Member-only story
In the Future, Senior Citizens Will Play Video Games All Day
How gaming could help treat many of the worst symptoms of old age
The raid to destroy Ragnaros started after dark. It was 10 p.m. on the East Coast, and behind his keyboard, Drakenwulf knew his role. He was a warlock, one of four in the raiding party. The group had been planning all week. If they failed, they’d have to wait another week to try again; it wasn’t easy to get 40 players online at once to make a run at the Molten Core. The entire group had to work as a unit. Hunters — masters of beast and bow — used mighty wolves and boars to lure fearsome enemies into traps set by the main group. Drakenwulf kept other foes at bay with spells meant to instill fear. When they finally reached Ragnaros, the strongest warriors in the party took turns absorbing blow after blow from the elemental lord of fire while Drakenwulf and the core of sorcerers and rogues rained down damage upon him.
It was one of the most memorable experiences Jack Labout — known as Drakenwulf online — has ever had, and he’s had a lot. A programmer who has done stints at NASA and Tandem Computers, Labout is one of the true old guard online, a group of players who remember far beyond Ragnaros, one of the original bosses of Blizzard’s pivotal World of Warcraft game.
