#34 – Too many nights in Solitude

There it is. Solitude.

Video games are my escape. I solve murders in 1950s LA, race to the Kwik-E-Mart, win the Champions League and slay dragons around Skyrim’s capital city, Solitude.

Skyrim was the only place I could go out for a beer. Turning on my PlayStation swept me from my living room into another world anywhere between Springfield and Gotham City.

If you’re like me, you watch a movie and end up looking at your phone. You might read a book, but your eyes wander around.

A great video game like Skyrim totally immerses you in their world.

From the start, there are literally a thousand characters to interact with across the expansive, beautiful landscapes. Some will even sing for you.

Then the mythos of Skyrim is as elaborate and enchanting as the world itself. You can talk, observe, fight, steal wheels of cheese; anything while you explore it all.

Even the soundtrack is brilliant. I’m listening to it now.

It’s nice to see video games getting a good rap. While some parents maintain that video games produce violent, dull children; the research says it improves spatial awareness, motor skills and problem solving.

Another cool thing about games? They literally do not let you continue unless you beat what’s in front of you. You have to improve your skills, apply them, level up and progress. Much harder than tuning out of your show or skipping pages of a book.

Just a final thought – I like the thought of video games creating better leaders. You get to be a protagonist, taking all the responsibility on your shoulders and making critical decisions under pressure.

Changing formations on FIFA when you’re 3-1 down, organising an assault in Battlefield with other players online, solving the Riddler’s riddles as you save Arkham City.

It’s a great way to exercise some of your leadership traits.

Next week: It’s not all bad