The Actual Effect of Video Games - Essay Example

?Video Games The advent of video games has changed the face of the games played by today’s youngsters. Not only young people even adults are fascinated by this world of games, including console related games as well as online games. These games are becoming a huge craze among the people who want to escape from the monotony of a routine life. Importantly, these video games nowadays are used in many constructive and beneficial ways. There were constant criticisms leveled against these video games as they accused of promoting sedentary lifestyle as well as violent behaviors among the people, particularly children and young adults. Notwithstanding these criticisms, video games are started to be viewed in a positive manner by other sections of the populations. That is, number of video games that has been recently released promote exercises, strengthens the academic side of the young people and also aids in giving optimum training to the employees in various organizations. Thus, the long established negative views of Video games are undergoing chances. However, still more needs to done to positively tap the video games. So, this paper will critically evaluate the claim that videogames can now be used for exercise, education, and training for many types of jobs, and so the people who blame violence and lack of real social contact on videogames are simply part of an older generation who do not use or understand them. The effect of video games on the physical body of the gamers has been long debated. The earlier view among the parents and other healthcare people was, with the gamers playing those video games by continuously sitting at one place, and giving workout to just their physical organs of hand and eye, the whole body gets negatively affected. That is, due to sedentary nature of the games, the gamers’ physical body became more obese and that has lead to various other health complications including cardiac problems, eye vision problems, etc. However, now many games are being introduced, which does not have the sedentary tag attached to it, instead they facilitate and promote more physical activities by the participants. “Cut up your gym membership card, fire your personal trainer and cancel that Jenny Craig food order. If you want to get lean…, perhaps you should start with a video game console.” (Saltzman 2009). These words aptly sum up the positive impact of these video games. These types of games, which promote exercises, are referred by the term Exergaming or exer-gaming, which is a portmanteau of the words “exercise” and “gaming”. These exergaming or exercise promoting video games are being developed based on the technology, which tracks the body movement and inputs/outputs as part of the games. Although dancing games such as Konami's Dance Dance Revolution have been around for many years, this trend of exer-gaming “really took off with Nintendo's Wii Fit…, [and] thanks to its collection of aerobic exercises, stretches, yoga lessons and minigames for the Nintendo Wii console.” (Saltzman 2009). In addition, there is a Wii Balance Board, which is similar to the white bathroom scale and its purpose is to measures the weight of the users, as well as sense their movements when they stand on it in relation to the game. After the introduction of these games by Wii, other key players, Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation also came with their own versions of activity games, mainly based on the motion sensing technologies. That is, as mentioned above, these consoles had specialized tutorials which helps the users to carry out various forms of exercises including aerobics, yoga, etc. More importantly, many of the general video games or titles like Tennis, Boxing, etc, etc., were created or even tweaked to bring the motion controller into ‘play’, thus enabling more activity while playing these games. The basic feature of these games and the motion controller is, it does not allow the gamer to play game by sitting idly, instead they have to be quite active, making them run, jump, etc, etc. inside the confines of the home or any indoors. These activities increase the heart rate and works out the muscle, thereby burning optimal energy. When body is worked out and energy is burned, it could prevent a whole lot of lifestyle diseases including obesity, diabetes, heart problems, etc. This health benefit was brought out by Bruce Bailey, a professor of Exercise Science at Brigham Young University, who conducted a study of 39 children by asking them to play videogames particularly exer-games. He found that “middle-schoolers who played active videogames — such as Wii Boxing and Playstation’s Dance Dance Revolution — experienced enough exercise to meet recommendations for physical activity... [with] energy burned in a significant way” (Makice 2011). Thus, it is clear that these video games, by facilitating various exercises among the gamers particularly the children are providing sizable physical health benefits. These benefits even push the parents to buy and involve themselves as well as their wards in these games, thus totally turning the opinion 360 degrees. The other criticism leveled by the parents and academics personnel against these video games is that it diverts the children from their studies. With the children playing these games most of the time, there is only little time to be spent on education. In addition, due to their intense focus on these games, even when they are not playing, they tend to think and concentrate on these games. This after-effect the games impede the children from putting sizable hours for their studies. However, the current trend that is emerging is, these video games are being used for educating the children in an even more effective manner. These forms of educational video games are being sometimes referred to as “edutainment”. The main advantage with these games is that it helps the children learn in a fun-filled way, instead of certain monotonous ways. With more fun, they will be able to grasp more things. “The hope is that the child will have fun and forget that they’re learning, but still maintain the knowledge they pick up while playing.” (Adult Learn). In addition, certain games will make the participants including children understand many of the academic subjects and