Games bleeding into real life - study
12-27-11, 09:53 PM
#1
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
Games bleeding into real life - study
For some, a video game doesn't stop when the power is turned off - their gaming experiences are bleeding into their day-to-day lives.
This can lead to video game-like reactions to real-life situations, Nottingham Trent University and Stockholm University have discovered.
It's called Game Transfer Phenomena.
The study - Game Transfer Phenomena in Video Game Playing: A Qualitative Interview Study - interviewed 42 "frequent" gamers aged between 15 and 21 years old. "Many" of the subjects "appeared to integrate elements of video game playing into their real lives".
The full study must be bought for $30. One amusing excerpt reported on The Metro website describe a 15 year-old boy wanting to use a gravity gun from Half-Life 2 to fetch something from the fridge. And why not?
One 19-year-old Price of Persia: Sands of Time enthusiast dropped his sandwich and immediately his finger used to press the rewind-time button twitched. A natural response.
Another 19-year-old thought he could use World of Warcraft's search function to locate his brother in a crowd. What a good idea.
Apparently half of the gamers interviewed said they'd looked for something from a video game to solve a real-life issue. One interviewee apparently saw a menu of topics available for him to think about (Heavy Rain?); another formulated a list of possible responses after being insulted (Mass Effect 2?).
Of course, there is a darker side to all of this. Use of aggressive, criminal and/or violent fantasies as solutions to real-life problems were reported by "a few" of the players.
The Daily Mail focused on one particular 15-year-old who said that "sometimes" he wants to be able to get a gun and "shoot down" people. "Irritating people", mind you.
"A recurring trend suggests that intensive gaming may lead to negative psychological, emotional or behavioural consequences," concluded report author professor Mark Griffiths, "with enormous implications for software developers, parents, policy makers and mental health professionals."
This research is being followed up by a study of 2000 gamers.
The Game Transfer Phenomena report hits headlines a day after Grand Theft Auto was linked to a shooting spree and eventually a murder onboard a Royal Navy submarine.
This can lead to video game-like reactions to real-life situations, Nottingham Trent University and Stockholm University have discovered.
It's called Game Transfer Phenomena.
The study - Game Transfer Phenomena in Video Game Playing: A Qualitative Interview Study - interviewed 42 "frequent" gamers aged between 15 and 21 years old. "Many" of the subjects "appeared to integrate elements of video game playing into their real lives".
The full study must be bought for $30. One amusing excerpt reported on The Metro website describe a 15 year-old boy wanting to use a gravity gun from Half-Life 2 to fetch something from the fridge. And why not?
One 19-year-old Price of Persia: Sands of Time enthusiast dropped his sandwich and immediately his finger used to press the rewind-time button twitched. A natural response.
Another 19-year-old thought he could use World of Warcraft's search function to locate his brother in a crowd. What a good idea.
Apparently half of the gamers interviewed said they'd looked for something from a video game to solve a real-life issue. One interviewee apparently saw a menu of topics available for him to think about (Heavy Rain?); another formulated a list of possible responses after being insulted (Mass Effect 2?).
Of course, there is a darker side to all of this. Use of aggressive, criminal and/or violent fantasies as solutions to real-life problems were reported by "a few" of the players.
The Daily Mail focused on one particular 15-year-old who said that "sometimes" he wants to be able to get a gun and "shoot down" people. "Irritating people", mind you.
"A recurring trend suggests that intensive gaming may lead to negative psychological, emotional or behavioural consequences," concluded report author professor Mark Griffiths, "with enormous implications for software developers, parents, policy makers and mental health professionals."
This research is being followed up by a study of 2000 gamers.
The Game Transfer Phenomena report hits headlines a day after Grand Theft Auto was linked to a shooting spree and eventually a murder onboard a Royal Navy submarine.
12-27-11, 11:10 PM
#2
Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
I have to admit to some of this... playing first person shooters made me a much better shot at the firing range. I know that sounds dumb but I was hitting all bullseyes while my friends watched in disbelief. When visiting old churches or other buildings, I've caught myself imagining how Altair/Ezio would climb it.
It's mostly just little things but I'm glad I'm not the only one.
It's mostly just little things but I'm glad I'm not the only one.
12-27-11, 11:15 PM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
Every time I go to the zoo I wait and watch the alligators to see if I can time my leap across their pit with their yawning.
12-28-11, 12:57 AM
#5
Suspended
12-28-11, 06:36 AM
#7
DVD Talk Hero
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Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
12-28-11, 07:47 AM
#9
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
I've never really had those muscle memory/problem solving reactions with video games... but I have had similar with Adobe CS products. Anytime I'm doing a project and spending any length of time in say Photoshop or Illustrator and then go back to painting or drawing something with traditional media, if (when) I make a mistake I've more than a few times found myself going for the history before catching myself.
Since people were shooting each other up before there was even an idea of video games, could it just be this individual is disturbed and needs help? Not that he's played too many games/seen too many movies/listened to too much rock music/has a demon inside him?
The Daily Mail focused on one particular 15-year-old who said that "sometimes" he wants to be able to get a gun and "shoot down" people. "Irritating people", mind you.
12-28-11, 11:45 AM
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Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
12-28-11, 11:56 AM
#12
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12-28-11, 12:03 PM
#13
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Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
12-28-11, 12:56 PM
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Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
I always wonder what kinds of plants and flowers would make a good potion.
12-28-11, 04:03 PM
#18
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01-01-12, 05:35 PM
#20
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Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
Often when eating I'm haunted by the idea that there might be ghosts around the corner trying to kill me.
But then I eat something a little bigger and I feel like I could just eat those ghosts too! mmmmmmm ghosts with a cherry on top...
But then I eat something a little bigger and I feel like I could just eat those ghosts too! mmmmmmm ghosts with a cherry on top...
01-01-12, 05:41 PM
#21
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
I've been playing Uncharted 2 online lately and trying to get the trophy for BBQ kills. I drove by a gas station yesterday which had propane tanks for sale out front, and I was overcome with a desire to shoot them 
01-02-12, 10:20 PM
#24
DVD & Video Game Reviewer
Re: Games bleeding into real life - study
Sometimes when I walk into a new place I plan my escape from Glados with a Portal gun. Sadly the cake is always a lie. :-(