Elderly embrace arcade gaming

Elderly citizens can often be seen playing mahjong or card games on small collapsible tables along the street in Beijing, surrounded by a throng of eager spectators. Now in addition to these pastimes, many can be seen visiting arcade centers in shopping malls, spending vast amounts of time, and money, on their games.

Two of Beijing's most popular malls, Joy City in Xidan and Wanda Plaza near Dawanglu Subway Station, contain large arcades that are said to attract senior citizens on a weekly basis.

"They seem to go for Fish Hunter more than any other game," a Joy City attendant named Pang told Metro Beijing when asked which games the elderly most enjoy playing.

Fish Hunter, Pang explained, takes coins purchased with real currency from the cashier and rewards players with prizes exhibited within a display case. Depending on how many points a player manages to accumulate by aiming virtual fishing nets across a horizontal animated screen, prizes can reach thousands of yuan in value. Up for grabs are stuffed toys, as well as pricier items including an iPad.

Over at Wanda Plaza, the Super Player arcade is said by staff to regularly entertain a weekly influx of senior citizens, who also enjoy Fish Hunter. Speaking to one man, who wished to remain anonymous but revealed his age as 73, he confessed that he had spent up to 1,000 yuan ($159) in one sitting here. "I play between three to four hours on most visits," he noted.

For some this form of gambling is not a daily pursuit. At Joy City the elderly come mostly during weekends and national holidays "to spend time with grandchildren," explained Pang. But at Daletou Game Club inside Guo Rui Shopping Mall in Chongwenmen, Dongcheng district, one attendant said elderly people come mostly on weekdays. "They usually spend the whole day here. They only seem to leave for meals before coming back," said the attendant.

While it might seem like fun and games, similar to gambling in general there are negative sides to the pastime. A student in Beijing named Wei Zhijing told Metro Beijing that her father's habit of soft gambling is becoming a concern for her and her siblings. Her father, she said, is a single man who spends a lot of time and money on virtual gambling games. Despite their protestations against his chosen way to kill time, he is reluctant to quit. "We still find it hard to persuade him to stop," said Wei, adding, "He is our father after all and the elder of the family. His choice therefore ought to be respected."

Wei believes her father's habit is rooted in his current loneliness as a single parent. And in light of her belief that elders must be respected, Wei thinks the only way to control this habit is to spend more time with him.

Not all have fallen for the arcade game trend though. Metro Beijing spoke to an elderly expert in computer programming surnamed Zhang, who was shopping in Joy City. Asked if he was drawn to the machines given the nature of his profession, he said no.

"I have no interest in those things whatsoever. I have worked with computers my whole life. Arcades are the last places I go to unwind!" Zhang said.

"A lot of old people find arcades simply too noisy and too bright to enjoy the games seriously. It is hard for them to concentrate," added the man, who nonetheless confessed that he has friends who often spend time in arcades to gamble and relax.