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<p>Not my concern at all. If I thought that link existed, there would be no question at all of banning such games in my house. There are just so many more uplifting and beneficial uses of time that I can’t see gaming as anything other than a tragic waste.</p>
<p>I wish they hadn’t turned CoD into a modern-day version of Halo. The first two CoD games were pretty fantastic, CoD4 was good, after that it kinda just became a typical shooter with yearly releases that don’t actually add much except new maps and weapons. I think the best multiplayer FPS was Battlefield 2, what a great game.</p>
<p>OP, my stepdad is 50 and he plays Forza Motorsport from time to time. You’re never too old.</p>
<p>Just because YOU don’t see it as beneficial or “uplifting” doesn’t mean that it’s not. I love gaming because it’s a way to unwind and I play with friends/family from all over the country. It’s a way of bonding 1000s of miles away.</p>
<p>TonyK I’m not sure what the right game to play with your grandson would be (possibly World of Warcraft?) but my dad played Jazz Jackrabbit with my boys approx. 20 years ago and they had wonderful times playing together. We even bought tshirts for all of them. When my dad died last year we found the Jazz tshirt in his bedside drawer. Absolutely priceless. They used to laugh so hard playing together. /sigh Those games are really fun if you get into them.</p>
<p>TonyK: My kids all loved the driving games when they were young. My husband also loves the driving games. I don’t think a person is too old to play video games if they like them.</p>
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<p>While Battlefield 2 is fun for the large scale of the battles, Left 4 Dead (or L4D2) is totally where it’s at if you’re looking for a game that requires coordination, cooperation, and teamwork if you’re going to survive in Versus.</p>
<p>Also, anyone who’s played Pokemon (or whose kids played) might get a kick out of [url=<a href=“Pokémon Black and White Parody Game: Pokémon Black and Blue | PETA.org”>Pokémon Black and White Parody Game: Pokémon Black and Blue | PETA.org]this.[/url</a>] Even better than the Cooking Mama parody they put out a few years ago.</p>
<p>I guess I should be grateful that H and I had girls who thought video games would not be a part of their life. H and I tried Pacman many years ago in bars. 
Neither D has ever dated guys who were in to video games. We are a family who like to spend our evenings together by working around the house or yard, going to the gym to stay healthy, discussing current issues or reading professional journals or books for pleasure before bed. Heck…I can’t even sit to watch a movie at home because I think of all the things that need done around here! ;)</p>
<p>Oh, wait…we have played wii if that counts as video games. We played the bowling and archery games at some parties. :)</p>
<p>Back to the OP…when are they no longer “boys”?</p>
<p>I think the answer to the question in the title is:</p>
<p>When they are dead.</p>
<p>“Mom, more Hot Pockets”</p>
<p>I had to give up chess 30 years ago because I would lie awake in bed, obsessing and strategizing. I gave up video games about the same time (Space Invaders, Galaxians, Breakout and PacMan. Oh, Asteroids.) for the same reason. I wish I had the capacity to self-moderate and play occasionally, but it’s not part of the personality.</p>
<p>My poor, deprived kids have never had electronic games in the house and, as a result, are terrible at them when they go visit a friend with an X-Box.</p>
<p>Its not any more or less valid than “real adults” watching stuff like CSI or going to see a movie IMO. Its a “waste of time”, but people need fun diversions every once in awhile. It does seem to carry a bit more of a stigma and have less “water cooler capital” than talking about the Cowboys game or the latest episode of Mad Men, but to each his own. As long as time spent on work/dating/hygiene, etc isn’t substituted for a controller.</p>