How can video games actually be good for you?

Question

Today's Ask The Planet category is Consumer Electronics -- find out more at http://ca.answers.yahoo.com/asktheplanet

Answer 1

Video games offer something rare in the terms of education. They cause people to want to learn. Now, there is an exception to every rule but it's usually and exception and not a rule. Myst is one of the best selling computer games of all time and the entire basis is problem solving puzzels that "excercise" our minds. The Sims is another highly succesful game where one does the menial chores and routines of life. This game teaches us a budget, how to reward yourself, and living within your means. Any Tycoon game, such as Roller Coaster Tycoon, along with the Sim City games, teach you to maintain a buisness and and be profitable.

These benifits are also true in FPS (first person shooters). A pair of researchers in University of Rochester, New York, as well as those at the University of Rochester; found that such gaming helped educational skills. In the tests conducted, seventeen students, male and female, either were in a group that played Medal of Honor, Tetris, or refrained from any video gaming at all. All test subjects had openly admitted to never have playing a video game in their life. Everyday, those groups that did play their game played for a time frame of one to two and a half hours. All of the students study habits, which started out similar, did change dramatically, along with their aptitude tests. Medal of Honor players lost the most studying time but brought their average grades up on the aptitude tests. Tetris players and nongamers alike, maintained the same study habits and grades.

Also in violent games such as the Grand Theft Auto Series, however bad this sounds, the game seems to be fufilling a need. Ever since these violent games have emerged, amazingly enough, crime in the US is down and teen pregnancy is down. We are living in one of the most unviolent time periods in history and we have the most violent media.

Now there is still just as much car-jacking going on but this is the exception and not the rule. There are more positive aspects then there are negative. On the positive/negative side, soldiers overseas are playing videogames over the internet to spend time with their family. In some cases it's a friendly game but in others it may be a shooter. In the case of the shooter, the soldier, who through boot camp has been engineered to think this way, will be enjoying R&R time while still using his/her training in a way. This will help him/her be more efficent and his job and through trial and error in a videogame, he/she will know better tactics in there subconscience and will be able to react quicker and have a better survival chance.

In the 60's rock music was thought of negatively but now it's excepted and embraced. Soon this will probally happen to videogames.

Answer 2

Here's A Little Clip From My Answer To The Brain's Phone
( http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiPeldTNW6wY9FPiEiC6qRHsy6IX?qid=20060614064436AAgNIDg )

It All Depends On What Video Game You Play, But I'll Get Back To That In A Second..

Many Will Say It Will Help Hand-Eye Coordination, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Stuff That 'Everything Bad Is Good For You' Would Tell You, And It's All True, If You Play Today's Video Games, And Even Past Video Games Like The Zelda Series From Ninendo, There's A Lot Of Thinking In Them On How To Go From Point A To Point B. Games Are Not Sucking The Lives Out Of Gamers, It's Giving Them A Mental Exercise, granted, If They Use A Strategy Guide, That's A Little Different..

But There Are Other Video Games Out There That Really Do Give An Exercise Of Both Brains And Muscle, And Example Of Brains Would Be Nintendo's 'Brain Age: Train Your Brain In Minutes A Day!', Which, Developed By Japanese Neuroscientist Dr. Kyuta Kawashima, Makes Better Blood-Flow Through The Brain Based Off Studies Showing That Simple Reading Aloud And Math Problems Actually Stimulates The Brain..
An Example Of A More Physical Exercise Would Be Sony's EyeToy, Developed By Dr. Richard Marks, That Uses A WebCam Plugged Into The PS2 And Basically, Your Body Is The Controller, Using It To Punch Away Ninjas, Boxing, Doing A Cook-Off, Play Volleyball, etc..

And Also:
Video Games Are A Good Release.. From That Hard-Day's Work, You Just Want To Get A Rest, well, Why Not Pick Up A Video Game? I Even Believe Steven Johnson's 'Everything Bad Is Good For You' Book Even Went Into This.. Again, Help Your Brain Out A Bit And Play A Little Puzzle Game Or Go Do The Brain-Specific Brain-Training Games Like 'Big Brain Academy' For The Nintendo DS.. Or A Game Even Deeper Like Linden Lab's 'Second Live', Where You Can Actually Get Quite A Virtual-Vacation With User-Made Lands..

In Short Terms:
Can Help Hand-Eye Coordination, Problem Solving, Teamwork, Mental And Physical Exercise (depending on the game you play), And A Good Release From Stressful Life..

Of Course, It All Goes Back To What Kind Of Game You Play.. You're Most Likely To Get Different Results From Playing A Shooter Than Compared To Playing A Platformer Or Puzzle Genre Game..

Answer 3

It's a good distraction. If you're stressed, you can pop in a video game and take out your frustrations on a goomba, or a space invader, and not harm any of your friends.

If you're troubled, you can use video games to escape. I heard somewhere that when Hurricane Katrina hit, some of the victims used the disaster relief money to buy TVs and video games. A lot of people questioned this, but this sort of thing can also fall into what I just mentioned, they can use video games to take their minds off the disasters that have occurred.

