An interesting article in Wired asserts that video games are an essential part of training the next generation for productive work in a high-tech society.

The claim centers around the move from the fuzzy school programs of the late 70's and 80's to the "back-to-basics" programs of the 90's and the 0's. Asserting that these programs concentrate, as did their predecessors earlier in the century, on rote memorization instead of creative and analytical thinking.

Enter the videogame. Although many of the games are decried for their violence, there are few popular video games today that don't contain essential elements of critical through, whether those are the social dynamics of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs), the formation of tactics in First Person Shooters (FPSs) like Half Life, or the analytical puzzle solving in Myst.

This one is sure to provide additional fuel for the good vs. evil argument of video games.