Poll: Do video games effect society positively?

[skullnight434]

So I'm doing a Project for my school and I'm doing mine as a study of whether overall are there more positive effects or negative effects with video games. I thought that the Escapist would be a pretty good place to get a decent sized poll.

Before answering I'd ask that you consider the overall effect, not just whether they are enjoyable or not, but rather do they have a positive affect on you as a person. Do they increase your intelligence, and if you didn't play video games what else would you do and would that be a better or worse past time than video games.

Thank you all for the input, and please discuss more in depth in comments.

 

[Lilani]

It's a new type of art and storytelling, and is interactive by nature. And they're opening up the market to even more CG modelers and animators, which I aspire to be in the near future. So yes, I'd say they're doing me a service.

 

[GonzoGamer]

There has been less violent crime since violent games have become more common. Could just be a coincidence but might not be.

If anything, games do seem to promote the basic capitalist value of getting suckers to part with their money...and it's quite good at that.

 

[Batou667]

Do videogames have a net benefit to society? That's difficult to even speculate about, since there's no control group. So much social change has occured since the first video game in the '60s that it'd be impossible to attribute any benefit to JUST videogames and not overall society.

I can see some definite benefits of videogames. A possible outlet for pent-up frustration or aggression, and also a potentially social pastime (a lot of gaming is solitary, but then again playing with friends and family is a common way to get into games, as is internet gaming).

I can't honestly vouch for games having many educational or moral benefits. Even playing some quite maths-and-logic-heavy puzzle games like Professor Layton is more a test of skill rather than a way of learning or developing skills.

Negative effects? Society is getting more sedentary and vidyagames sure aren't helping.

 

[krazykidd]

On society as a whole? No , no way.

On individual people? Hell , yes.

You would think that aquiring new skills as an individual would benefit society , but it doesn't

 

[Terminate421]

Its tells stories in a different way. Instead of me doing this, I can do this instead. Though sometimes the story may be the same cutscene wise, what my hero did to get by may be different.

 

[Fieldy409_v1legacy]

Well... This is purely from my own experience with no stats to back it up. But most people I know who play a lot of videogames don't seem to get into physical fights with other people, or even know how to throw a punch.

So less violence on the streets is good for society.

 

[w9496]

I think that video games can form friendships. For example, I wouldn't know some people if it hadn't been through games.

School kid A: Dude, have you played Blood Guts and Honor?
School kid B: Yeah! All of the time!
School kid A: Me too! I beat the game on ballbuster last night!
School kid B: Wanna play together?
School kid A: Sure!

And a friendship is born.