With the help of advanced technology and popularity, the gaming industry has advanced and expanded rapidly over the years. New PC and video games can provide fun and excitement for everyone, but they can also give certain benefits and advantages. If we are looking for categorization of videos games, they are broadly divided into eight major categories:
Action
These are fast-paced and may contain a large amount of violence. Action games are usually inappropriate for children. Such games fall under the category “M” (mature-rated). Halo, Star Wars, Jedi Knight, and Enter the Matrix are examples.
Adventure and Role Playing
These are normally not as graphic as action games and can take the player into surrealism and fantasy. Though adventure and role-playing games often contain violence, they are less intense action games. This category includes Borderlands 2, Final Fantasy, Legend of Mana, and Billy Hatcher.
First Person Shooters
As the name implies, it is a game in which the player sees the action through the eyes of the character he represents and involves using pistols or rifles to kill the enemy. Examples of these games are “Half-Life, “Half-Life 2”, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” and so on. Due to the violence involved in this game genre, they are unsuitable for young children.
Construction and Management Simulation (CMS)
As the name suggests, in the games of this genre, the players are expected to build, expand and manage imaginary projects and communities with minimal resources. Examples of this genre include “SimCity” and “Harvest Moon.”
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Strategy
Here, the accent is on strategy rather than violence, and these games are slower, giving the player time for strategic thinking, resource management, and planning to achieve victory. Most are warfare-based, so violence is not completely absent. These games are not suitable for children. Some examples are Advanced Wars I & II, Civilization V, and Crusader Kings II.
Simulation
There are lots of games in this class to entertain children. These are video or computer games that simulate real-world situations under game settings. The three well-known games in this category are Racing Simulators, Flight Simulators, and Sims. Some examples of simulation games are Football Manager, Farming Simulator 2013, The Sims, and Evil Genius.
Platformer
The Platform Game or Platformer consists of jumping between suspended platforms of varying heights or obstacles and sometimes both to move forward in the game. Some examples of Platformers are 40 Winks, Abuse, Action 52, and Adventure Island.
PUZZLES
Puzzle video games are a class of games that require puzzle-solving. The puzzles that must be solved involve many problem-solving skills, such as logic, word completion, sequence solving, strategy, and pattern recognition. Some examples of Puzzle Video Games are Mario, Bejeweled 3, Cradle of Rome 2 and
Hidden Objects.
While on the subject, let’s not forget Sports games such as NHL 13 and FIFA Soccer 13 and Arcade games such as Chicken Shoot 1, Toy Story Mania, and Angry Birds, to name a few. Nowadays, video games are enjoyed by a wide cross-section of our society, from toddlers to grandparents. Everyone has accepted these as good entertainment and seen to be better than watching TV as it requires the viewer’s participation and interaction. The general feeling is that video games do not provide any benefits to the player, especially in the case of children. Contrary to this belief, there are many benefits to allowing children to play certain types of games. The most important of these benefits is the development of the following:
· Cognitive thinking skills
· Fine motor skills
· Real-time decision-making abilities
· Hand-eye coordination
· Cooperative playing skills
Keeping video games out of the reach of children can only deprive them of these benefits. A child’s imagination can be stimulated through role-playing and adventure games. Even if some games seem tasteless due to their graphic nature and violence, they can play a positive and important role in a child’s development by promoting teamwork, building confidence, and improving motor skills. Playing such video games will only provide a child with a healthy means of expression.
Now that we have looked at the benefits for children, let’s look at the benefits of video games. Certain video games are believed to teach children high-level thinking skills, which they would benefit from in the future. Various bodies, including universities in some parts of the world conduct research into the pros and cons of video games. The result is that the pros outweigh the cons in respect of benefits.
When playing video games, you need to react quickly and make split-second decisions to succeed in the given task. It is believed that this kind of practice would benefit real life, where you could respond quickly and make quick decisions. Brain scientists have discovered that a certain driving video game created by a research and development team at the University of California in San Francisco could improve older adults’ short-term memory and long-term focus.
It was found that immersion in a game distracts the mind from pain and discomfort. Due to this reason, some hospitals have started to suggest that children and others undergoing painful treatments play games to reduce their distress and anxiety. Some video games have improved “Cognitive Flexibility,” switching quickly from one task to another.
Researchers from North Carolina State University found a link between playing video games and mental well-being among older people. They found that those citizens who played video games, even occasionally, experienced a state of well-being and happiness. Gaming can also improve family relationships, as some games can and should be played together. According to some studies conducted at the University of Rochester, people playing certain titles of video games have shown improvements in tests in the following areas:
• Multitasking
• Attention
• Accuracy
• Vision
The only thing a video game player or their family needs to ensure is that it does not become addictive. A video game player shouldn’t spend hours playing games and lose track of time and place while neglecting duties, personal chores, and responsibilities. Another thing that the parents of minors need to ensure is that their kids get access only to educational or similar games suitable for their age group. The good news is that there’sa huge selection of games is available for all ages.
A video game content rating is a system available in many countries. They are used to classify video games into suitability-related age groups concerning their contents, which, if followed, will help limit the negative aspects of some of the games. Finally, if video game players can play in moderation and stick only to the categories of games suitable for their respective ages, they can derive several benefits, as cited above.
These are some of the benefits of playing video games. If you want to have a more enjoyable playing experience, there are different websites that you can visit. One such website is [http://www.choicestvideogames.com], where you can find various choices, including the latest video games, consoles, and accessories in today’s gaming world. Feel free to visit the website to know more.
