Hey, looks like I'm not alone! I'm 49 and we (3 people, aged 30-49, with no prior gamedev experience) are working on an isometric sci-fi shooter-looter -- think Diablo meets Aliens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWN3l4LdTIA
Also, 800 upvotes can't lie. I wonder, which part of the premise resonates with the HN crowd: "it's never too late" or "I always wanted to make games too"?
I would think that quite a good chunk of people who go into tech (as a general domain) did so because they loved games as a kid. This is true for us and anecdotally, everyone I know who is in IT has tried their hand at making a game at one time or another.
As for "never too late": maybe when we're older, we do become aware that we are closer to the end than the beginning. Part of it is also the last few years. You don't thing the blackest of black swan events will happen until it does. So are you gonna do your best to be happy right now? Or are you gonna keep punting until the meteor comes?
Umm, I would totally buy your game. I love isometric shooters, rpgs, etc. First-person shooters, sadly, make me nauseated and barf-y within minutes. How far along are you guys in development?
Movement and gunplay are basically done and feel great. Graphics is looking pretty decent (the video is a bit outdated). Story / progression is being written and integrated at the moment; it will be text-only so no voice acting is required, which should speed things up. Some items and their stats (armor, guns, sets, etc.) are already in place, but there are no proper legendaries yet. Crafting and talents are not yet in place. Sound is completely nonexistent at this point -- we're going to try an approach without music (it may work, see No Country for Old Men).
Also, 800 upvotes can't lie. I wonder, which part of the premise resonates with the HN crowd: "it's never too late" or "I always wanted to make games too"?