The Pennsylvania State University media researchers also discovered players who were not highly energized and had a negative mood, registered the highest creativity.

"You need defocused attention for being creative," said Penn State Professor S. Shyam Sundar. "When you have low arousal and are negative, you tend to focus on detail and become more analytical."

Sundar and graduate student Elizabeth Hutton said they are trying to determine the value of video games as a vehicle for sparking positive social traits, such as creativity.

"Video games are not just for entertainment alone," said Sundar. "We are trying to figure out how they can aid in education as well."

The scientists determined either high or low arousal is key to creativity. In other words, medium amounts of arousal aren't conducive to creativity.

Sundar and Hutton presented their findings last week in Montreal during the annual conference of the International Communication Association.