Freethought & Rationalism Archive

ps418 · 05-28-2003, 12:11 PM

This is interesting. In the latest Nature, there is an article demonstrating that --whatever negative effects there may or may not be-- playing action video games dramatically improves a variety of visual skills.

Quote:

As video-game playing has become a ubiquitous activity in today's society, it is worth considering its potential consequences on perceptual and motor skills. It is well known that exposing an organism to an altered visual environment often results in modification of the visual system of the organism. The field of perceptual learning provides many examples of training-induced increases in performance. But perceptual learning, when it occurs, tends to be specific to the trained task; that is, generalization to new tasks is rarely found. Here we show, by contrast, that action-video-game playing is capable of altering a range of visual skills. Four experiments establish changes in different aspects of visual attention in habitual video-game players as compared with non-video-game players. In a fifth experiment, non-players trained on an action video game show marked improvement from their pre-training abilities, thereby establishing the role of playing in this effect.

Green and Bavalier, Action video game modifies visual selective attention. Nature 423, 534 - 537 (2003).

See also the New Scientist Press Release.

Patrick

05-28-2003, 06:24 PM

Yes ... I agree. I'm a gamer myself.

Games like Battle Simulation and RPG gives a person tasks which normal lives couldn't give, thus you get to push yourself forward in a way normal life couldn't.

But 1st person shoot like Quake and Doom makes me want to puke, though.

Elvithriel · 05-28-2003, 09:02 PM

I personally like space sims the most.

Elvithriel · 05-28-2003, 09:05 PM

Seraphim, by RPG I hope you don't mean stuff like Final Fantasy. Thats more like an interactive storybook book then an RPG.

05-28-2003, 09:23 PM

by Elvithriel

I personally like space sims the most.

I never played Sim or any of it's type of games before, but I did spent quite some time with battle strategy games like Starcraft, Total Annihilations (both the Robots type and the Kingdom) and others such.

I don't know about improving visual skills, but games did improve my fact finding and solving problems skills though. In more than one occassions, I found myself repeating the same pattern over and over again and found myself refusing to look for other answers than what was easier and in front of my eyes.

Seraphim, by RPG I hope you don't mean stuff like Final Fantasy. Thats more like an interactive storybook book then an RPG.

Yeah ... I did mean Final fantasy-type of games, which includes others like Suikoden, Chrono series (Cross and Trigger) and others such.

I like this sort of games because it allowed me to experience other form of life (as in Living).
To take a ROLE of another person/character to an extend that it felt real ... isn't that what Role Playing games are all about?

Elvithriel · 05-28-2003, 09:55 PM

Well space sims are like first person shooters except with a joytstick and things coming at you from all around. So it would probably make you puke more then doom/quake.

05-28-2003, 11:12 PM

by Elvithriel

Well space sims are like first person shooters except with a joytstick and things coming at you from all around. So it would probably make you puke more then doom/quake.

When you said SIM, I thought the game is one of those simulation games like Sim City. Either way, thank for the warning. Now I know which gave to avoid.

The closest I got to a 1st Person Shooter is Dino Stalker for PS2. 30 minutes playing that and I had THE BIGGEST headache I ever experience in the last 10 years.

Jeremy Pallant · 05-28-2003, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Seraphim
But 1st person shoot like Quake and Doom makes me want to puke, though.

Some people do have that reaction.

Many FPSs warn of such a response. They also warn of epileptic seizures.

I am presuming, of course, that it's the playing of the game that causes you nausea, not the content or the concept.

I imagine the nausea occurs for the same reason that VR can cause people nausea. The mind sees a three dimensional image, and the eyes attempt to focus as if the virtual image were a real one. In other words, while the image on the screen is, say, two feet away from you, your brain is tricked into thinking that it's much further away and gets confused, resulting in nausea.

Answerer · 05-28-2003, 11:58 PM

I liked Xenogear, apparently the RPG with the best plot that I had ever played. Chrono cross is not bad, but its ending is a bit crappy. I liked all games by blizzard so far, hope they continue to amaze me.

The funny thing is not many people could stand the three dimensional game like counterstrike or wing commanders. They said that they will puke if having played too long. Nevertheless, how does playing games contribute to improved visual skills? I don't know (hope some can enlighten me) since I had not notice any significant changes with my sight apart from wearing thicker lens.

05-29-2003, 01:20 AM

by Jeremy Pallant

Some people do have that reaction.

Many FPSs warn of such a response. They also warn of epileptic seizures.

So people who have this nausea feelings are those who most likely to have seizures as well?

I am presuming, of course, that it's the playing of the game that causes you nausea, not the content or the concept.

Yes, playing it. I have no problem with various concepts of demons, trolls, Bugs and other things chasing me.

I imagine the nausea occurs for the same reason that VR can cause people nausea. The mind sees a three dimensional image, and the eyes attempt to focus as if the virtual image were a real one. In other words, while the image on the screen is, say, two feet away from you, your brain is tricked into thinking that it's much further away and gets confused, resulting in nausea.

