207: Wired Differently

[The Random One]

Wow, there are a lot of replies to this thread. I had no idea this was so widespread. Too bad it's not widespread enough (apparently) for games to aknowledge it. Maybe it is, and people who suffer from it just shy away from games... in which case, as games become more widespread, more options benefitting people suffering from it will show up.

One of my friends said he'd start feeling nausea and dizziness... on one specific part of one specific game, only. (If you're curious: 007 Nightfire on the GameCube, on that level in a Japanese house, right after the second checkpoint.) I can defenitively relate, as I recently discovered I suffer from labyrinthitis, which grows worse as I age and can give a gamer quite similar symptoms (except for migraine, as far as I know).

 

[Syntax Error]

This is exactly the reason I turned off the head bobbing in FEAR. Too much unnecessary movement makes me feel nauseous. When it comes to videogames for entertainment, I always felt that there should be a threshold for realism. Because, if you think about it, being realistic for the sake of realism will compromise gameplay at one point (unless you're gunning for an all-out simulation, then by all means be as realistic as you want). Luckily for FEAR, there was an option, however, take a game like MGS3, which has "forest survival" as one of its main features. As good as that game was, the survival aspect of eating, resting and treating injuries just broke the flow all too often. Granted, it might be a limit of the technology to not be able to implement it in a better way, but still.

Oh, and this is probably the reason why I don't feel nauseous when I play Prototype, even if it is a faster-moving game. Even if the game goes all chaotic on you from time to time, you can easily keep your orientation on everything that's going on around you. I do feel my stomach sinking when I take Alex atop a very high building, then jump off it. Though that happens to me in a lot of games where falling from high places is a normal occurrence.

 

[ender003]

I'm shocked so many people were oblivious to this.

I get this real bad. I used to get it even with GTA4. I think it had to do with how the camera moved.

 

[kennedyusa058]

This is an interesting discussion.. thank you for sharing.

pret auto [http://pret-auto.org]

 

[TheDoomThing]

A excellent article about a topic not many are familar with. While I don't suffer from VSS, I'm not a huge fan of FPSs, but that's probably from liking to plan out my course of action, not charging in. Getting ninja snipered drives me crazy, though I do enjoy creeping up behind a sniper and shooting them in the head or their digital nads. I do have to imagine playing shooters might induce motion sickness, because you often have to move fast in them, and you often have to make quick shots. Plus, the first-person view can get incredibly disorienting when you're in the thick of simulated battle. I've also heard of VSS in a few places, I hadn't seen a good article like this. Thanks for the great article.

 

[geldonyetich]

I've got a small touch of this as well. It's sort of weird - it only happens sometimes when playing engines that have a certain kind of approach. Painkiller was one of those games. I get flu-like symptoms.

 

[Zombie_Fish]

VSS? That's cool. Oddly, Mirror's Edge didn't and doesn't effect me in the least.

That what Mirror's Edge is trying to do though. They didn't include things like head bobbing so that it seems less reaslistic, and VSS isn't experienced or reduced if it is as a result. It's certain scenes in WoW and Quake that cause the problem.

I myself have never actually experienced it, but I don't play many first person games.

 

[Playbahnosh]

Oh, boy! Isn't it funny, when a new condition or disease presents itself, suddenly everyone is sick, everyone is noticing symptoms and freaking out? "He sneezed! He fucking sneezed!! He has the Swine Flu! Ack, shoot him! SHOOT HIM!!!"

Seriously, we either have 40-60 percent Hypochondriacs, or people with Münchausen syndrome. Don't get me wrong, I really sympathize with the people who actually have this condition, but I think these people with VSS are either few in number or very good at denying their symptoms. I'm a gaming journalist, so I know many many people who play FPS and simulator games, but none of them have this thing. One of my friends used to get headaches and nausea when playing computer games, but as it turns out it was because of his monitor. Bad screen resolution and refresh rates can cause symptoms like this. He bought a new monitor, his symptoms are gone.

But yes, "do not underestimate stupid people in large groups" they say. This is more a social disorder than a physical one. I'm predicting a sudden increase in motion sickness patch and ginger sales, all bought by gamers who believe they have this condition, because it's the new "in" thing. I guess I wait and see.

