subject: Video Games Can Be Good For You [print this page] Video Games Can Be Good For You Video Games Can Be Good For You
Millions of Americans enjoy video games-for the adrenaline rush, the companionship, the competition, and the chance to become a conquering adventurer, at least in a virtual world.
The lovely news is Americans don't must break the bank to play the video games they love. Turner Broadcasting System's GameTap is one of the latest and greatest options for consumers to get their game on and experience all the lovely things about games. The first of its kind broadband entertainment network, Swf Play (http://www.swfplay.co.uk) offers hundreds of the greatest games across multiple platforms for an affordable $14.95 per month.
"Turner created GameTap because they wanted game enthusiasts to have a wide range of games-a virtual vault-that lets them experience all types of thrills including role-playing, action, and puzzle games," says Stuart Snyder, General Manager of GameTap.
But in addition to being fun, can playing these games promote self-improvement? Hold on to your controllers: some researchers and social critics are now arguing that video gambling has its virtues. It can speed reflexes, improve mental abilities and even reduce violence. While nobody is arguing for a 24-hour diet of video games, lots of observers now see some hidden values.
Think about research done at the University of Rochester in New York, which concluded that young adults who often played video games can improve their "video attention." In one experiment, for example, check subjects were asked to quickly figure out whether or not a sure shape-a square or a diamond-appeared within one of the two rings. Video game enthusiasts came out on top. The researchers said that video games force players to simultaneously juggle a variety tasks, such as detecting and tracking enemies, and avoiding getting hurt. Those game-playing skills can translate in to more general visual skills that apply to every day life.
"We sometimes think of popular culture as a passive recreation, but there is nothing passive about video games-they are the most interactive, demanding entertainment medium ever created," said Snyder. "If the GameTap staff of overachievers is any indication, video games are a great way to learn how to think on your feet."
Simulation games, where players design everything from roller coasters to cities, can get kids interested in mechanical engineering and urban planning. Wrote author Steven Johnson: "My nephew would be asleep in four seconds in case you popped him down in an urban studies classroom, but somehow an hour of playing 'Sim City' taught him that high tax rates in industrial areas can stifle development."
Johnson, the author of "Everything Bad Is Lovely For You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter," has become a prominent defender of video games. They has also entered the controversy over whether video games promote aggression, arguing that crime among teenagers and adolescents has dropped by very two-thirds since 1975. Whether video games can take credit is a matter of strong debate, but Johnson suggests that video games may act as a safety valve.
Video games may even have therapeutic value. Mark Griffiths, a professor at Nottingham Trent University in England, argues that video games can help distract kids undergoing chemotherapy and treatment for sickle cell anemia. The games may also work as physical therapy for arm injuries.
Like lots of researchers, Griffiths advocates moderation in game play. GameTap's Snyder agrees. "At GameTap, they love games, we are immersed in them, and they have got hundreds to pick from. But they also know the importance of putting the controller down. A virtual world can be fun, but there is no substitute for the actual thing."
