My kids can’t seem to get enough of their video games. I can take away the Xbox 360’s power cord or tell the kids to go outside and play, but at the end of the day, they simply want to keep on playing. Fortunately, more and more research is coming out that distinguishes healthy, responsible gaming from the excessive, zoned out variety.
Our latest infographic goes over some really great things video games are responsible for. It’s pretty surprising to find that genre to genre, games can do some remarkable things for your brain and body. While I’m not thrilled to find my kids three hours in to a Halo session, I’m certainly relieved to learn that some real good can come out of their gaming.
The other useful thing I took away is that moderation is crucial to healthy gaming. It makes sense. Video games have very real benefits but too much of the same thing, day in, day out, actually ends up hurting you. As a dad, it’s a relief to hear that if I have to, I can still yank the plug and point to the door. Check out the inforgraphic and see what good gaming can do for you.
I’ve experienced the social benefits of gaming. During some of the long lulls in the pre-deployment and deployment process, much of my platoon engaged in COD “LAN Parties”. These experiences provided a much needed break from the reality of our situation. Furthermore, they helped build camaraderie and even served as a form of team building exercise.
Did I miss the amount of money spent on video games fact?
Really cool facts! 21 hours a week?? That seems like a lot!!!
21 hours a week is nothing.
Right, when ur playing video games, time flies by fast as hell!!!!!! Do u even play games Sean H!!! bet not
I love the surgeon quote. I remember reading about that very thing a few years back. I think it was a harvard study – they said that gamers have better dexterity and then likened it to being a better surgeon. I thought “this study is going to do wonders for the perception of the gaming community.”
Some fantastic facts here.
I might just let my kiddies continue playing halo for a little while longer
Thanks for sharing!
LOVED the info graphic till the end. Psychologically healthy people can make choices for themselves in regards to what is “too much” or “not enough”. True addictions of any sort are the result of a lack of psychological health in an individual…maybe stemming from too many externally imposed limits.
I would be concerned if someone spent 21 hours doing any one type of activity every week with their “free time”. Something in their life has to be getting neglected.
Well that are still 3 hours a day.
And let’s say you work till 7 pm, it rounds up almost all of your everyday sparetime if you count eating and doing other stuff at home.
I spend more time each week gaming than at my 40 hour a week job. My girlfriend and I are happy, my credit score is through the roof, I save more money and exercise often! I just feel like gaming keeps me sharp and alert! Compared to friends I have that chose the ‘social life’ of binge drinking, unemployment, and well… the path of a 20-something year old without the mental stimulant known as gaming.
Cool story bro!
I don’t think the point of the article was to say that you SHOULD play video games, and that it’s bad if you don’t. But, I’m glad video games have some benefit. I love my Call of Duty and Halo!
I’ve sent this link to a friend who has just spent 14 hours straight, gaming. His other half wasn’t very happy with him, but it should make them both smile. Love it
That’s pretty cool… but here’s to hoping Angry Birds is some how educational (haha!)… gotta break my oldest of that one;)
Gaming has also helped the military become more efficient.
Really cool facts for gaming.
Especially I liked cosilization facts, about WOW and married couples)))
But the article in whole is great!
Thanks.
I suppose the link between frugality and gaming is that with most games (console games, for example) it is a 1-time cost and provides hours and hours and hours of entertainment. Whereas going out on the town to a club/movie/restaurant/etc. provides far fewer hours of enjoyment per dollar spent.
There are other trade-offs and considerations, of course. But fiscally speaking, video games CAN be a more cost effective form of entertainment.
I have read about a Norwegian kid who saved himself and his sister from a moose attack because of tactics he learned from palying Warcraft! But at the same time, I have read about young people dropping dead all of a sudden due to a video game marathon. I see pictures all over the net of youngsters who spend hours on end gaming and eating nothing but junk. So like everything else, gaming is educational and therapeutic if done in moderation.
Wouldn’t be more intelligent to simply teach children survival techniques, even through games (not video or pc games) outside in the nature?
PC and video games are NOT like everything else.
