MGC Reviews: Lost in a Good Game

Video Games are great. They add a wealth of entertainment to our lives and I would argue that the benefits have always outweighed any negative effects that may stem from them, but do I have the data to prove my point? Is there a way to quantify the benefits of gaming and measure the impact they have on our community? We all have our own anecdotal evidence that shows the benefit video games add or the detriment they may cause in our lives, but what good is an opinion without proper data to show proof of our own hypothesis? That’s the idea behind Pete Etchells’ Book Lost in a Good Game.

If you’ve ever wondered why and how scientific studies are done to try and quantify the effect that gaming has on all of us, this book is for you. It takes a closer look at some of the big questions that we’ve had like “Do video games cause Violence”, “Is gaming Addictive?” and “Why do we play Games?”. Pete analyzes certain high profile studies done concerning these topics and demonstrates how faulty data collection, analysis and dissemination can cause confusion and lead to inaccurate headlines and stigma placed on the gaming culture. Do Video Games Cause Violence? One study says Yes! Another says NO. And a third can say there’s no evidence that it has any impact one way or another… All using the same sample data from a flawed experiment. The truth of the matter is it’s a lot more complex than a simple yes or no and sometimes a flashy headline like “Video Games Linked to Violent Tendencies” gets all the attention when the opposite may in fact be true.

I’m a big data and analysis nerd (as it is my full time job) and this book was a great read for me since I’m already in that world, but even if you aren’t and you just love to play games this book can open your eyes to a lot of answers you may be looking for when people ask you if video games are as addictive as gambling or if someone tries to blame gun violence on violent video games. Pete Etchells does a great job breaking down every step in the journey to create a psychological study and provides examples of how a great study can look and how to get more accurate results through community involvement and peer suggestions. I would highly recommend this book to any involved in psychological studies, data analysis or anyone interested in gaming studies!

Rating: 8/10

-Andrew