Blog post 8: Do games really teach us anything worthwhile?

Naomi Alderman was present at a debate on technology and the future a few months ago and was confronted with the line that: “It turns out computer games merely teach you how to play other computer games.” Alderman  argues that games don't have to teach us anything. She believes that games have experiences to offer that you can't find anywhere else, that no other medium can.

Alderman believes that:

"A novel can let you into a character’s triumph in battle, but only a game can make you feel proud of your victory. A TV show can make you feel disgusted by a character’s avarice, but only a game can make you feel ashamed of your own actions.
[...] Games have that same electric tension you might find in the theatre, but instead of watching the actors, you are both the actor and the audience."

Alderman concludes that games can give you experiences that are unique but games may not teach you life experiences, increase your resilience, raise your IQ or improve hand- eye co-ordination.

In my opinion, I do believe that gaming can teach you a few things. Gaming can improve your hand-eye co-ordination over time. Real-Time strategy games require us to plan, strategise and manage resources. They also require fast analysis and quick decision-making. Simulation games usually try to mimic the real world, such as managing a city. This can teach us management decisions and using resources appropriately. Puzzle games let the players solve intricate problems under time pressure which involves logical thinking. But do these skills apply to real life and are they worthless? Honestly, as an avid gamer, I don't notice these skills impacting my everyday activities.

Games don't give me life altering experiences, but when was that the point of video games? I play games for different reasons. Escapism, challenging myself, being competitive or simply to just lose myself in its world with the art and music. Gaming has been a huge part of my life and its helped me form friendships and has given me years of entertainment. I enjoy games for what they are, not for making me a better person in life.

This Week in Videogame Blogging:
http://www.critical-distance.com/2015/11/08/november-8th-2/

Naomi Alderman:  Playing video games doesn’t make you a better person. But that’s not the point:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/nov/06/video-games-give-you-unique-experience