Alien: Isolation

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

infamous
Outlast
Watchdogs
Five Nights at Freddys
LoL
DOTA
Cognitive development - Research into action games show enhanced mental rotation abilities,
faster and more accurate attention allocation, higher spatial resolution in visual processing. Metaanalysis studies showed that spatial skills can be learned in a relatively brief time by playing video
games and that the results are often comparable to training in formal courses designed to enhance
those same skills. Cognitive advantages from video games also appear to produce greater neural
processing and efficiency, improve attention functioning, and help with pattern recognition. The
best results appear to come from "shooter" video games as opposed to puzzle-solving or roleplaying games though modern games tend to be too complex to make easy conclusions about the
kind of cognitive benefits they can produce.
Open-ended video games and other interactive media available online allow young people to
improve problem-solving skills by learning to solve puzzles through trial-and-error. Interactive
games also appear to improvecreativity as well. Although it is still not clear how well the skills
learned from video games generalize to real-world situations, early research results seem
promising.
Motivation - By setting specific tasks and allowing young people to work through obstacles to
achieve those tasks, video games can help boostself-esteem and help children learn the value of
persistence. By providing immediate feedback as video game players solve problems and achieve
greater expertise, players can learn to see themselves as having skills andintelligence they might not
otherwise realize they possess. Gaming helps young people realize that intelligence is incremental,
i.e., something that can increase with time and effort rather than being fixed. Immediate feedback
also keeps players in the "zone of proximal development" which allows them to solve problems on
their own while working towards specific goals. Since difficulty level rises as players advance, the
skills they gain from gaming continue to improve with time. Games also provide intermittent
reinforcement to encourage players not to give up despite growing challenges.
Again, there is little evidence showing that the motivational benefits from playing video games
necessarily carries over into the real world. Still, many of the problem-solving skills learned in

games can be applied to real-life problems. The motivational benefits from video games likely
varies depending on the personality and individual circumstances of the player.
Emotion - For most gamers, video games are played for enjoyment and to help improve their
mood. Along with distracting them from real-world problems (a special concern for young people
looking for escape frombullying or other negative life situations), succeeding in video games can
lead to positive feelings, reduced anxiety, and becoming more relaxed. Many gamers report
intense emotions of pride and achievement by immersing themselves in games that allow a high
sense of control that "takes them out of themselves." According to Mihly Cskszentmihlyi, the
concept of flow refers to the mental state often reported by gamers during which they are
performing an activity that leaves them fully immersed without feeling self-conscious. Flow
experiences have been linked to positive outcomes such as greater self-esteem and a sense of
achievement that can translate to greater mental health benefits though this has not been directly
tested in video game research.
The positive emotions that can result from becoming immersed in video games on a regular basis
may also increase awareness and encourage a more novel outlook on life. According to
psychologist Barbara Frederickson who first proposed a broaden and build theory of positive
emotions, experiencing positive emotions can help broaden the number of behaviours seen as
desirable and build social relationships that provide support for achieving goals and coping with
failure. Frederickson also suggests that positive emotions can counteract the effects of negative
emotions which decrease motivation. While it is still not clear whether video games produce the
sort of positive emotions that can lead to the sort of broadening and building to which Frederickson
referred to in her research, many gamers report emotional benefits they perceive as important to
them.
Social - Perhaps more than ever before, video games have become an intensely social activity.
Instead of the stereotypical gaming nerd who uses video games to shun social contact, over 70
percent of gamers play with friends, whether as part of a team or in direct competition. Games such
as World of Warcraft and Farmville boast millions of users, with online social communities and
regular interactions with fellow gamers. Social and prosocial activities are an intrinsic part of the
gaming experience with gamers rapidly learning social skills that could generalize to social
relationships in the real world.
Though many games have a violent content, they still provide players with an opportunity to learn
social skills by focusing on cooperation with team members. Research has shown that playing
violent video games in groups reduces feelings of hostility better than playing such games alone.
More research is definitely needed, but there seems to be a strong potential value of cooperative
play in developing social behaviour and curbing antisocial thoughts and behaviours.

