Still it’s correlated data and not causality. I would imagine a ton of other variables are also at play. But it is possible there are some games that could increase problem solving abilities and certainly hand-eye coordination.

I’ve heard this too, that video games help keep us sharp.  But do we want a generation of highly intelligent rabid killers?

Les, if this report drew equivalent conclusions about violence, you’d be the first to sound off.

I still may sound off on this one depending on what exactly the story itself has to say. It’s just so rare to get get news about gaming that I thought I’d toss it out there.

As you say we should wait for the entire report before drawing conclusions but the whole statement seems too generalised to me.

I’m sure that the same game can have a dfferent effects on different people, and different games can have different effects on the same person, and even that the same game can have different effects on the same person at different times or under different circumstances.

But still in general: If the religious folk be agin it, I be for it.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it turns out that video games raise your IQ by a point or two. They are, by their very nature, prolonged problem solving exercises which we engage in for fun. Whether the problems are as simple as how to fit the various oddly shaped Tetris pieces together properly to how to successfully take out the mafia boss without getting killed by his body guards in GTA, there’s a lot of thinkin’ involved in most video games.

That said I don’t think video games will be turning us into a world of Super Geniuses™ anytime soon. The effect, if any, is probably limited in potential scope. Still any benefit you can gain from the activity is worth noting considering all the bad press it gets.

Somewhat Off Topic: I remember playing Tetris for several hours once. Later, everythime I looked at something ( furniture, buildings whatever ) my mind kept trying to make them fit together.

Ive never overindulged since that experience.

Not relevant I know but seeing the word “Tetris” suddenly brought back that memory.

And now I’ve got Tetris earworm. Gah.

In the future my kids aren’t getting any consoles…

They’re going to have to work for their videogames like I did.

To recreate the experience of DOS gaming I guess I’ll have to get some unheard of linux distro, destroy any documentation, and hand my kids some game software. “Here ya go, get it to work and have fun.”

Now there’s a learning experience.