Whenever a tragedy occurs, voices from all around proclaim, “It’s all because of those violent video games!”.
As gamers, we often hear these and similar words, most frequently uttered by people who don’t even attempt to understand the gaming world. However, it turns out that games have done a lot of good, and even… saved many lives!
What Can You Learn From Games?
Research shows that video games allow for the development of various mental and cognitive skills, positively influence mental health, and are also great support in children’s education.
As it turns out, some people have drawn much more from video games than just improving their concentration level, developing logical thinking skills, or expanding their imagination.
Browsing internet forums, it’s easy to find stories of ordinary people titled “video games saved my life”, who warmly remember certain titles, saying that they prevented them from harming themselves. But there’s more to it!
Today, we’ll present you with a few stories in which games played a huge role. Some people were taught basic first aid skills, others got to know how to defend oneself in critical situations, and yet others, thanks to games, didn’t end up on the streets. Here are a few moving stories about video games saving lives!
Few Times When Video Games Saved Lives
We’ll mention just a few stories, but there have been many such situations. You’ve probably heard about students who surprised their professors with their knowledge (gained from video games) and achieved high grades.
A few years ago, there was also a buzz about a surgeon who openly stated that he learned his dexterity, steady hands, and focus skills by playing an old video game – and thus – encouraged other doctors to play… All of these are examples confirming the importance of games and their positive impact on many skills. But let’s get to the really chilling stories and people saved by gaming!
Teen saved friends thanks to Counter Strike
Although first-person shooter games are often mentioned as the cause of various tragedies, such as real-life shootings, it turns out that the skills acquired in them can save lives. This was the case for Jose Darwin Graciano – a 12-year-old Filipino living in Mandaue.
The boy, along with his friends, like kids at that age, was playing on the street. At one point, someone in the group found a few oddly shaped objects. One of Jose’s friends was about to pick up these items and use them in play when Graciano warned him.
As it turned out, the 12-year-old recognized among the found items… a real grenade! The group quickly notified adults and the police, who confiscated and secured the dangerous explosive materials.
When asked how he knew what he found, Jose explained that it was all thanks to his favourite game – Counter Strike, where he had the opportunity to closely examine various grenades on multiple occasions.
If not for this popular FPS and the boy’s fondness for this game, it’s scary to think what could have happened…
Man saved car crash victim thanks to America’s Army
Although we often see skids and car accidents in various games, witnessing such an event in real life is truly a chilling experience that can literally paralyse and rob one of the ability to think logically.
Fortunately, Paxton Galvanek was able to keep his cool when he witnessed the SUV in front of him skid and then seriously flip over and crash. Without waiting a moment, he stopped his car and ran to help the injured.
Instantly, he pulled the driver out of the wreck and administered first aid, stopping the massive bleeding caused by the injury to the driver’s arm. And all thanks to… hours spent playing America’s Army. Galvanek knew he needed to secure the wound, elevate the limb to slow down the bleeding – all without any medical training, but only thanks to the knowledge gained in the game.
Thanks to Paxton’s courage, the injured survived the accident and awaited the arrival of the ambulance.
Little boy saved sister thanks to World of Warcraft
Two small children, on their way home, decided to take a shortcut through the woods when they were suddenly attacked by a huge, wild animal… sounds like the beginning of a classic horror film, right?
Well. In the case of Hans Jørgen Olsen and his sister, it’s not a made-up thriller, but a true story that, thanks to the boy’s courage and his love for World of Warcraft, didn’t turn into horror!
Taking a shortcut through the forest, the siblings encountered a moose. The children probably unintentionally entered its territory or startled it because the animal began to prepare to attack.
Fortunately, Hans, instead of panicking, decided to use the “taunt” skill he learned from his favourite game – it’s an ability that allows distracting the enemy’s attention – which allowed his sister to escape.
When the moose started charging at the boy, he used another trick he learned in the game – he pretended to be dead. Confused, the moose eventually gave up the attack and fled.
However, imagine what would have happened if instead, the children had panicked and started screaming – it’s worth remembering that a moose is a two-meter beast, capable of weighing up to 700 kg, against which an adult has no chance in a fight, let alone a 10-year-old… This is a clear example of video games saving lives.
Boy saved his grandpa thanks to GTA
We’re not suggesting in any way here that a video game can equate to a real driving course, but it’s undeniable that the basics of this skill can be “picked up” by playing driving games.
This was the case for 11-year-old Charley Cullen, who, thanks to techniques he observed in GTA, saved himself and his grandfather from a serious car accident.
Charley and his grandfather went for a drive. When they were driving on the highway (at a speed of 70 mph), the elderly man suddenly lost consciousness, still keeping his foot on the gas pedal.
However, the boy didn’t panic and quickly grabbed the steering wheel, manoeuvring the car between other vehicles, eventually… stopping it by scraping its side against the wall. Although Charley himself suffered a head injury, he managed to save his and his grandfather’s lives.
Of course, we also believe that a boy of his age is a bit too young to play games of this type, but if not for this particular title, the whole situation could have ended tragically.
Man saved from the streets thanks to Golden Axe, Tekken, and Street Fighter
Homelessness is a huge problem in almost every country – it is estimated that there are around 650,000 homeless people in the USA, and nearly 14,000 in the UK. Fortunately, Ryan Hart managed to get out of this uncomfortable situation, even though he ended up on the streets of London as a teenager.
The boy loved games and arcade salons since childhood. When his housing situation worsened, Ryan treated these places as his little haven, a temple, and a refuge from his issues.
He visited them often and honed his skills until he became… one of the masters – he won his first small tournament (playing Golden Axe) at the age of 17, which gave him real motivation and purpose in life.
Developing gaming skills and winning successive tournaments allowed Hart to escape homelessness and then poverty. He is now not only a proud winner of over 400 tournaments (with a special focus on Tekken) worldwide, but also runs his Twitch channel, and he also holds the Guinness World Record for defeating 260 opponents in an uninterrupted, 11-hour match in Street Fighter V.
Ryan himself says that his love for games gave him the strength to fight and allowed him to change his fate.
If not for video games… well, a teenager on the streets faces a whole bunch of dangers, and such a start in adult life often automatically eliminates the chance for normalcy. Fortunately, Ryan didn’t give up!
Conclusion
We would like to reach a point where video games stop being blamed for various tragedies… The cases mentioned above are just a few of hundreds, if not thousands, of stories confirming that both modern technology and gaming itself are truly something good. On many levels.
Video games ARE saving lives, they are teaching and helping people in many situations, as we proved above. If not for these specific games, the stories of many mentioned individuals could have taken a much more tragic turn.
In conclusion… if video games are something that gives you a reason to smile every day, allows you to meet new people, and makes you want to get out of bed, don’t give up your hobby. Perhaps one day, something you learn from them will also save your or someone else’s life.