Saturday 18 April 2009

Autodesk reveals study, games are shown to provide crucial life skills

The summary of a recent survey conducted by Californian software outfit Autodesk reveals that 84% of tech enthusiasts believe that videogames, in some way, provide “crucial life skills”. Participants in the study claim their gaming experiences assist them in a variety of ways, from improving hand-eye coordination to increasing reaction times and reflexes. The survey also found some surprising responses too, with participants suggesting that games can encourage social skills such as patience, understanding, creativity and precision. Finally, it is important to note that 25% of the surveyed developers, animation experts, designers and students believe that the skills they’ve acquired through game playing have helped them in their education.

37% of industry respondents said that the ‘skills’ obtained via games have aided their careers, while 22% felt they’ve helped their social lives. “Games can have a real impact. I remember never looking at a city the same way after playing Sim City growing up,” reflects Mary-Beth Haggerty, senior games industry manager at Autodesk.

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