Thats right finally someone has stepped up and written an article to defend the activity of playing video games. Yahoo Games recently had an article in which they discuss five reasons why video games are good for you.

1. They can improve your eyesight. Hand eye coordination is improved by playing shooters that force your eyes to track movements on a screen. A research stiuy at the University of Rochester showed increased accuracy to pick out objects out of a cluttered space after playing games like Halo and Gears for 30 hours. Although play 72 hours straight and I think you can actually see the 4th dimension and pink elephants.

2. They can help you focus.A Cornell study in conjuction with NASA showed kids with ADHD, attention disorders, benefited from playing games. They would actually focus on scoring higher or leveling and help them concentrate on that particular task.

3. They can help you lose weight.We all hear stories about the Wii and DDR and how you can lose weight, but this guy actually chronicles his weight loss. Break out your Wii remotes and get some tennis in to get those washboard abs.

4. They can help you understand classic literature.Ok I don’t quite see the direct correlation between GTA and Shakespeare but they do make some comparisons between current video game characters such as Master Chief as an epic hero. I guess so, at least if you get an RPG you’ll have to read somewhat.

5. They can literally save your life.This one is pretty kool. A doctor at New York’s Beth Israel Medical Center actually tells patients that he is “awesome at Super Monket Ball”. The doctor’s theory is that playing games made him a better surgeon and impacted his skills with laparoscopic surgery tools. Now that is something to hear from your doctor, I didn’t go to medical school but I f@ckin rock at Trauma Center, let’s get started!

6. They make you better in bed. Ok, ok… so I made this one up, but if you have played God of War I or II there is a mini-game in there that might give you ideas. The possibilities are endless.

All in all I think ths article puts a nice positive spin on gaming and has some substance to back it up. Now go out there and improve your life one game at a time.