"Wii Elbow" for Grandpa? Seniors and Video Games

Ever played Mario with your grandfather?  Kicked your grandma's tail in some Halo?  No?  Well, neither have I, although Eureka, California newspaper the Times-Standard is reporting that the over-fifty crowd may soon be the next marketable age range for the video game industry.

The basis of such speculation stems from a report that Nintendo recently set up a booth at an AARP (American Association for Retired Persons) convention.  The source is not cited.

Instead, the Times-Standard's main resource is Evelyn M. Hass-Kolshinki Miller, all of 86 years young.  The California newspaper interviews Miller "while perched in front of a computer playing Free Cell at the McKin-leyville (sic) Senior Center."

Having purchased a computer at 81, Miller is evidence that senior computer usage is on the rise.  But, video games?  The Times-Standard's glowing review of Free Cell, which it calls "a complex computer variation of solitaire," is hard to link with the modern world of Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony.

The Times-Standard has written this story in an attempt to show that video games, which stimulate the brain, are a worthwhile pastime for seniors.  That's a valid point, but writer Thadeus Greenson's attempt to connect Free Cell with modern "video game machines" is a stretch.

Besides, amongst all of these "Wii Elbow" complaints, do we really need the elderly compounding their cataracts with black eyes or throwing the Wiimote through antique candy dishes?  Medicare (besides the legal system) has enough on its plate, thank you.

Wii stuff at Gizmo Shop!

6 comments
Posted by StumpyMoose on January 11,2007 at 11:07 AM
I can't wait for games that simulate writing to local newspapers and complaining about everything. OLD AGE ROCKS!!!!
Posted by Navi on January 10,2007 at 10:34 AM
the following article has nintendo's strategy to reach everyone.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/technology/bal-nintendo0101,0,4589836.story?coll=bal-business-headlines

this article talks about nintendo at the AARP convention last fall
From the NY times
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/30/technology/30aarp.html?ex=1319864400&en=9a7b47430bdc39dd&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Includes video / pictures from convention
http://www.siliconera.com/index.php/2006/10/30/nintendo-at-the-aarp-life50-event/

This is an attendee's blog, it doesn't include a review of the wii, but it does include a review of the DS Brain Age game.
http://sandybergerblog.com/2006/10/30/aarp-convention/

happy reading,
-navi
Posted by Skepsis on January 10,2007 at 2:57 AM
Its an untapped market and as everyone is getting older all the time, then the percentage of people playing computer games will go up year on year.

Give people what they want and you generate a market. Look at TV ( UK) there seem to be more and more programs for the older person in mind compared to twenty years ago bringing back the stars of yester-year in new older versions.

I think someone needs to do a good servey of age against computer games played etc, I suspect the trend will be very interesting
Posted by mattys on January 9,2007 at 5:17 PM
Is it just me or is that guy about to slap that girl in the butt with his WiiMote?

Oh yeah and old people don't just knit! I can only imagine that the number of 'old' people that play video games or use computers for entertainment will only increase over time. I suspect that the reason that our current crop of old people gravitate toward card games is because those are games they know how to play so making the translation to the computer version is easy.
  Before long you will all be old and playing Halo368 on your Implant Chip and your kids will all be talking about how Halo368 Implant Chip game.
Posted by Dooger on January 9,2007 at 11:07 AM
My grandma plays Maj Jong nonstop, but I don't consider her to be a gamer.
Posted by Mikey on January 9,2007 at 10:12 AM
I can't see the elderly actually playing games like Halo or anything that the younger audience enjoys.  They might enjoy games for the family that Nintendo provides.  I know of some adults who never cared for video games before enjoying playing games like bowling for the Wii and having a great time.  The article talks about games designed to think.  Those games like bowling are fun but don't really exercise your mind.

It is the games like Brain Age, inspired by a prominent Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima, that they are talking about.  Keeping the mind active is said to help prevent certain neurological disorders.

My mother never cared for video games but she recently took interest in some of the more intellectual games like Brain Age for the DS so I got one for her.  She plays it virtually everyday.