Video Games Will Make Us Smarter [unedited]

As video games gain prominence, some game creators are turning to global issues, such as poverty alleviation, international diplomacy, and combating climate change, for inspiration. Playing these socially minded games, they argue, allows users to build tangible skills in combating crisis and solving critical problems. But others see the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, dominated by portrayals of crime and war, as a threat that desensitizes its users to violence and encourages anti-social behavior.  Will video games soon provide innovative solutions to our most pressing social, political and economic challenges?  Or is the impact of gaming overrated and potentially destructive?