Benefits of Gaming: How "Plants vs. Zombies" Helps Improve Problem-Solving Skills

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"Plants vs. Zombies" is just one of the video games that achieved phenomenal success. But apart from killing time, does it provide any practical use in life?

The zombie craze is everywhere. Writers have been inspired to revive these brain-dead creatures that have hit it really big. Sorry, Rick Grimes, but they have virtually invaded the world and there is no stopping them. They have movies, TV shows, and games!

Thus, came the PopCap Games sensational hit: Plants vs. Zombies. Initially designed for the OS X and Windows, it is now compatible with Nintendo, Xbox, Android, Blackberry, and Apple devices. Several versions have been released, including one for Facebook.

Designed to be simple enough for casual players to learn, yet challenging enough for hardcore gamers, Plants vs. Zombies has gained a following. In fact, it remains to be the fastest selling PopCap Games video game since 2009. The world is obsessed with Plants vs. Zombies-and zombies per se-that just about everyone you come across plays or knows it.

So, what's so special about the game? Does anyone actually benefit from shelling out a couple of dollars to purchase the latest version released every year or so?

If you are skeptical about the long-term effects of gaming, you are not alone. Ever since video games came to be, a number of people-mostly adults-have condemned video games as a waste of time and money. This inspired studies to determine the impact of gaming. The results were remarkably positive, leading to the creation of digital learning tools.

In a nutshell, people learn faster when they're having fun. Think about it. Would you rather sit through a three-hour lecture delivered by a monotonous speaker than learn Mandarin through an interactive app equipped with all sorts of fancy features?

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Plants vs. Zombies won't teach you Mandarin, but it can improve your problem-solving skills. It immerses you into a virtual environment that simulates a probable life threatening situation-although exaggerated. You know it is superficial, yet you physiologically respond to it as though it's real.

Here are three key game features that can enhance your decision-making and other survival skills:

Weapon Selection. You start out with a basic arsenal composed of sunflowers and pea shooters. As you move to higher levels, you unlock additional artillery. Simultaneously, you will be faced with armed zombies. To spice things up, you reach the point when you can arm yourself only with a limited number of weapons. This pushes you to weigh the pro's and con's of your choices.

Site Challenges. Arsenal constraints. Tougher enemies. You're just warming-up. The real challenge comes when the game introduces new environments. The absence of sunlight and a pool in the backyard increase the threats and hazards. This calls for flexibility in your part, enabling you to adopt to different conditions and adjust your weapon preferences.

Time Pressure. Frankly, the pop-up warnings kill the suspense. Nonetheless, the game manages to bring in a number of conflicts that increase stress levels, ultimately testing your mental preparedness and alertness.

These three characteristics of Plants vs. Zombies are just a few of the many ways in which games serve as mental crunches. Still not convinced that gaming has its benefits? Or are you a wee bit encouraged to gift your kids the latest Xbox or Nintendo versions? The best way to win yourself over is to take the game for a test drive and find out for yourself.

In spite of being criticized as a mere distraction from the tedium, games have proven to be effective instructional tools. Just like Plants vs. Zombies, most video games are not intended to educate, but they can enhance skills necessary in solving real life problems. Truly, there's fun in learning.

The Impact of Existing Technologies to the Future of Gaming

After a few rounds of bowling on Wii Sports or exchange of guitar riffs on Rock Band, you and your buddies would probably slump on the sofa, commenting on how each of you fared while gorging on a box of pizza. It would take a while before you notice slight hand aches caused by the uncomfortable bulk and weight of the console. Pensive, one of your friends might wonder aloud how consoles can be developed into more comfortable devices. Another might enthusiastically suggest a whole new gaming arena that brings to life Tony Stark’s science lab.  With the fast and unpredictable advancement of technology, such a future just might be a fingertip away.

Production and Interface Developments

Taking the game to the next level, true innovators are driven to deliver more than aesthetic appeal and packaging.  Futuristic, forward-thinkers think out of the box--freeing themselves from restriction. A stretched imagination has allowed them to tap into new technologies that produce streamlined, sophisticated products that are--quite literally--easy on the pocket in many ways.

How so?

Since its discovery, nanotechnology has contributed to the advancement of many industries such as medicine and engineering. So what makes nano, which means tiny, so special? Doing away with technicalities, nanotech makes it possible to create novel machines of all sorts in small sizes.  But do not get ahead of yourself by worrying about cost, because nanotech makes this affordably possible.

With nanotech, consoles won’t just be sleek and slim enough to slide into a pocket--they will be a thing of the past. If you are thinking about touch screens, what about not having to touch screens at all? Indeed, with nanotech, the future of the gaming industry would feature automated devices free of clutter. This would relatively affect other aspects of gaming: less hardware means less strenuous gestures and space consumption. Similarly, it would mean less maintenance.

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Think nanotech is so neat? Now, fuse it with immersive virtual and augmented reality.

While skeptics continue to dispute over the use of nanotech, developers have been toying around with three-dimensional and augmented reality for quite some time. After re-conquering cinema, the whole world has been raving over it. And from the silver screen, 3D finally hit the gaming industry. Immersive, it boosts up the gaming experience. The Oculus Rift promises the realization of this futuristic vision. Equipped with a headgear and console, it is a jump starter that makes the giant leap towards realizing the ultimate sci-fi dream.


Open Source and Cloud Gaming

When it comes to innovation, sky is the limit. And it is almost fair to say it lies in the cloud quite literally. Although there remains a steadfast faction rallying exclusivity, there is a growing throng advocating freeware.  Not limited to the computer industry, open source platforms used to distribute data are becoming more and more accessible and prevalent to a larger number of users. Even elite universities are exploring this venture to reach more students. Interestingly, Stanford University is a key player in this endeavor. So why not gaming?

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With gaming geared towards sophistication, how can developers even begin to consider free use and distribution? On the contrary, open source in the gaming arena is achievable. At present, there are a number of open source engines that offer free content in the market. The Android-powered Ouya micro console boasts off a number of features that makes it exemplary. Reasonably priced, it offers hundreds of free and affordable games. Plus, it displays high-resolution graphics. A good deal for game enthusiasts, the fun does not end there because you can practically build your own game free from the hassles of licensing.

By kicking it up a notch higher and aiming for the cloud, gamers of the future will have access to a multitude of gaming applications free from restrictions. All that will be needed is a reliable internet connection and a device to access these applications.

Powerful yet economical, existing technologies offer immeasurable potentials for the gaming industry. Adopting these technologies will benefit both consumers and businesses significantly. Affordable and accessible, the future of gaming will go beyond immersion and interactivity--it will bridge the gap between the virtual and the real.