Beneficial Games?

It is a largely debated fact that video games are beneficial. Just saying they are beneficial and actually proving it, are two different things. I personally believe games have the power to be extremely helpful, even educational, if used under the right circumstances.  I feel I have benefited from the various games I have played.

            One such benefit is the realization of the importance of team work and working together to achieve a goal. Many games have some form of multiplayer or another, and many of those require massive amounts of cooperation in order to win the game. Even in some single player games you are required to keep a team alive, and you will lose if something happens to the team. It installs a sense of responsibility in you; everyone in the squad is responsible for the other, and if you don't watch their backs you will lose.

            Another benefit, and this one I feel is the most important, is video games forcing you to think inside and outside the box. I can't tell you how many times I have been stuck on a puzzle or even on a boss. It's in the hundreds. No matter what, I always manage to figure out the boss' pattern, or solve the puzzle that plagued me in my sleep. Part of why this is the most important benefit is because this also gives you a cocktail of determination and relaxation. There have been many times when my mind is a jumbled mess of a dozen things and I can't focus on anything.  When that happens, I play a game for a while and focus on the strategy, and my mind gets straightened out.

            Of course everyone is different and games may not be beneficial to them, but to write off games completely would be missing a great opportunity. I have learned so much through playing video games, and there is so much more to learn from them if both gamers and non-gamers would open their minds to the possibilities.