I mentioned a couple nights ago in a sleepy, semi-alert rant that my mother was a big video game fan into her old age. She was far from horrible, and although the first time she ever played she walked Super Mario into a pit without even trying to jump over it, she was soon destroying Dr Wily in Mega Man games with her eyes closed and one hand tied behind her back.
She would be appalled by the following video I saw through Joystiq this morning featuring a training video from AARP showing you how to play video games. Taught in a manner as though the hosts are trying to show a young child how to handle a rocket launcher, old AARP members are exposed to the world of video games so that one day they can play with their children, compete with their spouse, or shoot up their neighborhood. You’d swear the controller was some kind of bomb covered in Handle With Care and Explosive stickers all over it. I fully expected another person to walk in at some point with a bomb blast suit to attempt to defuse this seemingly dangerous device these people were playing the game with.
Speaking of, playing the game involves moving Spongebob Squarepants around on the screen. Not jumping or squishing water out of himself or whatever Spongebob Squarepants does, but walking. I can just imagine the seniors at home watching this, nerves overloaded and frozen in a state of indescribable excitement. I’m left wondering if Jack Thompson masterminded this video with the idea of using reverse psychology to bore older people away from games so they wouldn’t further feed the nursing home massacre epidemic currently gripping this country.
You should really see this one for yourself, old and young alike.
Video: AARP - Video Game Training For Seniors
