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What is a problem? What is an error? For many people problems and errors are obstacles which are in their way and which prevent them from being able to complete certain task. Those people who play computer gamers however tend to look at problems and errors not so much as obstacles as opportunities. Computer games by their very nature regularly put obstacles and traps in the way of the player and players accept that they will regularly face problems which they will need to overcome in order to progress through the rest of the game.

It is this alternative way of looking at problems as opportunities rather than as obstacles which has led many people to believe that playing such computer games actually provides valuable opportunities for computer gamers and video gamers to develop their life skills for the real world, and become people better adapted at dealing with the inevitable flood of obstacles and issues in their way. The argument is that someone who plays a computer game is more likely to look at a problem in their own life, or a mistake that they may have made, as an opportunity to develop, learn, and get it right next time, whereas non gamers are, perhaps, on the whole more likely to simply see an obstacle, and ignore it, or just stop whatever project they’re on, or enlist extra help.

This is, naturally, a gross exaggeration, and there are many people in the world today who are highly successful, and very well suited to the real world and all its problems and obstacles, but who have never touched a computer game. Of course, real life is the best practice one could possibly get for real life, and no matter how realistic and well programmed a computer game is, it is still a mere echo of the world it represents, and the life skills taught and the lessons learnt within that world will, themselves, be an echo of the skills real life will teach you.

However, the essential point to this is that, rather than simply being a leisure activity which wastes time, or is no good except for its own purpose, there is some merit in playing games, and in some cases they may have more to teach us than we currently realise. There are very much two distinct camps discussing this issue – those who are deeply in to playing video games and computer games, and those either opposed to them, or with little interest in them. Many gamers argue the benefits of games, and many non gamers argue that games are a complete waste of time. As with most arguments, both sides have valid truths in their cases, but at the same time, both sides are exaggerating their own case whilst belittling that of the opposing party.

Once we are able to put aside the essential differences and prejudices, we may find that not only do some interesting studies and understandings develop, but that the future of gaming may be influenced in such a way that valuable lessons for life and specifically introduced or developed further.

If you are shortly going to be going to hospital to have an operation, it might not necessarily be the most comforting thing to hear that your surgeon, in whose hands lies your life, has had a good deal of training playing computer games.

Yet, recent studies have actually shown that the vast majority of surgeons who do regularly play computer games actually have a much better success rate and accuracy rating than their colleagues who play games either very rarely or not at all. This might seem strange, but there are a number of statistics to back up this claim, and a number of reasons why this trend may be the case.

The study was carried out at a medical centre in New York recently, and they found that those surgeons who, on average, play three hours video gaming per week managed to work almost thirty percent faster than those who did little or no gaming, and were over forty per cent more successful in operations. The tests were carried out on simulated operations, using virtual reality and computer controlled equipment, which is in many ways very much the way some operations are now carried out.

With more and more operations requiring finer accuracy and greater precision, human hands and clumsy tools are not always able to achieve the standards required. Therefore, computers are used to carry out the surgery, controlled directly by the surgeon. Shakes, tremors and inaccurate movement can be ignored by the computer, and where the surgeon moves his hand a long distance, the computer reduces this proportionally, so that very fine work can be carried out by the surgeon which would not be possible using the hands directly.

It may well be that this type of surgery is closer to playing a computer game, by interacting through a computer, than the traditional surgery normally carried out, that does not involve a computer in any form other than to monitor life signs. For this reason, the familiarity with using a computer, including visual interpretation, control and understanding, could mean that surgeons should be playing computer games more often in order to improve their skills.

Certainly no one would complain if surgeons were bought a computer game for them to play for three hours a week, if it meant that overall surgical operations were carried out nearly thirty percent faster and with a greater degree of accuracy, exceeding forty percent gain.

This study did focus on one very specific kind of surgery, but it does pose a number of interesting possibilities. With computers increasingly becoming tools which are used in every day life, to what extent do skills gained either directly or indirectly through playing computer or video games transfer to these real life skills, providing a better training and improved performance overall?

Taking this ideas further, should all students in school be provided with three hours of dedicated playing time per week in order to speed up their work success rate and improve their grades? It is unlikely to happen, but the theory at least does pose a number of interesting points. Certainly it is unlikely that the idea would be discouraged by the students concerned.

Games have always been looked down upon as a hindrance to studies and most of the times a waste of time. Though the argument does carry some weight, it doesn’t say all there is to say about games. Games also help people develop certain skills and hone certain abilities involved in the game play. It would just take a little leaning over to see the values that can be gained through gaming. Gaming is also learning, although in a more fun and subtle way. 

For example, analytical and tactical skills are developed in strategy war games and pc puzzle games. These games have set rules and solutions for the puzzles so playing them engenders critical thinking and analytic thought. These games cannot be won without any forethought or logical thinking and the elimination of dead possibilities. Thus, rational thinking is also incorporated in these kinds of games. It’s just that this fact is buried underneath the entertaining animation and graphics of the games. 

When you play arcade games, like when you play sports games, what is developed is eye-hand coordination and improvement in reaction time. Especially in fighting games, reaction times must be shorter and the coordination of character movement must be in concert with that of the opponent. Though the free arcade games do look easy to play, winning them and excelling in them is another matter. Especially setting up attacks, analyzing character strengths and weaknesses, these values are included in the game itself. All expert gamers know this and thus hold fighting games in high esteem among other games. 

As one can see, there are merits in online games and puzzle free online games. If played in moderation, online games can help players develop skills that are applicable not only in games but also in real life. The key here is moderation; if one plays too much, then gaming will be destructive as it will take too much of a person’s time. But when played at the proper amount, gaming can become an asset to players and not as a liability as most people, especially parents, would suppose. And perhaps not even moderation; so long as one is aware of the skills that one is developing, then that can merit long gaming times. As they say, practice makes perfect. If the focus is redirected from the game itself to the lessons and skills that can be learned from the games, then that makes long hours of playing excusable and even justifiable.