Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

March 30, 2009

Playing first-person shooters can enhance visual acuity, according to researchers at the University of Rochester.

As reported by Scientific American:

[Research subjects] who played the action-packed video games such as Unreal Tournament 2004 by Atari and Call of Duty 2 by Infinity Ward experienced an improvement in contrast sensitivity, while those playing The Sims 2 by Electronic Arts did not.

The latest research stands out from the previous experiments because contrast sensitivity is something that people thought could not be changed naturally, [Prof. Daphne] Bavelier says... Games that best improved contrast sensitivity were those that were unpredictable and required the player to aim at different targets, quickly deciding friend from foe before firing their weapon. "You always need to be alert and analyze what's going on," she adds...

Prof. Bavelier hopes to use the research to help those who suffer from amblyopia , also known as "lazy eye."
 

Comments

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by RedKing on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 23:05.

Well it's good to see some positives about gaming instead of the negative usual right-wing meida tripe.

 

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Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve ...

Submitted by hayabusa75 on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 04:37.

The gaming critics don't always come from the right-wing.  Lieberman and Clinton are Dems, for example.

"There is no sin except stupidity." - Oscar Wilde

"De minimus non curat lex"

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve ...

Submitted by Valdearg on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 13:29.

Just wanted to point out that Lieberman is not a Dem. He is an independent, and, in fact, campaigned for John McCain during this previous election. That being said, Hayabusa is right in that not all gaming critics are right wing. In fact, most true conservatives believe in Parental responsibility over government legislation. Thats not to say they are right on any OTHER issue though :)

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by hellfire7885 on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 12:54.

Considering that you need to keep an eye out for subtle movements and cluce about where your enemy is, then  I can see how this works.

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve ...

Submitted by Valdearg on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 10:31.

I must say, I always assumed it was the opposite. Just as prolonged periods of stressing your eyes while looking at a computer screen was thought to cause damage in the long term, I kind of figured it was the same with FPS's, or any game, really. That is good news, though, and the whole lazy eye thing is pretty cool!

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by E. Zachary Knight on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 08:29.

Didn't we already have a study that said that games improve spatial reasoning? This makes since as games make you think on your feet and you have to decide in moments whether to shoot or not.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by Stealthguy on Tue, 03/31/2009 - 01:39.

Then I have Videogames to thank for my Dodgeball-ing goodness when I was younger. Thank you Team Fortress Classic and Jedi Academy!

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve ...

Submitted by mdo7 on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 07:50.

 

I saw this on Kotaku, and Google news via my Life with Playstation off my PS3.  Glad to hear video game are getting good reps instead of bad one.  Even if people are skeptics about this.


Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by Conster on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 07:24.

But I don't like FPS games!

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by ZippyDSMlee on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 07:36.

There are more broader studies indicating action games help with eye hand coordination, and the  fields depth on 3D games in general are enough to simulate the environments in FPSs so so one could say gaming improves your eye brain information organization.

Unless its  a handheld think all you for your trouble is a headache :P

 

Gore,Violence,Sexauilty,Fear,Emotion these are but modes of transportation of story and thought, to take them from society you create a society of children and nannys, since adults are not required.

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Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve ...

Submitted by Firebird on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 07:11.

Called it.....!

It comes to show what many of us knew all along;

We kick (well, shoot...) ass!

We need more optimistic research as this, so people can finally shut the Hell up.

______________________________ Because I have NO Life... :P I introduce the following. PSN User ID: FirebirdXR (Yes, I use that moniker often) Xbox Live ID: FirebirdLR (Don't bother, It's a Silver Membership) *Limited Time Only* I put both because I

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by MaskedPixelante on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 07:09.

Here we go again...

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

Re: Research: First-Person Shooter Games Can Improve Eyesight

Submitted by Chaplain99 on Mon, 03/30/2009 - 07:16.

Wait.  "Here we go again..." what?

"HEY! LISTEN!"

"HEY! LISTEN!"
 
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