By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.
My brother plays a lot of Legend of Zelda when he gets home from work. He told me it helps him relax. Video games don’t help me relax all that much, with all the fighting and shooting of arrows. It takes his mind off things, and it takes a great deal of concentration, and he enjoys that. He said, “It makes me sharper.” I understood that.
I recall hearing someone talk about a fascinating study that suggested surgeons make fewer mistakes if they play video games. While I’m not sure about the accuracy of that data, it makes sense. Playing any game—like golf, for instance—could enhance focus and steadiness.
Before a large test in college, I would study for a few hours and then I would play an intense video game. Tekken 4 on PlayStation 2 was usually my go-to game before a test. Any Tekken game is extreme, and it takes a great deal of concentration. So much so that it was a bit of a release before doing something that could be stressful. The Bandai Namco Studios developed game was extremely popular at the time. My roommates and I would play against each other on lunch breaks and slow evenings. They played Tekken 4 before exams as well.
Tekken 4 channeled my concentration to something different than all the information that I had been studying. That short aversion of Tekken 4 probably helped me get a better grade on my exams and quizzes. I just didn’t want to overdue the video game playing at university.
