Gamer’s minds are different

Ars Technica has a neat little blurb about a book that’s out by a psychiatrist titled “Video Game Play and Addiction.” In the blog posting, the writer highlights a few key points from one of the chapters that he finds “how gamers are different in terms of problem solving and how they approach problems and even social situations.” You can view the full list at the link above, but for now:

Gamers use trial-and-error methods of learning.

Gamers do not view a failed attempt as failure; rather, they view it as a critical step in learning how to succeed. This is a fundamentally different approach from that of prior generations that value success as the only option—an outlook that can paralyze the intent to learn.

Gamers attempt to work with what they have instead of waiting until situations are “perfect.” Gamers are able to function well in situations where they need to act under time constraints. Many adults face this same challenge in their work environments.

Gamers are more likely to ask for advice when needed. Many forums and peer structures are in place where players are able to ask about and advise each other on methods of playing through different levels of various games.

Gamers often feel that people can succeed with hard work. Some battles and puzzles in games require very sustained concentration. These situations can be more involved and more in-depth than some final exams. Yet gamers go through them for the joy and the learning anticipated from a successful outcome.

These kinds of things have always intrigued me, mostly because while I do enjoy playing video games, I prefer playing the so-called “real-time strategy” games…as in, the ones that involve selecting military units of specific types to counter different onslaughts by your opponent(s). While many would consider this to be “just a game,” I would argue that it’s more of a “faster-paced chess” in that there is a large amount of strategy to consider and mastering such a game can take just as long. You also have to think well in advance as to which units you’ll need at a given time, which ones to build first and what advancements to obtain to reach your goals in the minimum amount of time.

I kinda think gamers tend to get a bad rap from those that think that “gaming is just shooting people,” when in actuality many games (arguably…) involve more thought than other activities (like reading?) that are generally considered to be “more worth a young person’s time.” I’m not saying that parents should allow their kids to play video games from the moment they get home from school until they go to bed, but it’s worth considering that there are games out there (examples: “Civilization” series, “Zelda” series, etc.) that can be very story-driven and engaging, yet also challenge the gamer to think about what puzzles they are completing or what strategies to undertake in order to accomplish their goals.

Just a thought…