by Jordan Miller

Created on: June 06, 2008

Short answer: Yes

Long answer: Quite honestly, it depends on several factors. One is the type of game one is playing. There is a major difference between games that use hand eye coordination constantly like platformers and racing games, and so-called "casual games" for their laid back attitudes towards gameplay. Being able to jump onto a floating platform two meters in diameter takes a lot more coordination and effort than clicking in one spot to remove 5 or so colorful pieces. Playing a racing game, whether based on realism or pure car wipeout wreckage, helps players react to situations and deal with them accordingly and in a (hopefully) manageable way. Playing an online puzzle game deals less with action and reactions and more with brain power.

Memorization also plays a key part in coordination with games. There are two things to consider: memorization within the game and memorization with the hardware. Before any coordination is improved with video games, the first big hurdle any person has with a new console is learning where all the buttons are on the controller. Without this, the most demanding games, with timed events and specific combo sequences, are daunting. Once this hurdle is left behind, the next challenge is within the game itself. Controls within the gaming genres tend to be alike, such as racing games placing acceleration with the right analog stick or platformers usually having the same jump button. However, every game has its differences in control layouts, and the more complex and demanding the control scheme, the more memorization is required. Level designs are memorized through multiple playthroughs, enemy placement is figured out in time, and specific attack patterns are memorized after some time. When to attack here and jump there may be memorized in time, but for that first time around in any game everything is new. An experienced gamer will tackle on a new game and at least die/lose a challenge once in the process. Newer gamers will lose more often, since they are not as coordinated as people who have played video games for a while.
One last thing to keep in mind is the gaming machine itself. Old arcade stands had one joystick and a few buttons. Newer "arcade" titles have either more buttons on them or a peripheral of some sort, be it lightgun or ride-on motorcycle controller. These later games usually take more coordination than their older counterparts, as more of the body is used. Yes, hand-eye coordination is, biq surprise here, coordination. However, it's one thing to twirl a stick in the right direction, hit a button to fire a bullet, and another to reload. More coordination is used to physically aim a psuedo-rifle, pull a trigger, and step on a little platform to hide and reload. The more parts of a body that are used, the more coordination is needed. The latest generation of consoles show this pattern. While the Xbox 360/PS3 games mainly use standard button controls, the Wii has its own unique control scheme, given the unique nature of the device. Hitting a ball into deep center-field in MLB 200X by hitting a button does not mean you will hit a homer in Wii Sports Baseball by swinging the Wiimote like an actual bat. It takes a lot more coordination to play physically mirrored games on the Wii console than any action game for the beefier, more graphics heavy consoles. Then again, knowing how complex controls are now compared to yesterage, it may take miracles to play future console games more than coordination.

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