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[HeadsUpSevenUp]

My girlfriend can't play most 3D games because she gets dizzy or nauseous. I think she just needs a good slap in the face. Is there a happy medium? She loves games that aren't 3D heavy like Paper Mario and Nintendo DS titles. She even withstood Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance since its he favorite series. Is there a way of curing her of this ridiculous hypochondria? Who could possibly be so affected by 3D games that they get nauseous for hours after a few minutes of play?

 

[keeblerdrow]

 

[stewy]

It's not really ridiculous. I've met a few people who are the same way. My brother is the same way. He can't play first-person shooters or racers for more than a few minutes before he starts to feel sick.

 

[BarneyBP]

Yeah, it's often referred to as DIMS (Doom Induced Motion Sickness... Because Doom was really where it first started cropping up.)

And she's not alone. I've got it. You might be surprised how many Gaffers do.

We need a support group.

 

[VictimOfGrief]

Tell her to suck your sock while you're playing your games. Tell her to close her eyes and open big. :lol

 

[Red Scarlet]

Really fast scrolling like in Life Force/Gradius 3/Castlevania Chronicles makes me dizzy and feel like fainting. A cure would be cool.

 

[Shawn128]

Slap that bitch and tell her to go back into the kitchen and make some pumpkin pie.

Seriously, kudos to her for sticking with video games even though they make her sick to her stomach. That's some love right there, lol

 

[DarienA]

I'm in the same boat... Dramamine works for me.

 

[Papi]

You'll become used to it if you keep playing.

 

[BarneyBP]

On second thought, she should date me. We'll take turns holding one another's hair and vomitting as we play through Perfect Dark Zero's campaign.

And that's not even counting how sick we'll get from the DIMS!



(I kid because I love, Rare. I kid because I love.)

 

[shattyboombatty]

There was actually a thread about this a while ago... I don't think anyone had a good remedy (besides the dramamine maybe), but getting sick from games is sadly all too common.

http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=54478

 

[Dr_Cogent]

Maybe she should just dump your unsympathetic ass.

Seriously, it's not hypochondria. Some people simply can't handle it.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

My girlfriend can't play most 3D games because she gets dizzy or nauseous. I think she just needs a good slap in the face. Is there a happy medium? She loves games that aren't 3D heavy like Paper Mario and Nintendo DS titles. She even withstood Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance since its he favorite series. Is there a way of curing her of this ridiculous hypochondria? Who could possibly be so affected by 3D games that they get nauseous for hours after a few minutes of play?

Like others have said, it's a real problem, not "hypochondria". A few things cause it: constant camera movement, low framerates, inconsistent framerates, among other things. That's why she isn't affected by Paper Mario or FE. (Camera is static.)

Try her out on a game that has a solid 60 fps framerate (or at worst locked at 30) which doesn't require a huge amount of camera movement (not F-Zero GX!!!). Someone I play games with constantly has this exact problem. It's mainly camera movement.

He can't play OoT anymore (even though he managed to get through it in 1998), and even Wind Waker sometimes started his nausea. He has no problem with SMT III Nocturne, even though the game doesn't have the best framerate. That's because the over the shoulder camera is slow and therefore the camera isn't moving too much.

He's found that if he grits his teeth and tries to get used to it, it helps somewhat. Sometimes taking an anti-motionsickness drug helps. Always play with the lights on. The smaller the screen, the better it appears (he's OK with 3D games on DS so far).

Even with all that, she might not be able to play some modern games, like my gaming buddy.

 

[HeadsUpSevenUp]

Yeah I told her she'd get used to it, that's when she said she stays sick for a while afterwards. I also suggested the Dramamine, but she doesn't like the idea of taking it all the time. I haven't tried the slap in the face yet...

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Yeah I told her she'd get used to it, that's when she said she stays sick for a while afterwards. I also suggested the Dramamine, but she doesn't like the idea of taking it all the time. I haven't tried the slap in the face yet...

If you try the latter, I'll be sure to permaban you.

At any rate, some genres just might be unplayable for her, like First Person Shooters.

Most of the time, my gaming buddy CANNOT get used to games that make him ill. So he'll watch me play them until he gets sick and has to lie down or go play another game.

