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IBM Exec Believes Gaming Good for Developing Leadership Skills

by Tim Stevens on January 2, 2009 at 01:56 PM

Games Help Kids Develop Real-World SkillsStill on the fence about whether video games offer good real-world experience and lessons for kids, despite the many studies that report findings to the contrary? If so, an executive at IBM would like to change your mind, as he firmly believes that gaming is good for children, including his own.

David Laux, a Global Executive for IBM in charge of their interactive entertainment division, thinks that video games teach children valuable lessons, and refers to his own 11-year-old daughter's experience playing 'Zoo Tycoon,' a game that tasks players with managing the day-to-day tasks at a zoo. While playing that game she has to not only worry about keeping the creatures alive, but keeping the grounds clean, the employees happy, and of course customers streaming in the front gates. It's a complex mix of prioritizing and budget-minding, skills that he says are "directly transferable to a real life environment."


He's also rather complementary toward World of Warcraft players, a breed of gamers usually looked down upon for their inattention to social necessities -- like showering and leaving their apartments. Laux says the game "produces tremendous leadership skills among players" and encourages players to learn good teamwork. So, if you're looking to prepare your children for the professional world, maybe you should encourage they do a bit of gaming... after they finish their homework, of course. [From: BBC]

Tags: children, david laux, DavidLaux, gaming, ibm, video games, VideoGames

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