Well, I'll be 52 in a couple of months and would love to retire but can't.

I bought my first computer in 2000 more to keep my "boy" friend (at the time)occupied. He was quite a bit younger than me and liked the Star Trek games. I didn't think I would ever need a computer for any reason, but totally panic now when my computer goes out for repairs.

Some games came with my computer, mostly arcade type games but also Myst. I didn't have a clue about game genres and bought some games just from the screen shots I saw on sites my friend went on, such as Black & White and Alice. I also bought The Blackstone Chronicles because I had read the books. I tried playing that with him guiding me but just didn't understand what I was doing.

By 2004 the friend was long gone and I needed/wanted a new computer. (Still have and use occasionally the 98 though.) When I got the XP I installed all the games I had accumulated but never played (not the Star Treks)and tried Blackstone again and voila! It all started making sense. I've been hooked ever since and wish I had understood them earlier as I missed out on some good old games.

I am now the proud owner of more than 200 games but haven't played even half of them yet. Most are adventure games and God willing I will be able to play ALL of them at some point.

I have pretty much finished buying up all the older games that I could find that will play at least on the 98 and am current with the new games, I get them as soon as they come out. Now, however, I will need to start looking into Windows 7 I guess, so I can keep up with the new games that won't work on the XP. I'm already running into some problems with a couple of newer games (Still Life 2 - mouse movement too slow to really play) because my stuff is not up to date.

I don't know anybody who plays. I tried to get my sister interested. She played a couple of games but isn't really into it. She does, however, enjoy watching me play and helps me through some of the problems I run into when she's feeling up to it.

Even though I get frustrated within some games at some times, I find they are very relaxing and take me away from other problems. I don't know what I used to do before I found Adventure Games. I also don't know how I stumbled upon GameBoomers but I am so thankful that I did. Gameboomers rock!

Jackie

I'm 69 and my first computer was a Tandy without a hard drive. It had DOS as an operating system. I didn't even want the computer until a friend of a friend introduced me to Adventure games. Then I loved it. I've been gaming ever since. My best friend plays games. She likes the casual games. Since hubby retired, it's hard to get him away from the computer and games. He likes Peter's puzzles and casual games.

I am 63 and have been retired from teaching for two years now. Like many of us who are of a certain age, I know few of my friends who play games and know several who still don't have a computer. However, my most entertaining memories come from the other side of this situation. When a member of one of my high school classes learned that I actually played games and had even written a few reviews, they were amazed. It never entered their 17-year old minds that an old guy like me might actually be a gamer. They ere generally amazed that it was even possible.

Hi its nice to find out there are other retirees playing games. Im 73 and retired at 65, found life boring then one day I was in best buy and saw - wait for it - the crystal key. Fired up my old (windows 98) and started playing and havent stopped since. I cannot find anybody where I live that also plays, they tend to look blank when I talk about games, but most are walking around with a tv remote complaining. Me - well Im lost in Syberia or some other place, walking with dracula or exploring in darkfall. To me its an escape, keeps me thinking learning about things I didnt know and if I get stuck I can come to this site and find friends I dont know who will help. Its opened a whole new world and I luv it. Playing Darkfall 3

Hoooray for all of us retired(but not tired of games)!

I can so relate to what you all are saying-Haze, your comment reminded me of how out of place I feel walking into Gamestop or looking at the games in computer stores.I just pretend I'm "grandma" shopping for "grandchild"
I buy most of my games at Amazon or EBay though.

oldman-Is it really true? Thief IV! These are my all time favorites-Is there any way to get Thief#1 to play on XP? I do have an old WIN98 computer but havn't hooked it up in so long maybe it won't work anymore.
I would also like to replay Indiana Jones Infernal Machine so maybe it would be worth trying.

Can I just say for all of us who are not retired how jealous I am?

I just wanted to say how surprised I was to find out that alot of the Boomers are retired. You all sound so young on the computer. I think gaming must keep you young. I don't think I will ever be able to retire, probably not until I am 98!!(well that's how it feels.)

thracia

Bigmamma1: re Thief The Dark Project. The technical section on Boomers or TTLG.com can definitely get you up and running. Think of all those wonderful fan missions that are waiting for you!!!

