Violent Video Games Can Improve Vision

Ponca City, We love you writes "According to a new study, people who played fighting games on their PCs became up to a 58 percent better at perceiving fine contrast differences, an important aspect of eyesight. The breakthrough is significant because it was previously thought that the ability to notice even very small changes in shades of grey against a uniform background could not be improved. Contrast sensitivity is the primary limiting factor in how well one sees. Volunteers in the study played intensively for 50 hours over nine weeks with either Unreal Tournament 2004 and Call of Duty 2, and the results were compared with another group who played The Sims 2, which is richly visual but does not require as much hand-eye coordination. The improvements lasted for months after game play stopped. The new finding suggests action video games could be used as training devices as a useful complement to eye-correction techniques, since gaming may teach the brain's visual cortex to make better use of the information it receives."

Have to see

[ShooterNeo]

You've got to be able to see well to pwn enemies with headshots and get first post!

Acecoolco

[Anonymous Coward]

Ok, so playing violent video games makes you a serial killer, and improves your eyesight thus making you superhuman?

Just wait until they add laser beams on top of gamers heads!!!

We are effing doomed!

Re:Have to see

[Anonymous Coward]

"

You dropped this. I though you would want it back.

In a related study...

[fahrbot-bot]

...some interesting results were generated when the group that had been playing "Unreal Tournament 2004" and "Call of Duty 2" then started playing "The Sims 2". Remarked one researcher, "the carnage was truely remarkable".

Night Vision

[Anonymous Coward]

Pfft forget video games, my parents raised me in a cave from the age of 5 to improve my vision in preparation for the inevitable apocalypse. No outside light whatsoever.

We upgraded the cave 3 years ago for broadband, had to get a box for the router because the blinking lights burned my sisters eyes.

Re:they also dull your sense of logic and reason

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

Shhh. Silence. All right thinking people know that you can only learn teamwork from real-world violence and violence simulations. Go team!

Re:Have to see

[unlametheweak]

Clearly, there should be studies done on video games that don't deal with violence at all, but only deal with sex. I want a study done to determine if viewing pornography can improve visual acuity. Sex and sexuality have often been related to blindness (amongst other nasties); it would be good if it can be scientifically demonstrated that sex can actually be beneficial.

Re:Have to see

[Anonymous Coward]

t

Hey dude, you dropped this while helping that other guy. I thought you might still want it.

What about side-scrollers?

[RevWaldo]

Do they improve peripheral vision? Just sayin'..

It helped me

[Centurix]

I can see all the Grues now.

Re:Have to see

[guyminuslife]

You wouldn't happen to have seen my car keys by any chance, would you?

CLEARLY

[cybereal]

Clearly, this works because you're selling your eternal soul to satan by ritualistic virtual murder in return for slightly better eye sight!

Re:Have to see

[BagOCrap]

Clearly, there should be studies done on video games that don't deal with violence at all, but only deal with sex. I want a study done to determine if viewing pornography can improve visual acuity. Sex and sexuality have often been related to blindness (amongst other nasties); it would be good if it can be scientifically demonstrated that sex can actually be beneficial.

Masturbation and watching pornography can improve your hearing. Listening for any other noises, like the creaking of the door to your room, or footsteps on the floor is a great exercise.