In an effort to become mentally sharp, I downloaded Brain Training Academy for my iPod and spent more than 6 months trying to remember to play it each day. My graphs were looking up! I was getting smarter!
As it turns out, the game was just like many of my friends. Just telling me what I wanted to hear.
A new study indicates that Brain-Building games are essentially the “Airborne” of video games, offering virtually no mental benefit.
Son of a…..The big offender here is Nintendo, which made claims in its advertising that the games Big Brain Academy and Brain Training would wake up “Grey” cells and get your mind working in a more efficient manner. In the UK, their commercials included Nicole Kidman getting her synapses firing again with the DS.
According to researchers, you get just as much brain stimulation playing these Nintendo games as you do helping your kids do their homework.
So, instead of buying a 30 dollar game for a 130 dollar system, tonight I’m going home and work on coloring inside the lines, or gluing scraps of construction paper to a picture of a penguin. Just thinking about this enlightenment is giving me goosebumps.
This makes me (further) question the legitimacy of Nintendo’s other claims. Could I trump Wii Fit by lifting pencils over my head repeatedly? I am thinking that the answer is YES.
I think its time we all start questioning, with a little more ferocity, the claims made by “Edutainment” titles and fitness fads. Studies already show that lots of games that aren’t marketed by preying on our need to belong and live up to society’s expectations, deliver very measurable benefits to our coordination, eyesight, mental acuity, problem solving skills, and stress levels. If I have a choice between bettering myself with Call of Duty or a SoDoKu puzzle…. well.
You get the picture.
Have you played any brain training games that you thought helped? Do you think they are full of crap? Tell us here.
(ANSWER TO QUIZ: In case you haven’t already guessed, there is no difference. That’s the point brainiac.)
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Rofl great article.
I figured there was no difference but it still looks like the one on the left looks more yellow.
left, right, it’s the same thing
I hate Big Brain Academy with a passion. Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Age is fun, though. I enjoy it immsensely, and it’s definetely helped my reflexes =P
They aren’t full of crap. Say you come across 6×6=? while playing Big Brain Academy. You have no idea. When you get your results you see the anwser is 36. Oh ok.
The next day you play the game again. You come across the same problem, 6×6=?. You say, “Hey, I remember this! It’s 36.” Bam, your graph goes up.
The next week you have a math exam. You’re having trouble when all of a sudden you see 6×6=?. Con-Flabbit!! It’s the same problem!
These games are no different than flash cards (just way more expensive). Oh course they make you smarter (in my opinion).
So wait a sec, if this game trains cells in the brain that are activated when doing things like collaring inside the lines and you became better at the game that should, theoretically, make you a freakn’ Leonardo Da Vinci…or you just really sucked at collaring inside the lines.
So because it’s a scientific study it’s automatically correct? Since using Brain Training, my school performance has increased significantly. Are you telling me it’s a coincidence because some big-wig with false information says so?
great website