Do Gaming Skills Develop Like Other Childhood Skills?

[wraggster]

Brandon Erickson at Gamecritics puts forth an interesting question. Is there a "critical period" in children for learning video game skills, the same as there is for language? It doesn't preclude the learning of languages, or the innate hand-eye coordination specific to video games, later in life, but it may explain why younger kids who grow up using controllers second nature will, depending on the game, always whip the ass of an adult who learned on that stupid Colecovision phone-looking thing.

Using Super Smash Bros. Brawl as an example, Brandon tells us his brother, with little current gaming experience, utterly thrashed him. On a more complex game like Call of Duty 4, Brandon had the upper hand.


This makes me wonder if gaming skill operates similarly to language acquisition. Maybe my brother's early-life exposure to previous Smash Bros. games gives him a built-in advantage that my practice will never overcome. It could be that after age 12 our brains can't instinctively master certain gameplay styles that we weren't previously exposed to, hence my suckiness at newer fighting games. I'm not saying older people can't master new gameplay styles, but rather that there might be a developmental cutoff after which achieving such mastery becomes much harder.

That's a pretty good question, and I'm disappointed I didn't think of it first. So I'm linking to it. I'd like to think this hypothesis could be supported by child development experts, if only to level the competitive imbalance with my father, who is 58 and can still kick my ass in driveway hoops. (Thanks for teaching me a jump shot during that "critical period," Pops.)

Is there a "critical period" for videogame skill acquisition?

http://kotaku.com/379094/do-gaming-skills-develop-like-other-childhood-skills

[one winged angel]

wow this is pretty interesting maybe this is the reason why I suck at fighting games and I pwn at FPS

[RV2006]

It is kinda strange that my brothers are better than racing games than me, (except for Mario Kart, I pwn!) but they don't stand a chance in fighting games (unless my older brother plays as ryu/akuma in street fighter, then its a close fight!!)

I think its all a matter of practice myself.
(as my brothers only play racing and sport games, whereas I avoid most of them...)

But then again, it could just be a matter of gift, as my dad who played wii bowling constantly, and owned us, lost to a child who never played the game before, (she was freakish though, she got 2 turkeys in one match :0)

[oooooomonkeys]

i would disagree because with enough practice you can get good at anything. just depends on how much practice time your willing/able to put in.
I play everyday for about 8-10 hours sometimes maybe a bit less or more but i'd say im pretty decent at all types of games.:thumbup:

[JKKDARK]

I don't agree with the article. I think you're always learning and being better when you play constantly video games.

[____anders____]

i think you get better at the games you play:D
i rule at mario kart 64:P
and i rule at pokémon ;) so don't even bother hehe.
i used to play pokémon the whole days when i was a little kid with my neghbour, and i gotta keep up with the series so i got diamond, and battle revoultion:D haahah

[mcdougall57]

if your good your good same goes if your bad.

and may i say 8-10 hours gaming a day is too much, it goes stale for me after about an hour or two

[Auriman1]

Yes, I believe there is some truth behind early skills development. Just like they state, and in almost all hobby cases, you can still get better and further your skills with practice, but it packs a lot more punch in your earlier years.

[malgora]

upbringing would effect the skills, like i was brough up on DooM and i would prefer to play fps, then to play rts (plus im not too good at them). but then i game is a game and u can mechanically learn their workings. ie, where to turn in a racing game or where to do a high punch or low kick in mortal kombat.... so naturally your guna be better at what u like .... lol but you all coulda figured that out ...

[ab88]

On regard to the topic., I think it depends on what you enjoy most to play. Like stated previously. If you like a certain type of game you are more likely to put more effort and into learning the basics. After that many factor are shared for games of the same genre.

and may i say 8-10 hours gaming a day is too much, it goes stale for me after about an hour or two

I was just thinking the same. It's more than the time I spend at school on most days :S

Even if it's multi player with friends (I seem to enjoy games more that way) the most I can go without being bored is like 3-4 hours.

Edit: It annoys me when stuff is so lazily pasted. Not even indented to show it's from another site...