 

[Aponi]

Ditto with the motion games make me sick. I can't watch my husband play Metroid Prime. It also seems to be triggered by foot noise for me for some reason. So like I can play Morrowind if I mute it. *shrug*

 

[Eggo]

I suffer from the same condition. I can play some FPS'es if the frame rate is over 60. If it drops to 30 or below though... forget about it, especially indoor environments. Games like Deception 1, Doom, Halo... all made me sick. Sucks to work on an FPS and have this condition. I had to take 15 minute breaks to walk around outside when my head started to hurt.

 

[WrathOfOtaibah]

My Mom used to play 2D games all the time but once we got the Nintendo 64, she was unable to play. She was better at SMB3 than I was but couldn't figure out Mario 64. She said it made her sick.

My Sister threw up all the time from fast motion 3D games. Sonic Adventure and cockpit views of racing games send her to the bathroom within minutes. So when she plays games, she plays games that run slow like Harvest Moon.

 

[HeadsUpSevenUp]

If you try the latter, I'll be sure to permaban you.

At any rate, some genres just might be unplayable for her, like First Person Shooters.

Most of the time, my gaming buddy CANNOT get used to games that make him ill. So he'll watch me play them until he gets sick and has to lie down or go play another game.

I don't care if she never plays a FPS, I just don't want her to miss the 3D Zeldas or Marios. Sh'es fine with Mario Party, Kingdom Hearts, and FF7 though... this is why I think a lot of it is in her head. Another reason I think its in her head is that she is DEAD serious about avoiding scary games like Silent Hill... and even says that Dawn of Sorrow kind of creeps her out (even though she loved Aria). She just seems so... I don't know... oversensitive...

 

[quaere]

To all those saying she'll get used to it... BS

I used to play first person shooters for hours and hours when I was younger. These days, I can't handle some games for more than half an hour. I'll be sure to try that medication mentioned earlier.

 

[sangreal]

I've actually taken dramamine because of this, it works but that shit makes you tired fast.

And yeah, it sucks and you certainly don't "get used to it"

 

[monchi-kun]

Ditto with the motion games make me sick. I can't watch my husband play Metroid Prime. It also seems to be triggered by foot noise for me for some reason. So like I can play Morrowind if I mute it. *shrug*

Interesting....

 

[DSFan1970]

I recently bought King Kong for the Gamecube as gift for my brother...I didn;t know it was FPS casue the demo at EB had you playing as Kong. I tried to hang in there but by the time I was in the spider scene I was ready to wretch.

I get sick as described in alot of those post above with these FPS games. The only thing that works is to not play them. Why does this happen?

 

[argon]

Ditto with the motion games make me sick. I can't watch my husband play Metroid Prime. It also seems to be triggered by foot noise for me for some reason. So like I can play Morrowind if I mute it. *shrug*

Actually, a lot of people got motion sickness playing Metroid Prime due to the "lag" effect of the heads-up display... I immediately felt it, and I never get motion sickness in games.

Disable HUD Lag in the visor options menu, that fixed the problem for me.

 

[Dr_Cogent]

I don't care if she never plays a FPS, I just don't want her to miss the 3D Zeldas or Marios. Sh'es fine with Mario Party, Kingdom Hearts, and FF7 though... this is why I think a lot of it is in her head. Another reason I think its in her head is that she is DEAD serious about avoiding scary games like Silent Hill... and even says that Dawn of Sorrow kind of creeps her out (even though she loved Aria). She just seems so... I don't know... oversensitive...

Why bother trying to force her to play games that she doesn't want to play? Respect her wishes and don't give her a hard time.

I recently bought King Kong for the Gamecube as gift for my brother...I didn;t know it was FPS casue the demo at EB had you playing as Kong. I tried to hang in there but by the time I was in the spider scene I was ready to wretch.

I get sick as described in alot of those post above with these FPS games. The only thing that works is to not play them. Why does this happen?

It's all related to your brain. Your eyes are seeing changes but your inner ear and body are not feeling them. The brain gets confused, and as a result - you get sick.

Medication may work for some, and not for others.

 

[:Motorbass]

I only have it sometimes when I watch someone playing Egoshooters. Maybe because I cannot foresee which direction will be next.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

I don't care if she never plays a FPS, I just don't want her to miss the 3D Zeldas or Marios. Sh'es fine with Mario Party, Kingdom Hearts, and FF7 though... this is why I think a lot of it is in her head. Another reason I think its in her head is that she is DEAD serious about avoiding scary games like Silent Hill... and even says that Dawn of Sorrow kind of creeps her out (even though she loved Aria). She just seems so... I don't know... oversensitive...

