Video Games Exercise the Mind

[bapenguin]

The Globe (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060209.wxbrains09/BNStory/Science/home) has an interesting article up regarding video games and the effects on the human brain. The article suggests that playing video games regularly is like learning a second language. People that play games have more control over their brain and are able to multi-task easily.

"The people who were video game players were better and faster performers," said psychologist Ellen Bialystok, a research professor at York University. "Those who were bilingual and video game addicts scored best -- particularly at the most difficult tasks.""It's like going to the gym," she said. "You build up the ability to control impulses with practice."
Pretty interesting read. Pretty soon gamers will rule the world!!! Muwahah....muwahhaa...MUWAHAHHAAHA!!
Thanks Slashdot (http://games.slashdot.com).

[Echani]

Exercise**

I know that playing FPS games does my reflexes some good, but it also makes me twitchy and paranoid. Thank you FEAR...

But wait, if I'm a gamer, trilingual and go to the gym what does that make me?

Uber is what.

[stomper1080]

Does the type of game affect us different mentally?

Even in first person shooters (let's just say one with minimal strategy required to win), players still have to quickly decide which guns to use and where to aim! As games go on it seems more multi tasking is needed, and that can only better the human mind.

That is, assuming this research is correct.

[Dakar]

Hey I'm a gamer and I sorta kinda know Spanish....

Plus I can use Babelfish....

I think this means my plans can finally be brought to fruition. Mwahahaha.

[Frogleg Special]

But non-gamers still rule the world. Say hello to Bill Gates.

Anything taken excessively is never good.

[01010]

Anything taken excessively is never good.

Except for Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll

[Echani]

And air

8, 9, 10

[Racknahm]

I speak fluent spanish and play videogames. Score!

[aj1pso]

Nice, I speak and write fluent english (obviously) and spanish is my natural language. =]

I've always been relatively good at solving problems at school and have pretty much improvised my way through college. I wonder how much of that I owe to my brother who gave me an Atari with 30 carts back when I was a little kid and thus started the whole obsession.

[MosBen]

I'm not wild about them referring to the participants as video game "addicts". I mean, they didn't refer to the multilingual people as "language addicts".

[TheKeck]

I speak fluent spanish and play videogames. Score!

Ditto! :D

[The Continental]

I'm not wild about them referring to the participants as video game "addicts". I mean, they didn't refer to the multilingual people as "language addicts".

If you're out at the right time of night, you can get a car stereo for spending ten minutes shootin' the breeze in Portugese with some of these guys. I'm telling ya, stay off the languages, that sh*t will F you up.

[megaman]

So many spaniards

[president_fred]

If you're out at the right time of night, you can get a car stereo for spending ten minutes shootin' the breeze in Portugese with some of these guys. I'm telling ya, stay off the languages, that sh*t will F you up.
Damn you that was funny. That is all.

[captainstrombosis]

Referring to people as "video game addicts" gives them more validity outside of the gaming community. People will immediatly think of the guy sitting in some run down apartment with an XboX, 15 espresso cups strewn around the room, twitching at the slightest sound. People just don't like gamers, Because we are dangerous!!!
...
...
Well atleast if we ever stopped playing video games that is...

[MosBen]

The Continental: Bravo sir...just bravo.

[ZeroTactics]

People just don't like gamers, Because we are dangerous!!! ... Well atleast if we ever stopped playing video games that is...

People are afraid of gamers because humans learn by imitating other humans; it is the basis of primal 'teaching'. You learn to walk because you see your parents do it and you learn to talk because you hear other people do it.

And now, because of videogames, you've learned to load, cock and fire pistols and many other rifles by age 8. You've learned to 'slice' around corners, take tactical cover to protect a position or break someones neck. Even if you don't realize you possess that knowledge, it has become part of you. You've also learned many other things other than 'killing' (even though popular medias prefer to show otherwise). You've played 'management simulations' (Sim City, Star Craft, C&C) and you've learned how to manage time and ressources to accomplish a specific goal through multiple objectives. Playing survival and adventure horror, you've pushed your brain to think outside of the box to fix puzzles and uncover codes hidden in clues.

As an exemple, I really love to play Paintball. I find it a good activity with plenty of tactics and teamwork. You can be the best shooter and the fastest runner there is, you won't ever win if you don't play as a team. But here's the nifty part : you bring along all of your friends (FPS players and others) and you tag them against each other. FPS shooters will 'see' cover, will aim better, they will kneel down, lie prone, roll, use tactical commands to ask for cover fire or use runners to attract the enemies' fire.

They never played paintball before, but they've 'seen' the same mental interface. A field, a weapon, enemies, teammates, and an objective. The basis of any FPS.

Videogame players are not 'more violent' than others. It's just that when they actually get violent, they've seen and performed, from a first person point of view, many violent acts and it's just easier to reenact something you've done a thousand time than something new.

Anyway, this, being my opinion, might be complete bullshit, but it's what I think. What we have isn't violence, it's knowledge.

[aversion2k]

Exercise**
...it also makes me twitchy and paranoid. Thank you FEAR...


Fear made me fall asleep and have nightmares about endless brick corridors

[Dirty Harry]

People are afraid of gamers because humans learn by imitating other humans; it is the basis of primal 'teaching'. You learn to walk because you see your parents do it and you learn to talk because you hear other people do it.

And now, because of videogames, you've learned to load, cock and fire pistols and many other rifles by age 8. You've learned to 'slice' around corners, take tactical cover to protect a position or break someones neck. Even if you don't realize you possess that knowledge, it has become part of you. You've also learned many other things other than 'killing' (even though popular medias prefer to show otherwise). You've played 'management simulations' (Sim City, Star Craft, C&C) and you've learned how to manage time and ressources to accomplish a specific goal through multiple objectives. Playing survival and adventure horror, you've pushed your brain to think outside of the box to fix puzzles and uncover codes hidden in clues.

As an exemple, I really love to play Paintball. I find it a good activity with plenty of tactics and teamwork. You can be the best shooter and the fastest runner there is, you won't ever win if you don't play as a team. But here's the nifty part : you bring along all of your friends (FPS players and others) and you tag them against each other. FPS shooters will 'see' cover, will aim better, they will kneel down, lie prone, roll, use tactical commands to ask for cover fire or use runners to attract the enemies' fire.

They never played paintball before, but they've 'seen' the same mental interface. A field, a weapon, enemies, teammates, and an objective. The basis of any FPS.

Videogame players are not 'more violent' than others. It's just that when they actually get violent, they've seen and performed, from a first person point of view, many violent acts and it's just easier to reenact something you've done a thousand time than something new.

Anyway, this, being my opinion, might be complete bullshit, but it's what I think. What we have isn't violence, it's knowledge.
Your saying the vr training and the discussion in metal gear solid 1 is FO REALZ?.

[Thenetcase]

ummm.. uhhhh... My mind is fried. Too much City of Heroes.

-TNC-

[IIArchonII]

This is so easy to see, the ONLY problem with video games is they can be VERY addicting, and require no physical effort. Any talk of them making you dumber or more violent is stupid.

[Cyotik]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure RTS and puzzle games have really helped my problem solving abilities over the years. And damn, after the past couple years of hardcore shooters... I'm pretty sure my reflexes and ability to instantly point my mouse at somethings head are well above average. They're really looking for that mouse to head thing in the job market lately. Also fluent in french.

[mister_slim]

Sounds like Nintendo's Brain Age marketing is kicking in.