New Biometric Headset Punishes Gamer Rage

[KingsGambit_v1legacy]

Simple solution...don't buy it and/or don't wear it. Problem solved! If the game requires it, ask your gran to wear it while she knits you something and looks at pictures of kittens, puppies and ducklings.

Wow, I coulda saved that dude a fortune in R&D costs. One would've thought that the better outcome would be to make the game "easier" the more stressed and angry the wearer gets, or just kill the target of their ire. That would relieve the stress, rather than exacerbating it.

 

[Someone Depressing]

..Something's really not right with this. At all.

*Xboxone thrown through living room window*

Yeah...

 

[heroicbob]

playing through xcom on impossible difficulty sometimes makes me want to snap my keyboard in half i cant imagine what would happen with that headset

 

[SinisterGehe]

Gets harder the more you get angry with it being hard?

Yeah...I can see a problem with this.

I don't the idea is brilliant: to teach self control. If you know you are angry you can calm yourself down and the game gets easier. Think what use that kind of ability would have in real life. Better and more rational decision making regardless of anger.

I can see this to be excellent therapy tool - which again will only work if the patient embraces it.
I'd like to give it a try.

 

[WindKnight]

Gets harder the more you get angry with it being hard?

Yeah...I can see a problem with this.

No shit. This guy is a fucking moron. Let's throw some fuel on the fire.

And just because my adrenaline is pumping and everything doesn't mean that I'm angry, or that anger doesn't help my game. Michael Jordan had his best games where his opponents antagonized him.

speaking as someone who's found themselves plugging in a game to ease a frustrated mood, only for a run of bad luck just making my mood even worse... yeah, this sounds like a recipe for disaster

 

[Darkcerb]

This has almost certainly been mentioned every post so far...but get's harder?

All of my "wut!?"

 

[JSoup]

I'm remembering that fear sensing game that was reported a few weeks ago and feel that my one complaint to that is relevant here. That being, those of us with chronic rapid heartbeats are sorta screwed. To review the way I put it last time.

Game: HEY, I SEE YOU'RE GETTING MAD, HERE's SOME DIFFICULTY!
Me: No, game, I'm not mad, I just have a vastly faster heart rate than the average human due to-
Game: I SAID HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY!

 

[proctorninja2]

while the protect seems like its for people that hate themselves i'm more concerned with the kind of people that use the term "Id shooters," seriously dose anyone actually use that

 

[Strazdas]

This seem to work backwards. when you are calmbored it makes the game even easier, and when you are angry excited it just makes the game unplayable. my best performances in games left me literally shaking from the adrenaline afterwards. this seems to do things completely backwards.

Also, why would i buy one? Why would i want the game to be harder or to be forced to control my anger. there is a reason i get angry and suppressing it will only end badly.

while the protect seems like its for people that hate themselves i'm more concerned with the kind of people that use the term "Id shooters," seriously dose anyone actually use that

Could it be that they are ferering to ID software who seems to be making a lot of shooters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id_Software#Games

 

[Alcamonic]

Running on pulse level huh? Then I guess I bet that by having a natural low pulse / min.

It really should be sneakily added into those gaming headsets that people use for Xbox and PS, who knows, it might be the turning point that changes a generation.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

So... if your pulse quickens as a result of something other than anger - elation for example, this gizmo punishes you for it with increased difficulty? Great idea, really.

Not to mention that some people (myself included) have learned to channel their rage to enhance their reflexes, reaction time and so forth, to use it constructively. And there is no way I'll allow anyone or anything to punish me for it.

 

[ShadowGandalf01]

This idea is flawed... for two reasons.

1) As people have already said, making a game harder isn't going to calm someone down, it's only going to make things worse.

2) It detects heart rate? Well that's no good. Let me give an example. .. I'm not that skilled at most multiplayer shooters. So, when I manage to do something like, say, grab the enemy flag, I start hurrying toward my team base. I know that I'm quickly going to become the central target for more enemies than I can handle. The anxiety that causes makes my heart rate go through the roof. That doesn't mean I'm raging with stress, it just means I'm in a state of panic because I don't wanna let my team down. Who wants their game to get harder at a critical juncture like that?

Well, I suppose it'll only affect players who go out and buy it, and I certainly won't. But you get my meaning right?

 

[Lt. Rocky]

Look at it this way: Either the player becomes aware of what the problem is tries to calm down and learn the ability to maintain relaxation, or they boil over to the point they have an aneurysm and pass away. Either way, society wins.

 

[Mr Fixit]

And now we wait for someone to mod this onto a shock collar.... Yeah I'd pay to watch that.