1. 'Mario' Is Like Steroids For Your Brain

To better understand how video games affect the brain, German researchersconducted a
study, which was released this week. They asked 23 adults with a median age of 25 to play
"Super Mario 64" for 30 minutes a day over a period of two months. A separate control
group did not play video games at all.
Examining the brains of the two groups using an MRI machine, they found that the gaming
group had a rise in gray matter in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex and the
cerebellum -- areas of the brain responsible for spatial navigation, memory formation,
strategic planning and fine motor skills in the hands.
"While previous studies have shown differences in brain structure of video gamers, the
present study can demonstrate the direct causal link between video gaming and a
volumetric brain increase," study leader Simone Khn said. "This proves that specific brain
regions can be trained by means of video games."
Khn and her colleagues concluded that video games could potentially be used as a therapy
for patients with mental disorders that cause brain regions to shrink or be altered. Such
diseases include schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder and Alzheimer's.

2. 'Starcraft' May Make You Smarter

In August, British researchers found that certain video games, particularly strategic games
such as "Starcraft," can increase a player's "brain flexibility," which the scientists described
as "a cornerstone of human intelligence."
The study, conducted at Queen Mary University of London and University College London,
is based on psychological tests conducted before and after 72 volunteers played "Starcraft"
or the life-simulation game "The Sims" for 40 hours over six to eight weeks. They found that
participants assigned to play "Starcraft" experienced gains in their performance on
psychological tests, completing cognitive flexibility tasks with greater speed and accuracy.
"We need to understand now what exactly about these games is leading to these changes,
and whether these cognitive boosts are permanent or if they dwindle over time," study
researcher Brian Glass said in August. "Once we have that understanding, it could become
possible to develop clinical interventions for symptoms related to attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder or traumatic brain injuries, for example."

3. Video Games May Slow The Aging Process

Playing brain-teasing game for just two hours a week may help slow the degree of mental
decay associated with the natural aging process, according to a study this year from the
University of Iowa.

A study of 681 healthy individuals ages 50 and older revealed that playing 10 hours of a
specially designed video game was able to stall the natural decline of different cognitive
skills by up to seven years, in some cases.
Over five to eight weeks, one group of seniors was given computerized crossword puzzles
while three other groups played a computer game called "Road Tour." The game involves
matching pictures of vehicles while remembering the location of a particular road sign as
more and more "distractors" appear as the player advanced. The experience is meant to
mirror the difficulty older drivers have when they have to process information from multiple
points of view at an intersection.
"Whether it's a specially manufactured game or something like 'World of Warcraft,' games
are cognitively complex and require mental energy and abilities to play them," said Jason
Allaire, an associate professor in the department of psychology at North Carolina State
University in Raleigh, who was not involved with the study. "Whenever you do anything that
requires mental energy, you're exercising your abilities -- it's just like if you exercise your
muscles, you get stronger."

4. They May Help Dyslexic Kids Read Better

A study from the University of Padua throws cold water on the idea that video games are
bad for the brains of young children. In February, the Italian researcherspresented
evidence that playing fast-paced video games can improve the reading skills of children with
dyslexia.
The team separated children age 7 to 13 into two groups, one of which played an action
game called "Rayman Raving Rabids" while the other played a lower tempo game. When the
reading skills of the children were tested afterwards, those who played the action game were
capable of reading faster and more accurately. The authors of the study hypothesized that
the action games helps kids increase their attention spans, a skill considered crucial to
reading.

5. Teen Gamers End Up Better At Virtual Surgery Than Real

Medical Residents
In November 2012, scientists at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
conducted an experiment in which high school gamers, college gamers and medical
residents competed to see who could perform better virtual surgery. The players completed
a series of tasks on a device that replicated real surgeries and measured skills in 32 different
categories, such as hand-eye coordination, pressure on the controls and timing.

The high school sophomores, who played video games two hours a day, dramatically
outperformed both the college gamers (who played four hours of video games daily) and the
medical residents (who had only sporadic gaming experience). Trying to be a real surgeon
must have gotten in the way.
Still, Sami Kilic, a University of Texas professor who helped design the experiment,
reasonably insisted that students interested in a career in medicine should still focus on
academics, not virtual surgery. However, a separate study found that surgeons whoplayed
video games for at least 3 hours a week saw 37 percent fewer mistakes during laparoscopic
surgery.

6. Video Games Can Be A Pain Reliever

In 2010, researchers presented evidence at the American Pain Society's annual scientific
meeting that video games, specifically ones with an emphasis on virtual reality, have
proven effective in reducing anxiety or pain caused by medical procedures or chronic
illness. The study found that when people undergoing chemotherapy or other serious
treatments were immersed in a virtual gaming world, they reported significantly less stress
and fear. In addition, those being treated for burn wounds found a decline in their pain
ratings by rates of 30 to 50 percent.
Referencing the motion sensor technology of the Xbox Kinect or the Wii, Charles Friedman
of the Pain Relief Centers said that gaming allows the brain to stay busy using other senses
instead of focusing on pain. Gaming also releases endorphins in the brain, a chemical that is
generally associated with happiness and capable of numbing discomfort.

