(as seen on /.)
Maybe not quite the good your dirty mind is thinking, but it turns out that playing an RTS game like Rise of Nations improves all kind of things:
Both groups were assessed before, during and after the video-game training on a variety of tests designed to measure executive control functions. The tests included measures of their ability to switch between tasks, their short-term visual memory, their reasoning skills and their working memory, which is the ability to hold two or more pieces of information in memory and use the information as needed. There were also tests of the subjects’ verbal recall, their ability to inhibit certain responses and their ability to identify an object that had been rotated to a greater or lesser degree from its original position.
The researchers found that training on the video game did improve the participants’ performance on a number of these tests. As a group, the gamers became significantly better – and faster – at switching between tasks compared with the comparison group. Their working memory, as reflected in the tests, also was significantly improved. Their reasoning ability was enhanced. To a lesser extent, their short-term memory of visual cues was better than that of their peers, as was their ability to identify rotated objects.
So doing basic RTS tasks, because that’s basically what they describe, really helps you with short term memory, multitasking and reasoning. I love it. That must mean I’m a god among non game players…
Also, a quick to note to Sony, at least someone still loves you, factual data be damned.
What Would Matt Do: I’m going to keep playing RTSes my entire life. I can’t way to win Ender’s Game when the time comes.
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