"I'm too mature to play video games"

Actually, I believe the line was phrased "I've grown and matured beyond video games." And it would have been more accurate if he'd stated, "My girlfriend told me I was too immature for her if I kept playing video games."

It's amazing how people associate video games, amongst other things, with immaturity. I saw it the other day in an article, 7 Signs He's about to Propose. The person writing the article said that one of the signs he was about to propose was that he packs away his Star Wars stuff and redecorates his home in a more mature way. I'm sorry, but that's not a sign of maturity, that's a sign of desperation. He's not thinking that this will show his maturity, he's thinking that if he doesn't trash his Star Wars stuff you'll think less of him and you're the only chance at sex he has or will ever have. I have at least one friend whose wife is as much or maybe even more into Star Wars than he is. So there's no need for Star Wars fans, gamers, etc to put aside their beloved pastimes out of desperation. There are plenty of compatible partners out there who love the same things.

But I'm getting sidetracked. Star Wars tends to do that to me. In 2005 it was reported that about 25% of gamers are over 40 and nearly 40% of gamers were female. The idea that people who gamed were immature males is old fashioned. It may have been true fifteen or twenty years ago, but the thing is, those gamers grew up, and they still have a love of gaming.

More and more games are also catering to a female audience, which is awesome. Games aren't just for greasy, dateless fifteen-year-old males anymore. They're made for everyone.

When i was playing Galaxies as an Entertainer, across my three main servers I had over 600 friends--that happens when you play a social class in a social game. A good number of those people were women over 50 who were just out to play a game and have some fun in Star Wars. I met a nice older couple who were both disabled and using the game as therapy to keep their social interactions going, when they couldn't make it out of their house.

MMOGs and other games are made for everyone. I've read that as many as 60% of Americans play video games, and that 60% of those who do are adults. So next time someone tries to feed you a line of bull about how immature gaming is, you'll be able to smile smugly and know how wrong that person is. But you're too mature and polite to say anything to correct the error. Right?