Games Have Made Me A Better Person

One man's observations, examples, thoughts, and personal anecdotes on how gaming, despite its flaws and bad reputation, has made him a better person.

[dbjj12088]

It's true. Games can be totally uplifting and educational in their own weird ways. You wouldn't Metal Gear would serve as a jumping off point for history lessons.

[Foolsjoker]

Games really can be a great way to put yourself in situations that you normally would not be in, giving people a new perspective on things. I just wished that more games actually capitalized on this concept.

[knifefight]

On a related side note, playing games in a foreign language is a GREAT way to improve your skills in said language. You get to see it/read it/hear it in a way that it's really used instead of the way a text book tells you. (As anyone who has gotten very far in a foreign tongue will tell you...the text books don't tell the whole story!)

[Foolsjoker]

Yeah, I used to play games in Japanese to try and improve my ability to learn Hiragana, Katakana, and some Kanji, but I always just kept playing the game instead of focusing on the language since it was so much to take in.

[GTRrocker666]

Violent video games keep me out of jail

[Pintheshadows]

I can't remember where it was (may of been the bbc news website) but I saw a wonderful rebuke the other day.

It was a commenter blaming violent games for games for real world violence. The misinformed comment went something like 'Oh, it's because these kids spend all day playing violent videogames'.

The reply was 'If they spend all day playing games then when do they get a chance to commit random acts of violence'.

If anything i'd become more violent if I couldn't play violent games. They're one of the best stress relievers on the planet.

[GTRrocker666]

Oh I agree. An afternoon of God of War 3 on titan difficulty gets rid of so much rage. It is therapeutic ..

[Tales RPG addict]

I agree and if it wasnt for Hack N slash games like God of War, Devil May Cry, Ninja Gaiden,
and fighting games like Street Fighter series,MVSC2,Capcom Vs. SNK 2,Guilty Gear,Blazblue,Mortal Kombat,King of Fighters,Samurai Showdown,Melty Blood,Tekken, and Gundam Extreme Vs. I'd be breaking shit. But instead I play a lot of fighting games as a great way to vent stress.

NON-GAMERS need to STFU.

[frjoethesecond]

Games didn't make me a better person (on balance anyway). Game "addiction" has ruined me. I can't help but love games anyway. I'm a hopeless fool.

[SAE]

This may be true for a lots of people but still , if you didn't got addicted you would notice that your brain respond and understand faster because you have learned many things in games , i for one learn english from games , i didn't learn anything in school , everything in the school i already saw and learned in the games ...

[Arcanine]

i have learned so many words from playing RPG, also staying out 0f the streets and playing games alot. but i have an addiction for buying games unfortunely im not rich lol

[Tales RPG addict]

I play a buncha RPG's and fighting games more than any other Genre.

[Somebody]

Strategy games have taught me not to quickly say harsh words at the authority for neglecting my place. God knows how many states/regions that I have neglected to develop in Total War series in pursuit to balance out military expenditures and developing the more profitable regions. When I overstretched my economy...I immediately developed these long forgotten regions in hope they'll provide more tax income for my war machine. At least I don't have to go on a political campaign or something like that. I'm the freaking Shogun/Emperor/King!

And I learned that (through the use of monks or priests to cause a rebellion), like in real life, preachy religious men are NOT to be trusted.

[Y_5150]

I think if I never played Pokemon, I wouldn't like reading at all!

[knowyourstuff]

You don't like to read except for you're playing Pokemon?

Future Nobel Prize winner here!

[Y_5150]

I assumed that you was trying to respond to me? I was meaning that video games had made it for me to like to read at an early age. Playing Pokemon was an example of that.

[doogiebear]

Persona 3 FES, Breath of Fire 3, SaGa Frontier 2, mgs 4, Journey, Star Fox 64, Final Fantasy 8, Catherine, Trauma Center, The Walking Dead (game), just about every "Shin Megami" game, and Xenogears are all a few games that actually changed my attitude towards life. I grew up in Brooklyn, just blocks away from where Notorious BIG and Jay-Z grew up. Yet I stayed to myself, played these (and many other influential moviez and books) which gave me a better understanding of human nature than the streets ever could have. Persona showed me the strong emphasis that the Japanese put on education and social relationships with worthwhile individuals. And I got my associates degree with a strong hope for my future.

Breath of Fire 3 and SaGa Frontier 2 taught me that I was not alone in the fact that even my own family members would be the first to hurt/betray me. Those games touched on some disturbing topics of betrayal and the innocence of children in a harsh world. And finally, Catherine taught me a thing or two about relationships and pressure of growing older and the pressure to get married. These games WILL change a persons perspective on things, and I hope to have my children play some of these games (when I have kids someday).

So my point is that games can make u a better person, without the game needing to be preachy, overly-optimistic, mega-positive, dramatic tear-jerker, etc. It just needs to tell you the cold hard truths about life, and how you take in that information is up to you.

[knifefight]

Nice post, and I thank you for sharing the story. That's great.

(Plus those are some sweet games you named!)

[doogiebear]

Great article. These games show that games can be art, and beyond.

[profgerbik]

All depends honestly on the mentality of the person.

To say game will always make you a better person is far from the truth, games are no different than situations you would normally grow from in life.

So a game should not be treated differently, just like a bad situation in life can have a positive or negative outcome, a game is not any different.

It all heavily depends on the persons mentality whether they choose to make it a positive one or a negative one.

Some people might play GTA, screw a hooker and say that is gross, I would never do that in real life. Others might actually consider picking up a prostitute something they might have never thought of before and only thought of just from playing GTA.

Again without repeating myself it all depends on the person and what mind state they might be in when they assess the situation.

[JonnyBigBoss]

I use games as a great way to relax. It works almost every time. :)

[TisMayo]

I can relate myself to that. :)