As a kid, I grew up playing games like Pong, Space Invaders and Pacman. As a young adult, dragging a mattress into the living room to play Final Fantasy VII for a weekend seemed perfectly normal.
And it didn't seem all that strange to me that parents started objecting to the lack of outdoor play that the next generation was experiencing, due to an increase in video gaming as entertainment.
However, there has been recent scientific proof of the benefits of gaming.
Just last year, a study from the University of California, Irvine found that playing video games with three-dimensional environments may help boost memory performance.
Participants in the study raised memory performance around 12 per cent. Researchers pointed out that adult memory typically declines a similar amount between ages 45 and 70.
http://news.uci.edu/faculty/playing-3-d-video-games-can-boost-memory-formation-uci-study-finds/
Imagine if you could boost your memory skills just by playing video games.
Olds Municipal Library is hosting a fundraiser, Video Game Madness, on Saturday, Nov. 19. There will be tournaments, a cash bar, pizza and a chance to win part of a $400 prize pool donated by Olds Connected Community. Attendees must be over 18 and be able to show ID to participate.
Tournament sign-up starts when doors open at 6 p.m. and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Games scheduled to be played include NHL 15, Big Game Hunter, League of Legends, Mario Kart and Call of Duty.
“We get a lot of experts who come play in the tournaments from year to year,” says Ceima Kemaldean, one of the library employees organizing the event.
“For the novice gamer, we recommend playing some of these games in advance. For example, with League of Legends, anyone can set up a free account online and practise before the event.”
Video Game Madness tickets are $25 and are available online at oml.prl.ab.ca or at the door.
Recommended at your library: Experience Xbox gaming free of charge from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday in our Glen McCracken Makerspace. Take advantage of our video game loans with your library card.
-- Nischuk is Olds Municipal Library's marketing coordinator.
