THE BENEFITS OF VIDEO-GAMING.

ByChristian Chadwick.

Games Beneficial!?!

Believe it or not, Video gaming has a remarkable amount of physical and mental benefits!

Now, Let me show you how this is so!

So how about some of those mental benefits..

Video games stimulate the mind in more ways than one.

Video games challenge players with things like puzzles and tactics, which enhance problem solving skills.

They teach pattern recognition, system thinking, even patients!

Video games can even effect the mind at a neural level!

Gamers can experience an increase in dopamine, which is a transmission/chemical in the mind that is commonly associated with the feelings of joy and pleasure.

And what other mental benefits do we have to work

with??

Video games that require strong attention can greatly enhance a persons observation skills in everyday life.

Games that require a good bit of reading, like a RPG (Role-playing game) can increase a persons reading skills and vocabulary, for example.. A player may not know or understand a word that

may be vital to the objective they must complete. Associating the word with things going on in the game may actually teach the person what the word means.

Anything else??

Video games also improve spatial abilities, the ability to create and apply strategies, which are pretty necessary when you have to fend off hordes of zombies!

Games with physical benefits?! Impossible!

Nope, modern gaming has gone to new heights with the introduction of interactive gaming. Now you can get up and move around as if you are part of the game itself! A

perfect example of this new technology is Microsoft’s Kinect system for Xbox 360.

Interactive games use cameras and motion sensors to put a player in the game.

Gaming in Motion.

Interactive gaming is a pretty descent way to stay in shape.

It can greatly improve overall body coordination and balance.

Nintendo Wii Nintendo’s Wii system is one of the first major consoles to

introduce motion gaming.

They have also released a game for the Wii called Wii Fit, which is a game specially designed for exercise!

Wii Fit!

Wii Fit’s main focus is on posture and center of gravity.

It offers an experience that burns calories and also improves cardio. It even offers aerobics, which can be

good for improving flexibility !

There has to be more!

And there is, studies have shown that motion gaming can be as healthy as a light jog.

Interactive games are for all ages and are actually very helpful and healthy for the elderly.

It helps the elderly get up and move around which can reduce the risk of fatal falls! It even helps many cope with depression, and nobody likes to be sad.

So how would all of this appeal to the real world?

Video-games can definitely be used for much more than simply entertainment.

These gaming technologies can be used to develop learning/training programs!

Business. Video games are being

used in many industries as learning/training programs!

The use of these technologies in a company is both effective and cost efficient.

Random facts. Gaming technologies are especially good

for training technicians. There is actually a school in Indiana that

is using Valve’s Portal as a placement exam. To pass, you most beat the game.

Portal is basically a puzzle game that involves obstacle courses which are to be overcome with the use of Portals.

Simulators? Yes, by taking the interactive

gaming technologies to advanced levels, simulators are created.

A simulator is a system that simulates a situation or environment with the use of motion gaming and visual effects.

The military! Fun fact: the military has

been using video games for training since the 1980s!

This is where most simulators are used. The military uses video

games for many reasons, one being combat training.

The most common use of gaming/simulators in the military are flight simulators.

Flight simulators allow a pilot to learn, hands on, how to fly a plane before even setting foot into a real one.

Summary. All in all, video gaming is a fun, and a very

beneficial experience. Video games stimulate the mind and teach

very basic but necessary mental skills needed in everyday life.

Interactive gaming allows gaming to be a physically beneficial experience as well.

And finally, gaming technologies are used commonly in businesses and the military for training. This giving them beneficial real-world uses.