EPT![[image loading]](http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/starcraft2_logo.jpg){kind=logo}
After a 4-year hiatus of not playing any video games after going to college, I yelled liked a little schoolboy when I heard that Starcraft 2 was going to be released. Most of my middle school and high school years were spent playing the original Starcraft, and I remember that almost every year there was a rumor that Starcraft 2 was just around the bend. However after nearly 10 years of waiting, I didn’t believe that Starcraft 2 was actually going to come out.
As excited as I was, I told myself that I would never play Starcraft 2 because of the potential time I would kill playing it. When I was growing up, I remember coming home from school and play video games or watch TV for nearly 5-6 hours straight. A lot of wasted time—and I regretted it in hindsight. Therefore I knew that if I started playing Starcraft 2, I would never be able to put it down.
However slowly I saw all of my friends converting into playing Starcraft 2—talking about it socially or telling me to play with them. I tried my best to resist the temptation—but it piqued my interest. I told myself, “Okay—I’m just going to get it for the single-player campaign mode, and then quit after I beat the game.” However, never spent a dime on paying for a computer game, I ended up not purchasing it for a while.
However out of nowhere, my girlfriend got me Starcraft 2 as a token of appreciation for all that I had been helping her (Yeah I know—the best girlfriend ever). Anyways, I was pretty damn excited, and booted up the game on my computer and started playing. I marveled at how much the game changed in terms of graphics and special effects, yet was pleased how true it played to the original. To say the least, I was impressed.
I told myself I was going to stick to the single-player mode, but of course all of my friends found out that I got the game and invited me to play with them. Still being a relative noob in the game (not knowing any of the units or build orders), I got owned pretty hard. After losing several times, I vowed that I wanted to get “good enough” to live up to my Korean heritage (Starcraft is our national sport).
Jumping into Starcraft, head first
After poking around the internet, I found a plethora of great websites dedicated to Starcraft 2 strategy and build orders, which I consumed. I re-learned the intricicies of each race, as well as the new units that Blizzard introduced (as well as took away) from the game.
After playing many games in the multiplayer “custom map” mode (which isn’t ranked)—I realized that it was time for me to play the ladder to see what league I was placed in. After 5 intense games (and winning all of them), I was very proud to say that I made it to the Platinum league. However as proud of myself as I was, I looked at all of my friends who were in the Diamond league, and looked at their profiles with envy. Being in the Platinum league was like getting an A- on my report card (my parents thought I was a failure), whereas being in the Diamond league was like getting an A (what was to be expected of being a Korean). I then decided I had a new goal in life: to make it to the Diamond League.
![[image loading]](http://shokzstarcraft2guide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/SCpic2.jpg)
I wanted to be like him.
I tried to restrict my Starcraft 2 playing time to less than an hour a day, as I knew that I had other “better” things to do—like read, write, exercise, or spend time with my friends or girlfriend. However I had this burning passion inside of myself to make it to the Diamond league—so I was addicted. It started to consume me. I had trouble falling asleep at night (adrenaline rushes at 10pm really mess you up), spent an inordinate amount of time reading strategies and watching replays, as well as planning new strategies in my head.
However after becoming so consumed in Starcraft 2 the thought occurred to me: Was this all worth it, or a complete waste of time?
I thought long and hard about this question. Sure the immediate (and obvious) answer is “Of course it’s a waste of time! All video games are a waste of time! They don’t help us out in any way, and are making our children dumb.” However I knew that there was more to the story, and I wanted to seek the answers that made more sense to me.
Is Starcraft good for you?
At around the same time, I picked up a book titled: “Everything Bad Is Good For You” by Steven Johnson. The premise of his book is fascinating, as Johnson argues that pop culture and video games aren’t actually detrimental to ourselves and society, but benefit us. When I first glimpsed at his thesis, I scoffed. How could he possibly make a case to defend video games and pop culture when it is common knowledge that they are “bad” for us?
Nevertheless I was intrigued, so I decided to start reading the book. I was quite surprised to see that one of the first chapters in the book had an entire section devoted to video games. He then presents a pretty convincing question to the reader: what is the difference between a kid solving a puzzle in Zelda versus solving a math equation on a standardized test? That is to say—is there any real cognitive benefit of learning how to solve math equations over solving challenging puzzles in video games?
