This is a very interesting thread.
I'd like to chime in on my situation. Maybe get some feedback. Seems like I'm talking to the right crowd.
I loved video games as a kid. I played on a Nintendo and Super Nintendo in the early 90's. I spent countless hours on all the Super Mario Brothers, Secret of Mana, Legend of Zelda, The Simpsons, Jurassic Park, etc. I loved adventure and quest type games, where the storyline just kept unfolding and you would gather companions.
I quit playing when I got an active life as a teenager.
In my 20's and 30's I watched as video games got good - really good. I was very tempted to pick them up again, but I was concerned that I would lose many productive hours playing in which I could be continuing my education, working side hustles, working out, managing real life relationships, etc.
Now, I am (hopefully) on track to retire at 50. That'll be 13 years from now, and I have no doubt that video games will get even better in that time.
Here's where video games come in: I am seriously concerned about being socially isolated in retirement. My peer cohort will still be working for another 10-15 years (at least.) I am divorced, have no children, have no real family of origin, and I primarily hang out with other introverts. My primary form of entertainment is reading, which is a solitary activity. Well, except for book clubs. I'm already in a book club. I joined it purely to be social.
I struggle with isolation; the more isolated I feel, the more depressed I can get. I am very concerned that this will worsen in retirement. I have already started trying to address this mentally, in order to minimize my panic. I don't want to second guess myself. I don't want to get to my retirement date and be unable to pull the trigger and keep working simply for the sake of interacting with (mostly toxic) people every day. I'm already a little bit of a workaholic.
I have been keeping an ongoing list on my phone of how I will manage isolation in my retirement. (Go to the same coffeeshop every morning and hang out with other "regulars", go to the gym, take a night class at the local community college, spend time at online forums like this one, join some sort of weekly or monthly club, etc.)
However, one strategy that I have seriously considered is to get back into video games. In particular, MMO type games, which would be an entirely new experience for me. This seems like it would provide ongoing interaction with other people, allowing me to feel connected as a supplement to in-person activities.
Thoughts?