The Future of the Hobby

Let’s get this straight from the beginning. I’m and old fart. Pretty soon I’ll be 40 something, I’m overweight and most of my friends are in cyberspace. That makes me a Geek/Nerd/Dork (delete as applicable) of epic proportions. In fact it’s become something of an in-joke that all gamers (and by extension miniatures painters) are middle-aged fat white blokes. Which leads me to wonder what the future of our hobby might be?

Well I’m an optimist. I go to a lot of games conventions here in the UK and one of the things I’ve noticed over recent years are the increasing number of children (and in particular girls) at these events. It seems all those middle aged gamers finally found time for a family and now they are introducing their kids to this great hobby. And I’m one of them. I’ve already got my eldest daughter interested in D&D and Mini Painting and now I’m working on my little’un.



I don't think she's quite ready for complex techniques like drybrushing, highlighting or Washes, but who cares. Of course the downside was the paint she got all over herself.... the table... the floor... the WALLS! But its a small price to pay if this is the start of a new generation of gamers and painters.