What did you learn from playing video games?

While some of the critics says that the medium will rot your brains while others will claim otherwise, I'm in the camp that says, "Yes, they're good for you."

As in an number of games that I've played required some knowledge of geometry to ricochet an projectile off an wall or plotting the fastest route through an level (I blame Rouge Squadron for this). There are also others like Sim City, Fire Emblem, and a few more RP Gs that display the importance of economics and resource management.

I learned that I am God-awful at playing video games.

I learned basic logic from LittleBigPlanet.

EVE Online was pretty good at giving me a better understanding of financial/economic crime and fraud.

YES. But I also learned the value of practice. It is incredibly satisfying to fail, then fail again, and again, over and over...until you don't. Every little lesson and every little failure clicks into place, and suddenly, you're watching Wendy Koopa fall into the lava and realizing that YOU DID IT.

Always carry extra silencers.

Or "until I throw my controller out the window and scream for five hours straight, then never touch the game again because HOW THE FUCK CAN ANYONE PLAY THIS"

Gotta agree with Raspberry. Seriously, you wouldn't believe how terrible I was at video games. Well, I still am, but progress!

On the subject of serious lessons other than "Yeah, practice makes perfect"- I learned from Tales of the Abyss that people can change, and that it's pretty stupid to push the world on one's shoulders.

I learned financial skills thanks to the Zoo Tycoon games.

And I learned the g-force tolerance of the average human by playing RollerCoaster Tycoon.

(Years later, while not playing video games, I learned that my tolerance is below average by fainting on a roller coaster. whoops x_x )

In all seriousness, I've learned how important creativity really is. I will argue until I die video games can make you smarter. Almost everything has more than one possible use - from cigarettes to slot machines. The world is very much what you make it.

Also: the Fulton Surface-To-Air Recovery system.

edited 18th Jun '17 6:28:06 PM by Troper_Walrus

I learned the complete rules of and how to play Baseball from the NES video game version of Major League Baseball. (From like 1989.)

Playing Gyromite without Robotic Operating Buddy helped my twin brother and I develop our Real Life Twin Telepathy (so, not actual telepathy, just knowing how to anticipate the other's moves). We can still do complicated tasks together without saying a word.

edited 19th Jun '17 8:14:59 AM by RaspyMink

A thing I learned from playing Video Games is that people can be really creative and make great products. I've also learned interesting historical facts from video games, especially from the Assassin's Creed series.

Computer skills and literacy. My niece has recently been playing Minecraft on my PC some weekends, and she's yet to develop much coordination with mouse and keyboard controls, since she's more used to touchscreens. That reminded me of how I used to be just as clueless, barely able to play Pajama Sam. But a few years wasted on Zoo Tycoon, Sim City, and Age of Empires II are the only reason I became comfortable with computers. I probably owe modding a lot for the more technical side, and online games for fast and accurate typing skills. Nothing's more embarassing than a late comeback or one littered with bad spelling.

That killing off native populations can produce much better results than letting them live.

I learned that I really don't ought to lead armies from Total War. Or XCOM.

I learnt that: 1. Videogames break stereotypes (along w/ the rest of mediums). 2. Never give up. 3. Be patient. 4. Wisely spend resources. 5. I got smarter. And I got faster reactions.

Video games can teach one many things. Be it increasing learning capability or upgrading one's knowledge over various issues. It is also said that playing video games can build one's logic and the problem solving tactics. But the sad fact is that a majority says that gaming causes addiction or many mental disorders. I feel this should be said depending on the person. My friend who is an enthusiastic gamer play console games most of the time. Because he has a subscription like https://www.press-start.com/de/1-kaufen-xbox-live-gold-mitgliedschaft-12-monate/ on his Xbox, he isn't wasting money as well. But poor fellow, he is always scolded for spending his most of the time and money on video games.

Stardew Valley has given me some relationship advice:

• Give your partner their favorite treat every once in a while, just because.
• Even just saying hi to a friend will make the friendship stronger.
• Do not cheat on your partner with a wizard. And if you are a wizard, don't cheat at all.

Playing Dwarf Fortress has taught me...

• Basic economics.
• Geology when it comes to the most ideal embankment site.
• To always be prepared for embarking.
• Know my neighbors.
• Never piss the Elves off.
• Build defences and traps ahead of time incase of a goblin siege.
• Always have materials provided whenever a fellow dwarf goes into a strange mood.
• Have your priorities shorted out then building your Dwarven fort.
• Most importantly, losing is fun.

edited 14th Jan '18 12:19:10 PM by Albino_Axolotl

Funny story, that. I once pulled an UAZ out of a slide instinctively. On a slippery backwoods road in the middle of winter. Because I was doing that with countless cars in various games, and UAZ is that big unresponsive chunk of scrap with a 4x4 drive. My father was shocked that I did it before I even had a license.

The downside? I am afraid to drive a real car, because in GTA or Saints' Row it always ends with flagrant disregard for traffic code and, usually, with lots of damage. I think that the most comfortable I felt playing anything near actual driving was free roam in Test Drive Unlimited 2. I got myself a VW Touareg and just drove around Ibiza or what the first area was.

edited 14th Jan '18 4:29:00 PM by NotSoBadassLongcoat

@19: An lot of stuff can be addictive or cause depression (or some other mental disorder), since I mainly addiction as how much you're spending against how much cash you need to live.

That I am the worst gamer in the history of ever.

Things I've learned from Tomodachi Life...

• The first two bullets in Raspy Mink's post above. :)
• Even people who seem to demand your time and attention a lot can give back to you in ways you wouldn't expect.
• Even though you may have to work a lot, there are always plenty of fun things to do too, and you shouldn't focus only on work.
• Never reprogram someone's personality to sabotage their relationship with someone else, or to make them like you. Apparently, not even that can change how someone feels about someone else.