To Game or Not to Game?

I apologize for this random ranting that will ensue. It stems from a lack of a more interesting post. (read "Reminiscence of a Departed Friend if you haven't already, that'll be sure to be interesting)

We've all heard it before. "Video games are a menace to society! They turn our kids into lazy, unsociable, underachieving nerds who don't know how to interact with people when all they do is sit in front of a screen all day!" (yes I know it isn't worded like that, but that's what they imply!)

Well, I beg to difer.

It's true, video games give lotsa people a reason not to be healthily active. That much I will admit, although the Nintendo Wii helps that problem a bit.

But, video games prevent people from learning people skills? Garbage.

Whoever thought that one up isn't up to par with technology these days. Most of the popular games out there have something to do with playing online with other people. People you've never met, people you have to work with and organize if you want to win whatever it is you're doing. People who you have to communicate with if any of these goals are to be accomplished. Of course, some games require more interaction with those around you than others. A free-for-all deathmatch won't have much communication, everyone is just trying to ensure that their own head isn't the one blown off whilst they attempt to blow more heads off than the other guy. Not much talking required, other than the occasional accusation of cheating, the exclamation of annoyance at having one's head blown off fifty times in a row, or the exclamation of glee at having blown someone's head off fifty times in a row. But, may I remind you, this is limited to the free-for-all. Team fights are a different story, with organization neccessary for defeating the other team. Team deathmatches require only a little more communication than free-for-all's, capture the flag rounds require more, capturing and holding certain areas (king-of-the-hill) even more.

Then we get to MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games), such as Guild Wars.
Part of these games is singleplayer, where the only actual human being playing is you. Obviously not much communication there. But a lot of the game requires the help of other players. In order to finish a cooperative mission, everyone has to communicate freely and often, and obey orders from the designated leader. You can't do your own thing if you want to make it. Some try, and they're not respected much. The missions alone teach you people skills and leadership, the knowledge when to follow orders and the experience to know when to take charge. If you know what to do, you're not gonna just follow what the leader thinks you should do, you lead the leader to show them what needs to be done. The missions are only a very small example. The real human interaction comes with the guilds.

In Guild Wars, you have the option to join a group of other players, called, as the name implies, a "guild". The guild can have a hall where they meet, a cape distinguishing its members from the rest of the hoi poloi, and a leader and officers who can help members with missions and quests they're having trouble with. Now, being a member, there isn't too much neccessary of you. You're free to join any guild that will accept you, you can leave that guild anytime you want, and you can get free help from the higher-ups trying to keep their guild large. It's a member's world out there. The real people skills comes with being an officer, and even more with being the leader.

Let me give a personal Guild Wars example.

John started his own guild. Of course he was the leader, I joined readily, got promoted to officer, and then i kinda just was there, not doing much and not requiring much. The guild grew, gained experienced members, and everything was goin' great. Then, after the 3rd Guild Wars came out and people completed it, many in our guild began to get bored with Guild Wars, John included. And, in all fairness, I can't blame any of them, there's only so much you can do in the game, I'm starting to get bored of it myself. Anyway, what with the leader not being around much to lead and the officers not being around much to recruit and the members wanting a more active guild, we lost a bunch of people. Our guild shrank from about 30 people to 20. Then to 15. Then 12. Finally, I, the dormant officer who was pretty much useless up to that point, woke up. We're gonna dissappear! So, I began recruiting. After I had recruited one or two, I realized I was gonna need help. So I offered an incentive to the members: bring me 5 people to recruit, and I'll promote you to officer. And whaddya know? They found people to recruit! And so some got promoted and some left and some stayed and we gained a few faithful members and we lost a few useful members, but we grew. Up to over 30 people. I felt I could relax a bit and just focus on my own GW character. But then, some officers who didn't feel like recruiting didn't, some members who wanted more left because our guild was going nowhere fast, and in short, we shrunk. Back to the painful proccess of rebuilding again. Offering incentives, starting activities in the guild, forming an alliance with other guilds, we slowly gained people's interest and grew again. Back to over 30 members.

And why, you might ask, am I wasting your time with a boring record of a video game you haven't a clue about?

Because, through all this, I learned some important business management skills. If you want people to accomplish anything, provide incentives. Keep growing, otherwise you'll shrink. Make sure to appoint trustworthy mangers who will obey you. Know what your customers want. Advertise. An apple a day keeps the doctor away (just making sure you're paying attention).

I learned this from a VIDEO GAME. And, actually, I know how to apply them to everday life. I could go on and on mentioning friends I've made, things I've learned from those people, oppurtunities to share the Gospel with those people, and so on. But, I think you get the idea.

Video games don't prevent people from learning people skills. They teach them.