In addition to GB and TTLG (Through The Looking Glass, re: Looking Glass Studios developers of TDP and TMA as well as Deus Ex!) technical topics there is my old first Thief forum, EIDOS, the publisher of both TDP and TMA and developer of Thief IV: http://forums.eidosgames.com/forumdisplay.php?f=7. Dusty and Peter will take care of you. Tell them Old Man sent you. I am currently in the process of getting all the previous Thief games up and running on a Windows 7 notebook. TDS and TMA okay so far but for some graphics issues but still playable. Going slowly but that's because once I get one installed and playable I want to play it! So I am.

jody319,

I am in my late fifties(and won't be able to retire for a long time)and I remember Winky Dink (I think that is what you meant) and the green plastic screen for the TV. I loved it! I think that this was the very primitive start of interactive media. I think that the green screen had to be ordered through the mail and I remember how much I loved this show.

Was the decoder ring for Buck Roger's Space Patrol? I remember being a member of that although I really dislike Science Fiction.

I looked online a few years ago and found a site for Winky Dink and it was fun to find it.Thanks for bringing it up. Lots of great memories.

Thanks Oldman for the heads up-I bookmarked the link to the topic of how to get it running and will try it soon-I've been in a taffing mood lately!

Bigmomma1,
My son, my younger brother by some ten years, and my daughter take me with them, to best buy, so I can help them pick out their new computers, and TV's the look on the salesmen's faces are priceless, when my daughter at 55, says we brought mom the geek to help us out. Funny!
Our first TV, black and white. First tv show, ever seen was, wrestling with Gorgeous George. Dec of 1952.
Charllotte

.....and how about pre-TV, sitting around the kitchen table listening to radio shows, Mr Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons, the Lone Ranger and Tonto-Hi O Silver!, Sargent Preston of the Yukon, Jack Benny and Arthur Godfry
Little did we know we would be living in a science fiction world, using technology that no one could have even imagined back then. I don't remember ever reading in the sci-fi stories anything like the internet or virtual reality games. Who knew?!

Different radio programmes here in the UK, bigmamma1, but I well remember listening to many, regularly, for years before TV became available

It was 1952 when we got our first TV and we were the only ones to have one in our area, so neighbours used to be invited in to watch "specials".
Tea and cakes thrown in

Same with the phone - although years before.
We were the only ones to have one of those, too, and neighbours used to knock and ask could they make a call !!

Hey GatsbyGirl...you are right on the name, I guess that's what being 64 is all about. Thank you. And as to Buck Rogers, yep, I think that might have been it.

Your comment about interactive "media" makes a real statement I believe that YEP we were in the beginning generation for that...not that the real interactives of today would think so.

Thank you for putting me straight on the name...going to Goggle it right now and be nostalgic for a few mintes.

Jody

I don't know the ages of some of you, but here I am at 79 enjoying computer games. I mostly play adventure games. I'm just not fast enough for most of the RPGs. My only problem, since I am on a retirement income is trying to figure out how to afford all the games I would like to get, so I try to get the large file ones from BigFish when they get them. Sometimes it's a long wait, but I am patient. I hope they get Machinarium as the demo seemed fun.
ruthie

I retired in my mid-40's, which is very young to retire, but that was due to an accident which prevented me from getting around very well.

I got my first computer shortly after that. My cousin suggested it. I think she was getting tired of phoning me every weekend (long distance) to make sure I was okay.

I started out with Windows 95, then 98, 98SE, and then XP. I've stayed on XP ever since. I'll be 59 next month.

I bought a Windows XP for Dummies book and sort of taught myself how to use it. If I got stuck, there was always my cousin I could contact my email. Glad I stayed with it, even though I am still no expert on computers.

I retired in 2007 at age 61. But, I've been playing adventure games since 1996 when we got our first computer....Win 95. My first game was The Bizarre Adventures of Woodruff", then "Urban Runner". My gosh that's old!

Then onto Win 98, 98SE, Win XP and now Win 7. I have played all the Tex Murphy games twice. Thanks to GOG.com, I can play TM on Win 7. Man, are those old games pixelated!!!

Anyway, I play something nearly every day. Sometimes, it takes a long time to play a game, dependng on the time I have.

Great question and I am enjoying all the answers!

