3 Great Skills You Can Pick Up From Video Games

Perhaps you’ve heard people scoff at the idea of video games having any concrete value in reality. This used to be a common refrain. Fortunately, in recent years, that attitude seems to have evaporated in most areas. We do still see it crop up at times though – despite the fact it has been proven wrong more than once! Gamers perform better in lots of areas, and you can learn some super useful skills from gaming… something most of us wished we could tell our parents a few decades ago.

But what precisely do video games teach us? Let’s crack open the box and find out.

1: Better Social Skills

How many video games these days revolve around multiplayer options? A whole host! In fact, multiplayer gaming is getting ever-bigger, with the internet letting us play games across countries and continents in whole new ways. Only a few decades ago, this would have been utterly unheard of – given how much internet speeds have improved since then – and it’s not surprising that multiplayer games have taken off in such a big way.

But how does that relate to social skills?

Well, for most of these games, you’ve got to join up with a team of skilled others. You’ll need to work alongside them to meet shared goals, often trying to beat some other team to the punch. Superlative communication and social finesse will help you out in many of these moments.

You’ve also got to learn how to lose gracefully (and yes, you really have; nobody likes being paired up with a sore loser) and how to win with even more grace. These are the things that make great gamers. Games like Counter-Strike and Apex Legends live and die by having good teammates, so they’re a great place to build up your social skills.

Reliability is another element of this; if you’re in a team game that depends on you to show up for real-time events, you do actually have to show up. Let your team down too often and you’re pretty likely to get kicked to the metaphorical curb.

2: Risk Vs Reward

Gaming also teaches you a whole lot about risk vs reward. In many games, you’ve got to decide how much you’re prepared to put on the line depending on how much is on offer. There are many great games that will show you how to refine this balance, but playing games like online roulette can be particularly helpful for it. Online roulette revolves (no pun intended) around risk and reward. That’s why it has captured the hearts of so many enthusiasts! If you’re eager to hone your ability to go out on a limb and try something for a big payoff, playing Ignition online roulette could be perfect for you. Bear in mind that roulette also teaches you how to hold your nerve and not give in too early, meaning you’ll increase your staying power – but you’ll still know when it’s time to walk away.

Of course, it’s not the only game that teaches that kind of skill – there are games aplenty in this area – but it’s a real classic and one that is also enormously simple to learn. If you’re not much of a gamer and you want something straightforward that will help you get a better grip on this… roulette could be the perfect option. Many casinos will also let you try out a demo mode to increase your understanding of it before you play for real.

3: Hand-Eye Coordination & Reaction Speeds

For those who want to get a bit deeper into the gaming world, how about the benefits to hand-eye coordination? If you’ve got a Wii Fit or something similar, maybe you know about them already… but it’s true for more standard video game controllers too! You’ll be refining your hand-eye coordination and your reaction times, particularly if you choose to play on hard mode, where you’ll really have to work to keep ahead of the enemies.

Take God of War as an excellent example of what truly challenging gaming looks like. It’s not playing around (again, no pun intended). Playing on hard mode will hone your reactions like nothing else as you strive to get ahead of the giants and demonic creatures that are all looking to hunt you down! You’ll be able to thank Kratos for the improvements to your skills.

Wrap-Up

So, are video games a waste of time? Not in the slightest! Nor are they the preserve of the young anymore. They slot into any lifestyle, and a great games system can elevate the ambiance of any living room – it would fit beautifully alongside a pool table, for example. Games aren’t just about having fun, although that’s certainly at their core. Games open up new skills, improve our reactions, and let us hone ourselves through the act of play.