I pondered at the question, and wondered about the cognitive benefits of playing Starcraft 2. I remember reading once on the internet that Starcraft 2 is akin to “…playing chess while having the dexterity of a pianist.” When I am playing Starcraft 2, I am constantly juggling multiple tasks—which include building units, moving them around, ordering them to attack, mining resources, expanding, as well as thinking of counter-attacks. My brain is working in overtime, which is apparent as my mind often feels “burnt out” after playing a few games. I am sure that Napoleon felt the same thoughts going through his head in the heat of war, or when planning attacks with his army.
So I thus concluded that yes, Starcraft 2 does indeed have some cognitive benefits. I definitely know that when I am playing Starcraft 2, it exercises a part of my brain which typically doesn’t get stimulated by an other activity (the closest one I can think about is sports, when I am planning strategies).
![[image loading]](http://povray.tashcorp.net/tutorials/qd_csgchess/chess.jpg)
What is the difference between Chess and Starcraft 2?
However another large argument against video games is that they’re a waste of time. I’m not sure if I want to say that video games are a waste of time, but that they sure do take up a lot of time.
Why do video games take up so much time? Well the biggest point is that when one is playing video games, he or she becomes so engrossed into the activity that he or she forgets about everything else. Time seems to “fly by” and people forget about everything else in their lives—such as their worries, frustrations, and concerns and even forget if they are hungry or need to go to the bathroom. Also when people are “in the zone” when playing video games, they feel genuinely happy. Why do people feel like this when we are playing video games?
Being in the flow
The answer is that when people are playing video games, they become immersed into a state of “flow.” Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi discusses this in-depth in his book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.” In his book he discusses that the way for us to be optimally happy in life is become in these states of “flow” when we are “in the zone” and forget about everything else. Think about when you are playing a game of basketball, and you forget about everything else. Or when you are taking photos, and seem to lose track of time. Or spending such a good time with friends and family that nothing else seems to matter.
Csikszentmihalyi then breaks it down further, explaining that in order for people to experience these states of “flow,” they have to not only be challenged, but also use their creativity in synergy. This is why video games (especially Starcraft 2) create states of “flow.” When one is playing Starcraft 2, depending on what league they are, most likely they are playing against opponents who are around his/her skill level. Therefore they always feel challenged, and must find creative strategies and novel ways how to beat them. It simply isn’t enough to just win. Think about it—when do we feel more satisfaction? When we crush our opponents or when it is neck-to-neck and we win in the end?
Not only that, but Starcraft 2 (unlike life) shows us progress. Everytime I win a game in Starcraft 2, I gain points which increase my ranking. In real life it is difficult to chart and measure or success (although most people like to do it by their GPA, their income, or credit score). This is another great way how video games reward the users, which convince them to continuously play.
![[image loading]](http://theshokzguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/ShokzLadderRank.jpg)
Every win brings you closer to becoming #1
Summing it up
So to sum up the two points mentioned beforehand, I believe that Starcraft 2 is actually indeed beneficial to a person, as they are able to sharpen their mind by exercising their cognitive skills while playing challenging games against equally-equipped opponents. Not only that, but Starcraft 2 also puts people into modes of “flow” which make people genuinely happy.
However there are still many negative impacts on playing Starcraft 2 and video games in general. 1) It can hurt relationships. How many horror stories do we hear of people who lose their girlfriends and friends because they become so addicted to their video games? I know personally there have been moments when I have gotten into fights with my girlfriend as she felt neglected. 2) It disrupts sleep patterns. Whenever I play Starcraft 2, I always get a huge surge of adrenaline when playing 1v1’s. Needless to say, having testosterone pumping into my system at 10pm prevent me from falling asleep until maybe 2-3am in the morning. This ends up screwing up my sleeping schedule, which negatively impacts my following day. 3) It doesn’t give us any “real” benefits. Sure it can help sharpen our cognitive skills, but what true benefit does it give us? All those hours of playing Starcraft could be dedicated to starting up a business, seeing lost-long friends, or learning new things or skills.
Perhaps I am taking the subject too seriously, but as a sociologist and interested in the affects of the internet in our personal lives and on society—it is a great thought exercise for me. But I guess in the end, everything is okay in moderation. After all, even the best things out there can kill us. Drinking too much water can poison us, and eating too much carrots will literally make us turn orange. Now excuse me as I crack open a beer and see if there are any noobs I can destroy on Battlenet.
![[image loading]](http://seemslegit.com/_images/6277442017d11c32a723eb6c40b40406/702%20-%20asians%20rush%20starcraft%20zerg.jpg)
Your personal thoughts and reactions are greatly appreciated.
