Nasty things can happen to you while playing games and I don’t mean destroying something with your Wiimote when you forget to put the “safety strap” on your hand. I mean injuries, sickness even death. Ok, Ok, I know the death part is overly dramatic and that only the Chinese MMO players can get to a point where they die from playing. Still, it happened a few times, so it’s worth noting.
Playing a game is generally a pleasant experience. Sure, some games cam be stressful or frustrating, but even those bring you a bit of happiness in the end. However, there are some games that can bring you pain and suffering. Those epilepsy warnings are there for a reason you know.
I bringing this up because one particularly good game that I have finished recently made me feel really lousy. Condemned 2 is freaking amazing, but I just couldn’t play it more than one hour at a time. Why? The answer is motion sickness. Motion sickness is a particularly nasty side effect of some 3D games. Condemned is in 1st person and features a lot of changing camera angles to represent Ethan’s (the game’s protagonist) view. That includes falling down the stairs, being hit with heavy objects and landing on your back after falling from high places. It all looks realistic and great, but add motion blur to that and some screen filters and you get something that your brain my find too “unpleasant” to process.
Not all people suffer from motion sickness during some games, just like not everyone gets seasick on a ship (which is also motion sickness). Also, not all games of a particular type make you sick.
I’ll make me my example. I get sick while playing Condemned 2, but didn’t playing Condemned 1, Halo 3, Call of Duty (any) or Doom 3. The worst case was with Alien Trilogy. I couldn’t play it for more than 30 minutes. I did finish it, but it was a very painful process. I even had motion sickness with the first Spyro (I know, it’s ridiculous) – I guess it was just too 3D for me back then :D
So, how do you know if you’re getting motion sickness while playing a video game? The first symptoms are heat waves. If you’re getting hot for no apparent reason you can be pretty sure in a few minutes you’ll be feeling dizzy, nauseated and in some cases you gonna get a headache. Ignore those symptoms and after a while somebody will need to hold your hair while you puke out your lungs.
I would really like to play Mirror’s Edge when it comes out, but after my “adventure” with Condemned I’m not sure my organism will tolerate my hobby.
Of course, motion sickness isn’t the only thing that can happen to you during your gaming sessions.
All dancing games are potentially dangerous not only for your health, but for you life as well. If you want to play in cluttered room full of sharp-edged furniture better go out with your dog, because you may be paving your way to ER.
Dancing games are cool, but the mats in most cases are fairly small (which makes confide your movement to a smaller space which can be awkward) and slippery. I myself fell a few times while playing Dance Dance Revolution and many of my friends sprained their ankles on Paranoia. Sure, you can buy a metal platform to lower the risks, but not many of us can afford that kind of commodity. And I can imagine that even fewer would have a place for it.
PC gamers are prone to hand and arm injuries. Let’s just say that the mouse and keyboard may be perfect to kick ass in Unreal Tournament 3, or make that tank rush in Command & Conquer, but you can be sure your wrists like it less that you do. Those kinds of injuries are quite common for pro computer scientists and designers but many gamers tackle with that problem as well. The biggest problem with using a mouse and keyboard is that you don’t see the negative effects of using them right away. It takes a few years to develop and then it’s much harder to fix. Still, having a proper position while playing and a keyboard and a mouse pad that support your wrists lower the probability of any dysfunctions.
This article is not supposed to scare you or discourage you from playing games. I’m not saying that you gonna get a heart attack after a five hour session with Samba de Amigo and I’m not saying that you’ll use your are while playing Wii Sports. All I’m saying that playing games, just like any other activity, should be approached with common sense. Play your games, play them a lot, but don’t do it at a cost of your health of well being.
A side note.
You know how all the hardware and software manuals tell you to make a fifteen minute break every hour? Common sense aside – I would like to see anyone who actually does that. If you do and are reading this, leave a comment. I would like to congratulate you and ask you some uncomfortable questions.
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