I’m sorry, but you grossly misconstrued the study about gaming in marriages. It is not “76% of married couples” who said playing MMORPG games had a positive effect on their marriage, it is 76% of married couples where BOTH the husband and wife play MMORPG games reported that the games had a positive effect on their marriage.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2012/02/14/mmorpg_like_world_of_warcraft_can_help_or_hurt_a_marriage_.html
The statistic in the infographic already says “together,” which would imply that both are playing, I think.
Putting links in small font in an image doesn’t work very well!
I’m particularly interested in the Chez Fortune game mentioned, but can’t seem to find it by simply googling. Anyone got a link handy? Thanks!
This seems to be more like superficial wishful thinking. The so called benefits are virtual, not necessarily real.
The one with married couples is simply stupid.
I would be good to know what was the time span of the “study” and how they evaluate the “benefits”, because how you interpret the data is crucial.
And in my opinion the bad side effects are much more dangerous than the so called “benefits”.
Moderation? It is hardly possible.
I am sorry you can’t face facts, while videogames can be harmfull if overused, if you use them in moderation they have some benifits. The fact that you refuse to accept Video-games can have benifits is worrying, especially since thier are many cases where Video-games have helped people get over deep emotional trauma, like war. Don’t believe me? Here, here is a story of a video-game saving people: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/features/9125-The-New-War-on-Terror . And on the couple factoid? That one is far from stupid, I have met many friends using the social systems modern consoles come equiped with, sometimes I don’t even game, just talk to people. I have even met up with some of these people, we talked so much. You form friendships when working together with people, weather real or not. And on moderation? I am sorry, but, not all gamers are live-in-thier-mom’s basement shut-ins. The average gamer plays maybe 2-3 hours a day, we do have lives. It doesn’t dominate us, we usually have other hobbies. And harmfull effects? Please list some, really, do it. More people have jumped out a window trying to replicate the Matrix than people jumping out thier window to replicate Max Payne. Why? Because we get the same stimuli from the actual games. And when talking about negative benefits please do not mention school shootings, or killings involved with video-games. The people who do these things are not mentally sound people, they would have done it anyways. People would rather blame the games than admit that there are people who do this. Video-games become a scape-goat, because no political figure would dare defend video games. Your ignorance angers me, but, people like you are impossible to change. So, I kind of just wasted my breath. But,
Best wishes,
Sammam
I love your post and I agree there’s a lot of good that gaming can do!
A short while back I wrote a story* about Double Fine’s “Once Upon a Monster” Kinect game being used therapeutically by Special Effect, a group that helps children with special needs through the use of video games.
Here’s a link: http://myxboxlive.com/gaming/joy-access-access-joy/
*(It’s the first part of a series of stories on the subject of accessibility and doing “good” through video games.)
Wonderful infographic, thanks for creating and sharing with the world! Let’s harness the power of gaming to better ourselves and the world at large!
This infographic has really really low information density.
I really liked this infographic. Quite often you hear too much about games being harmful to individuals and society by focusing on the rare occasions when something bad does happen. There isn’t enough information like this saying how games can be good.
Nice info.
I’m quite agree that gaming is good when you do it in moderation. I also a person who actually learn english language (yes, i’m not native english speaker) by playing those classic RPG games. I also learn how to read maps and determine my position in the map by playing adventure games. Solving various puzzles in RPG and adventure games did have a good effect to me in facing many problems in live. Game was also become my first source of inspiration in drawing and writing stories. The most important things……games (playing and collecting them) has prevents me from using drugs.
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Wonderful infographic. explains the benefits of gaming very well. sharing it on facebook and twitter now.
Call of Duty, Halo, and Tetris… three of my favorite games growing up. Looks like my time spend in the basement with my cheetohs, mountain dew, and video games weren’t put to waste!
Son i think all people should be playing video games because they can help u a lot!!!!!!! Personally im like addicted to my PS3 and COD Black Ops 2! But i think people who dont play video games need to because they might see an impact in there life, video games could be a stress reliever!!! lol!! im just 15 but im already stressed the fuck out at High School!!! But out of all honesty VIDEO GAMES ARE MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE BABY!!!!!!