I've played games all my life. It's interesting for me the high colleration there is between playing video games and high intelligence amongst my friends. Games develop a large and varied spectrum of techniques and skills. Whether they be epic (Final Fantasy) or short affairs (Metal Gear Solid), whether they be abstract (Amplitude) or ordinary (Grand Theft Auto), whether they be linear or open-ended - it doesn't really matter. Games improve hand-eye coordination (great for operating new technologies), introduce new ideas and philosophies (hardly anyone knew about meme theory before Metal Gear Solid 2) and can be used as a means of creative expression. Amplitude for example required good reflexes, good rythmn, good spacial awareness, speedy reactions and a calm nerve. If you had all these you created beautiful music. If you didn't your music sucked. And of course you turned your horrible music into beautiful music - by developing your skill.
Lessons for life.
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