Research on video game benefits

A recent study summarizes a decade of video games research. The article shows first-person shooters improve three-dimensional thinking, a predictor of career success in STEM fields; people who play more video games report better problem solving abilities; video game playing is correlated with creativity and persistence in problem solving; and adolescents who play games with civic dimensions are more likely to be engaged in civic activity in their everyday lives.
Granic, I., Lobel, A., & Engels, R.. (2013). The benefits of playing video games. American Psychologist, 1-13. DOI: 10.1037/a0034857
http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-a0034857.pdf