You are better than average Joe

[Jogy Profile]

There have been few studies of gaming lately, which tell that people playing action-based games are making decisions much faster than non-gamers without losing accuracy and FPS-games are good for your eyesight. Playing FPS games is not making you cold blooded killer, but rather it is making you a better person.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203458604577263273943183932.html?mod=e2tw

http://www.slashgear.com/canadian-university-study-finds-violent-video-games-are-good-for-eyesight-17214153/

[DMG_Kowi Profile]

Try to tell this to my mother.

What's for sure:
- FPS doesn't make you psychopath/killer/etc. - it's a bullshit that media, some 'experts' and people who don't know anything about games try to prove, basing on the fact that some guy who killed x people in school in US, actually played q3
- certain games help to develop certain skills: reflexes in FPS, sense of ecomony and strategy in tycoons and RTS; but use of those skills in real-life situations is still questionable I think: does reflexes gained in FPS makes you better goalkeeper?
- gaming (and generally spending time in front of computer) has negative effects on health: it has an effect on eyes, spine, arms and also is inactive way of spending time

[Death Profile]

- certain games help to develop certain skills: reflexes in FPS, sense of ecomony and strategy in tycoons and RTS; but use of those skills in real-life situations is still questionable I think: does reflexes gained in FPS makes you better goalkeeper?

Well tbh training your reflexes is indeed a big part of being a good goalkeeper (besides reading the game) Myself i've once played with a machine which you would have to get your hands or feet as quickly as possible in front of a light that would go on in different places, basically the same as reacting on a pc screen, the trick is to know how to adapt the things you learn on you pc to real life.

- gaming (and generally spending time in front of computer) has negative effects on health: it has an effect on eyes, spine, arms and also is inactive way of spending time

Gaming can be very health actually, look at Wii fit and Just dance games etc etc. However if you mean gaming on pc's then yes it can have negative effects but mostly thats because of extensive use , like if you are in front of your screen for more than 3 hours a day or when you aren't sitting correctly in your chair while gaming. If you'd just moderatly game and are in a correct chair with good arm support etc, there is no need for it to be unhealthy, it's what you make of it yourself.

[DMG_Kowi Profile]

Games provide good reflexes, but when you're goalkeeper, reflexes (brain's ability to notice things) is for nothing as long as your legs and arms may limit speed of your reaction. Try to imagine fat guy with instantaneous reflexes in ET/CS - on the pitch he would be veeery slow.
So, if we talk about pure reflexes - yes. If we talk about general ability to act quick - no, because in game only brain and palms/fingers are acting quickly.

Sure, you can provide comfortable seats to avoid problems with spine, arms, etc. But the only fact that you actually spend hours in front of pc is 'destructive' (staying in same position, no movement). Even if you are limiting use of pc. Some people work with pc and 8h/day is must for them. And I think there is no way to fully avoid the effect on eyes.

[Jogy Profile]

Try to imagine fat guy with instantaneous reflexes in ET/CS - on the pitch he would be veeery slow.

It is unfair to compare fit guy and fat gamer, but rather you should compare fat gamer and fat non-gamer. I would say fat gamer is much better goalkeeper not only because of better reaction times, but playing fifa or pro evo will give you probably also advantage on understanding what happens on the field.

[deep Profile]

If your eyes are constantly fixed at one length, you develop short-sightedness. That article is full of out of context crap. Those improvements only affect people who suffer from a special eye condition

The real article about the case:

Rare conditions like childhood cataracts cause near blindness in infancy, and even if corrected with surgery patients suffer from impaired sight throughout their adult life.

But playing video games could help improve their sight by teaching the brain to spot small details, follow movements and spot subtle light changes.

Researchers from McMaster University tested six adults aged 19 to 31 who were born with cataracts in both eyes.

Even though they had had the problem fixed through surgery and special contact lenses in early childhood, they still had trouble reading small print, following moving objects and identifying faces.

After playing a first-person shooter video game for 40 hours over a month-long period, the patients' vision improved enough that they could read one or two lines further down on an optician's eye chart.

It only helps people with cataracts symptoms.

Found this too:

According to the Minnesota Optometric Association, hardcore gamers are at heightened risk for Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS), a condition marked by a variety of symptoms including "eye irritation, dry eyes, headaches, pain in the eyes or surrounding facial muscles, squinting, excessive blinking, increased sensitivity to light and difficulty focusing."

[Death Profile]

You've just proven my point Deep that AVERAGE use of computers and playing Videogames isn't nescesarily bad for you, just don't sit in front of your computer all day

[DMG_Kowi Profile]

Try to imagine fat guy with instantaneous reflexes in ET/CS - on the pitch he would be veeery slow.

(...) I would say fat gamer is much better goalkeeper not only because of better reaction times, but playing fifa or pro evo will give you probably also advantage on understanding what happens on the field.

I think this is not true. Playing Guitar Hero on expert doesn't make you a guitarist or playing Tony Hawk's Proskater doesn't make you skater. Why? Because beside from subject of the game, those games don't have much to do with real guitar and real skateboarding.

[Dre_of_chaos Profile]

You've just proven my point Deep that AVERAGE use of computers and playing Videogames isn't nescesarily bad for you, just don't sit in front of your computer all day

good luck doing that when it's also your job to sit infront of a computer the whole day

[Death Profile]

You've just proven my point Deep that AVERAGE use of computers and playing Videogames isn't nescesarily bad for you, just don't sit in front of your computer all day

good luck doing that when it's also your job to sit infront of a computer the whole day

take another job....
jeez it's completely not the point of this topic.