Yay or Nay?
I was just reading a few articles and it says they make you smarter. Teaches you decision making skills, how to think critically, teaches you collaborative skills too. Although I agree a little with all this but it still doesn’t make that much sense.
Oh and this question is especially for my programmer friends (Captain Obvious and Lilly), what do you think about it?
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
BS.
If you need video games to become smarter you have bigger issues to sort out.
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
I know sounds silly Umer but as an industry that brings in over $25 billion in annual revenue for the Entertainment Software Association and captures the free time of more and more children and adults, researchers are starting to consider the real consequences of playing video games. You may find the conclusions they are coming to surprising but it is true.
I didn’t say/do anything on my own. 
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
I’m not doubting the size of the Entertainment Software Industry. I play video games myself sometimes, so More Power to them.
However I would never play a game with the mindset that it will make me smarter. To me it’s just entertainment and nothing more than that.
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
I wouldn’t say that it makes you smarter per se. On the other hand, it might demonstrate skills/aptitudes that the player already has. Playing a particular game or type of game might help further develop certain skills/thought process such as pattern recognition. However, I’d say it’s very rare that these skills would be applicable anywhere outside the context of the game itself. This is a general statement though and does not include educational games that are made with the purpose of developing a certain skill. Otherwise, software like driving/flight simulators have been used for training purposes.
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
I read somewhere that the brain training games don’t actually improve your IQ levels.
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
Makes sense. Entertainment is what games really are all about and saying that games make you smarter doesn’t really work.
Exactly! It may trigger the hidden skills a gamer has!
I’ve played pattern recognition games and they really enhance your thinking skills and speed.
Educational games are a totally different topic and I must admit you brought up a pretty good example. Training simulators teach stuff and that’s a given so maybe the study isn’t all crap?
Like CO said.. they probably enhance your skills if not develop them.
what about “brain exercise” games like Brain Age? Trivia games? Or the loads of online training games and sites?
I’m pretty sure it’s called Brain Age. it was released for the Nintendo DS and loaaads of fun :sid:
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
Yeah this is where it gets interesting. I agree that these games infact do stimulate the brain.. make you smarter.. that’s an argument 
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
I haven’t played it myself, but from what I’ve read, it is a game with a series of puzzles. So yes, I could say that someone learns by playing these kinds of games. However, that would not be the case with most games. An analogy we could make is that normally, you don’t become smarter by watching TV. However, there are some educational videos/shows that may be available that you might end up learning something by watching.
Re: Playing Video games makes you smarter?
yes it make u smarter..
but it make u lazy one also..
and i think bill gates said once. " i will the biggest problem to the laziest one because he will find the easiest way to do it “…
so in other way the lazy one is the smarter one.. or in other word " No pain no gain”. but in reality being a lazy is not a pain.. 