Benefits of Playing Computer Games :)

Computer Games are addictive – most of the times. I have heard people playing AOE for 48 hours non stop or completing Max Payne by spending the whole night on it or driving cars even in their sleeps. I have been a part of the community too. I used to get dreams of Half Life. Many times it has happened that you go to sleep tired of being stuck at a point e.g in Half Life. You don’t know how to move ahead and after laying in the bed for some time you suddenly realize that “Oh Shit. I could do that”. Immediately on the computer again and then continuing till the fingers hurt or mind became numb.

I am sure all of us have been scolded by parents a lot of time for playing games on computer. But playing games is useful too.

• When you play car racing games, it improves your reaction time. Think of it, while moving at speeds of over 200 km/hr, you have to maneuver the car around the bends, walls, traffic, police cars and not to mention the cars you are racing. This improves your reaction time which helps in real driving.

• There are many things while playing NFS which you learn about real driving. E.g you never brake while you are in a bend, turning the car. Always apply the brake just before the turn, then accelerate as you are on the turn. This and many real driving tips, you can learn while driving a virtual car and implement in real time driving also.

• Games help you train your mind to be calm in adverse situations. E.g think of a situation. There are 20 police cars chasing you down, a helicopter on top and you are running your car around the bends or on the highway to escape. If you are not calm and not continuously thinking on the run, then you are busted. You have to be aware of the corners, bends coming your way, thus sharpening your mind and increasing concentration power. Similarly in a game like quake or half life or max payne, there will be 10 – 15 people shooting at you. You have to act quickly saving yourself and killing them. So it helps you keep your calm in tough situations.

• While playing, you need to constantly apply your brain, break clues, find hidden things and routes to get ahead (this doesn’t apply to car race games). This too improves your IQ.

• The thrill in a car race or a Hot Pursuit by police is unimaginable considering it is not possible in everyday life to just go and hit a police car (or for that matter any car) and then run away at 250 km/hr evading the police. Moreover, you get a feel of an array of awesome cars on which you MAY never be able to lay a hand on.

These are just a few points. I am sure many of you must be having more points – may be about the games which I have not played and not mentioned here. I have devoted most of the time playing mainly 2 games - NFS, Half Life and enjoyed Max Payne and Caeser (in that you have to create and maintain cities) a lot. Many other games have just been just time pass, so the benefits of popular games like AOE, Quake etc – I would not know.

But in general, games are not that Bad!!!!!