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Video Games Help Build Trust And Teamwork

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Over the years there has been a huge controversy over video games; the number one being the effect on the development of children, and this seems to be used a lot as a way to stigmatize gaming as something entirely destructive. In general, there are many misconceptions about video games. The Entertainment Software Association estimates that around 60% of Americans, around 145 million people in all, currently play some type of video game. Despite the common view of video games as being for kids, the average age of a video game player is actually around 29 years old. While most of the media and research available on video games is geared towards the potential for video game playing to have a negative impact, there is significant research …show more content…

Video game training methods have become increasingly popular among large companies. “…a recent survey reported that IBM managers used lessons learned from online games to promote teamwork in their real jobs (Chun-Chia Lee, et al – 1).” IBM is not alone. Other companies have started to use video games for training too. According to CBS News, massive multinational companies such as Fidelity Investments, Royal Dutch Shell, and Coca Cola have invested millions in video game training materials in courses. The fact that such profitable and successful companies have been willing to not only test these methods, but continue to invest millions of dollars in using them to train their personnel, is a testament to the effectiveness of how video games can improve communication skills.
Video games are also being used to increase problem-solving skills. For example, Florida State University and the University of Luxembourg, created a study in which they used a stealth assessment tool embedded in a game, to collect data on its users. They called this game Use Your Brainz , a slightly modified version of Plants vs. Zombies 2. Plants vs. Zombies 2 is a free-to-play tower defense strategy game, where your objective is to defend your territory from the enemy. This is normally achieved using defensive structures, which are either on or along the enemy zombie’s path. The modified game was used to test middle-school students on their problem-solving

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