Employeers avoiding gamers?
If you happen to see this, and you are involved at ALL with the hiring process. Listen up. If you are specifically avoiding candidates because they play MMOs like World of Warcraft or FPS games like the Call of Duty series or most games for that matter, you are probably doing more harm to your organization than good.
First, let me point out the one reason for me explicitly addressing this topic (I am sure there are many others). Critical and strategic thinking. Yes, that is right people whom are particularly good at many of these games are able to achieve those levels of success because they can think critically about situations, make logical choices, and see the bigger picture of the outcome. Take for example, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. There are several types of games, Headquarters and Search & Destroy for example that really exemplify these traits.
In a headquarters match, there are two teams. A location will be chosen at random for the headquarters. Both teams then need to capture this point and hold it for a pre-determined amount of time. Points are given out for each time unit the point is held. Once the point is capture if a member of the team who is holding the point dies they do not re-join the game till the next round (the other team, trying to take the HQ away, does not have this limitation). You have a finite number of resources to hold the point with, when they are gone, they are gone. Strategy is involved not only to capture the point but then to hold it.
Search and Destroy is similar. There are two teams. One has a bomb and the other has two “strategic points” to defend. In this game once a player dies they are out for the rest of the round. Finite resources, clearly defined objectives. Strategy. You have to out-think the other team and work together to win. Trying to be Rambo and running in guns blazing is a good way to make sure you are sitting out for most of every round.
World of Warcraft has lots of strategy and team work especially. The main focus of the game is what is called “end game”. It is when you reach the level cap and you then participate in “raids” or “arenas”. Raids are usually “25-man” events that can be several hours long. They can also be “10-man” events. 10 or 25 players will go through a dungeon and fight a variety of “boss” creatures. All whom have different abilities and strategies. Communication is KEY here. The in-game text based chat is usually passed over for something like Team Speak or Ventrilo. Voice chat has been available in game for a long time, but I don’t believe that it is used heavily.
Real-time Strategy (RTS) games are also very good, if not better, for increasing and toning critical logic and strategic thinking. RTS games can be equated to a virtual chess game with many more move possibilities and choices to make. Managing resources, creating units, and determining when, where, and how to deploy and use them for offense as well as defense.
Now, I do realize this is not a golden world. There are some of those that play that don’t know when to quit however those probably are not looking for a job anyway, so you are likely safe. I am also by no means saying that gamers are always better candidates that non-gamers only that it is silly to exclude them base on the fact that they game alone.
That said. I have played WoW and Call of Duty. I enjoy games in my free time. I like to think that my programming skills and team work skills have been supplemented (but not overly so) by games. I don’t feel they have made me leaps and bounds better but they definitely have not harmed my development or my ability to commit to a job, project, or task. All games, just like any other “extra-curricular” activity can be addictive and can invade other parts of life. It can be a problem for some people and cause others to lose interest in other things. However to use a blanket to avoid all gamers or even those that play certain games is probably more likely to cause employers to miss out on some very brilliant diamonds in the rough.
