Coping with the next gen as a member of the last one

How do different generations of gamers affect each other's gaming experiences? That's the question asked by last week's issue of The Escapist, and it's something brought up each time the older ranks of gamers—those past the near-30-year-old average often touted by gaming studies—try their hand at the latest gaming craze (such as
Halo 2 on Xbox Live).

How do older gamers deal with the stigma of maintaining a passion not considered a respectable hobby for those 40 years old and up? Can gaming parents do more than waste precious hours when playing games with their children even from a young age? And what positive things can these children learn from relating through a console
(despite the "murder simulators" seemingly begging for their attention out there)?

Despite the fact that quite a few gamers have had a hard time finding significant others who share their interactive interests, gamers are obviously growing older, leading productive lives (by society's accepted standards),
and raising kids all across the world. We can't all be Old Grandma Hardcore (nor should we?), but considering how our common hobby impacts the next generation of gamers, and not just the systems they play, would be well worth a few minutes' pursuit.