concepts in a more easy and effective way. That is, by improving their analytical and problem solving skills, these games help them to grasp the educational subjects in a stronger manner. For example, Electronic Arts’ SimCity is one such game, which is even promoted by the National Education Association (NEA) for usage schools to improve the studies analytical skills as well as problem solving capabilities. “More than just play, entertainment software particularly video games helps impart knowledge, develop life skills and reinforce positive habits in students of all ages.” (ESA). These positive impacts were backed by creditable studies as well. According to a study conducted in University of Michigan, “video puzzle games that exercise children’s working memories can enhance their abstract reasoning and problem-solving skills, which can have a direct impact on future educational and occupational success.” (ESA). Video games can also help the users to attain good educational competencies by optimizing their visual-motor skills, their resistance to any distractions and their focus on objects or information in the peripheral vision, more than the non-gamers. This correlation was validated by the scientists at the University of Rochester, who “found that video games can improve players’ vision, attention and certain cognitive skills.” (ESA). From this discussion, it can be implied that video games can have good applications in the educational field, improving the learning as well as the other skills of the gamers, particularly the children. As a further extension of its applications, video games are being used in organizations in various sectors including hotel, military, etc. Although, video games were being used in certain organizations as part of sports activities and for relaxation purposes, with the introduction of certain highly developed games, it is being used for training purposes as well. This process of using or adapting video games for business purposes is being known as “gamification”. That is, all the strategy based games or even customized games are being created for training in organizations. Already many organizations have started using it. For example, Hilton Garden Inn have made a deal with the Virtual Heroes game studio in order to develop or customize the game, Ultimate Team Play, which “places employees in a virtual hotel where they have to field requests from guests.” (Takahashi 2010). This game is providing apt training to the employees and providing optimum benefits to the organization. This was validated by the senior manager of brand education at Hilton Hotels Corporation David Kervella, who stated “Players are learning by doing without making mistakes with real guests,” (Lovett 2009). On the same lines Electronics distributor Arrow Electronics is working with the games gaming BrandGames to develop a game which can train the customer account managers about various customer service skills as well as other key aspects in the supply-chain management. Even in the government sector, video games are optimally used to recruit and train the employees and also military students. For example, in the United States Military Academy at West Point, video games are used for training the future military personnel about various aspects of communication. That is, as part of the “military communications course, cadets play a video game that simulates an infantry mission in Iraq, with them learning proper communication via handheld radios during the situations that arise in the game.” (Lovett 2009). This advantage of video games in business environment was also proved by various studies conducted by prestigious institutions. For example, a study conducted by the University of Colorado Business School states employees who are trained with video games exhibit the capability to absorb more things as well as remember those things during work, than the non-video games trained staffs. “The results of the study show those trained on video games had 11 percent better grasp of facts, 14 percent more knowledge of job skills, and a 9 percent better rate of information retention than those in comparison groups.” (Orland). From the above analysis of the impact of current video games in the sphere of exercises, education and business training, it is clear that it is providing optimum advantages. As pointed out above, although there are some negative views about it from certain sections of the population, these new constructive applications of the video games is transforming their views as well. Still certain more constructive changes have to be brought in the video games industry like minimization of violent images and apt ratings. Importantly, more video games, which have constructive and positive applications in human lives, has to be brought out. References Adult Learn. Video Games in Education, [Online] Available from: http://www.adultlearn.com/video-games-education.html(Accessed on April 11, 2012) ESA. Games: Improving Education, [Online] Available from: http://www.theesa.com/games-improving-what- matters/education.asp(Accessed on April 11, 2012) Makice, K., 2011. Active Videogames Count as Legitimate Exercise, [Online] Available from: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/03/active-video-games-count-as- legitimate-exercise/(Accessed on April 11, 2012) Lovett, HA., 2009. Video Games Replace Banks, Gyms, Health Care and Job “ Training—What’s Next? , [Online] Available from: http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/technology/2009/april/Video-Games- Replace-Banks--Gyms--Health-Care-and-Job-Training-What-s-Next- .html(Accessed on April 11, 2012) Orland, K. Study: Workers Trained On Video Games Perform Better, [Online] Available from: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/121768/Study_Workers_Trained_On_Video_Games_Perform_Better.php(Accessed on April 11, 2012) Saltzman, M., 2009. Latest video games promote exercise, healthy eating, [Online] Available from: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/marcsaltzman/2009-01-15-fitness- games_N.htm(Accessed on April 11, 2012) Takahashi, D., 2010. Study says training with video games can help you do your job better, [Online] Available from: http://venturebeat.com/2010/12/01/study-says-playing-videos-games-can- help-you-do-your-job-better/(Accessed on April 11, 2012) Read More