If you’re reading this, it’s proof that inflamatory and grossly oversimplified titles attract attention. But that aside for now.
I’ve noticed a couple of articles on New Scientist recently that relate to games.
First, a new study finds that, contrary to previous research, playing video games isn’t predictive of body mass increase in teens (i.e. games don’t make you fat). However, the article concludes that gamers do suffer from lower grades and self esteem (i.e. we’re still losers!).
Even more interesting, is the report of a gestural game that teaches you to make perfect pasta. Now that could lead to body mass increase!
I’m a big fan of the combination of games and learning. I recently had two opportunities to learn strategy and marketing at the MBA level by playing games (more on this another day). The immediate feedback and the mental struggle to understand the game’s mechanic leads to a far deeper understanding of the subject than a lecture, slide deck and reading, in my opinion. Whether this understanding is valuable and correct, may be another story.
- Tuebit
P.S. In case the link to the perfect pasta paper doesn’t work, here’s the reference …
M. Roccetti, G. Marfia, and M. Zanichelli. 2010. The art and craft of making the Tortellino: playing with a digital gesture recognizer for preparing pasta culinary recipes. Comput. Entertain. 8, 4, Article 28 (December 2010), 20 pages. DOI=10.1145/1921141.1921148 http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1921141.1921148
By Tachevert January 21, 2011 - 12:15 pm
It isn’t playing video games that ruins one’s self esteem. It’s being shoved into lockers, trash cans, and corners as a result of the inevitable pastiness from lack of daylight!
Many of the hardcore gamers I know have average or even slim and muscular physiques. So much for stereotypes!
By Wilhelm2451 January 21, 2011 - 6:33 pm
To paraphrase one of the early lines in “High Fidelity,” “Do we play video games because we’re miserable, or are we miserable because we play video games?”
This failed to acknowledge that that question is even a possibility.
By Tuebit January 21, 2011 - 8:52 pm
It is a good question, which is the cause and which is the effect and what is the mechanism connecting the two.
Maybe the kids who game get lower grades because they find school unintuitive, irrelevant or boring. Perhaps schools could learn something from games (I think they could).
And is lower self esteem a bad thing? Maybe kids who don’t game have over-inflated ego’s (perhaps because they’ve never been the cause of a complete party wipe).
I do know that I play games (or at least, I’d like to play games) and I’m personally quite happy with both myself and my marks.