Which means ... what? I'm having nausea because my mind cannot catch up with fasting moving objects OR my mind seems to see through an object?

Why is it that I have the same kind of nausea attack when I'm going up hill or in roads which as curves every 15 seconds? Some time ago, I went to a place called Cameron Highlands and it was very steep and the road is small and curved every few feet. I felt the same nausea feeling as I had with FPS.

by Answerer

I liked Xenogear, apparently the RPG with the best plot that I had ever played. Chrono cross is not bad, but its ending is a bit crappy. I liked all games by blizzard so far, hope they continue to amaze me.

Haven't played any Xenogear games yet (last one is Xenosaga for PS2). Haven't have time to play Strategy game for quite a long time also.

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05-28-2003, 06:24 PM	#2
Seraphim Guest Posts: n/a	Yes ... I agree. I'm a gamer myself. Games like Battle Simulation and RPG gives a person tasks which normal lives couldn't give, thus you get to push yourself forward in a way normal life couldn't. But 1st person shoot like Quake and Doom makes me want to puke, though.

05-28-2003, 09:02 PM	#3
Elvithriel Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 127	I personally like space sims the most.

05-28-2003, 09:05 PM	#4
Elvithriel Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 127	Seraphim, by RPG I hope you don't mean stuff like Final Fantasy. Thats more like an interactive storybook book then an RPG.

05-28-2003, 09:23 PM	#5
Seraphim Guest Posts: n/a	by Elvithriel I personally like space sims the most. I never played Sim or any of it's type of games before, but I did spent quite some time with battle strategy games like Starcraft, Total Annihilations (both the Robots type and the Kingdom) and others such. I don't know about improving visual skills, but games did improve my fact finding and solving problems skills though. In more than one occassions, I found myself repeating the same pattern over and over again and found myself refusing to look for other answers than what was easier and in front of my eyes. Seraphim, by RPG I hope you don't mean stuff like Final Fantasy. Thats more like an interactive storybook book then an RPG. Yeah ... I did mean Final fantasy-type of games, which includes others like Suikoden, Chrono series (Cross and Trigger) and others such. I like this sort of games because it allowed me to experience other form of life (as in Living). To take a ROLE of another person/character to an extend that it felt real ... isn't that what Role Playing games are all about?

05-28-2003, 09:55 PM	#6
Elvithriel Regular Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Canada Posts: 127	Well space sims are like first person shooters except with a joytstick and things coming at you from all around. So it would probably make you puke more then doom/quake.

05-28-2003, 11:12 PM	#7
Seraphim Guest Posts: n/a	by Elvithriel Well space sims are like first person shooters except with a joytstick and things coming at you from all around. So it would probably make you puke more then doom/quake. When you said SIM, I thought the game is one of those simulation games like Sim City. Either way, thank for the warning. Now I know which gave to avoid. The closest I got to a 1st Person Shooter is Dino Stalker for PS2. 30 minutes playing that and I had THE BIGGEST headache I ever experience in the last 10 years.

05-28-2003, 11:58 PM	#9
Answerer Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,956	I liked Xenogear, apparently the RPG with the best plot that I had ever played. Chrono cross is not bad, but its ending is a bit crappy. I liked all games by blizzard so far, hope they continue to amaze me. The funny thing is not many people could stand the three dimensional game like counterstrike or wing commanders. They said that they will puke if having played too long. Nevertheless, how does playing games contribute to improved visual skills? I don't know (hope some can enlighten me) since I had not notice any significant changes with my sight apart from wearing thicker lens.

05-29-2003, 01:20 AM	#10
Seraphim Guest Posts: n/a	by Jeremy Pallant Some people do have that reaction. Many FPSs warn of such a response. They also warn of epileptic seizures. So people who have this nausea feelings are those who most likely to have seizures as well? I am presuming, of course, that it's the playing of the game that causes you nausea, not the content or the concept. Yes, playing it. I have no problem with various concepts of demons, trolls, Bugs and other things chasing me. I imagine the nausea occurs for the same reason that VR can cause people nausea. The mind sees a three dimensional image, and the eyes attempt to focus as if the virtual image were a real one. In other words, while the image on the screen is, say, two feet away from you, your brain is tricked into thinking that it's much further away and gets confused, resulting in nausea. Which means ... what? I'm having nausea because my mind cannot catch up with fasting moving objects OR my mind seems to see through an object? Why is it that I have the same kind of nausea attack when I'm going up hill or in roads which as curves every 15 seconds? Some time ago, I went to a place called Cameron Highlands and it was very steep and the road is small and curved every few feet. I felt the same nausea feeling as I had with FPS. by Answerer I liked Xenogear, apparently the RPG with the best plot that I had ever played. Chrono cross is not bad, but its ending is a bit crappy. I liked all games by blizzard so far, hope they continue to amaze me. Haven't played any Xenogear games yet (last one is Xenosaga for PS2). Haven't have time to play Strategy game for quite a long time also.

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