Poll: Gamers are masochists

[defcon 1]

I just beat Kingdom Hearts not too long ago and I must say, with all the un-skip-able, repulsively written drag of cut scenes and a check point BEFORE each one, dying is the LAST thing you want to do!

Since he said computer games I guess he implied that it's a system with a Windows OS and an x86 architecture, so as long as that's assumed, I play all my PC games on easy and medium settings, why? When I die I don't want to have to wait for my prehistoric machine to load the level again. You have any idea how much that pisses me off after awhile? When playing Bioshock I was at first, very happy to die just to watch the camera whisk me back to the previous checkpoint.

 

[nova18]

Is this research really concluding that we find failure more pleasurable than success?
Personally when I finally beat Megaman 2 on emulator, I stood up, did a little victory dance Final Fantasy style (dididididideedeediii) lit myself a cigarette and felt like I had unlocked the secrets of the universe.

Whereas dying over and over at every annoying boss battle where they spam their special move made me want to cut off my own genitalia and use it as a melee weapon to cave in my skull.

Also, who was this study conducted on, gamers or people who dont play games?
Obviously super monkey ball pwns 007 so its really an unfair test.
It seems to me that the study isnt really conclusive enough without more evidence and different variables, i.e different games, different genders, ages etc.

 

[Optimystic]

Dying can be the most fun part of a game, especially an adventure game. [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HaveANiceDeath]

As an example, check out Space Quest: The Many Deaths of Roger Wilco [http://tmd.alienharmony.com/rw/index.htm]

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

Only when it's really, really funny do I enjoy dying in games.

 

[Goldeneye103X2]

They think nightfire is a violent game. Sensitive bastards.

 

[TMAN10112]

I think we feel relief when killed in-game because it makes us feel like the center of attention. Just think about when you get sniped, rather then anyone eles out of your group, while doing something like disarming/arming the bomb in a game of search and destroy. At that point all eyes are on you, giving a feeling of importance.
Or of coarse, it could just be the the break from the intence focusing that staying alive in a game like halo, or COD4/WAW takes.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

YES! I love when being killed is awesome. Dead Space, Resident Evil 4, and heck I see Marcus Fenix and Kratos at the bottom of the page right now, and IIRC you can die in some horribly awesome ways in those games too.

 

[Higurashi]

Depends entirely on if you're playing multi-player or not, and if you're a hardcore gamer or not. I somehow doubt the gamers in this study were, and if they were, they were taking a pause from the hard core of being hardcore. Sure, I can also enjoy getting killed in, say, a match of Halo 3 if it is a fair kill and an end to a righteous spree, but I enjoy killing more. I think variation is the key word here.
As for gamers being masochists.. well, there are other, actually related, elements that point to this, so I voted "sometimes".

 

[Cheesebob]

Dieing in Fallout 3 is spectacular (somtimes)

Same with Team Fortress 2

 

[DangerChimp]

I call bullshit. I don't know what gamer would get angry or anxious at killing an enemy when the OBVIOUS OBJECTIVE of the game is to kill said enemies. Take a game where you're playing a team deathmatch. If killing enemies made you angry and anxious, I highly doubt you'd play it to begin with.

 

[cyber_andyy]

Since A new gib bug in PC TF2 has come about (Where you may not gib after getting a rocket to the face) I have been loving seeing my ragdoll fly throught the air, bounce of the sky box and outside of the map. That said though only sometimes do I find it "good" to die in a game.

 

[Erana]

Well, Duh.
In a Multiplayer FPS, the player is going to be stressed. Once they kill one person, they have to go and deal with a plethora of other problems. They don't know where the enemy is when they respawn, for example, and possible in-game vendettas. They have to keep going in order to get as many kills per life as possible.
When one gets killed, they get to take a breather. Its the end of their drought, and they likely were satisfied with what they did. They get a fresh start with full health, more ammo 'n the likes.

What I want people to do is to compare the impact of multiplayer to single-player campaign, and co-op campaign.

More importantly, didn't they say, "By contrast, positive responses in the non-violent game were linked to gaming success."? Doesn't that completely invalidate their previous conclusion? I mean, Monkey Ball is just as much a "game" as the FPS they had the participants play. Why didn't they factor that in?

 

[AntiAntagonist]

Off topic: Did this thread get rezzed since it's February?

On Topic: I read the article when it was new. "Relief" is a positive response, but not necessarily the same thing as "happy".

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

There is a certain satisfaction to be found in failure. In a game, the epic stand loses most of it's meaning if you aren't taken down in the end. Failing lets you find your limits, and the chances are good if you aren't failing at something, you aren't trying anything new.

 

[NXMT]

It's only nice when you get to see a ragdoll effect of your character flying across the room and smashing into furniture.

 

[Kukakkau]

um no...
unless they mean the laugh factor of being killed in a good way