Also it's a great hobby. Some people say that it's a waste of money, or that you're better off doing something more productive. But many avid video gamers that I know have regular day jobs and have steady incomes, and know how to balance it with their everyday activity. And most people even make a living and a job out of it

Answer 4

. If you're stressed, you can pop in a video game and take out your frustrations on a goomba, or a space invader, and not harm any of your friends.

If you're troubled, you can use video games to escape. I heard somewhere that when Hurricane Katrina hit, some of the victims used the disaster relief money to buy TVs and video games. A lot of people questioned this, but this sort of thing can also fall into what I just mentioned, they can use video games to take their minds off the disasters that have occurred.

Also it's a great hobby. Some people say that it's a waste of money, or that you're better off doing something more productive. But many avid video gamers that I know have regular day jobs and have steady incomes, and know how to balance it with their everyday activity. An

Answer 5

An Example Of A More Physical Exercise Would Be Sony's EyeToy, Developed By Dr. Richard Marks, That Uses A WebCam Plugged Into The PS2 And Basically, Your Body Is The Controller, Using It To Punch Away Ninjas, Boxing, Doing A Cook-Off, Play Volleyball, etc..

Answer 6

Video games, once considered detrimental to children, are now used as an integral part of the preparation techniques of some pilots and their squadron leaders. Surgeons are also beginning to use video games not only to offer some "down" time in a sense after or before a surgical procedure, but also to improve their eye hand coordination, particularly those surgeons using microscopic procedures.

Children growing up with video games have been known to go on to be avidly sought after by game development companies and other employment situations where the ability to concentrate for extended periods, problem solve, make judgement and cause and effect calls, etc are desirable and in-demand traits that employers today are keen to have in their employees.

Employment including Military, Airline, Air force, Game development and design, race car driver, Police, Surgeon and more, are all opportunities in which having played video games can actually be a good thing, not only for you but for others as well.

Answer 7

Video games, to a certain extent, can prove to be very effective teaching methods. I still find it surprising when 30 years old can't beat the Super Mario games i was able to beat at the age of 3. Interestingly, I think games at a young age help you to learn better and develop your brain. After all,In a video game, you are faced with constant challenges and problems, alongside learning new strategies. They open up your mind. Everyone needs a break from reality, a movie will do, but a video game will do just as well. They also satisfy moods. I know I've been very dissapointed and angry some days, so I come home and shoot some aliens in Halo. It always makes me feel better. Excess of everything is bad, however, playing video games helps you learn, open up and clear your mind, provide a stress free environment, and most of all, you have fun at the same time! How could anyone even consider them being bad?

Answer 8

These benifits are also true in FPS (first person shooters). A pair of researchers in University of Rochester, New York, as well as those at the University of Rochester; found that such gaming helped educational skills. In the tests conducted, seventeen students, male and female, either were in a group that played Medal of Honor, Tetris, or refrained from any video gaming at all. All test subjects had openly admitted to never have playing a video game in their life. Everyday, those groups that did play their game played for a time frame of one to two and a half hours. All of the students study habits, which started out similar, did change dramatically, along with their aptitude tests. Medal of Honor players lost the most studying time but brought their average grades up on the aptitude tests. Tetris players and nongamers alike, maintained the same study habits and grades.

Answer 9

When done in moderation they can help to develop good hand and eye coordination. Depending on the game some are actually good for developing math and other required skills. Of course when you say video games people usually think of the bloody and sexually explicit type of games. There are many more, those unfortunately are the more popular ones.

If parent actually manage the child's time and content video games can be an excellent development tool. The problem is, too many times the games become the baby sitter or the distraction to keep child out of the parent's hair so to speak.

Answer 10

These benifits are also true in FPS (first person shooters). A pair of researchers in University of Rochester, New York, as well as those at the University of Rochester; found that such gaming helped educational skills. In the tests conducted, seventeen students, male and female, either were in a group that played Medal of Honor, Tetris, or refrained from any video gaming at all. All test subjects had openly admitted to never have playing a video game in their life. Everyday, those groups that did play their game played for a time frame of one to two and a half hours. All of the students study habits, which started out similar, did change dramatically, along with their aptitude tests. Medal of Honor players lost th

Answer 11

Video games can be good for a number of reasons. For example, my spouse—when learning to drive—tried my racing simulation games to get a better idea of steering. My eldest child uses education games to help with learning the alphabet, counting, colours, and he can click a mouse with the best. And since we live in a world where almost everyone has a PC on their desk at work, early familiarity and comfort with a PC is a good thing.

Now there are games that I think can be problematic—such as those with a violent premise—however I think even these can be tempered in a way to make the player (when old enough) understand that this is fantasy.

Games also need balance with getting outside and enjoying real games.

But, I have been gaming since my Atari 2600. I don't think I have suffered any from it, and I have actually gained some friends and even new career options through friends made through online gaming.