9 Valuable Life Lessons We
Learned From Gaming
http://mashable.com/2013/10/16/gaming-life-lessons/
An integral
part of many a childhood, video games helped players develop more than
hand-eye coordination. Many taught gamers about friendship, love and war.
Yes, video
games contain valuable life lessons that can stay with a person years after he
shelves the discs. Here are nine games that imparted such wisdom.
1. Nothing is too big to tackle. — Final Fantasy VII
Never has
saving the world been a more frequent motif than in the Final
Fantasy series. In the seventh title, players must save the
world from Sephiroth (one of the most menacing video game villains ever
designed) from becoming an all-powerful god. No one is saying you personally
need to fight a murderous science experiment gone wrong. But the game teaches
you the importance of taking a stand and fighting for the right reasons, even
in the face of defeat. (Note: That doesn't include fighting with your teacher
to cancel the midterm.)
2. Determination is key. — The Legend of Zelda
Whether it's powering through the many dungeons of Hyrule
in a Legend of Zelda game or trying to complete an
especially difficult assignment at work, you're not going to accomplish it all
in one day. That's no reason to be discouraged, though — even Majora's Mask
takes a full three days to complete. The key to getting through it all is to
remain steadfast and keep moving forward, no matter the difficulty.
Procrastination certainly doesn't help; it'll still be waiting right where you
left off. If you're determined to make it through, there's the sweet
satisfaction of accomplishment and personal growth awaiting you.
3. Sometimes it takes teamwork. — Team Fortess 2
Working in a
group can be hit or miss, but being on a team does have its benefits. When
everyone fits into his role, like a writer, researcher and organizer (or a
Pyro, Heavy and Demoman), tasks come easily and smoothly — no hurt egos or
feelings. Sometimes the best teams come together from different walks of life,
so don't be afraid to bring your cocky Scout and your experimental Medic even
if it seems they won't work well together. If Team
Fortess 2 has anything to teach, it's that even the motliest of
crews can win the day when they work together toward a common goal.
4. Confront your problems. — Silent Hill 2
There's nothing
worse than being in denial — well, other than being stuck in a malevolent town
full of monsters. Big issues don't go away on their own, and it's no fun going
through life with them constantly hanging over your head. Silent Hill 2
protagonist James spends the majority of the game denying that he murdered his
wife, and the town of Silent Hill feeds on his guilt and grief. Tackling the
situation full on isn't always the easiest solution, but it's more effective
than denying its existence and letting it slowly consume you. Try to move on
and make amends.
5. The world is yours to explore. — Grand Theft Auto V
It's certainly one of the newest games on this list, but Grand
Theft Auto V best encapsulates the lesson. In GTA V you can do almost anything:
hang-glide, play tennis, go to the movies, even take artsy photos with a cameraphone. It's
endless fun to sample all the activities. The big question is: Why not do these
things outside, in the real world? Okay, don't rob a bank or steal cars, but
scuba diving is way more fun when you're in actual water with real-life fishes,
no matter how beautifully rendered the graphics.
6. Always be prepared. — Call of Duty
You didn't just
learn this lesson from Call of Duty, but rather from every single
war and combat simulator and first-person shooter game ever produced — and
maybe the Boy Scouts. Whether it's ammo and healing items or tissues and water,
it's important to know what's necessary to get through the day — especially
when you're down to your last granola bar and you've got a nine-hour bus trip
ahead of you. Being well-prepared goes beyond supplies; it's vital to learn how
to use your environment to your advantage, to find the best tool for the job
... and to hide your reserves of cheese puffs so your co-workers will never
find them.
7. You can do anything you put your mind to. — Super
Mario Brothers
If the Mario
franchise has taught us anything (other than Koopa kings really like
to kidnap princesses), it's that you can do anything so long as you can try
your best. Mario is a plumber by profession, yet he successfully navigates
through several dungeons, defeats bosses and rescues the princess on a regular
basis. That doesn't include when he plays soccer, drives go-karts, beats up
other Nintendo characters and successfully trounces his friends at party
mini-games. Take some risks and try new things, especially if you're in a rut.
You never know: maybe you're better at golf than you realized.
8. Things aren't always what they seem. — Pac Man
This might seem like a strange lesson to take from Pac Man.
After all, most people simply learn to avoid ghosts at all costs. Even more
important is that in every level of Pac Man the ghosts move in
particular patterns. It's a trick most seasoned arcade players have noticed. In
the same way, the answer to a problem or situation may not be immediately
obvious. It may take a lot of thinking or planning to achieve your desired
result, but it will be well worth it in the end. Especially if you can beat
those conniving ghosts.
9. Choices have consequences. — Fallout 2
In the real
world and in gaming, you are forced to make difficult decisions. Most choices
in video games are morally clear — one is the good choice, the other is
villainous. Maybe you start a game deciding to act as either the hero or the
bad guy, or maybe you let your mood decide, but most players aim for a specific
type of ending. Fallout 2 doesn't work that way. Depending on the
choices you make, who you kill and the quests you complete, there are 47
different endings you can achieve. Just like in real life, everything you do in
gameplay has a consequence; so it's unwise to haphazardly make decisions about
who to trust and what to prioritize. When you do make a decision, think through
all the possible ramifications — you don't want to get the Bad Ending by
mistake.
