Games and its Benefits - Essay Example

Games and its Benefits Order No. 517222 Modern technology in the entertainment arena has served to make physical activity such as outdoor games a thing of the past. Modern lifestyles with both parents going to work or busy on long business trips has changed the face of gaming for children. According to (Bowlby et al., 1983) gaming should involve physical body movements which are a very essential part of enjoying life in the right manner. Therefore, it is imperative that a physical and social entertainment system be put in place so that family members could connect with each other even while they are away from home.

In this respect, a new and novel concept called ‘Age Invaders’ (AI) has made its presence felt and has served to bridge the generation gap by ushering in, an interactive social - physical game. In this scenario of gaming, it allows the elderly to play harmoniously with children in a physical place, while parents can take part in the game through the Internet in real time. Such interaction between the different family members not only helps to decrease the ever widening generation gap, but also serves to connect family members and bring them closer to each other.

Quite unlike the regular computer games ‘Age Invaders’ help to bring gaming to a physical platform, where physical body movements are needed. The game involves a floor display that gives the user direct access to the virtual game, by using their body as an interface. According to (Price and Rogers, 2004) it would engage the players physically and encourages them to interact actively, thereby decreasing the generation gap. According to the (World Population Prospects, 2005) the gap of global aging seems to be getting wider as the years pass and it is expected to reach 22% by the year 2050.

Age Invaders also serve to create a harmonious atmosphere in the home and helps the elderly to feel much healthier because of the physical activity. Since our societies face the problem of an aging population, AI, seems to be a useful solution to this problem. Hence, the targeted audience for AI are mainly the elderly, but it is also very helpful in getting teenagers away from the computer and into good physical activity to ensure their health and well-being. Collaborative games such as these also help disabled people to live life beyond the limitations of their disabilities.

This is possible by interacting in a virtual world making use of avatars which is a digital representation of a particular individual. These avatars are able to move, walk and fly to any exotic place and communicate with real people on command. (Stepnanie Stuart et al., 2010) This digital world called SL (Second Life) was created by a private company called Linden Lab that says that this virtual world is imagined, created and owned by those who reside there. It serves as an enrichment tool and increases the self worth of such chronically disabled people.

(Stepnanie Stuart et al., 2010) Obese teenagers and young adults are also prone to limited movement and hence activity promoting video games can be very beneficial to them. The new generation video games could impact upon their sedentary life by bringing about physical activity through these games. (Katija Radon et al., 2011) These games benefit teenagers and young adults by reducing their weight, increasing the heart-rate and bringing about good health. Some of these video games include puzzle games, fighting games and sports games.

(David Hutchison, 2007) References David Hutchison (2007) Video Games and the Pedagogy of place. Research Library. Pg. 35. Eng Tat Khoo et al., (2008) Age Invaders: Social and Physical inter- generational mixed reality family entertainment. 12: 3 – 16 Katija Radon et al., (2011) Feasibility of activity – promoting video games among Obese children and young adults in clinical setting. Journal of science and medicine in Sport. Research Library. Pg. 42. Stephanie Stewart et al., (2010) Opportunities for people with disabilities in a virtual world of Second Life.

Rehabilitation Nursing. ProQuest Health and Medical Complete. Pg. 254.