Games provide â??crucial life skillsâ??

Eighty-four per cent of tech enthusiasts believe that videogames, in some way, provide “crucial life skills”.

That was the summary of a survey conducted by Californian software outfit Autodesk. The survey respondents claim their beloved hobby aids them in a variety of ways, from improving hand-eye coordination to increasing reaction times and reflexes.

The survey also found less expected responses, with some respondents suggesting that games can encourage patience, understanding, creativity and precision.

The questionnaire explored how games aided the careers of those in and at the fringe of the games industry, with Autodesk reporting that 25 per cent of the surveyed developers, animation experts, designers and students believe that the skills they’ve acquired through game playing have helped them in their education.

Thirty-seven percent of industry respondents said that the ‘skills’ obtained via games have aided their careers, while 22 per cent felt they’ve helped their social lives.

“Games can have a real impact. I remember never looking at a city the same way after playing Sim City growing up,” reflects Mary-Beth Haggerty, senior games industry manager at Autodesk.

“As a professional, I’ve judged the Future City Competition during National Engineers Week – a competition where teenagers create future cities using Sim City 4. It’s great to see that young people are being inspired by games and using them in such positive ways.”