Addictive Games

From the Angry Bird 3-stars mania, to Candy Crush Saga obsession, and then to the most recent Flappy Bird infinite sensation (and its clones), we can conclude that addictive games have their place in our heart; or at least in our smartphone. This pattern is obvious, addictive games are here to stay and will be continually appears in different form.

This actually sparked my curiosity, so I started to scout for articles related to addictive game. And I found this blog by NICK BILTON, Disruptions: Using Addictive Games to Build Better Brains, listed on the The New York Times. Apparently, there are researches and studies done on the effect of addictive games. Although the article did not provide details on how and what benefits do addictive games have on us, but at least it indicated video games does have the potential to “make our minds stronger, faster and healthier.” I guess we just need to stay tuned and see what constructive developments spur out from these researches.

Here is the [link] to Nick’s article.

Brain Training and Video Game

There are many categories of game in the market; "Casual", "Role-playing", "Strategy", just to name a few. When it comes to a video game pick with beneficial attributes, "Puzzle" type is probably the category of choice for most. This is because “Puzzle” tends to convey an image of brain-training, which is most certainly and proven to be true. A great example is Lumosity.com, a collection of neuroscience exercises that design to look just like “Puzzle” games.

With that being said, it is easy to overlook the others. Each type of video game provides different constructive element to the gamer, some of which are hard to notice. A recent research from Oxford University (summarized by Gamespot.com) mentioned that "Action" type games may help manage dyslexia, a condition of learning disability affecting reading, writing and spelling. [Here is the link to the Gamespot article by Eddie Makuch]

"Action" game requires the person in front of the screen to shift attention quickly between objects. This type of games consists of hundreds and thousands of visual and audio cues in order to keep the game engaging and refreshing. Simply put, it requires player to react quickly as sounds emerge and things pop up on the screen. Think about “Super Mario Bros.” The main point is to not only focus on Mario himself, but also other characters and objects appear from the right side of the screen; music and other audio clips also play the role of setting the tone and stimulation.

Parenting and Video Game

I went on Flipboard (app) today with the intention of catching the latest update on the removal of the highly addictive game “Flappy Bird” from the App Store. But it was another post that captures my attention, an article published on Forbe titled “Violent Video Games Can Turn Kids Into Progressive Intellectuals” by Jordan Shapiro [link]. This article does not necessary point out the positive of video game directly, but it did challenge the reader to think differently about video game; it is not all bad.

Video game, which can be interpret as a tool of interactive story-telling, are no different than other tools in our daily lives; tools that can be both beneficial and harmful at the same time. On one hand it provides the purpose of entertainment/stress relieve, but on another it also can be seen as a gateway of immoral behaviors. We are merely looking at both sides of the same coin.

Perhaps my favorite statement from Jordon’s article is: “It is not the violence of video games that creates morally immature individuals, but lack of supervision, education, and good parenting." Computer programs, televisions, and tablets can’t be trusted on their own, parents need to teach kids how to use them.”

Cartoon from Nate Bramble

In the Beginning...

I always want to do something related to the video game industry, but I never knew where to start. I've tried to write video game reviews only to realize many are doing the same thing. I've tried to do podcast and live stream with other gamers but with no success.

However, just recently I came across a video by AsapSCIENCE and it sparks this idea; start a blog and collect as many resources on the positive side of video game as possible. I'm not sure how far will this lead me down the rabbit hole, but there is no where else to go but forward.

So my journey begins...

Here is the very first resource that I came across and it is also a tribute to AsapSCIENCE. I hope this spark something in your mind as well.

If the above video did not convince you to continue this journey with me, maybe this "bonus" fact will. The Entertainment Software Association stated that "58% of Americans play video games" in their "2013 Essential Facts" publication. That simply means, every other person that you came across is a potential gamer.