A pair of boffins set up a study to test video-game related aggression. Dr Simon Goodson and Sarah Pearson monitored the heart-rates, breathing, and mental states of 30 people before and after having them play 3 Xbox 360 games. The games in question were Project Gotham Racing, an unnamed First-Person Shooter and a “3D Table-Tennis game.â€
According to the pair of eggheads “Previous researchers have made sweeping generalisations about the nature of videogames. This study is one of the first to use one of the latest games consoles that have a much higher level of realism.â€
So which of those games is most likely to turn you into a dispassionate psycopath?
Surprisingly, it wasn’t the ultra-realistic death trainer/simulator, or the world’s most frustrating update to pong (Damn you Sulayman, damn you to heck! Gaaaargh!)
No, in fact they found that PGR caused the greatest change in heart rate and brain activity, while the FPS resulted in the the least change.
"Surprisingly the results showed that the driving game made participants more agitated and aggressive than the game with graphic violence. Given the high levels of realism in modern games a re-evaluation of the relationship between videogames and violence is needed."
Think about that the next time you contemplate bugging somebody before they come 1st in Midnight Club, only to have your interruption have them lose. It may save you a trip to hospital. With a fork lodged in your neck.
Source : Eurogamer
Last Updated: April 2, 2009
Milesh Bhana ZA
April 2, 2009 at 12:37
(Damn you Sulayman, damn you to heck! Gaaaargh!)
Rockstar Table Tennis. LOL that game made me swear at my TV and want to throw my controller at something more than any other game!
koldFU5iON
April 2, 2009 at 12:42
that’s cause killing stuff (in games) comes as second nature to us 😛
on a more logical approach I think the reasoning for the higher heart rates is because the mechanics in a racing game require you to move within the realms of it’s control and movement of the car i.e you can only turn so much in a car and you have to moderate your speed etc etc
RogueOne
April 2, 2009 at 20:00
I dont know hey, with me it is/was the more basic games that drive me up the wall.
Wonder Boy or Islander boy, when I got the timing of a jump, especially on the skateboard, I remember almost going insane with anger.
But ye I can see this being logical, I remember some NFS sessions where my nerves were shattered, heart racing, speeding for a long time then crashing….oh I cracked. :ermm: