Lessons from Farming Simulator 2016

Games are an integral part of my life. They are the perfect zones for relaxation and unwinding. You are transported to a different world and maybe I am hooked on to them ibecause of the escapism element that it provides. I love the art that is embedded in the games. There are hundreds of artists and illustartors who create the world. The world they create is not far removed from the world that we live in. In the game - The Last of Us which is one of the most popular titles in Playstation gaming platform, the game world is so accurate and life like. 

There are varied opinions regarding the act of playing games. Some are of the opinion that it affects the mental growth of the user. There are others who  blabber about the anti-social traits that a gamer can pick up. A research based on the internet proves that games can in fact boost memory and other cognitive skills. A team comprised of cognitive neuroscientists and gaming technology experts created a game with potential therapeutic applications, as part of an ongoing research effort at the University of Texas, Dallas ( quoted from the Huffigton Post article titled - Why these neuroscientists are prescribing video games - Huffigtonpost - Carolyn Gregoire). Researchers have found that some of the large and hugely popular online video games – although condemned by many as time-gobbling, people-isolating monsters – actually have socially redeeming qualities (quoted from www.news.illinois.edu - University of Illinois - Andrea Lyn). Atleast one fact emerges from the finding of these researchers, that games cannot be treated as games. They are, I think they are monumental examples of human creativity and aesthetic sense. 

This blog is based on my experience of playing Farming Simulator on PS Vita. I found the game to be quite immersive and challenging. The ideas below will summarise my thoughts about the game. 

1) The game encourages the players to practice discipline in life. There is a place and space for each farming equipment. 

2) There is a sense of success through the act of buying and upgrading the farming equipment.

3) The game is always punctuated by achievable short term goals and the player can set himself some long term goals.

4) The game offers valuable lessons in planning and execution.

5) There is the scope for vocabulary enrichment through farming vocabulary.