Positive media article on gaming for once

Mr.Nice Guy

We're always hearing about how gaming is the root of all evil so I was pleased to see something positive written about it for once...

Gamer uses virtual training to save lives

Think playing video games is little more than a great way to waste time? Then you haven't met Paxton Galvanek. Last November, the twenty-eight year-old helped rescue two victims from an overturned SUV on the shoulder of a North Carolina interstate. As the first one on the scene, Galvanek safely removed both individuals from the smoking vehicle and properly assessed and treated their wounds, which included bruises, scrapes, head trauma and the loss of two fingers.

His medical background? None - other than what he's learned playing as a medic in the computer game America's Army.

The first-person shooter is developed and distributed by the U.S. Army. Though part of its mission is to promote its military namesake, America's Army is a fully-featured game that takes players through a virtual representation of real-life soldiering, from basic training to the field of battle. To play as a medic class, players must sit through extensive medical training tutorials based on real-life classes.

Lucky for the two survivors that Paxton Galvanek didn't zone out during the training, as the gamer credits this experience with teaching him how to handle himself in an emergency situation.

"In the case of this accident, I evaluated the situation and placed priority on the driver of the car who had missing fingers," he said. "I then recalled that in section two of the medic training, I learned about controlled bleeding. I noticed that the wounded man had severe bleeding that he could not control. I used a towel as a dressing and asked the man to hold the towel on his wound and to raise his hand above his head to lessen the blood flow which allowed me to evaluate his other injuries which included a cut on his head."

By the time help arrived in the form of -- ironically enough -- an Army soldier, the individuals were in stable condition and awaiting the paramedics.

Galvanek's decisions were lauded by game project director Colonel Casey Wardynski. "Because of the training he received in America's Army's virtual classroom, Mr. Galvanek had mastered the basics of first aid and had the confidence to take appropriate action when others might do nothing. He took the initiative to assess the situation, prioritize actions and apply the correct procedures... Paxton is a true hero."

According to the developers of America's Army, this is the second time one of their users has reportedly applied techniques learned in the game to real-life emergency situations.

http://us.i1.yimg.com/videogames.yahoo.com/feature/gamer-uses-virtual-training-to-save-lives/1181064

Bet the guy would be pretty handy in a shoot-out too. :cool:

Genghiz Cohen

I have a game that teaches me how to jump on people heads, killing them, then eat magical mushrooms.
And another game that taught me that if I get hit by a .50Cal anti-vehicle rifle, in the arm, I'll be OK, and can continue the fight.
Hooray for games!!

Zillah

As the avatar thief above me implies, I actually find this very worrying.

Luckily this guy happened to have been playing a game that gave realistic lessons. I'm terrified to think what some twenty-something fool might do if he came across explosives, firearms, injured people, gunmen etc and reacted according to what a game had taught them.

Zapp Brannigan

Propoganda anyone?

K.O.Kiki

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Propoganda anyone?

Opportunist marketing aside, this guy handled himself better than most civvies.

Hell, I'd probably just either stare dumbfounded, or backtrack & try to find a medipack.

Genghiz Cohen

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Opportunist marketing aside, this guy handled himself better than most civvies.

Hell, I'd probably just either stare dumbfounded, or backtrack & try to find a medipack.

"It's all a cut-scene! There's nothing I can do!"

Kinetic^

MEDIC!!!!

Fair play though.

_CreeD_

Good thing he wasn't a Team Fortress Classic fan, they'd have died with him hitting them with a first aid box repeatedly.

thelordofcheese

If it weren't for the links i'd think this was someone taking the traditional "games are evil" rubbish and then sending it to a mirror universe and Copy-pasting the results.
It's got all the same traits as the more typical stories.
Events happen, someone does something, found to have played videogames, blame (or in this case, bizzare praise) placed on video games.

The boy applied common sense to a situation, nothing else.

johnny_ultimate

You know, I will defend even pretty much every game ever made.
But America's Army disgusts me. For every one player who saves someone as a result of playing the game, there are probably a hundred idiots drafted into the army as a result of said shameless propaganda tool.

chamlis

It just reminds me of when years ago, people who watched Baywatch thought they could do CPR.

The answer of course was NOOOOO!