Remember when Guitar Hero and Rock Band came out, and set off furious debate about whether they could actually teach any musical skills, or whether the people devoting hundreds of hours to the game should punt their plastic guitars into a dumpster and just take music lessons? Here at Polygon, where we all play games, we took a moment to consider what real-world abilities we’d have acquired by now if video games could confer every skill we’ve had to learn in games.
The conversation about whether video games can teach real-world skills has been going on almost as long as there have been video games. Gran Turismo picks up the real-world story of pro racer Jann Mardenborough, who went from winning a GT Academy competition to winning races on the real-world competitive circuit. In TMNT, extensive experience with Forza Horizon prepares mutant shut-in Donatello to drive a van under the most aggressive and frightening street conditions possible. Gran Turismo and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem have one big thing in common that certainly wasn’t planned: Both movies suggest that playing a lot of racing games will make you an awesome real-world driver.
