7 Things that playing video games teach me
Do any one of you own the Switch console at home? I, for one, do. I bought it a few years ago after seeing how the console’s global sales had thrived, so much so that it became Nintendo’s third best-selling console ever.
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As a kid, I didn’t grow up in a home where PlayStation or X-Box consoles were ever a thing. Even though my parents didn’t really explicitly say that these consoles were unaffordable for them, I had a gut feeling that asking them to buy these consoles wouldn’t really be a good idea (A few thousand dollars were probably quite a lot of money for them. And I felt it wouldn’t really hurt as long as there were SOME GAMES or TOYS that I could play with, so consoles weren’t exactly a necessity). As a result, I grew up playing classic computer games like Pharaoh and Roller Coaster Tycoon (RCT). (Good thing we owned a computer.)
Despite having never been a hardcore video game player, I realised early on in my life that playing games is not something that stands in opposition to learning and studying. Rather, it’s an activity that often fosters, if not directly leads to, learning.
Now that I play video games on a regular basis to help myself wind down and for the distraction that I need from stress, I’ve come to realise there are a good number of things that I’ve learned from playing video games . I’ll illustrate these takeaways with the example of a very well-known and family-oriented game — Overcooked 2.
1. You’ll need to just trust the process and have confidence that everything will work out.
When you keep getting distracted by the timer which shows the time which has lapsed while trying to prepare the meals, you have a hard time maximising the number of meals you’ll get done. Rather than help you manage time better, the timer will simply cause more panic on your part. So you’re better off not looking at the timer at all during the game play.
2. Efficient problem solving is all about picking the best alternative solution.
Are you going to throw the ingredients or rush back and forth from one area to the kitchen to the other so as to place the ingredients on the chopping board? Usually, throwing ingredients is the time-saving alternative. Are you making the best use of the leeway available given the constraints in the game and maximising the use of this strategy?
I’ve found this lesson incredibly valuable on my journey of becoming a self-taught digital marketer. Let’s say, if you haven’t subscribed to Premiere Pro or do not own a DSLR, these shouldn’t stop you from becoming a content creator. You can totally make do with a point and shoot camera and Final Cut Pro, or even i-Movie when you’re starting out. Getting started (which is often the hardest part) is all about making the best use with all the tools that you have, at the stage you’re in. And once you’ve gotten started, you’ll take it from there.
3. If you cannot run, walk, if you cannot walk, crawl, but by all means, keep moving
There are times when you’ve got every ingredients on your hand prepared and you can only serve the food after you grab hold of a clean plate, which is not in sight anywhere. At this point, you’ll have to cut off the process of waiting and do another task. If you waste valuable time by doing nothing, you end up getting fewer meals done, which is not ideal.
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4. In a joint-venture project, you’ll need to be able to let go and trust that your partner will do the work.
When you do too much, your partner might panic because he’s supposed to be helping you out but he finds himself idling!
When the kettle is almost boiling and the food almost burning, you’ll have to trust that your partner will go get the food or two people will end up doing the same task, which leads to waste of time.
5. Improvements will at first be incremental, but when things get past a certain point, you’ll see yourself improving by big leaps
I guess this should sound pretty self-explanatory.
6. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Come back and try beating a hard episode the next day.
Sometimes games are simply so well-designed that even when your fingers are sore and exhaustion has had the better of you, you still feel that you absolutely need to beat that episode that very day because you’ve sworn to do it. But too much gameplay is too much. You need rest to replenish your coordination and clear thinking.
7. You know you’re with the right partner when you and your partner ain’t need to say nothing at all to communicate.
My partner and I work well together and we manage to get 4 stars for most stages because we somehow know which tasks the other person will take good care of and what the other person needs help with. A friend once asked me this, “Why do you and your partner look so calm when you guys are playing the game? You guys are supposed to panic!” My answer to this question is simple, ‘When communication is intuitive, you ain’t need no words. Silence is the best form of communication.’
