How young is too young to buy someone a video game system?

[Silvermoth]

I want to get my niece a ds or something similar when she's ready and something cute like pokemon. How young would you say is too young to get someone into video games?

 

[Spider-Aziz]

10 years is the youngest I think, that's when they start getting better taking care of their things.
Under 10 years is too young.

 

[Benstamania]

Nah, I have two kids and my son had a DS at 5. He had ruled with it where he could only play it a certain amount of time and that he had to put everything in a case and what not when he was done.

He's going on 7 now and I feel it actually helped him treat his other things better as he's more careful with everything.

I started playing games when I was around that age (Atari/Colecovision represent!) so I figured why not.

I suggest the parents making sure there's a time set tho.. And I'd get your niece a case and explain that when she's done everything has to go back in that.

 

[Spider-Aziz]

Different strokes for different folks.
Man, I remember the old days, the transformer for one of the systems was so heavy it fell from my young small hands back then, and stopped working.
Time restriction is always good, and you better make sure you sit with them when they play.

 

[James]

Different strokes for different folks.

This is a better answer than your original one. I think age shouldn't factor into it, but base your decision on the individual. Is the kid the type to respect something, and follow instructions? Or are they more a scream when they don't get there way, kick the dog for fun type? As with any child when considering something like this, be it video games, movies, even taking them to an amusement park, it's better judged on a case by case basis of maturity, rather than saying yes or no based on a arbitrary number.

That, and if it's not your child, checking with the parents first is also a good idea.

 

[Sexy Magician]

I think it depends on the child and not really the age, I have an older brother so his consoles were my introduction to gaming, I was playing the Master System from age 4 then the Mega Drive at age 6, and had my own personal GameBoy at 8, which I took really good care of.

If the child is old enough to be able to understand and play the game then go for it I say, everyone has childhood memories of favourite toys, movies and tv shows that they still hold dear, me to, but mine are also full of great memories of games that I loved.

Just be on guard of age rating on games, it's usually there for the content of the game but it's also there because some games are just to advanced for certain age groups, no point wasting your money on a game that's never gonna get played.

 

[General Mike]

I'm 33 now. Had an Atari as long as I can remember, then my older brother bought a Nintendo when he was 13 (I was 7). I wasn't super into video games until I was about 9 or 10, somewhere in that range. I would play them, just was more interested in GI Joe, TMNT, Transformers until then.

I think it really depends on what their friends are doing how interested they are going to be in it.

 

[XtremelyBaneful]

10 years is the youngest I think, that's when they start getting better taking care of their things.
Under 10 years is too young.

I know a kid who's 8 and has a Ps3. When I was his age or even younger I had a Ps1.

 

[Soapy]

I started playing games when I was 3. I was no older than 6 by the time my parents had bought me a SNES, Genesis, and Game Boy. I always treated my stuff really well, I even kept everything very tidy. But then I also had friends who treated their games and toys and stuff horribly, some even well past the age when they should have known better. I guess age isn't really a factor. It just depends on the particular kid.

It's like asking, "Should I let my kid watch this scary movie? He's only five.". Age doesn't matter. It depends entirely on the individual. Some kids can handle different things better than others.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Hard to say. My earliest memory involved a Sega Master System.

I was playing Super Mario when I was 5, and Mortal Kombat when I was 8. Don't worry, it was the SNES version, so there was no blood (that pissed me off).

I think you can reasonably give any 6 year old a 2DS.

If I had a kid though, I would actually start him off with a SNES. It's simple to work, it's resilient, and it would give him an appreciation for the classics.

 

[Jick]

When I was 3 my parents got me a SNES. I was always so careful with my things and had friends older than me who weren't so caring with their stuff. Around this age I was also playing violent games like MK, so that wasn't a problem either.

I'll endorse what was said about it depending on the individual, but also on the education given by their parents. If you consider your niece is prepared, then sure.

 

[ThePhantasm]

I would say infants are definitely too young. You try to give a game system to a six or nine month old kid... that's just absurd. They can't even talk yet or even walk around. They have no social life, they can't go outdoors by themselves, they live with their mom, they cry and whine a lot, they have no jobs, and they pee themselves...

actually, on second thought, that description fits many gamers online. Carry on then!

 

[TX85]

I want to know how old is too old for being a gamer

 

[Soapy]

When senility takes hold.

 

[Benstamania]

When I worked at GameStop we often had a Nam vet come in. He played a lot f war shooters and would comment on how unrealistic or realistic they were. He had a lot of good insight. One day I remember him coming in white as a ghost, returned a copy of Conflict Vietnam and said it hit "too close to home."

He still games and he's probably in his early to mid 70's now.

 

[TX85]

When senility takes hold.

I admit I don't know what that means but if you're replying to me then is 29 and eventually 30yo fine?

 

[TX85]

When I worked at GameStop we often had a Nam vet come in. He played a lot f war shooters and would comment on how unrealistic or realistic they were. He had a lot of good insight. One day I remember him coming in white as a ghost, returned a copy of Conflict Vietnam and said it hit "too close to home."

He still games and he's probably in his early to mid 70's now.

Really? Wow that's awesome

 

[Soapy]

I admit I don't know what that means but if you're replying to me then is 29 and eventually 30yo fine?

Yes, I would hope so.

Don't think about it so much. How often do you question if you're too old to watch movies or listen to music?

 

[Benstamania]

I admit I don't know what that means but if you're replying to me then is 29 and eventually 30yo fine?

As 31 years old, father and husband.. I don't really think there's a point where one becomes too old to game.

I mean. I still play every Pokemon that comes down the pipe and as big of a fan of systems like XB1 that I am ill always have a Nintendo console and hand held in my house.

So..

 

[Thundercrack85]

I think the corporate media which is mostly made up of dinosaurs (the average news anchor is close to 50) still has the perception that most gamers are kids, and therefore games are for kids. A lot of older people think this as well (read: over 40).

The average gamer is a thirty year old man, and has been playing games for decades.

I have also noticed in my lifetime that games went from being mostly targeted to kids to adults. Part of this is of course technology. There was no Halo or Call of Duty in the 80's.

Though I do admit I find Pokémon childish and above all... dull. But I play Mario games unashamedly.

 

[Benstamania]

Pokèmon is insanely childish.. I mea. It is marketed towards kids. I still love it tho. I think it's the collectors part of me.

 

[TX85]

It's really great to know that because I've been debating whether to sell my PS4 next year before my 30th birthday because I just assumed most gamers are kids and teenagers since that's what the media mostly mentions.

 

[Lilbaz]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30054140

This kid from Coventry passed the Microsoft exam at 5 and built his own computer at 6.

 

[Lilbaz]

It's really great to know that because I've been debating whether to sell my PS4 next year before my 30th birthday because I just assumed most gamers are kids and teenagers since that's what the media mostly mentions.

If you enjoy playing games. Do it whatever age you are.

 

[Thundercrack85]

It's really great to know that because I've been debating whether to sell my PS4 next year before my 30th birthday because I just assumed most gamers are kids and teenagers since that's what the media mostly mentions.

The media is ancient. Seriously, even the "hip" people like Jon Stewart and Conan O'Brien are... over 50. To put that into context, they were 30 when the SNES came out.

Statistically, you're actually the norm, not the exception.