All of the games you mentioned (MP, FF7 etc) have a static camera. That's why. It isn't in her head. Trust me on this one. Camera spinning makes her physically ill.

 

[conker]

Can she sit through the Blair Witch Project without vomiting?
(Vomiting in disgust of the crappy movie doesn't count)

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Yeah, I got that, only within like the last year or so it has gotten better and I can stomach a FPS.

As for the Blair Witch Project, I got dizzy as hell, really made me want to vomit afterwards. I can imagine she wouldn't be able to stand it too.

 

[Koshiba]

I'm glad I don't have it.. Though some games do make me feel a little dizzy and start to give me a headache. But I haven't had any serious problems with it. Also.. Be happy she plays games at all. If she can't play it, she can't play it. It can't be helped. It's like complaining about your GF not wanting to ride roller coasters or something. :lol I mean yeah, it's too bad she can't play some of those games.. And I understand why she doesn't want to take the medication, I myself try to avoid taking medication.

 

[Scott]

All of the games you mentioned (MP, FF7 etc) have a static camera. That's why. It isn't in her head. Trust me on this one. Camera spinning makes her physically ill.

Sh'es fine with Mario Party, Kingdom Hearts, and FF7 though...

Eh?

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

I felt it with Doom and that Aliens FPS for PS1. I've never had a problem with it since.

There has been serious scientific research on this, and as someone posted above, it does have a name attached to it. Most theories believe it has to do with stationary HUDs on moving backgrounds, choppy framerates, etc. Anything where your brain is thinking that everything should be moving with what you're doing or where things aren't as they are in real life.

After playing any one game for a while, you should get used to it. If you take an extended break from that game, or play many games in the same genre where the movement may be different, it may come back later on.

 

[Dragona Akehi]

Eh?

Yeah that one threw me for a loop, but isn't the camera mainly static in the dungeons?

 

[Scott]

Yeah that one threw me for a loop, but isn't the camera mainly static in the dungeons?

Nah, it's arguably worse in the dungeons, as it can get jammed against walls a lot. Plus, most of the rooms have enemies to fight, anyhow, and the camera gets the most spastic in combat (especially if you use lock-on targetting with flying enemies, oy...).

Really just doesn't make much sense to me, as I'd think Kingdom Hearts would be making her nauseous after just a few battles... but, maybe she just put up with it as she liked the game? Or, maybe he's onto something and she's just a little loopy?

Beats me...

 

[borghe]

I get motion sickness all the time from games. Really most games with some kind of constant forward motion. Most recently is COD2.. Most notoriously (by far) were Metroid PRime (first one) and Dark Forces on the PC. I was actually never able to beat Dark Forces because I Would get motion sickness on the sweere level. Most of the time I just fight through it and make sure I play those types of games on a full stomach and with plenty of rest.

no I'm not kidding.

 

[Squirrel Killer]

Count me in the DIMS crowd too, although I was under the impression it was called simulator sickness, because it happens in various non-gaming simulators too and it's not really "motion sickness," it's "lack of motion sickness."

One trend I've been noticing from reading various accounts is that even if one game gets a person ill, other games might not. For me, third person 3D games are usually fine, but the 3D GTA game make me ill, and while FPS are a sure trigger for me, I can handle Marathon, Halo, and Metroid Prime just fine.

I'd like to beat it, so I've been keeping track of various techniques as I hear about them. My current collection of "cures" includes; Dramamine, ginger, keep the screen size small/large, play with the lights on/off, play frequently in short bursts stopping before you get sick to build up your tolerance, play through the sickness, wear a rubber band on your wrist/anti-nausea bracelet, only play games with high frame rates, turn on/off headbob, increase mouse/controller speed, increase FOV, increase/decrease resolution, sit closer/further from the screen, and of course, play something that doesn't make you vomit.

 

[Diablos]

I suffer from motion sickness if I read or play a handheld in the car, but it's not so bad that playing video/PC games make me dizzy, fortunately.

 

[HeadsUpSevenUp]

Can she sit through the Blair Witch Project without vomiting?
(Vomiting in disgust of the crappy movie doesn't count)

Yeah, she can't stand it. She mentioned it while I was reciting to her the results of this thread. I also advised her not to see King Kong. Some scenes (especially the big dinosaur traffic jam) even had MY head spinning.

