Positive results of vidya

[Amlux]

I'm sure we all got lectured about games frying our brains and being a waste of time as kids. And sure, they can have a negative effect if over-indulged in just like any hobby. But have you experienced any immediate benefits from them?

In my case, I was always extremely terrible at mathematics growing up. It was to the point where I felt like I had dyscalculia or something like it on some occasions. But since I've picked up the habit of gaming more extensively (since 2016 or so), I've found mathematics to get much easier to comprehend (at least the kind of basic stuff you're likely to use IRL). My skill at estimating numbers and doing calculations in my head has skyrocketed. And I can only think that it's skills in gaming (whether that's estimating boosts in XP, value of point items, or whatever) that have done so.

Outside of that, I learned a lot about Japanese history and mythology from Touhou, but that's a given.

Do you have any other examples like this of gaming directly serving you by giving you new skills or knowledge? (Outside of the immediate positive result of being a way to blow off steam or have a healthy means of escapism)

[Thricegreat]

I think some are simply good literature. Like these Blue Archive stories:



This follows the Orthodox line of thinking.



The goodness of ephemeral records in contrast to eternal writings.



The answer is a bit cringe, but I think it's a good answer to things like the Eucharist.

[drummyfish]

Certainly there are many benefits, with the caveat of "healthy balance" with other activities. For me for example what I know of English I owe practically all to games (and the fact that I was lazy and didn't care about story in games so I never used localization mods). Besides that my whole life was very influences by games, I studied what I did because of my early fascination with games. I bet playing games has also improved my cognitive skills in many ways like what you describe, Amlux, but I try to be aware of the fact that playing a game means "not doing something else", so it's a trade -- would playing a musical instrument have been better than playing games so much? I don't know. It was also games that helped me get out of my lowest of lows in life when I wouldn't even be able to "play" the game as it should be but just used it as a "walking simulator" in desperate attempts at escapism. This isn't specific to games, for others it can be a good book or TV series, but games are indeed easier to immerse in and I see a lot of therapeutic potential in them. For me specifically it was especially Morrowind but also things like GTA V -- these let you just take walks or drive around and observe without putting any stress or challenges on you and turns out that was what I needed. So I do love games and think they can have so many positive effects, but I acknowledge the shit they've become and the idiotic mainstream culture that has turned the positive effects (like with me, helping with depression) to mostly negative (literally GIVING kids depression). </rant>

[Deoster]

Certainly there are many benefits, with the caveat of "healthy balance" with other activities. For me for example what I know of English I owe practically all to games (and the fact that I was lazy and didn't care about story in games so I never used localization mods). Besides that my whole life was very influences by games, I studied what I did because of my early fascination with games. I bet playing games has also improved my cognitive skills in many ways like what you describe, Amlux, but I try to be aware of the fact that playing a game means "not doing something else", so it's a trade -- would playing a musical instrument have been better than playing games so much? I don't know. It was also games that helped me get out of my lowest of lows in life when I wouldn't even be able to "play" the game as it should be but just used it as a "walking simulator" in desperate attempts at escapism. This isn't specific to games, for others it can be a good book or TV series, but games are indeed easier to immerse in and I see a lot of therapeutic potential in them. For me specifically it was especially Morrowind but also things like GTA V -- these let you just take walks or drive around and observe without putting any stress or challenges on you and turns out that was what I needed. So I do love games and think they can have so many positive effects, but I acknowledge the shit they've become and the idiotic mainstream culture that has turned the positive effects (like with me, helping with depression) to mostly negative (literally GIVING kids depression). </rant>

I relate a lot to the walking simulator escapism thing. If I can be charitable to games, I think the much bigger modern forces giving kids depression are things like social media and short form video content and news, though modem big budget games do suck ass.

The most notable "positive" thing I've gotten from games is probably the inspiration to try to make games of my own, which has taught me a lot about programming and 3d modeling and so on.

[drummyfish]

I think the much bigger modern forces giving kids depression are things like social media and short form video content and news, though modem big budget games do suck ass.

You are right and I'd just like to add that what I meant was mostly online games that practically ARE social media/networks in part, and it's also the fact that most new games are online, social and competitive in some way, even the "single player" ones.

[malformed_jill]

i've been out of gaming for quite a bit (aside from the one piece of shit i play), i do appreciate the detailed and unique ways of play, some of which are more easier than in or impossible to replicate in more analog settings (lot of strategy and real-time stuff, especially with the calculations done, omitting any other combination of media into it)

i think video games above all have really inspired creativity, they came as great inspiration when i was ten when i collected a bunch of vidya soundfonts to replicate some of the series i was interested in before moving to more actual(?) music sometime after that (and before burning out). the influence on them (prog rock and stuff) and their influence of them on me is pretty strong
vidya can also have some great pen(cil)work. there's a lot of great designs people have drawn (to my upset, off-model) and some great story moments and worldbuilding penned, though usually that's more in the background for most games i play (or even just up to me to figure out).
personally video games specifically haven't gotten me into programming, even though they're a high example of shitty 'programming' (deliberately making it so people have to upgrade their specs, usually unnecessarily) but that might just be my general attitude towards it.

as much as i used to like them, i can't really figure out what else much i've gotten out of them aside from general entertainment. i could say games like shin megami tensei gave me more interest in a bunch of religions and mythologies, rimworld (i'm still sad this game is still optimized like shit) encouraging more of my writing stuff but as i've moved on to creating more instead of 'consuming', i don't feel as strongly about video games as i do now, aside from some incomplete stuff like deltarune. i think it's more so some of the practices in vidya right now that has led me to be a bit more averse to it. i feel like vidyas just get formulaic after some time or are just tasks for the most part, which is why i abhor most gachas (ignore the first link in this post, to a gacha game, i don't even super like it i just felt nostalgic) and other modern works. i think the biggest inspirations were probably the other inspirations to video games, in media i happen to enjoy more and take something away from.

[satoridepon]

I'm not sure if i had any positive benefits from vidya, not that im aware of atleast. I usually just play them for entertainment and get bored of it after a few hours, its an unfortunate cycle.

[saint]

Runescape taught a lot of kids including me on how an economy works and also how to recognize what a scam is.

[Lopadsa]

Video games for me as I grow older occupy a peaceful state when I'm in a bad mood or give me a sense of achievement. It depends on what you play of course but when I was a kid during the ps2 era, I enjoyed the single player experience of emersion within a world or setting that wasn't my own. Exploring was such an integral part in my own view and not by other people that by the time 7th gen consoles came out that mostly stressed online play, I had strong anxiety about it. Of course you could still explore worlds but it would have to be shared in some way which my brain couldn't comprehend at the time that that the world you inhabit will always be shared by others. Call me sensitive but playing Guitar Hero online for the first time and being called a cock muffin for the duration of the track wasn't my idea of fun at the time and still isn't. It wasn't until I played Runescape later on that I was able to get past this anxiety of playing with others in a meaningful way. Now as someone who has way to many responsibilities, I just play whatever I can for an hour like SHMUPS or puzzle games which is a good escapism for what I got going on currently. Video games for me were actually encouraged growing up so I was never in a guilty state playing games. Hobbies can only be guilty if you allow it to manifest that way just like any other space that demands your time.