ilovesocks
1000+ Head-Fier
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Quote:
This is quite a can of worms, but in my opinion video games (good ones) and sports are definitely not about mindless entertainment.
Well-constructed video games teach you how to recognize patterns, solve puzzles, devise strategy, navigate and memorize layouts (cities, dungeons, etc.), master timing and hand-eye coordination, improve reflexes, and probably other stuff that I haven't thought of without the player even realizing it.
Sports--when well-coached and facilitated--get you into shape (at least, the more physical ones do), teach teamwork, and give you a sense of accomplishment, and also do some of the things listed above like improving timing, coordination, reflexes.
EDIT: I'm sorry that my post is so unrelated to the original topic, but I should probably add a few games that I believe fit the above description: the Grand Theft Auto series (layout memorization), Zelda OoT (memorization, puzzle solving, pattern recognizing [for boss battles], and timing), Super Smash Brothers (between players of similar button-skill, the winner will often be the one that "figures out" its opponent's strategy/pattern first), Counter-Strike (teamwork, reflexes, patterns--Half Life also has plenty of puzzles, for that matter), the Hitman series (strategy, timing), all real-time strategy games like Starcraft (which require complex strategies), turn-based games like Fire Emblem and Civilization (I think) (again, more strategy) . . .
Some video games are very mindless, though.
| Originally Posted by Coltrane /img/forum/go_quote.gif Absolutely not. Music, art, poetry, books, and film can all teach us something about humanity and the broad range of human emotions and experiences. Video games and sports are sheerly about mindless entertainment. (I am guilty of engaging ALOT of my time in both.) |
This is quite a can of worms, but in my opinion video games (good ones) and sports are definitely not about mindless entertainment.
Well-constructed video games teach you how to recognize patterns, solve puzzles, devise strategy, navigate and memorize layouts (cities, dungeons, etc.), master timing and hand-eye coordination, improve reflexes, and probably other stuff that I haven't thought of without the player even realizing it.
Sports--when well-coached and facilitated--get you into shape (at least, the more physical ones do), teach teamwork, and give you a sense of accomplishment, and also do some of the things listed above like improving timing, coordination, reflexes.
EDIT: I'm sorry that my post is so unrelated to the original topic, but I should probably add a few games that I believe fit the above description: the Grand Theft Auto series (layout memorization), Zelda OoT (memorization, puzzle solving, pattern recognizing [for boss battles], and timing), Super Smash Brothers (between players of similar button-skill, the winner will often be the one that "figures out" its opponent's strategy/pattern first), Counter-Strike (teamwork, reflexes, patterns--Half Life also has plenty of puzzles, for that matter), the Hitman series (strategy, timing), all real-time strategy games like Starcraft (which require complex strategies), turn-based games like Fire Emblem and Civilization (I think) (again, more strategy) . . .
Some video games are very mindless, though.
