Challenge is not the issue. Dark Souls is bloody difficult, but that doesn't mean that I feel like I've been using my brain after playing it.

Video games are awesome, but they provide too much stimulation and instant gratification for little kids. I don't think TV is much better, but video games are way more entertaining than TV.

Dude, playing Dark Souls requires more brain power than the vast majority of most peoples’ jobs.

If my kid was good at Dark Souls I’d be impressed. Hell, if I was good at Dark Souls I’d be impressed with myself.

Difficulty != brain power requirement.

Flipping heads on a coin 20 times in a row is difficult, but doesn't require thinking. Flipping a water bottle to land is difficult, but doesn't require critical/analytical thinking skills.

Beating Dark Souls requires lots of things. Hand-eye coordination, focus, determination, discipline to grind until your are good at something, learning the game world, learning the enemies, problem solving, etc...

Good games definitely require brain power and critical thinking. I think most people that don't play good (at least my definition of good) games don't understand some of what they teach. I believe that learning anything can be good for you.

Kids need to learn how to learn, focus, and grind to be good at something. Video games help with that. Well, not the generic slot machine simulator "games" or "brain training" games that are popular on mobile, but actual games with depth that provide challenges.

I would say the distinction you're going for here is simple but not easy.

dark souls is basic pattern recognition and hand eye coordination at best.

Exactly!!!!

It astounds me how often I see ads for slot machine games on mobile. How could that possibly be fun? I guess there's an implication that you can actually win stuff, which I know isn't true. But them I've never seen the appeal of real slot machines either.