Gaming is one of the most expansive industries globally within the home entertainment sector. Its reach and intrinsic leisure time value are something that is often talked about through a rather neutral prism. There is little time or thought spent on the actual advantages of playing games over and above the kind of visceral thrill they give participants. Despite this, there is growing evidence that video games and iGaming can sharpen life skills.
Listening: a Skill Enhanced By Gaming
One simple example could be the sheer concentration given to hearing a bingo caller calling out the numbers within a fun environment. This sense of expectation and engagement sharpens the senses, putting the mind into a state of alert. The number of different games online can help with number crunching as well. Bingo inherently requires a keen ear and even free bingo games online can train the brain’s reflexes and activity, helped by the animation of numbers and grids. These are transferable skills that can be used in business decisions.
Listening is one of the most fundamental skills in an adult environment. The ancient Greek philosopher Zeno of Citium famously said: “We have two ears and one mouth, so we should listen more than we say.” In a world that is as fast-paced and frantic as the 21st century, the space to absorb instruction or truly concentrate on information transferred can be used in a positive sense within a gaming scenario and, more importantly, carried over into a profession.
There are so many different aspects of gameplay that can engage different parts of the brain. Whether it is quick reflexes needed on a platform game, forming a strategy in a blackjack scenario, or putting on your best poker face to keep cards close to your chest, gaming can get people in the zone and develop the kind of soft skills that can assist the running of a business.
Learning happens quicker when it is in context too. So just as gamers progress through a fantasy world to discover the next objects of a quest or to interact through the virtual world, they can use this continuity to form a thread of thinking that is equally compelling in career mode. Gaming can certainly improve joined-up thinking, by increasing attention span and enhancing decision-making.
Industry Professionals Gravitate Towards Different Game Genres
Researchers have also discovered that different industry professionals find games that are generally commensurate with their skills sector. Although it is dangerous to always generalise, there is enough evidence to suggest that IT professionals and engineers enjoy puzzle-platform games that can increase spatial awareness. People in managerial roles tended to show an interest in action roleplay games where organisational and planning skills are involved. Engineering employees were drawn towards strategy games which often require problem-solving and spatial skills.
Lead singer of the indie band Vampire Weekend, Ezra Koening once said of video games: “…I think they work different muscles that maybe you don’t normally use.” It’s a theory worth considering. After all, Elon Musk got into software engineering because of them. Look what happened next…
