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May 12, 2005
First-person shooting your way to the top
Further to yesterday's post on the IQ-boosting power of video games comes this suggestion that video gamers display superior business skills.
Charles Schwab human resources vice president Chip Luman declares that "The people who play games are into technology, can handle more information, can synthesise more complex data, solve operational design problems, lead change and bring organisations through change."
We can't help wondering how many of them might also entertain fantasies about gunning down the competition, but the San Jose Mercury News reports there's a growing wave of research and first-hand reports about children, parents, workers, corporations and even medical patients experiencing notable benefits from computer or video games, and growing efforts "to change the mindset of people who dismiss video games as dangerous or worthless".
"I'm extremely interested in scientific validation of gaming for good," said Dr. James Rosser, director of the Advanced Medical Technology Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.
Rosser, also the director of minimally invasive surgery, is a gamer who oversaw research indicating that surgeons adept at video games were less likely to make mistakes during certain forms of operations and suturing. The study, which used games that included sniper shooting (Silent Scope) and futuristic racing (Star Wars Racer Revenge), generated major publicity for games as possible teaching tools.
The potential teaching value is a key area of research for linguistics professor James Paul Gee at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
No doubt, having caught up with this news, CEOs all over the world will be insisting that their employees bring their Play Stations and XBoxes to work, so they can work on corporate strategy.
Posted by cw at May 12, 2005 07:54 AM
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Comments
Against all reasonable expectation, there is indeed growing evidence that game play can be good for you. And game development even better. Astute CEO (and founder) of Sydney game development company, Imaginarynumbers.com, Luke Carruthers, is a case in point. It wasn't enough for him to merely make a fortune when he sold the successful ISP he co-founded, Magnadata, during the Internet boom years. Now he is developing multi-player online games. You can watch him describe his deft handling of business and creative matters in the Australian game development industry at www.netvideo.com.au
Posted by: Jason Romney at May 12, 2005 08:15 AM
A clever seque, Jason. Well done!
Posted by: cw at May 12, 2005 08:56 AM
Interesting to read the correlation between playing games and business
ability. I live with a senior games programmer for Atari, and whilst he spends his days coding C, he's one of the most
philosophically aware people I know, although he's not what I would
call the most business savvy. Indeed - his work colleagues are well
above what I would consider the average 'politically aware' business
employees, although still nerds (as am I) at heart.
I'm in a similar industry, and can assure you that I would prefer to
converse professionally with any one of them than the (uh hum) 'pole
climbing pukes' I do every day.
RV
Posted by: RedVicar at May 13, 2005 09:16 PM