She's quite glad that someone stood up for her about the slapping Also had a good laugh about dumping my insensitive ass.

 

[User 406]

My wife isn't a gamer, but she also has a problem with nausea when watching me play certain games. I think the worst ones for her to date have been the Jumping Flash and Katamari games. She totally avoided looking at the TV when I was playing those. She also suffers from motion sickness in cars and planes, and can't read books while traveling because of it. I gotta say, I'm very thankful that this sort of thing doesn't affect me at all. :X

 

[TigerKnee]

Time for you to get a new GF

 

[Rocket Punch]

I don't usually suffer from nausea from playing games but Shadow of the Colossus did give me motion sickness when watching someone play it. All that flailing around hanging from the shoulders of the colossus did it. Or maybe it was the game in general *hides*

 

[bud]

OOOO RLY?

Is this her?

 

[ccbfan]

Not to be racist or anything but is she asian?

I'm asian and a lot of asians I know have a similar problem. My probblem is mostly with first person veiw games. I could only play one for like an hour before I feel like my head is gonna explode. Metroid Prime was probably the worst and I'll probably never finish. I don't have problems with 3rd person games like Zelda or Kingdom Hearts.

Motion sickness from videogames especially FPS is very common amony many asians I know. I have 3 cousins that can't play FPS's cause they make them since and like half my asian female friends can't handle them either. On the other hand I don't know one non-asian that has that problem.

 

[Eggo]

Not to be racist or anything but is she asian?

I'm asian and a lot of asians I know have a similar problem. My probblem is mostly with first person veiw games. I could only play one for like an hour before I feel like my head is gonna explode. Metroid Prime was probably the worst and I'll probably never finish. I don't have problems with 3rd person games like Zelda or Kingdom Hearts.

Motion sickness from videogames especially FPS is very common amony many asians I know. I have 3 cousins that can't play FPS's cause they make them since and like half my asian female friends can't handle them either. On the other hand I don't know one non-asian that has that problem.

Whoa, I'm asian, and I can relate to the first person perspective giving more problems than third person. Wierd... Is it genetic?

 

[bjork]

My mom once played NiGHTS and ended up getting dizzy as hell, and she had to go lie down.

But put a light gun in her hand, and it was like rain man or something.

Except with a light gun.

 

[Lakedaimon]

sometimes I do feel a bit nauseous watching someone play certain first person games. generally the ones where there is a lot of turning and movement. but oddly enough if im actually *playing* the game im ok. maybe my primitive brain can anticipate whats about to happen since im on the controls.

on mythbusters they concluded that taking Ginger pills mitigated seasickness type nausea, without the side effects of commercially available stuff. fwiw.

 

[Grug]

You dont want to medicate just to play a game.

Those anti-nausea wristbands DO work. I'd suggest getting her one of those.

 

[FortNinety]

I've been a hardcore game since I was 4, but I too get motion sickness at times, mostly from FPS. But sometimes it random... I have no problems with Mario 64, but Ratchet & Clank will get me dizzy after 15 minutes, no matter what.

I do believe in the genetic theory, because I'm part Asian, and my mom also has a severe problem with motion sickness as well. And maybe it explains why FPSs are not that popular in Japan.

She just seems so... I don't know... oversensitive...

And you seem so... I don't know.... unsensitive.

 

[momolicious]

umm, this is normal every new FPS i try i feel so dizzy i feel like throwing up, its horrible feeling. I just play shorter times until i get used to it etc.

 

[HeadsUpSevenUp]

Not to be racist or anything but is she asian?

I'm asian and a lot of asians I know have a similar problem. My probblem is mostly with first person veiw games. I could only play one for like an hour before I feel like my head is gonna explode. Metroid Prime was probably the worst and I'll probably never finish. I don't have problems with 3rd person games like Zelda or Kingdom Hearts.

Motion sickness from videogames especially FPS is very common amony many asians I know. I have 3 cousins that can't play FPS's cause they make them since and like half my asian female friends can't handle them either. On the other hand I don't know one non-asian that has that problem.

Yeah FortNinety, I was gonna ask the same thing... is this why FPS don't do so well in Japan? My girlfriend is Filipino. She also says many asians are lactose intolerant.

I will suggest the ginger pills and get her a nausea wristband... if she ever feels like playing one of those offending games...