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The Other Side of The Gaming World
These graphical wonders have always been loved by all: from the traditional Ping Pong to today’s variety of games ranging from virtual life Sims series to the Brothers in Arms type games, it is not only children who spend their time playing these games — it is people of all ages. Take one visit to a local gaming arcade and you will see the different types of people who are interested in playing Brian Lara and Counter Strike.
Parents believe that video games are completely “useless.” This is quite disappointing because parents need to realise that video games are not just a waste of time. They also need to accept that modern entertainment is no longer limited to run and chase and board games. It has advanced through technology, containing with it positive aspects.
Playstation, XBOX, Gamecube and Nintendo are today’s generation of video game consoles. The games that are developed these days are not only your traditional “sonic-type” games, which require the player to jump, hit, score points buy collecting rings/coins, move from one level to the other, and win the game. There exists a lot more in the gaming world: and behold you have the collection of games like Prince of Persia, Grand Theft Auto, Sims and Final Fantasy, where you do have to move from one level to the other, but it requires thinking and understanding.
Strategy games like Age of Empires require a proper plan and they require thinking, providing for the player’s mental exercise. Puzzle solving games are mind boggling, and the player will not rest till he’s done solving them — again, mental exercise. There are a lot of mystery-solving games these days which really get your mind working, because the player is determined to solve the mystery and not to give up. In the process, he learns to think in an organised manner, and also both practically and intelligently. He takes up one challenge after another, not let down by previous defeats, determined to get his way through right till the end.
Virtual life games require understanding the needs of the people, and taking care of them according to those needs; it is not just click and play. Shooting games also require the player to be alert at all times, and again to learn and to develop proper strategies.
Today’s games are very advanced owing to the rapid advances in technology. Even car games are not just “Start and Race.” Play Burnout Revenge, and you’ll see the number of controls the car has and believe me, it is not easy to handle. You have to dodge the cars, be careful how you use the turbo, take the right turns, not let your car slip from the mountain road, keep track of the roads, the shortcuts and at the same time, manage to stay ahead without bumping into other cars. The player has to remain focussed every second of the game. Such games require presence of mind and quick thinking. It is not only hand-eye coordination anymore; it is co-ordination between the brain, the hands and the eye.
If you are still not satisfied, let me give you the simple example of the traditional game, Tetris. This game also requires logical thinking, because you have to decide where and how the next piece goes.
Detecting patterns and remembering them, looking for clues, taking up challenges, hand-eye-brain coordination, thinking and, of course, being patient are all part of what a gamer does and learns — video games are not just staring at the screen and rapidly pressing the buttons on the joystick/keyboard, though that may be fun.
Once a game is finished, there is a sense of pride in the player, because he has managed to complete an entire game with his own thinking power and understanding. He has the ability to deal with problems, and even if they are just virtual at the moment, it will help him later — to think practically and according to the situation.
A recently developed video game deals with cancer — the player enters the body of a human being to destroy the cancer cells. During the course of the game, the player learns about the characteristics and traits of cancer and gains useful knowledge about this deadly disease. As part of a study cancer patients were made to play this game. The results of this study showed that people who had “wasted” hours over this game had not only better knowledge of cancer but their response to their medicines was better compared to those who did not play the game.
Scientific studies have shown that children who play video games tend to have sharper and more alert minds than those who do not. They learn things faster, and remember them well, because that is exactly what video games require them to do. More importantly, they learn to be patient and to accept defeat.
While I do agree a hundred per cent with the belief that video games develop the child’s mind, I am not saying that video games are entirely good for people either. Like everything else, video games also have their downsides.
I won’t deny the fact that they promote violence — some of them are quite gruesome; most children find nothing better than to shoot, kill and stab virtual people. However, then it is the parents’ responsibility to explain to the child that such things are not right, they are make-believe, and just because you score points for killing people in a game does not mean that it is alright for anyone to be cruel to others. Or if they find the games too violent and “bad” for their children, they should stop them from playing those kind of games altogether.
Even then, most of today’s children know the difference between games and reality and none of them will react violently because of the “influence” of video games. When such a case happened, putting the blame on video games entirely was crazy because it was the child’s psychological health and mental disturbance which made him react violently.
The other problem with video games is that it is not good for the health of those children who become too addicted. Then the child should see that he does not play for more than a certain number of hours a day, and that he indulges himself in other healthy activities like reading. The child should busy himself with outdoor games as well, and keep a healthy balance between the two.
As far as the cons of video games are concerned, in the end it is entirely up to the child himself to not become too addicted to these graphic wonders. As for cheat codes and passwords which become an “easier” way to finish the game, there the fault lies entirely with the player, not with the video games.
The moral of the story is that video games should not be termed as wholly bad, because they do provide for the child’s mental exercise. The child learns to think practically, to solve problems and to be patient; but at the same time, it should be seen to that children do not become entirely dependant on video games as their sole source of entertainment and fun, but should also take up other hobbies and play outdoor games as well.
Hopefully, this article might have changed the mind of some parents who have officially labelled video games as a complete “waste of time” and hopefully, mom, you’re listening too!
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