What real life skills have you picked up through games?

I went to an indoor kart racing place for the first time the other day and it seemed like all my Trackmania ability translated perfectly, minus the loops and jumps sadly. Now I'm thinking of going to a shooting range to see if any of those skills carries over. What skills have you guys unknowingly learned through games?

And on a side note I recommend you try kart racing if you have a nice place near you. Drifting feels amazing.

None whatsoever. Although I haven't had a chance to test my bionic arm swinging skills in real life yet.

I don't get half as salty when I lose as I did when I was younger. I learned wrestling was awesome through WWE all stars.

I'm pretty amazing at arranging DVD cases on a shelf.

Line up ladies.

The Baldur's Gate games along with other isometric RPGs actually helped my "map awareness" a lot. When I first got to Undergrad, many people were lost/confused and shuffled around campus with the little map they printed off, not knowing which way to turn or which directory was north etc etc. Not me. After navigating Amn and Sigil, campus was a breeze.

I learnt how to talk to girls.

"You're in my seat." Amongst other lines.

Catherine has taught me how to date which is nice. Actually Atlus is very good at teaching you how do deal with women/people. Thanks Catherine/Persona 4!

knowledge leads to intimacy.

I can't think of anything for myself, but I remember reading a news story about a Swedish kid that survived a bear attack by playing dead, he said that he got the idea from playing his Hunter (who have the "Feign Death" ability) in World of Warcraft.

So basically World of Warcraft saved his life.

I'm probably pretty amazing with a sword...

Not really "picked up" exactly, but raiding on WoW since launch has increased my situational awareness quite a bit for everything else I do, real life or other games.

StarCraft II has probably helped me with multitasking.

Also, back in the day, Maple Story had helped me learn math because I was always trying to find the most efficient way to grind looking at all of the numbers.

Rapelay has helped me get better at- Nevermind that's going to get me banned.

Wrestling skills because of Tekken. Okay, only the DDT, but it's something.

I learned the theoretical limitations of my own car. Thanks Forza 4!

Half-Life 2 and Gary's mod helped me better conceptualize Newtonian mechanics.

I also know a lot more about guns and can probably shoot better as well. And cars (thanks GT3).

Counter Strike can and did teach me how to shoot and kill people.

You can have that one for free, Fox News.

I'm pretty good at fitting a large amount of things into a small, compact space thanks to Tetris, and I can theoretically play scales and the beepy part of Du Hast on a piano now thanks to Rock Band 3.

I've become better at dealing with the cold, hard fact that my mother is a whore and will sleep with any underage kid that I kill too many times in an online game.

Video Games taught me English before school even tried, I'm way better at multitasking now and my reactions are faster, my eyes pick up small movements a lot easier nad on top of that my situational awareness is greatly increased.

Now, I'm not actually GOOD at any of theses things, I'm just saying games made me slightly better.

I'm better at multitasking thanks to Starcraft.

Also, I'd be surprised if anyone could actually drastically shoot better in real life (with no prior shooting experience) just because of games. You may have more base knowledge, but the actual feel of a gun firing is soooo much different than just pushing a button and moving a mouse/stick. You gain a whole new respect for it the second you pull that trigger the first time.

If you find someone locked in a cell or cage, don't let him out. He will proceed to systematically murder all your friends, one by one.

@MentalDisruption said:

I'm better at multitasking thanks to Starcraft.

Also, I'd be surprised if anyone could actually drastically shoot better in real life (with no prior shooting experience) just because of games. You may have more base knowledge, but the actual feel of a gun firing is soooo much different than just pushing a button and moving a mouse/stick. You gain a whole new respect for it the second you pull that trigger the first time.

I was actually quite good the first time I went skeet shooting. Out of about 30 rich redneck uncles and cousins, I had the best percentage of hits, not bragging or anything (maybe a little...) and they're mostly considered to be pretty good. I think games taught me how to properly aim down sights and lead targets. Yeah, it "feels" different, but it's the same concept. If it wasn't, then games don't do a very good job.

Most adventure games/RPGs have helped me improve my spatial awareness (provided I'm paying attention to my surrounds in a new area). I would also credit my experiences playing driving games to my ability to maintain control of a vehicle on slippery road conditions.

Rock Band taught me how to kinda play the drums, and also was a gateway to the world of music I live in now.

I learned driving faster than my siblings, perhaps because of just being naturally better, but I like to think it's from my years of Burnout and Mario Kart.

The Fire Emblem series refined my sense of probability and my ability to gamble (Because when there's a 70% chance your attack will hit, and a 95% chance the enemy will counterattack and kill you if said attack misses, you're gambling)

Before playing Call of Duty 4, I had difficulty with using sights on guns. Now--or at least the last time I went shooting--I am able to pull it off.

