Erickson Tribune

Science & Technology

UPDATED: Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Ready to Have Some Fun?

Posted on Sunday, August 01, 2004
 

Over the past few months I've shown you how to help keep your computer happy and healthy. Now that all that work is done—and your computer thanks you for it— it's time to have some fun!

Not Just for Kids

There are 82.5 million people who frequently enjoy online gaming, and 17 percent of these people are over the age of 55. Many older Americans are finding their way into online gaming, and they are meeting new people and having lots of fun. Roger of Connecticut says, “I find that gaming can be for people of all ages and that it’s really cool to show the younger players that gaming doesn't practice age discrimination.”

I often play a game online with Roger called “Unreal Tournament.” His zany antics and funny screen name first led me to believe that he was a teenager. Roger handed me many defeats and I admit that I felt much better knowing I wasn’t getting beaten by a teenager. The two of us have become great online gaming buddies and that is one of the reasons many people begin playing online in the first place.

Types of Games

Some of the most popular games on the Internet are your old favorites adapted to the Web. Gin, poker, spades and bridge are just a few of the thousands of games on the Internet that you can play with friends, family, or with complete strangers sitting in front of their computers in Tangiers.

Where to Play?


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There are many ways to get online and play games. Some store-bought games include free online gaming features built in. Some games are subscription based, and many are available free over the Web. These sites include the MSN gaming zone, Yahoo games, and POGO by Electronic Arts. Any of these services will have thousands of people just like you playing online at any given time.

More About the Culture

If you are interested in learning about the experiences of online gamers, Dorothy Rosencrans has written a book called, Playing Around:My Adventures on the Zone.Com.

There are millions of people on the Web playing games. One example is Ruth Lyon, a 66-year-old retired nurse in Michigan. Every night instead of watching re-runs on television, she sits down in front of her computer for a few hours to play euchre with her son in California and her daughter in Ohio. Ruth also finds online gaming a convenient way to meet interesting people, and make new friends. “It’s amazing how many older people are doing this,” she says.

I Hope to See You Online!

So now that your computer is purring along and you are looking for more to do than just sending e-mail to family and friends, why not put it to work gaming online? Log on to one of the many online gaming sites or get out there to your local software vendor and pick up that game that all the kids are looking at on the shelf. Then, show them how it’s done.



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