New research shows that playing video games can satisfy deep psychological needs and, at least in the short term, improve people’s well-being. No kidding, Reuters, I ascended a higher plain of existence ages ago when I found every star in Super Mario 64.
“The more a game fulfilled a player’s sense of independence, achievement and connectedness to others, the more likely he or she was to keep playing, Dr. Scott Rigby of Immersyve, a Florida-based virtual environment think tank, and colleagues from the University of Rochester in New York found. And the more fully a player’s needs were satisfied, the better he felt after playing.”
I’d classify a flying Wiimote to the face as “connectedness to others,” right?
Note to self: Find out how what the heck a bloke needs to do to get into a “virtual environment think tank.”
Why so harsh? With all the negative media buzz video games are constantly getting, sentences like this sound positively refreshing:"We're trying to in some sense normalize how people look at video games, rather than seeing them as having some mystical power to addict."It's just a drop in the ocean, sure, but I applaud them for trying!
Good to see a positive light shed on games. Too bad this one is easier explained scientifically. The visual stimulation combined with the direct input stimulates endorphins. Ever wonder why firing up GTA for 15 minutes before bed turns into 30… An hour… All without tiring more. Also lends to the whole fat lazy stereotype. The body just cannot continue the output of stimulants and thus, the person becomes lethargic. Woo science!