We Game: An Ode to Gaming

Our parents told us not to stare at screens. They pulled the plug or took the cartridge away, and went back to the couch to complete their 5 hour binge of mind-numbing news stories and so called “reality” shows, only to gossip the next day, about what someone else did on the screen.

Unlike our TV-watching-only counterparts, our vision is different. We train our eyes for more. Tracking, not staring. Processing, not absorbing. Understanding, not watching. Searching, not looking. Fixed on a screen in a whole different way. All of this is different when the eyes see more than just a program.

3D worlds refine our understanding of distance and space.
Being in the midst of action trains us to be observant.
Under our headsets, our ears are honing in on different directions. These directions are just pretend and play, but the sounds we hear keep us sharp. So pretend quickly becomes theoretical and practical.
Our hands settle into the familiar positions. Along the mouse and keys, above the buttons and triggers. Tokens and joysticks. Headsets and touch screens. All mapped out through muscle memory and feedback, like a musician with their instrument. So we play.

When we engage in this training, our brains are primed for more than just viewing and seeing. The constant sights and sounds…