Video Games and Girlfriends

Throughout all of my relationships I've been in and my friends have been in, girls have made it abundantly clear- they don't like us playing video games.  You'll have a vast array of responses that you may receive ranging from the straight up rage (FUCK YOUR GAMES! YOU'D RATHER GET YOUR FIRST WIN OF THE DAY BONUS THAN SPEND TIME WITH ME!) to the passive aggressive types ("I don't want to interrupt your game, I'll give you space." and then bring it up at some later time with a fistful of vengeance and a lamp through the window.)  The point is, they hate this shit.  So ladies, here is a chance to get a little bit of an understanding on guys and video games.

1. It's in our DNA

The first point I want to make is that we don't hate you, and we're not playing a video game just so we don't have to talk to you.  Since most of us were young, we have been collecting coins and leveling up our scantily clad heroines.  That feeling of gratification we get from getting a new sword or owning noobs hardcore is part of what makes us males. 

Think back to primative man for a second- what traits come to mind?  Aggressive, competitive, resourceful are just a few that come to mind.  Video games satisfy those basic desires we have by always giving us a goal, giving us limited resources, and pitting us against competitors.  When we win our game of League of Legends, Counterstrike, Battlefield, or whatever it is we play it releases endorphins into our brain that reward us for that stressful match and then still pulling out a victory. 

Even through years of evolution we're still programmed to believe "what we see is perceived as reality", no matter how unbelievable the graphics may be.  At a fleeting glance the game may look silly, but to someone who is in intense concentration the brain is registering everything they see as their reality, and they must react to that stimuli.  The level of focus we often times have for these games is comparable to what our ancestors would have felt when they were on the brink of warring with a fellow tribe, town, country, or whatever.

2.  Not all games are mindless and pointless

There have been many studies done over the years to highlight the positive effects of gaming.  Some are pretty basic such as increased reflexes, better fine motor skills, better hand-eye coordination etc.  But those are all pretty basic and not necessarily transferrable to the business world.  The real interesting stuff comes when you start to look at some of the skills that can you know, actually make you a better human being.

For instance, every gamer knows (and girls, this is what you should know too) that there are primarily two different types of games- twitch games, and strategy games.  Twitch games are your platformers, your fighting games, your blowing up people's faces with a grenade games.  The eyes sees a target, it tells the hand to mouse over (or joystick over) to that target and react to it.  Some of the benefits from these types of games include a boost in visual acuity, the ability to pick out objects in a scene, and spatial perception.  Quick, think of when these things would be handy skills to have- driving, packing a fridge, rearranging furniture, spotting that sniper on the second floor of the mall...yeah, you'll thank us when that North Korean Assassin misses you because we did a dive-save for you.

The second type of games are the strategy games.  These are the games with many different factors to consider for each decision the player makes.  Every action has a consequence and a possible reward.  Resources have to be maintained in order to achieve maximum efficiency.  These are the Civilization series type games, the RPGs, the Warcraft or Starcraft series.  Some of the skills that get picked up from these are improved cognitive skills, reasoning, and working memory, and timing.

Do these skills really sound like things that are only limited to video games?  If you said yes, then I'm sorry there's no hope for you and you should probably go find yourself a cardboard cutout of Zach Effron for your new boyfriend.  Because the truth is that these skills all can translate extremely well into a professional life.  For instance, when I'm in the metro station or driving, I can use my spacial recognition in order to maximize the efficiency of my commute in order to avoid cars/people and to get to where I need to go.  Or at work, I can transfer those problem solving and information processing skills to get my work done 20% faster than non-gamers.  Yeah, that means in an 8 hour day, gamers can get done as much work as you in less than 6 and a half hours.

3. A hobby in an otherwise hobbyless world

Say what you want about video games, but at the very least they are an engaging and interactive experience (or are supposed to be- Farmville and JRPGs with 3000 cutscenes, I'm looking at you).  A video game is a way for us to identify with something after work or school, and to just relax.  These days such an activity should be welcomed with ope arms, what with the decline in hobbies people have these days.  A general trend our nation has been going through over the last several decades is that people spend less time on hobbies more time watching television than 40 years ago.  And no, watching tv is not a hobby.  Facebook is not a hobby.  When you factor those things out of your day, what are you left with?  If you're female, more than likely the answer is "errands" or "sleeping". 

So basically what I hope to really convey here is that we're not playing video games out of spite, or to ignore you, or even saying that you're boring.  We're just doing what we feel is productive and natural.  Plus, they're just so damn fun.