Other than better hand eye coordination, what purpose do video games serve?

[HouseMoat]

I used to play them all the time. Not so much anymore, but I still will. Girls will never understand

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

I learned a lot of English through video games growing up in Japan. I loved Western CRPGs like Pool of Radiance and Wasteland, but I couldn't read the English text very well and there were no Japanese translations of these games. So that inspired me to learn English.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

One of the main things that appealed to me about Western RPGs back them over the Japanese ones popular here is that they used writing which resembled literature, complete with narration, descriptive writing, and not just dialogue.

For example, a Western RPG might display text like this:
>> The bartender eyes you suspiciously as he wipes a mug with a dirty rag. "What do you want?" he snarls.

Where as the Japanese RPG often just went straight to dialogue:
>> What do you want?

I found the former so, so much more interesting to read, painting out a much more detailed world in my imagination. Especially given the low graphics fidelity at the time, the writing style favored in Western games made them see so much more detailed and interesting to me.

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

* back [then]

[GuyAnswersGirls123]

* seem, ugh. My English still needs work! Yet I owe much of what little I know of it to video games.

[JacobJordan]

Video games have been proven to increase problem solving abilities, memory, strategy, logic, among several other things. For the clowns going "but they make people violent" they don't now be quiet.

[MemeSupreme]

same as movies or shows

its a waste of time yeah but im no robot

[Nikki1989]

They don't even do that, but immature minds find something in it.

[HouseMoat]

Oh, they def. do. I have a much better hand eye coordination, because of them. They've even helped me type better

[Astarlessnightsky]

mainly Enterteinment, but also improving problem solving skills, improving orientation in a 3D environment, tactics, social skills, ...

Hand-eye-coordination is probably the one thing that doesn't improve.

[strateguy632]

speed for reaction time and many games require planning and "calculated choices" for various options

[SotiCoto]

Entertainment... obviously.
Escapism too.

[tfan1]

Enjoyment, accomplishing the missions, defeat the enemy

[DizzyDesii]

Escape from reality

[NamerOfStars]

Storytelling. No different from books.

[DizzyDesii]

Thats for those actually following storymode. Some of us just roam/freeplay

[NamerOfStars]

@DizzyDesii Well, it certainly depends on the game, too. That'll work in Minecraft; Planescape: Torment, not so much.

[NathanDavis]

understand what?

[Islandguy7113]

Keeps your hands active when you not having sex

[OddBeMe]

Depends on the game I’d expect.

[Zestyassmf1997]

Just passing time.