| What is a problem? What is an error? For many | | | | world and all its problems and obstacles, but who |
| people problems and errors are obstacles which | | | | have never touched a computer game. Of |
| are in their way and which prevent them from | | | | course, real life is the best practice one could |
| being able to complete certain task. Those people | | | | possibly get for real life, and no matter how |
| who play computer gamers however tend to look | | | | realistic and well programmed a computer game |
| at problems and errors not so much as obstacles | | | | is, it is still a mere echo of the world it represents, |
| as opportunities. Computer games by their very | | | | and the life skills taught and the lessons learnt |
| nature regularly put obstacles and traps in the | | | | within that world will, themselves, be an echo of |
| way of the player and players accept that they | | | | the skills real life will teach you. |
| will regularly face problems which they will need to | | | | However, the essential point to this is that, rather |
| overcome in order to progress through the rest | | | | than simply being a leisure activity which wastes |
| of the game. | | | | time, or is no good except for its own purpose, |
| It is this alternative way of looking at problems as | | | | there is some merit in playing games, and in some |
| opportunities rather than as obstacles which has | | | | cases they may have more to teach us than we |
| led many people to believe that playing such | | | | currently realise. There are very much two |
| computer games actually provides valuable | | | | distinct camps discussing this issue - those who |
| opportunities for computer gamers and video | | | | are deeply in to playing video games and |
| gamers to develop their life skills for the real | | | | computer games, and those either opposed to |
| world, and become people better adapted at | | | | them, or with little interest in them. Many gamers |
| dealing with the inevitable flood of obstacles and | | | | argue the benefits of games, and many non |
| issues in their way. The argument is that | | | | gamers argue that games are a complete waste |
| someone who plays a computer game is more | | | | of time. As with most arguments, both sides |
| likely to look at a problem in their own life, or a | | | | have valid truths in their cases, but at the same |
| mistake that they may have made, as an | | | | time, both sides are exaggerating their own case |
| opportunity to develop, learn, and get it right next | | | | whilst belittling that of the opposing party. |
| time, whereas non gamers are, perhaps, on the | | | | Once we are able to put aside the essential |
| whole more likely to simply see an obstacle, and | | | | differences and prejudices, we may find that not |
| ignore it, or just stop whatever project they're | | | | only do some interesting studies and |
| on, or enlist extra help. | | | | understandings develop, but that the future of |
| This is, naturally, a gross exaggeration, and there | | | | gaming may be influenced in such a way that |
| are many people in the world today who are | | | | valuable lessons for life and specifically introduced |
| highly successful, and very well suited to the real | | | | or developed further. |