# Why don't video games have an "old fart" mode? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 6, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947 "2010-01-06T19:56:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/61 "2010-01-08T20:25:38Z")
> [@Airk](#): > > You don’t know how many copies it’d sell, and here’s a “little known” fact: TONS more people -don’t- play “regular” video games than do. (The "regular adjective is here to preemptively eliminate people citing games like Bejeweled or Mafia Wars and claiming that ka-zillions of people play games every day.) Let me re-iterate that for you. Videogames, in the traditional sense, are still a niche market. I see y’all are having a nice argument here, but this part of at least is incorrect. The number of people who play games and the number who don’t is currently at an even 50-50 split in this country. According to the census, there are about 114 million households in the US. The PS2 has sold over 50 million units in the US while the DS has sold in excess of 45 million. Assuming there’s not a total overlap in those two numbers, that means more than half of all US households have a real gaming system in them. As for “old fart mode”, I’m all for it. I’m only 28 and I’m already convinced I’ve lost a step from when I was 12. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/62 "2010-01-08T21:48:58Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I hear you, brother. I completely love Metroid Prime, and Echoes almost as much. Well, 98% of the games, anyway. A couple of the bosses were pretty frustrating, but I got through it. Not the end bosses though. Just couldn’t spend the time to develop the reflexes I’d need. I have MP3: Corruption, but now I’m really not looking forward to the boss you mentioned. Yikes! > > Anyhoo, IMO the thing with Metroid is just that they don’t scale the difficulty so you’re actually ready for the final boss. To me, it seemed like a sudden jump to 10X the difficulty of the preceding levels. The Metroid Prime itself was something I almost gave up on completely. It’s incredibly annoying, and depending on your ability to avoid damage for ridiculous amounts of time, could end up being luck based. If it turns purple a lot you’re good since Wavebuster is hilariously overpowered against it, but if it goes red or blue you’re almost better off just concentrating on defense until it changes to the more serviceable colors. It’s also kinda cheap, though I can’t remember specifics anymore. Meta-Ridley is also cordially invited to suck it. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > I see y’all are having a nice argument here, but this part of at least is incorrect. The number of people who play games and the number who don’t is currently at an even 50-50 split in this country. [68% now](http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2009.pdf). ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/63 "2010-01-08T21:57:39Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > [68% now](http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2009.pdf). Yeah, but that throws in the Bejeweled and Mafia Wars players that **Airk** was trying to exclude. Thinking about it in terms of real games, it’s about 50-50. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/64 "2010-01-08T23:18:08Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > See, when I craft my business plans, I always make sure to be snobby and arrogant to certain groups who want my product. Because they just aren’t good enough for it. That rakes in the big bucks! Which game developers are being snobby and arrogant? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947/65 "2010-01-08T23:20:51Z")
As for me, an aging Gen-Xer who doesn’t have time to learn a 12 button controller, I got a Wii with Beatles Rock Band. I enjoy playing my daughter (8 years-old) in Wii Sports, and we go at it. Her bowling move, complete with leg kick, is funny as hell. I’m better than her at Super Mario, but that’s just experience. If she gets into it, she’ll begin to blow me out of the water in no time - “Daddy, look what I can do!” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-video-games-have-an-old-fart-mode/523947.md?page=3)