1.) Resource allocation
Video game example: Resident Evil
Resident Evil, especially the first three in the series, taught me that sometimes it’s best to avoid a situation where it could cost you everything to reserve what little ammo you have. I remember approaching the end of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis with absolutely zero ammo and already wounded. As soon as he tried to run away, he would die. Being the 12-year-old derpy that I was, of course I didn’t have multiple save points, so I had to restart … the whole game. I quickly learned to use only what I desperately needed and to save the rest.
Being a, ahem, a college student with financial problems, I use this same principle when it comes to money. If I only have limited cash flow, I know to use that money only in times of urgent need and in order of importance. The priority, especially as a senior, was something like: beer, coffee, bills, school-related purchases, and lastly, food.
Well, maybe that lesson was not so well learned.
2.) Troubleshooting
Video game example: Lemmings
I vividly remember playing this game on my Sega Genesis and when those little ones with green hair started falling into the wells, I would yell at my TV screen. “I put a bridge there! What’s going on! Oh, it’s not far enough.” I quickly learned to take notice of problem areas and, using the ordinary resources given to me, compete to turn a strategy into currency. Fall too far? Give them an umbrella! Can’t you dig? Fly to one of the lemmings!
Today I don’t have to worry about falling into a hole or getting stuck in a patch of dirt, but I do have the ability to notice problems and, using what I have available, find a solution. If I only have ten minutes to get to class, but the building is on the opposite side of campus, what should I do? The answer, people, is RUN.
3.) Persistence
Video Game Example: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Now this may have been the first video game I played on the computer that was not in a two-dimensional world, so it may have been my fault that the controls were absolutely egregious for the novice player. Regardless, that stupid obstacle course on Lara’s grounds kept me angry and bitter for a long time before I could complete it without mistakes. You would have to stand on the last pixelated edge of one pillar to jump and dive and hopefully reach the edge of the next pillar.
Perseverance is the key to learning any new skill. If you didn’t learn this, you wouldn’t be writing this article. I probably would have quit after my first horrible attempt at writing. I wouldn’t dare to keep doing it and work to improve my understanding of the English language if I didn’t learn that perseverance is the key to improvement.
4.) Responsibility
Video game example: The Sims
If I remember correctly, The Sims came out around the same time that Tomagotchi and Neopets became fads. All three were what I like to think of as Step 1 to Responsibility. Sure there were no real effects of being a mediocre supervisor, but for this 12-year-old, the thought of watching one of my virtual pets die (and yes, I’m calling my Sims my pets) was horrible. If I forgot to feed it, they would die. If I forgot to clean up after them, they smelled. Maybe it was all just a great social experiment to teach my generation that we were all lacking in the hygiene skills department? After all, we are the last generation to play ashore after five years.
If The Sims taught me anything, it is that I am not responsible enough for a real living object to depend on me. I’ve killed so many Sims through negligence that I’m sure I’m on a Most Wanted poster at the SimCity Police Department.
5.) The importance of thinking outside the box and 5a.) The importance of writing quickly
Video game example: King’s Quest
Oh, King’s Quest. In my opinion, it’s probably the most random mix of folklore, pop culture, and random puzzles that has ever appeared in the world of PC gaming. Where else could you be on a screen with a gingerbread house and a witch, and then all of a sudden be attacked by a giant condor? There is nothing better than spending a lot of time on screens “WATCHING” something in the hope that it will be useful later on. You needed a pretty good imagination to even think about climbing that giant oak tree or going down the well in the bucket.
As for fast typing, let’s get back to that condor. You had to write the word “JUMP” for Sir Graham to jump on the heels of the condor. It should be perfectly timed. If it fails, you should expect it to appear on another screen soon. After about fifty tries, you realize you have to type “SKIP” and hit enter (Two steps!) In such a short time that the letters on the keyboard were probably erased.
