think age requirements are silly, though at times they can be handy for just those irritating people. I started playing wow like when i was 10 ( 13 now ) and i seriously don't think i was immature in a way of calling people names and just.. you know. I'm raiding now on a 80 and I'm usually 1-5 place on dps list so young players can raid!
Age is a state of mind. Yet some people are not mentally mature enough to handle some of the interaction in WoW. Others have moments where their maturity takes a vacation and they act like "children" when you know they are not.
Also, for the younger crowd (born after 1990 for example), I will say please do not disrespect people before you know who they are. I have had kids (4th and 5th grade age by their own admittance) try to act like they were God's gift to the gaming world and if they don't know about it, then it didn't exist. I've been playing games since the Atari and such days and I'm 33 now.
Also, to the person who said "An idiot is an idiot no matter the age, and many young people alive today are better human beings than those that were born before them." Bologna. My same crowd from the previous paragraph would prove you wrong. No discipline because the parents are afraid someone will call the police because they spank their child like they need to be. After several years in the retail world I can tell you that 99% of kids in that category are BRATS (forgive the caps or not but there is not a word strong enough to describe the children I have seen in the last nearly 20 years). If I would have acted as badly as they did when I was that age, I would have found myself knocked into the next week and when I got back had a belt taken to my butt and been given something to complain about.
As for quality time with parents and kids, it's great. If the parent is in touch with the world enough to understand what is "cool" for their kid then it's so much fun. My mom has always enjoyed listening to the same music I do, hearing about books I read, games I play, movies and shows I watch, etc. I even got her to make a trial character on my account and try playing WoW to see what I find interesting about it. She had a blast and I believe that if daily life gave time for her to chill out with WoW for a bit, I'd have someone else to talk to and run with in the game. So if this is how either (or both) parents want to spend some time with their kid(s) then by all means go for it since it means they ARE spending time with them instead of letting the computer or tv or what-not be a babysitter for them and not knowing what they are getting into.
Just my two coppers worth since I saw the topic. Age doesn't matter if you know how to conduct yourself when speaking to other people. You can make others believe you are older than you are (and younger) by the way you handle yourself online. In general, the internet is the breakdown of the generation gap as you don't know from typed words how old or young someone is at that moment.
I completely agree with everyone saying age is just a number. Many, many, many times I have seen 25 year olds act more immature and be more noobish than the 15 year olds.
Thankfully, I found a guild filled with largely mature, intelligent people who know how to have a good time. The majority for the guild is in their 30s, but the MTs children are also in the guild, and they all act years wiser and more mature than half the player base I have seen.
I am 18, I've been playing since I was 16. People often mistake me for being 25+.
Age is nothing but a number.
I wouldn't be surprised to find that the player I idolize is 75, or 12. They are who they are in their minds and in their hearts, and that's all that matters.
Everyone else can carry on hastling people in trade while I have real fun. /leave trade
First off, nice article.
The gamer demographic is getting older. Many of us grew up as gamers and live the rest of our lives enjoying the past time.
The side effect of this is, unfortunately, ageism. The older elitists. especially working professionals, look at the whiney, pre-pubescent kids with scorn and condescension. I mean, how many times have you felt superiority just because you manage to be an established player while juggling a 9-to-5, non-gaming spouses, kids, bills, taxes, loans, mortgages... And then you brief through Trade and the forums filled with chatter from crazy kids (you once were?) who stay at home all day and night in front of the monitor(s).
Ageism isn't too different from sexism or racism: it's a generalisation of a demographic. We take a stereotype and assume anybody within that demographic fits that profile. It's not pretty, it's not right, but it just is.
I think its silly saying that its easier to get a 5 man dungeon going then rounding up a few mates to go round town. We do live in the modern age don't we? Just call them up and say meet me where-ever.
I really don't think age matters at all. I've run into some kids on WoW that are more mature than some adults. In one of my old guilds two guildies got into a battle of wits and all I can say was it was quite the one sided contest. We all learn later that the guildie that "won" was 15. Age shouldn't mean anything in the world of gaming, especially since no one can say they are better than anyone else at it. Nobody has a god given gift for gaming, just more practice. You should look at it as: IF someone is acting like an idiot on purpose, they're immature. If someone is a decent human who doesn't act like an idiot, they're mature. Granted there are holes in that theory, but just because someone types Anal Hellfire in trade doesn't necessarily mean they're under 18.
I enjoy the game quite a bit. It allows me to relax and just zip around in a very strange world where there are female dwarves, robotic ostriches, etc. Who wouldn't like that?
I recently got into raiding, (within the last 18 months) and really have a great time with the team dynamic of the game. The raid leaders I have raided with have been 15 on up. The team building skills one can acquire through raid leadership will be extremely beneficial in later years and I respect any "kid" who wants to take on that responsibility. Bravo to them.
Regardless of the age, (or perceived age), I try to be respectful of everyone in the game. If I see a legitimate question in chat, I try and answer the question. I see people trying to help much more than the usual "leet" players who mock the question, the player or whatever. I tend to ignore those players and reach out to help the newer players, (we were all new players at one time or another).
I am 46 and I enjoy World of Warcraft. There are a lot of dynamics to the game that can be used IRL. Age is not an issue as long as the players are treated with respect.
I'm 15 and havent been able to play since Wotlk came out since my computer always lags too much and drops me from the server, but when I did play most people thought I was much older because of my behavior. If I considered someone to be in a higher position than me, which was almost always, I would listen to them and follow instructions. That didnt stop me from giving my opinion but if i was overruled i'd follow and not cry about not getting my way. With my patience and understanding i eventually started to lead raids just before Wotlk came out. So remember that your age means nothing, only the age of your mind.