Yeah, how about making the video a click-starter?

Auto-start anything really pisses me off.

Not sure about improving literacy with games like Guitar Hero, but I practically learned to read by playing old RPG's. And some of the games had a good enoughb plot convinced me to turn to books for more compelling stories.

So to me, video games were a gateway drug to books.

Its odd to see somebody studying the benifits of video games.

Guitar Hero makes you smarter? OK, listen, yes there are video games meant to help kids learn, but GH is meant for one thing and one thing only, to entertain. This isn't a bad thing. But trying to see if this game in particular is going to do anything other than maybe help you with rhythm, or even hand-eye coordination is a waste of time.

Still, putting games in locations most kids usually avoid is a sure way to draw them in, and like Gaffit said, it could be a "gateway drug" to reading.

-"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject." -Sir Winston Churchill

Actually, there's lots of evidence that video games are good for you beyond the "hand-eye-coordination" arguement.

This book argues that games may be one of the best ways to learn problem solving skills like what it calls "telescoping" (keeping an eye on your end goal, while individually thinking of each of the smaller goals it will take to complete the end goal. i.e. In order to save the princess I need to get the key, in order to get the key I need to kill the goblin, in order to kill the goblin, I need a magic potion, etc.)

Not only that, but online games like MMOs can be the best way for many children to learn/experience social interactions, and all the complications thereof.

His arguements are basically that books are good, and for some things, the best way to learn or develop a skill are with books.  But some skills books are no good at developing, and the best ways to develop these skills is to play games or watch t.v. shows.  Basically that games and tv aren't all bad, there's a lot of good there too.

http://www.amazon.com/Everything-Bad-Good-You-Actually/dp/1573223077

They definetly do, I don't see why studies are needed at this point. Video games can potentially improve:

Hand-Eye Coordination

Perception

Reflexes

Memory

Literacy

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Organizational skills

Leadership skills

THey should let kids play Portal in the library.  That will make them smarter.

I'm part of an American Library Association group to study and promote the benefits of video games and literacy.  I'm also a longtime reader of Gamepolitics.

There is a wide variety of research out there beyond Anderson's book that Dargon mentioned.  The thought process, critical thinking, information management, prediciation, communication, and a host of other practical skills.  James Paul Gee, Kurt Squire, Henry Jenkins, David Shaffer, Richard Van Eck, and a number of other academic researchers found studied and educational aspects of gaming and how people play games.

Libraries are looking at video games in terms of traditional literacy (reading), but we are also looking at games in terms of media literacy and other new literacies (knowledge, skill, fluency of technologies).  We are learner as we play and what we are learning is more than the exagerated media reports.  Hopefully libraries can help bring this learning into the public eye and increase the perception gaming.

I definitely think video games make kids smarter.  Compare a kid that doesn't play video games with one that does, you will see the difference.  Its practically a necessity that children play video games these days, not only for the benefits the games offer, but because video games can help children find common ground with other children and this helps them develop friendships.  Playing video games together as a family and kids playing games together can also be very beneficial to friendships, social life in general and family bonding.  With the introduction of the Nintendo Wii more families are playing video games together than ever.  I can't imagine kids not playing games nowadays, if a kid wasn't allowed to play video games I am betting they would be behind in a number of ways at school and they wouldn't have a lot of friends since they would feel left out.  Parents don't realize how much some kids TRULY love video games, and really need that to get them through the social perils of school.

Video games also teach one VERY important skill that a lot of kids are lacking in: PATIENCE!!!  What teaches patience better than a video game, in order to get to the end goal, you have to do this and that and pass through this etc.  You cannot "cheat" at video games like you can at board games.  Ever play board games with kids, they try to change the rules and basically do nothing but cheat so that they always win.  Its not very fun.  Video games prevent kids from doing that, you have to play by the rules of the game or you don't play at all.  Video games also teach kids how to be a good loser in this way, again, something that most children haven't experienced enough in today's win-win society.  Plus once they complete the game they will have confidence to complete more games, giving them more confidence that they can do more things in life.

Also, when kids play video games, they think its fun, they don't even realize they are learning important life skills like problem solving and patience, and many other skills.

Oh and my library currently rents out about 30 Playstation 2 titles for free.

Yay, Tucson made GP, and it didn't involve any deaths or laws!

If they played video games, they'd be smart enough to just easily recognize and realize this long known and understood fact ;)

But seriously - I learned all the basics of memory management and driver installation from DOS games, I became familiar with TCP and other protocols from Doom and other Network Games.

Ended up making a career out of it, and now manage servers in multiple states for a fortune 100 company :O

Hell yes. RPGs and RTS provides a lot of challenges for a budding young mind. If you've ever played Starcraft or Red Alert or any other RTS, you'll learn a little bit about resource management, which is an absolute necessity when it come to the business world. RPG's function like an interactive storyteller with the child/student as the central character. Fighting games teaches kids about game theory (block, attack, throw?). Sports sims can help teach strategies and plays which can be helpful when playing, well, sports. Racing and flight sims can teach physics (if the game decides to adhere to reality).

The only thing you probably wouldn't learn from a video game is algebra.