Grand Theft Auto III, the new Oat Bran? -Video games found to sharpen the mind... (1 Viewer)

[Peter Kim]

Action packed video games sharpen the mind/CNN article

Researchers at the University of Rochester found that young adults who regularly played video games full of high-speed car chases and blazing gun battles showed better visual skills than those who did not. For example, they kept better track of objects appearing simultaneously and processed fast-changing visual information more efficiently.

To rule out the possibility that visually adept people are simply drawn to video games, the researchers conducted a second experiment. They found that people who do not normally play video games but were trained to play them developed enhanced visual perception.

Well, that's it...my 4-year old son will be placed on a strict regimen of PS2 and Gamecube, with a heavier emphasis on PS2 and the Gamecube as a mental cooldown. What the hell can he get from preschool...how to hold hands and dance to ring around the posies?

I just hope he doesn't turn out to be a gun-toting, carjacking sociopath.

Seriously, I've been letting him play Zelda and Jak and Daxter and I'm amazed at the speed in which he's able to navigate through the games so quickly. At the end of each stage, or whenever he's found a star/coin/etc., he jumps up, raises his hands and shouts out Victory!

Nonetheless, like all studies, I think the underlying point is that rosy lining can be found in most everything, if consumed in moderation.

Now,...how the hell do I find a hooker?

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Wow. I wanted to go to Rochester for college, this just makes it look cooler.

I can definitely see this as being true. You should see me in Time Crisis 2. A lot of games can increase eye-hand coordination, as well.

A lot of kids I know who are in Honors or AP level classes at school play videogames frequently. Meanwhile, most of the kids in the lower level classes don't. Think about it.

 

[Andy Olivera]

Not to mention the deductive reasoning certain games require(like Zelda; excellent choice, Peter). People don't give video games nearly the credit they deserve when it comes to intellectual stimulation.

 

[Dave F]

Grand Theft Auto III, the new Oat Bran?

Well, there have been a couple recent games that have given me the urge to stay regular.

-Dave

 

[James T]

I used that point in a debate I had in school when I was in grade 8. My teacher liked it. But he was a gamer, so his decision on my view was a little bit biased.

 

[Mark Dubbelboer]

i agree with the hand-eye coordination comment as well

now the fact i lack depth perception may be a downside of playing too many videogames tho...heh

 

[Andy Olivera]

One thing I thought I should add to my earlier point: has anyone noticed games getting simpler? Less guesswork, fewer mysteries to solve, less adventuring to do? With more recent games it seems you're almost provided with an in-game walkthrough. Sure, they may not give you strategies and such, but they do tell you what you need to do and when. Zelda is a good example. Compare the original or its sequel(NES) to Ocarina Of Time: the difference is obvious.

With current games, it seems you have the main adventure and a number of side quests, with a guide to show you how to proceed on the main adventure, allowing players to just run through the game. Is it just me, or was part of the fun of older games stumbling upon the side quests while you were looking for the next step in the main adventure?

Are attention spans really getting that short?

 

[John-Miles]

Andy I think part of that is a product of 3d environments, compare an onld side scroller to a 3d game, if you hit a dead end in a side scroller you looked till you found a way to move on, in a 3d game you may actually have found a dead end....

just one example of why some games are being made "easier"

 

[Andy Olivera]

What I'm saying is that part of the game used to be running into dead ends and having to backtrack because there's something you might've missed along the way(or you simply took the wrong path; came at the wrong time; etc). You don't have to think or explore much anymore; you're simply told or shown.

The same principles apply to 2D and 3D games, except that 3D gives you more options. In-game maps for 3D environments are almost essential, but that doesn't mean you have to have little dots on that map telling the player where to go next. In the past, in addition to requiring some thought, you also had to remember details. You'd get hints and clues, not directions. I miss that.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Well it usually makes more sense that someone in a game says "you must destroy the baddies in temple bumblefudge" than just a simple "save the village!" How can you be a hero if you don't know your goal? Granted, it makes the game easier, but to me it makes more sense.

In Ocarina of Time, you are pretty much told where to go, but you're not told EVERYTHING. They say "finish the Gerudo training" but don't say why. They hint at how to get the Fire arrows but don't flat out say it.

 

[JamesH]

A lot of kids I know who are in Honors or AP level classes at school play videogames frequently. Meanwhile, most of the kids in the lower level classes don't. Think about it.

I don't think that's enough to establish causation, especially with the nerd factor involved. Many kids in AP classes are nerds. Many video game players are nerds. Perhaps there is an underlying personality or social phenomenon that draws smart kids to videogames.

 

[Eric F]

What was wrong with the old oat-bran?

 

[Kevin Farley]

temple bumblefudge

Thank you! You made my morning!

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Thank you! You made my morning!

Actually, "bumblefudge" is an amalgamation of 2 phrases, one being derivative of a phrase commonly used around these parts where I live, the other being the "word" that the main kid says in A Christmas Story. I took the word he says (fudge) and replaced it with the actual word that is in that phrase above.

So take "bumblefudge" and replace "fudge" with the f-word.