I just remembered, BEFORE Woodruff, I played Duke Nukem back in '96. Talk about dying every 10 seconds. I still have that '95 game, but it won't play on Win 7 :-P

Happy to be retired! I went early, at age 58 after both my parents needed full-time medical care and then my hubby up and left and I just couldn't handle work and family needs at the same time. I just turned 64.

My first computer experience was when I was teaching Home Economics and the Principal plopped the very first Apple computer in front of me and said, "Learn it and then teach the rest of us!" Duh? I'd never seen a computer, although my Dad was a rocket scientist (really) and the Principal thought I'd be the best choice for this new fangled stuff.

So I managed to figure it out, did a little 'programming', which consisted of copying commands from a book, and eventually got a game up and running for the kiddies. Just words and some 'drawings' but it was exciting. I even managed to transfer some of our book tests to the computer and taught the kids how to use it.

Then I bought myself a Mac SE. I had changed teaching jobs to a Plato computer lab (later changed to Novanet) and one of the kids got me started on an interactive game with the system operators. It was a dungeons and dragons type of thing, very primative but very addictive. It was also the very first 'messaging' since you could talk in real time with the other players with a line at the screen bottom as you played to get help killing things. Very fun. I played day and night, at work and at home. Nothing on the screen but a little drawing of lines and numbers of the monsters,etc. It was a maze of levels and such fun.

So after that, I somehow found 'adventure games'. I really don't know what happened, but I think I bought a used copy of Myst at the thrift store and that was my undoing. After being totally stumped and screaming at my computer, my friend told me about Gameboomers and said it was a great place with good people and loads of help. He was right. Without GB I'd have given up right then. I've played adventure games ever since, everything I can get my hands on except shooters. I have no dexterity and I much prefer the walk around and find things and do things at my own pace.

Just recently, thanks to Gameboomers, I found Casual Games and Big Fish. I can't get enough of those. Easy, can do them a few minutes at a time, don't have to worry about being 'killed' by something.

Still love the big file adventures but nothing much has been produced lately. Waiting for something awesome.

Love being retired, would NEVER go back to work, nope. Enjoying being a Landlord now, which 'almost' pays my mortgage. Love games, love GB, love life.

I've so loved this thread as it has brought to life some of the Boomers who have hitherto only been known to me by their "nom du guerre".
We are encouraged not to reveal very much that could identify us on forums and so it's been fascinating to learn about some of the members of this community. I think it's a great community of people and I'm so pleased to be part of it.
I'm 64 and have only been playing games since about 2004. The only other person I know who plays is my niece whom I introduced to gaming and who gets all my played games.
When I mention games to anyone else they think it is something like patience or first person shooter games. I find it impossible to describe adequately exactly what a point and click adventure game is. Does anyone have a succinct description?

My personal definition.

An interactive story in a fully realized environment, in which the gamer "walks around" in the environments while exploring them, solves puzzles, and (usually) interacts with other characters while learning more about the story. The emphasis is on using your wits, not your reflexes.

This is really odd. Been visiting this site for a few years now and sort of imagined I must be one of the older ones on here. Somehow I had most of you down to be late 20's up though 30's. It appears I'm a bit of a young wippasnappa at 46:-) although I've been playing adventures since my first computer (ZX Spectrum - Dont think it made it to the Americas) in around 1982. In fact it was seeing a review for an adventure game in a magazine that persuaded me to buy a computer.

Jody319,

Hope the Winky Dink sire is still there. I loved finding it because it brought back so may memories of the show and how much I loved it when I was a little girl.

I agree that this current techie generation won't understand how much fun some of these old programs were for us. Kind of like watching old classic black and white movies. We have to have an appreciaition of what came before in order to realize (and appreciate) how we got to where we are now.

Hi gatsby-
That's one thing I like about being older(not getting older!) The ability to remember what came before and what led to where we are now.That's why I enjoy watching the old movies-brings back memories of how different things were back in the '40s and'50s. Maybe that is happening with computer games-"old" being from the '80s and '90s

I too am surprised at how many retired folks are Gameboomers-many times I pictured someone 20 or 30 who is actually 60 or more. Great comments-also enjoy hearing from retirement "wannabes" Just think-you'll never be bored or wondering what to do with your spare time!