by Lydia Mason

Created on: February 10, 2009

If we were to work out the total number of hours people across the planet have spent playing computer games it would be a horrendously large number of hours "wasted". There has to be a reason why we like and chose to spend so long playing them. There has over the years been various waves of press interest in computer games, stating that they cause copy-cat violence, and there is the stigma of the computer playing geek, spending over 24-hours playing in one sitting. So what is the appeal to gaming and is there a good side to gaming that the media have overlooked?

In our modern day lives there are countless choices of entertainment all demanding our attention, but gaming seems to captivate audiences more intensively and for longer periods than other forms of entertainment crying out for our attention. Computer games, whatever style of game are much more engaging than, say, TV because the player has nominal control over the action. Whether it be deciding which troops to send into battle or working out which item in your inventory fits together with others to unlock the final part of the puzzle; the pace, whether your characters succeed or fail, is down to the player. Computer gaming is much more proactive than passively watching TV.

Most computer games have some element of puzzle solving or strategy, whether it be in battle or serving diners at a restaurant. Problem solving aside from the obvious applications in "real life" is helpful in aiding concentration, increasing cognitive abilities and even has been shown to help with depression. Steve Johnson, in his book "Everything Bad is Good for You" even argues that rather than the common held belief that games provide instant gratification, instead games reduce the need as level of concentration and patience to complete a level is extremely high in comparison to other forms of entertainment. Hand-eye co-ordination is increased in certain games; business acumen in others; some even have an educational element to them. There is also an obvious level of stress relief, after a hard day at the office, of shooting all the bad guys or playing whack-a-boss!

With the advent of multi-player games, there is also a social element to gaming and as the Internet expands people are forming bands of Warriors and Clerics to defeat evil and at the same time are making friends across borders. Although the likelihood of meeting your on-line companions is low, on-line communities and on-line networking are becoming a vital part of the modern life, and on-line friendships are as real as face-to-face relationships.

Many individuals are also creating their own games, for free, in order to pass on messages or make social comentary, and games can even be considered part of the free media. Self-made games have the freedom in their content, and so gives people more of a platform to speak their minds more than the press or TV has.

So next time you sit down in front of your favourite game remember that you are not wasting your time: you are improving your concentration, hand-eye co-ordination, business acumen, relieving stress, curing depression, reducing your need for self-gratification, allowing freedom of expression and building up an important social network. Who knew that you could get all of this from PacMan.

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