On the other hand, I don't get why all the new patients all around the internet are suddenly complaining that game developers should make their games taking VSS people into consideration. Why? Gaming is a choice, if it makes you uncomfortable or sick, don't do it. There are many other pastime activities, that don't require you to be sick doing it, so there. I'm afraid of heights, so I don't go rock climbing, and I'm not bitching about people should make mountains smaller for me. It's in the article up there, and I'm not surprised about the reactions. Why should game developers spoil the fun of other people, just because some people can't hold their FPS? It's like killing all the cats in the world or taking peanuts out of everything, just because some people are allergic to them. I'm not saying "Screw people getting sick", I'm saying the real VSS people should take others into consideration when bitching about this, because they are minority here.

 

[Leftnt Sharpe]

I played the entire campaign of Halo 3 in one sitting and never got motion sick once. The first time I played Half Life 2, I felt like I was going to throw up midway through the first level. Oddly though I didn't have this problem with episode one or episode two. Perhaps vValve changed something?

 

[warfjm]

A lot of people have problems with this when they enter a zero gravity environment in a game. This is a common complaint when playing the zero gravity level in Crysis. Another common game back in the day with this problem was Descent. It was ALL zero gravity.

I feel sorry for people who have this problem. They can't enjoy a great FPS like Half Life 2.

 

[Jonatron]

I've never heard of this before.

Is it possible to have a weak case of this and be anaware, or do I just suck at FPS? I know the answer to that one.

That does suck. And it can strike at any time?! Jeeze. Other than the examples you gave, like flying segments, can it affect 3rd person and sidescrolling games?

 

[Abedeus]

I only feel ill when I play on a too small screen. Laptop, or lately Metroid Prime on my DS... Which is strange, considering the fact that half of the games on my PC are either FPS or just FPP.

 

[KaiusCormere]

I would hate to see things like vehicle sequences removed from games for the sake of people who can't handle them, because they actually add significantly to the playing experience.

Yes, I felt Wrath of the lich king's vehicle segments were some of the most fun the game offered.

 

[Elf Defiler Korgan]

Barlow has brought something to my attention that I have noticed in others. Being a near life-long gamer, this hasn't bothered me much, but my girlfriend could not play mount & blade due to the symptoms he describes. Asking high motion levels or scenes to be removed from games is a bit much to ask. It strikes me as early identity politics. Change these games because they are not perfect for me. I after all enjoy quick moving combat games or trying to stay in control and fight back in any dog-fight-esque simulator. I can see others expressing the same views.

Playbahnosh has some good and frank points which he makes. Any other hobby could be taken up, perhaps playing chess slowly?

 

[asinann]

I get this pretty badly, sometimes it even gives me a migraine. I first started noticing it when I was playing Doom years and years ago, and as the games become more realistic, the whole thing has gotten worse.

 

[Allan Foe]

Being a longtime motion sickness victim, I've never tried to find an explanation as to why some games make me sick, attributing this condition to a weakness of my vestibular apparatus. However, normally I adapt fairly quickly to a particular game (with a few exceptions), it seems the more distracted I am (i.e. having fun) and the stronger the desire to adapt -- the faster it happens.

The experience differs from game to game and it's not always the FPS' that make me really queasy. My first short session of GoW was somewhat unpleasant (I even remember thinking "Pah, so what's supposed to be fun about this game?"), but the next day I felt the sickness subside and was able to actually enjoy the game for what it is. One of the games I couldn't adapt to at all was the original Hitman (and believe me, I TRIED) -- the migraines that game gave me were skull-splitting. The last FPS that gave me periodic sickness was Painkiller and even in that game it depended on the level I was going through.
On the other hand driving games never make me sick for some reason.

On the other hand, I don't get why all the new patients all around the internet are suddenly complaining that game developers should make their games taking VSS people into consideration. Why? Gaming is a choice, if it makes you uncomfortable or sick, don't do it.

So you're a journalist, eh? Yes, I can definitely see you being employed by Fox News or some other annoying, tight-arsed, reactionary misinformation bureau. I hate to be personal, but your attitude, sir, chaffs my buttocks!

You say "...all the new patients all around the internet are suddenly complaining...", but this topic is the first time I've ever seen such a discussion on a gaming-related forum, and it's a discussion of a well-written article even! Would you kindly cite your sources on this, please?

