Got Game?

I've been seeing a lot of online discussion about libraries and video games lately.
Some of that discussion is about public libraries hosting video game nights to try and attract young men into the library. Also a library in an online gaming universe recently won second place in a library technology competition (post).

But there is also discussion of video games as educational. The library at the University of Illinois now has a video game collection. "World of Warcraft is an ideal learning environment" claims the post "I want a gaming librarian" from McMaster University Library. Video games are seen as teaching problem solving and technology skills and, as the gaming paradigm shifts from single player to online multi-player, collaboration and teamwork.

I enjoy video games occasionally but would not consider myself an avid video game player. I have thought from time to time, that despite parental skepticism, video game playing was helpful in developing skills that I use at work. Both the problem solving skills and the patience required to excel at video games, I believe has served several of my peers well as they moved on to computer related jobs.

Still I retain a certain suspicion of video games as a legitimate hobby. I've been thinking about the similarities and differences between video games and more traditional hobbies. Is there a significant difference between constructing a video game civilization and constructing and operating model trains? I may share some of my thoughts later but I'm curious what you think.