Researchers at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY have released findings from their studies on video-games recently, making some interesting conclusions.  First of all, they surveyed 1,000 gamers, and found that the “real reason games are so widely played is because achievement, explorative freedom, and connection with others (be it human or in-game characters) trump the “shallow sense of fun” which the study believes doesn’t keep players as interested.”  From the source: “‘It’s our contention that the psychological ‘pull’ of games is largely due to their capacity to engender feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness,” and playing video-games not only induces a positive motivation to play more games, but also “can be experienced as enhancing psychological wellness, at least short-term.”

A second study held at the University of Rochester found that playing action video-games actually improved visual processing by 20%.  They had one group of students play Unreal Tournament, and a second group play Tetris, which was chosen for its “motor complexity but visual simplicity.”  “After regular training with the respective games, the UT players more easily identified the orientation of a letter ‘T’ among a jumble of other shapes in a crowding test. The Tetris group’s responses didn’t change.  The study suggests that action games alter the way our minds process information even after playing; the researchers think that games could help combat certain visual disorders.”