7. 'Call Of Duty' Can Improve Your Eyesight

According to a University of Rochester study, shooting bad guys in video games
canunexpectedly give you better vision.
In the 2009 study, expert action gamers played first-person shooting games like "Unreal
Tournament 2004" and "Call of Duty" while non-experienced action gamers played "The
Sims 2." Those playing the shoot-'em-up games saw a boost in their "contrast sensitivity
function," or the ability to discern subtle changes in the brightness of an image. Considered
one of first of the visual aptitudes to diminish over time, the ability to pick out bright
patches is key to tasks like driving at night.
The study's authors believe that the process of locating and aiming at enemies exercised
gamers' eyes. And with bad guys unpredictably popping up, the shooting games also helped
players learn to analyze optical data on the fly. The researchers believe their study shows the

potential of video games -- particularly action games -- to serve as an aid in the way we
correct bad eyesight.

8. Video Games Can Be As Effective As One-On-One Counseling

While video games are often blamed as a cause of mental illness, studies have shown that
they can also be a cure.
In 2012, researchers in New Zealand created a novel way to treat depressed teenagerswith
"SPARX," a video game designed to give therapy to kids in a way that was more fun and
active than traditional counseling. The acronym stands for smart, positive, active, realistic
and x-factor thoughts, strategies that have been commonly used to battle depression.
The study included 168 teens with an average age of 15 that had previously sought help or
struggled with depression. Half of the group was randomly assigned to "treatment as usual,
which was usually one-on-one counseling over five sessions. The other half played SPARX, a
fantasy game where the subjects created avatars in order to squash gloomy negative
automatic thoughts, and restore order in the virtual world. Each level taught players basic
facts about depression, strategies for dealing with intense negative emotions and relaxation
techniques.
The results for the SPARX group were extremely encouraging. About 44 percent of SPARX
players recovered completely from depression while only 26 percent of the control group
were no longer depressed.

9. They Can Help Stroke Victims More Fully Recover

For stroke victims, recovery can be a long or even impossible process. Seeking a more
affordable and effective approach to restoring speech and movement after a stroke,Debbie
Rand of Tel Aviv University turned to video games.
Individuals who had a stroke one to seven years before the study were assigned to one of
two groups. The first did traditional rehabilitation exercises while the other played video
games on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.
For an occupational therapist like Rand, the advantages of using video games for
rehabilitation were clear in several ways. While both groups showed improvement in things
like grip, only the video game group continued to show improvement in hand strength after

the treatment. The video gamers not only performed double the number of arm movements
during each session, their movements were "goal-directed" and not merely repetitive
exercises.
When individuals plan their movements and move deliberately in order to accomplish a
specific goal, it is likely to have a positive impact on brain plasticity, Rand said, noting that
because video games are fun and enjoyable, subjects are more likely to commit fully to the
rehab.
DISADVANTAGES:

Personal physical health can be seriously impacted from poor video gaming habits. Gamers become lazy
and neglect necessary activities such as exercise, eating healthy and proper foods, damaged eyesight,
headaches and the inability to sleep.

Video games can negatively affect the mental health of gamers. Focussing ones attention on video games
requires all their attention and leads to a reduced contact with the environment around. This can also lead to a
lack of interest in daily activities and hobbies. Furthermore, gamers become isolated in their addiction and lack
the necessary social interaction with families and friends.

Spending many hours in front of a screen and not enough social interaction can also cause social problems
thus resulting in gamers becoming shy and introvert. Many of the games developed today are more violent,
leading gamers with the tendency to lose control and become more aggressive.

A new research has proved that excessive playing of video games can actually stunt the growth of a human
brain. While there are games that can stimulate brain activity in both the left and right hemispheres of the frontal
lobe. The frontal lobe of the brain is associated with learning, memory and emotion and continues to develop till
the age of 20. This raises a level of concern as brain development is imperative during those crucial years.

addiction,damage eyesight,dizziness,headache(if excessive gaming)

lack of social interaction,makes ur brain dead(not challenged enuf),games may promote violence