No one can deny that almost all video games rely on quick thinking and decision making. Typically, a game player will have a limited time to make a decision in their game ? whether it's placing down a Tetris block, or moving their character to a descending platform ? and neglecting to make that decision in time has negative consequences. Video games increase the brain's ability to make quick and logical decisions, something that certainly can't be gained from simply watching television.

Studies have shown that games such as Brain Age and Big Brain Academy can actually serve to improve memory with old age, and even delay the onset of some diseases such as Alzheimer's. The fact is, logical thinking is a neglected part of daily life ? especially in children's education ? and there are many video games today which serve to specifically enhance this part of a person's brain.

It's a proven fact that video games help to relieve stress. For the average person, playing a game for about 15-20 minutes every day is a great way to wind down and relax ? there are plenty of easy games that anyone can learn, though are difficult to master, such as Minesweeper or Tetris.

In the same way that some people like to read a book to relax, video games are their own form of ?fictional universe? that takes a person's mind off the world around them and allows them to slip into a comfortable place where stress and worries take a back seat. With the advanced nature of some of today's video games ? with complex plots and puzzles ? a person can find a deeper sense of relaxation and separation from the world's problems.

To start you may want to familiarize yourself with some of the components of a "Gaming Systems". Each Gaming System has its own technology and is comprised of the following:

Gaming Console: This is the actual component that the gaming media that contains the actual game, such as a DVD or CD, is played on. Without this there is no gaming system as this contains your CPU, memory, and other such input and output ports.

Gaming Controllers: These are your input device for playing the game. These are much like a mouse or keyboard that you use on your computer. Many controllers contain an array of buttons that perform various actions such as making a character in the game run or shoot a gun or some other assigned function.

Video Game Media: The most common type of Video Game Media are DVD, CD, Gaming Cartridge, and downloaded files. So you might find a certain game is available for the PC and for the Xbox 360 but not available for Nintendo Wii or PS3. Each video game will state on the cover what Gaming System it is for.

Viewing Screen: The Gaming Console has to be connected to some sort of monitor or TV to view the game on. Some of the Portable Gaming Systems have small Monitors built into them much like many cell phones now have. In fact many cell phones contain gaming systems along with the rest of their many functions.