Effect of Video Games on Thought Processes

[ShadowMarth]

Discover has published in their latest issue a very interesting and compelling story about video gaming and its effect on the brain. Titled "Your Brain on Video Games: Could they actually be good for you?", it has an in-depth look at how all of our brains have been effected. It also pretty much ignores the slayer games with simple hacking and slashing, and focuses on the games that stimulate your brain and how they do it. He gives a careful analysis of interfaces and world systems using Splinter Cell. Judging by his article I think he would absolutely love Metroid Prime.

He lists what his favorite stimulative games are, and the results are as follows: Black and White, for it's amazing "God Concept", which is basically an extreme extension of strategy games that give you that power, World of Warcraft, because of its amazing in-game environments, sprawling cities and economies, The Sims 2, for its addictive portrayal of household life, and Katamary Damacy, for its insane fusion of physics, geometry, and trajectory. I find it extremely interesting that these games are both the most popular on the market and they are the most stimulating. That's proof enough for me that the Non halo-freaks among us are actually quite intelligent people contrary to the popular belief. He even realizes this himself to begin with.

When a neurologist on the subject asked what kind of cognitive skills could be expected to be gained by the Pokemon generation (Me!), he gave a nice list:

"They're going to think well about systems; they're going to be good at exploring; they're going to be good at reconceptualizing their goals based on their experience; they're not going to judge people's intelligence just by how fast and efficient they are; and they're going to think nonlaterally. In our current world with its complex sytems that are quite dangerous, those are damn good ways to think."

I hope you enjoyed my short summary of the article, and I've only covered what I've read. I suggest you pick up this article yourself (Btw, the cover article is "How to build a planet" if you want to).

[JIM2003]

Very interesting! *stares gleefully at monitor*

[alex]

nice it like it ware is it from?

[ShadowMarth]

The latest issue of "Discover" magazine. It's several pages long, has lots of good visual evidence, and just in general rocks. Not only that but he's on our side by far. Most of us DS players care less about violence anyway, and that's one of the main points of the article.

haha im gonna tell my mom about that one

my mom keeps telling me that my brain will "atrophy" or something if i don't stop playing games...

[Lkr]

Originally Posted by Mormon88

haha im gonna tell my mom about that one

my mom keeps telling me that my brain will "atrophy" or something if i don't stop playing games...

ditto. dont all moms say that?