2011-01-14, 04:09 PM
Interesting study but I find the title very misleading. For one, they only tested it with one basic videogame--this space fortress game--which appears to be in the style of an old arcade SHUMP, which, while a videogame, can in no way account for all the various types of video games we have (FPSes, RPGs and MMORPGs, all kinds of platformers, adventure games, rhythm games, sports games, puzzle games, tower defense, heck even a lot of other SHUMPS, not to mention all the amalgamations of genres). Second, they tested it with 39 adult subjects yet they do not mention their ages--children and young adults it seems are more likely to play various types of videogames than older people which require different skills and tactics than "casual" games that more people play such as those facebook games and whatnot.
Still, it's an interesting result. I have to wonder if what they're really measuring is not so much videogame prowess but something else and more basic, such as hand-eye coordination, attention, reflex, quick planning, and so forth. I'd love to read the actual research paper with their methods, selection criteria, and results rather than a secondhand article though.
Still, it's an interesting result. I have to wonder if what they're really measuring is not so much videogame prowess but something else and more basic, such as hand-eye coordination, attention, reflex, quick planning, and so forth. I'd love to read the actual research paper with their methods, selection criteria, and results rather than a secondhand article though.