Weird sickness when playing certain video games?

[Atty]

For the longest time I've always gotten really sick feeling (upset stomach, light headed, dizy, felt like absolute crap) when playing video games but for the strangest reason it's never when playing MP games, I can play Halo 3/CS:S/CoD4/Etc for hours on end without feeling anything except a minor headache after a while (at which point I stop) but whenever I play a SP game (example, Bioshock last night, got about 20 minutes into it and felt like I was going to die) I get really sick really quickly.

Anyone have any idea what causes this? Why I can spend hours playing MP games but whenever I'm playing SP I get really sick really quickly? It seems so peculiar but it's true.

Anyone have any idea what the cause of this is? Why it only happens in certain types of games (SP vs MP)? I'd really like to finish more then 20-30 minutes of Bioshock without feeling like I'm going to relive my dinner in a very unpleasant way.

 

[Crono]

Sounds like a psychological issue to me. You could getting someone to set up a blind test, where you don't know if the game is SP or MP, and see what your reaction is. Whether it is a physical or psychological issue, you should get professional help to address the underlying issue.

 

[CalvinHobbes]

I know that some people get motion sick from some FPS games. I will occasionally feel sick from playing certain FPS games while others don't bother me at all.

 

[Atty]

Originally posted by: Crono
Sounds like a psychological issue to me. You could getting someone to set up a blind test, where you don't know if the game is SP or MP, and see what your reaction is. Whether it is a physical or psychological issue, you should get professional help to address the underlying issue.

Yeah, because I'd totally miss the fact that other real players are playing with me...

 

[dakels]

It's pretty common knowledge that some people suffer vertigo or even more severe photosensitive effects such as seizures from video games. It's of course really odd that MP games don't bother you yet SP games do. You might not like Crono's answer but it does seem the most plausible. I would look to see what are more physical differences between you MP games and your SP modes.

When you play the MP mode of the game do you play the same one in SP mode with the same exact settings and get sick? Are you playing on an LCD or CRT? Do you play with headphones and speech in MP games?

 

[ibex333]

Video games can cause all kinds of problems in people. I'm one of them. I used to be a very addicted, avid gamer. I played anything from The Sims to Clive Barker's: Jericho and everything in between. In my particular case, video games led to headaches, panic attacks, motion sickness, and a host of other health issues. I can go into long scientific discussions about how and why video games can cause motion sickness and other problems, but this is not the time or the place. Please understand however, that games are not necessarily inherently bad for everyone. Just like with other things, some people are not affected at all, and some are.

My friend who used to play 12 hours a day for years, and now plays around 4 hours, is healthy as an ox. That being said, it is a cold, hard fact that there are SOME people that are indeed affected negatively by video games. There are many that will argue till there's foam in their mouth, trying to prove that games are 100% harmless, and it's not the game's fault that some people cant take charge of their health and their life. Off course that is nonsense.

Before I attract flames from video games fanboys on myself, I'll tell you this. USE YOUR HEAD. If you feel that games are hurting your health in any way, stop playing. It's as simple as that. It might be hard for you to stop if you are a victim of video game addiction, but there are support groups and websites that can help you. One of them is Online Gamers Anonymous. (OLGA) Fell free to check it out if you ever feel the need. There are thousands other ways to have fun, and the world doesn't end with video games. Before you deprive yourself of your hobby, try to switch to other games, where there's not as much going on on the screen. You might also want to try to play a little less, and do other things a little more. If this doesn't help you get rid of your symptoms, you know what needs to be done. I didn't listen to my body, and I kept playing when I knew I should have stopped. I paid for it, and I keep paying for it. Please, do not repeat my mistakes.

I have been 100% game free for some time now, and there are notable improvements in my health and my social life. I feel better than I did at any point in the last 10 years of obsessive video game playing. I still crave video games, and I feel like a very important part of my life has been taken away from me, but that's my "detox". lol
Good, luck, and whatever you choose to do, be smart!


my 2c

 

[MercenaryYoureFired]

I'm guessing you use an LCD screen. I'll also bet that if you switched to a CRT the problem would be fixed.

 

[Atty]

I use an LCD screen for both, same screen settings, everything, only difference is in MP I'm always talking with someone either Vent or XBL chat

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: iAtticus
I use an LCD screen for both, same screen settings, everything, only difference is in MP I'm always talking with someone either Vent or XBL chat

Part of the reason might be because when you're playing SP games, you're drawn much further into the game world. There are ambient sounds that change as you rotate the camera. When playing MP, you are much less involved in the game world. Hence, no nausea.

I used to feel like ass after playing Half-Life 2, no other game really bothered me much.

 

[KillerCharlie]

Originally posted by: BeauJangles

Originally posted by: iAtticus
I use an LCD screen for both, same screen settings, everything, only difference is in MP I'm always talking with someone either Vent or XBL chat

Part of the reason might be because when you're playing SP games, you're drawn much further into the game world. There are ambient sounds that change as you rotate the camera. When playing MP, you are much less involved in the game world. Hence, no nausea.

I used to feel like ass after playing Half-Life 2, no other game really bothered me much.

That could be because the default field of view angle in Half-Life 2 is really small.

 

[udneekgnim]

all first person shooters that have bobbing give me a headache

any first person shooters that do not have bobbing do not give me a headache

my mind just can't handle the slight change in vertical orientation created by the in-game bobbing

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

look up depth of field and change it. it explains the difference in single and multiplayer games.
QED.

 

[racolvin]

Originally posted by: BeauJangles


I used to feel like ass after playing Half-Life 2, no other game really bothered me much.

holy crap, you too!?

I thought it was just me. I can play FEAR, DOOM, MMO's of various flavors, and in all these years I've never once felt the slightest illness. I just got Half-Life 2 this weekend and decided to give it a shot and damned if it didn't make me motion sick after a couple of hours. I felt like I was gonna ralph all over the keyboard!

Damn, knowing that I'm not the only one makes me feel much better....