Anyway, imagine there are three awesome action games: A, B and C. I enjoy A and B but C, although a great game in all respects, makes me puke my guts out. After such an unpleasant experience you can't really expect me to think happy thoughts about C or it's developers and I'm sure as hell going to be wary of buying C2: The Sequel even if it's crowned The Best Game on Planet Earth!
The games that don't make me vomit get my cash, it's all that simple!

Asking high motion levels or scenes to be removed from games is a bit much to ask. It strikes me as early identity politics. Change these games because they are not perfect for me. I after all enjoy quick moving combat games or trying to stay in control and fight back in any dog-fight-esque simulator. I can see others expressing the same views.

Playbahnosh has some good and frank points which he makes. Any other hobby could be taken up, perhaps playing chess slowly?

Isn't it great that it's professional game developers, and not random people on internet forums, who decide if they want to implement an optional engine tweak (selectable through a menu) just so that people with motion sickness can ENJOY their games?!

Are you OK, people? I think you might want to see a doctor, because from where I'm sitting it seems that you're hallucinating about some enraged mob demanding for a ban on all FPS' and vehicle simulators.

 

[Shannon Olivas]

I had a buddy who suffered badly from this. He was a big guy, 7 ft tall, almost 300 pounds, ex military, brought to his knees by FPS games. He would get nauseous looking at fps games, become sick to his stomach and dizzy. Perhaps for this reason he stuck to side scrollers, fighting games and RPG's. Still, last time I talked to him was when the Ps2 was a relatively new system and the first Xbox was still viable. With the current crop of 3D dependent games in all genres I wonder if he can play games at all anymore.

Seeing his reaction to first person shooters and him explaining it to me, I thought it was a really interesting and perhaps rare condition. The statistic that you presented about pilots experiencing this phenomena during simulations is a real eye opener.

To the fellow that guessed about this being more common in Asians, I can tell you my friend who suffered badly from this was African American with no Asian heritage.

To the fellow that said his gaming journalist friends don't suffer from this condition, I would say is it not logical that someone experiencing this phenomena would be more inclined than the average person to choose a career path that does not involve FPS games?

To the people who report issues with some games and none with others, it is possible that camera mechanics between games and 3d engines are responsible for the variance in your experience of these symptoms, but as the overly opinionated game journalist stated, it may also be that your refresh rates, lighting in the room (bulbs flicker), or resolution settings may play a part in your symptom severity. Many persons who do not usually suffer motion sickness when playing games, do become nauseous and experience headaches when the lighting in the room flashes at a pulse opposite to that of the refresh rate of their monitors as Nvidia found out when testing their new LCD shutter 3d glasses.

I myself don't suffer from this problem (yay) but I empathize with those of you that do. GL!

 

[Continuity]

Wired Differently

Plenty of developers talk about promoting more visceral reactions in their audience, but they probably didn't have headaches and nausea in mind. Nova Barlow explains the plight of gamers who suffer from Virtual Simulator Sickness.

Read Full Article

Everyone gets this... When they first start gaming. It's a novice problem and you simply have to suck it up and push through the barrier.

When I first started 3d gaming with wolfenstein 3d and doom I used to get terrible vss, but you just keep at it and your mind adapts. Now I play mostly fps and it almost feels more natural than real life to me.

The situation you're in at the moment is like learning to run a marathon... You've just started and everyone else seems to be handling it fine but you're knackered after the first 200 yards. What's going on there? Well obviously there is something wrong with the marathon that is making some people struggle! Oh noes!
Or perhaps you're just not fit for the marathon yet.... You see where I'm going with that.

Suck it up and stop whining.

 

[nekoali]

hmmm. Very interesting indeed. Those 3D sequences in MMOs like the Malygos fight and pretty much all of Vashjir from WoW always made me sick. Anywhere from mildly queasy to head spinning nausea. Racing games also give me this, as did the Auto Assualt MMO. Or the driving sections in RAGE. Those tend to be fairly short though, so I could deal with that. I couldn't play more than five minutes without getting sick. I often get sick if I try to read in a moving vehicle as well. Oddly, I don't have any problem with most FPS games. So long as I have a steady surface under my character, I'm okay. So long as the floor doesn't fall away, and I'm not whipping around rapidly (making fast repeated turns make me nauseous. Which is probably why I can't do racing games.