Online Gaming Is Good For You! (Alternate Title: Troll Dungeons Reloaded)

I cannot think of an activity that works my brain as hard as what computer gaming does to me on a near daily basis.  Don’t get me wrong.  There is nothing wrong with passive activities such as watching TV.  It is good to relax our minds after a long and tiring day of work.  I don’t know what you do for a living.  My job does not require me to make hundreds of decisions a day.  Nor does it require me to exhibit a reasonable level of eye-hand coordination in order to excel . I suppose I could play some team sports.  But if I can’t even get my band to jam regularly, I think team sports are out of the question.

When I play my online game, strings of invisible mathematics formula constantly flash across my head.  I find myself constantly reacting to the thousands of virtual dices rolled behind the scene; dice rolls that define the split second virtual events.  Decisions, decisions, decisions.  I have to pay attention to the timing governed by the game mechanism, be observant of the ever changing environment  I have to pay attention to the spatial movement, as well as the temporal shift.  If that is not demanding enough, I have to keep an eye on how my team members are doing, evaluating our collective performance via statistical reports, and modifying the group strategy based on every piece of information I can possess and process in real time.  During the climactic encounters, my heart would race like a F1 driver’s.  If we fail, our group would analyze the issue, identify the root cause, rectify the strategy, and try again.  If we succeed, we would scream in joy like the footballers who kick the ball into the goal post.  And shortly after, onto the next encounter we push forward.

I don’t have the statistics to support my claim.  But I strongly believe that computer gaming – and more so for online gaming – in moderation can exercise our brains in a positive way.  Making our mind sharper and more alert.  Some of you are keen to know if I have expanded on my previous Cataclysm boss encounter article with the WoW patch 4.1 updates.  Yes, I have!  The two heroic troll dungeons Zul’Aman and Zul’Gurub have been added into the quick reference guide.  Click here to read more.

If you are playing in the Asian evening timeslot and are keen to join us for the heroic runs, my in-game contact information can be found in here.  See you on the fiery side.