Games are Good for You

Today I'm going to put a shameless plug out for the Nintendo DS, and more specifically, Phoenix Wright. In the Phoenix Wright games, you take on the role of Phoenix Wright, a bright but inexperienced defense lawyer. Through investigations, you uncover witnesses and evidence that you use in court to untangle the web of lies spun by the prosecution and reveal the truth. This is just one of many games for the DS that aren't just a time passer. Games like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk teach you to notice details and be aware of possible repercussions when dealing with people. Brain Age keeps your mind from becoming sluggish. Cooking Mama teaches you recipes for food! Don't believe that games can apply to real life? Here's a real-life situation saved by Phoenix Wright, with names and times edited for confidentiality, and embellishments added for drama.

The situation: Two days ago, you got into an accident while driving a rental car. You thought you were covered by the rental company's insurance policy at the time, but as you return the car, you are told that you were not covered and need to pay the cost of damages. What do you do? Pull out your training from Phoenix Wright!

Rental Agent: You've signed two contracts here, one with insurance and one without. The second contract without insurance supersedes the terms of the first one.
You: Objection! If you look closely at the contracts, both of them are timestamped 8:43am! Thus, there is no way to determine which contract supersedes the other!
Rental Agent: Uhh, well, there's a timestamped record kept in the computer of all changes made to a contract.
You: Please include this in your testimony.
*Contract History added to Court Record*
Rental Agent: I haven't checked myself, but if you look at the records, you'll find that the contract with insurance added came first, but you changed your mind and signed the second contract without insurance before you left that morning.
You: Objection! Take a close look at the Contract History, if you please.
...
Contract Opened    9/1/2007 9:02am
Insurance Added    9/1/2007 9:03am
Contract Printed   9/1/2007 9:03am
Insurance Deleted  9/1/2007 2:30pm
Contract Printed   9/1/2007 2:30pm
Car Swapped        9/1/2007 2:34pm
Contract Printed   9/1/2007 2:35pm
...
Rental Agent: ...!
You: You've noticed, haven't you? Only ONE contract was printed in the morning when we took out the car, and it included the insurance policy. The accident occurred around 1:43pm. Afterwards, the insurance on the car was removed, and the modified agreement was signed when we swapped the car. Clearly, then, we were still covered by your insurance policy at the time of the accident!
Rental Agent: ...You're right. I might lose my job over this, but it looks like they haven't been playing fair with you guys, and that really irritates me. I'll make sure you guys are covered in the report.

*CASE CLOSED*

Lesson learned: Cover your ass. Another victory for gaming!