I'm good at untangling cords.

Surgery. Seriously, I'm a medical student and surgeons in class tell us if you're good at videogames, you're good at surgery because of the hand-and-eye coordination. We did a class on keyhole surgery, and I had no problem understanding where my surgical tools were in relation to the camera on the end of the endoscope.

So all you people playing murder simulators, you can also be saving lives IRL!

I learned a good technique for shifting your weight when sneaking from playing Metal Gear Solid. Seriously, "Miller" has a lengthy description of how to do it, followed by him telling you to just push lightly on the control stick.

I feel like there are a lot of things that could be learned from those games. Not necessarily useful, but things.

Mostly spatial awareness stuff and hand-eye coordination, but video games were how I learned to read before school. That sounds natty as shit, but I'd be playing Diablo and my mother would force me to read her all the text at hand. If it was a weapon description, I'd do it, and it went all the way to the huge books you'd find.  
 
It got weird in middle school and high school when I knew words like alacrity and had no idea how to explain how I knew them. 

@MooseyMcMan: Oh yeah, MGS2 taught me about how lasers work, and that smoke can make them show up.

Well, I'm not dead yet, so that's pretty great. I don't know. I guess.

Not really a skill more just knowledge,

Guitar Hero/Rock Band expanded what I know about music groups (past & current), my understanding for the music industry, & my tastes in music overall. I know this my sound stupid(but then again you guys might understand), but I dont know what my life would be like if I haven't play GH/RB game. It had such an impact on my teenage mind & still does to this day, that if you were to go back & take that away from my past, I could have been a completely different person.

All the RPG's & Metal Gear Solid I play make me better at picking up stories in other mediums.

Just from buying games in general I've learned some tips on how to save/plan my money out accordingly, when is it okay/not to buy game because I need to help the folks, & that cigarettes/drugs are to damn expensive so I dont waste my time with them (EX: In NYC a pack is about $10-$12, how much is a new game full price? Yeah, I'll take Mass Effect 3 over 6 packs of cigs any day).

@Nocall said:

The Baldur's Gate games along with other isometric RPGs actually helped my "map awareness" a lot. When I first got to Undergrad, many people were lost/confused and shuffled around campus with the little map they printed off, not knowing which way to turn or which directory was north etc etc. Not me. After navigating Amn and Sigil, campus was a breeze.

This, although it was not only Baldur`s Gate. Other than that, if I had to land a plane in a emergeny, I probably would crash it, but I think I have a slightly higher chance to land it than someone who has never touched a flight sim.

@ShaggE said:

I'm pretty good at fitting a large amount of things into a small, compact space thanks to Tetris, and I can theoretically play scales and the beepy part of Du Hast on a piano now thanks to Rock Band 3.

Rapelay taught me that first one.

@Red said:

@MooseyMcMan: Oh yeah, MGS2 taught me about how lasers work, and that smoke can make them show up.

I didn't say it would all be factual things.

@MooseyMcMan: Patience

I learned English from playing Oblivion.

Amazing, ain't it?

Minmax everything!

Not really a skill but I've expanded my vocabulary quite a bit over the years from different games.. uncommon but useful stuff I hear.

Learning to read, I didn't really care to read when I was little but my dad played games so when I realized that if I could read, no one would have to read in game text to me. I decided to learn and play by myself.

If someone has a murder mystery that can be solved by doing a matchstick puzzle I'm their man.

Driving. Everyone I drove with while learning to drive told me I was really good through the curves. Mind you these curves were through the hills of Northern California so uphill and downhill turns at 30 to 45 MPH. Though I guess really that's just good spatial awareness, depth perception, and perception of speed. Who cares I passed my driving test on the first try after a year of not driving and I totally pin that on GT4.

I learned how to spot weld a dude's face...to his face.  That was useful.

Firearms operation.

Hand eye coordination. Sometimes when shit's about to fall on the ground, I'm able to catch it.

Videogames taught me how to read. And Assassins Creed has taught me how to say "rest in piece" in Italian. Which I personally find dope as hell.

When the zombies come. I will be ready. 

A military training simulator - essentially a video game - called Virtual Battlespace 2 was used to train my platoon in counter-IED convoy drills before we deployed to Afghanistan.

VBS2 became the basis for the ArmA series, I believe.

I have learned to put all my experience points into Athletics if I want to make it up a steep hill.

@Green_Incarnate said:

Hand eye coordination. Sometimes when shit's about to fall on the ground, I'm able to catch it.

Be sure you wash your hands afterwards.

@MooseyMcMan: Alla them codec entries... I think MGS 3 has ridicolous amounts of actual information about guns and russian wildlife.

Like how eating glowing mushrooms refill your batteries.

Shit