5 Life Skills I Learnt from Video Games

We all love a good list, and as Australia seemingly draws nearer to an R18+ rating for video games, I thought I'd throw together some of the positive things I've learned in my (many) years of playing video games.

Hit the Jump to start with Number 5!

5. Navigating Crowds
This one sounds fairly simple, but there's a bit more to it than just walking. One of my pet hates is large crowds of people, wandering aimlessly, or in their own little world (so really, all crowds). Now don't get me wrong, it's not so much the crowds themselves, but more having to get through them to reach my destination. Anyone that's ever caught public transport will know where I'm coming from here, especially if you're at the back of the line waiting to head up the stairs.

Games like Assassin's Creed, or more specifically the way the characters move, have given me a bit of an edge here. Whether the crowds are AI controlled or real, they're generally always predictable, and if you're light on your feet, a simple twist of the shoulders can get you through the smallest gaps, and ahead of the pack in no time.

Of course, it may take a little longer if you stop to punch the bard.

4. Lateral Thinking/Problem Solving Skills
I could cite a few games that have helped me get outside the ol' box in order to get through to the next section, but one company has always made me think harder than others, Valve. It took me hours sometimes to figure out the puzzles in Half-Life, and I'm not even going to start on parts of Portal (The amount of times the most simple answer would hit me, after hours of trying and retrying, were many. And I always felt like an idiot for twice as long afterwards).

How does this affect me in the real world? Puzzle games have the innate ability to 'train' your mind to stop and assess the entire situation, looking for any possible solution to the problem you're facing. Not only that, it increases your chances of trying different solutions till you find one that works. It's a skill that ties in very well with...

3. Teamwork
Obviously, this is the perfect time to bring up Portal 2's Co-op Mode. There's no Lone Wolf style gameplay here. Under the watchful eye (eyes?) of GLaDOS, you and a friend control Atlas and P-Body, as they're forced to complete test after test after test. If you're like me, and have a preferred gaming partner for certain games, you'll know that after a few hours of playing the two of you just... click. You start firing off portals for each other, perfectly synchronised (pausing only to Hi-Five each other in success).

Of course, some people don't work well with others, and that's why you probably won't stick around too long in the game with the typical 12 Year-old Xbox Live Bastard while he screams abuse at you, in his Bieber-high prepubescent voice, for putting the wrong colour portal on the wrong wall.

Also, If people keep leaving your games, you might be the Biebs in the situation.

2. Heightened Reflexes
When you actually start to think about this one, it becomes fairly obvious too... Anyone that's played Halo or CoD online has had to adapt quickly to survive, and when you're scoped in across the map (and therefore blind to anything going on in your own immediate vicinity), a split-second trigger is imperative. As soon as that crosshair goes red, you need to be finishing that pull (on the trigger, you dirty bastard). Your life (well, your K/D Ratio) may well depend on it.

We use reflexes in our everyday lives more often that you'd think. Spotting something coming towards you rather quickly and ducking out of the way is a pretty good way of staying alive (or looking like a complete dick, when you realise it's just a fly). Having those very same reflexes tested every time you play keeps those synapses firing super-fast, and actually builds more connections in your neural network. Think of it as stacking the deck slightly in your favour next time you play Survival of the Fittest.

1. Talking to People
Another commonly used, but often overlooked, skill that you'll find in many, many video games is speech. You might have to convince someone that you're actually a Doctor, and not just trying to see them naked, and that's gooing to take a pretty silver tongue! Why not get a few hours (read: way more hours than you'll originally anticipate) practising in something like Mass Effect or Dragon Age? You might find that what you think to be the best answer is pretty offensive to someone... and that's the takeaway here. In playing games like this (And even Fallout, to a point) I've learnt to take a step back and actually consider what to say to someone, rather than just blurting it out. That has two effects... it means I'm more easily able to convince myself of the story before selling it to someone else, but it also means that I'm more receptive of how what I'm saying is affecting them. Once you know a bit of background on the person you're talking to (or in my case, hitting on), you're more prepared. You know what not to say, but also what topics are best going to sway their opinion in your favour.

After all, isn't life just one big game? Albeit one with no save points, retries, or continues...