Slashdot Mirror
Playing Nintendo Causes Blisters?
drxenon writes, "In this story on AltaVista Live, the real truth about those hand injuries is made known. Nintendo is offering up to $80 million (US) worth of gloves for buyers of the "Mario Party" Nintendo64 game. Over 90 complaints have been filed concerning blisters, cuts, and other hand injuries!" The article gives info on how to get *your* gloves. If you're a Nintendo user, go for it!
Now the author of XKoules should do something similar :)
i get blisters but only from games like Street Fighter 2
Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.
I'm suing the operators of www.footfetish.com if they fail to provide me with vaseline and kleenex.
-Shoeboy
Why does this offer only apply to Mario Party? Given the countless hours that I spent playing Zelda I should qualify for the gloves also.
What's a Sig???
Wow, some prick has moderated everyone down. Perhaps he's upset because his mummy dear won't shell out for gloves?
I got my first gaming blisters from Gorf (the Commodore VIC-20 cartridge version) because of the stupid positioning of the fire button on the Commodore joysticks. I never even thought of suing Commodore or anyone else because of that.
Quite frankly, if you're playing a game enough to get blisters, you have way too much free time on your hands. Suing somebody for that is just frivolous.
...I'm still waiting for ID Games to reimburse me for lost wages after I got fired for playing Quake 3 Arena too much.
hey, can somebody w/ a digital camera post a screenshot of this game or a copy of their receipt or canceled check so i can get my cool N64 Glove?
The most dangerous video game of all time has to be Centipede. The edge of my hand would always get trapped between the trackball and the console. The ball had quite a bit of momentum to it too, so it could drag the skin pretty deep. Ouch!
Your design to a real part online: Big Blue Saw
...But ALL of my blisters are from the directional pad, not the joystick. It comes from doing the motion for a hadoken (fireball; down-down/forward-forward) over many, many times.
I find it strange that the article seems to state that the thumb, where I get blisters, has no protection. "Customers report having to use the palms..." therefore Nintendo pads the palms, but not the thumb, which is the original source of the problem?
Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.
Playing the Atari 7800 (Food Fight!) for hours at a time made my hands hurt. Solution? Stop playing every once in a while.
Playing Zelda on the Nintendo for hours at a time made my eyes hurt. But after a while, I beat it, and I didn't have to play it as much.
Maybe the controllers aren't designed for really prolonged usage, but our bodies aren't either. Some people just don't know when to quit.
Read a book, guys. Go outside. But don't sue the people who make your games just because you're lazy!
---
pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
Point here
Click there
Reply in the little box
After years of Slashdot usage, I've notices that I've developed not only blisters and hand cramps, but also a bad case of schizophrenic paranoia.
I'm suing RobLimo for wrist guards, gloves, and electroshock (some of which I'll share with him). I 0wn you, Robin. I've been stalking you since your Pathfinder days, and I don't expect to stop.
Honestly, the ergonomics of video game controllers have improved a hundredfold since the rectangles that were the original NES controllers. Super NES controllers were fine (or maybe I didn't play a much), and the next generation have had so much research put into them that those kids must be playing a HELL of a lot to get blisters!
Wah!
Seriously, though, this has some interesting consequences. Could keyboard manufacturers be held responsible for ergonomic damages due to poor keyboard design? It's a very similar concept - poor design leading to hand injury after repetitive use. Oh boy, more lawyers!
Exactly...why was this even posted here?
I get blisters after about five to ten MINUTES of playing Super Street Fighter 2 on my SNES
Use my userscript to add story images to Slashdot. There's no going back.
hahah
NEWSFLASH: PLAYING WITH YOURSELF CAUSES BLISTERS!
Hustler magazine is offering up to $80 million worth of vaseline for subscribers!
Over 90 complaints have been filed concerning blisters, cold sores, blindness and other masturbation related injuries!
The article gives info on how to get *your* lubricant. If you're a Hustler reading mule-milker, go for it!
I don't know how much truth there is to this, but if anyone knows where I can sign up... I'd appreciate a reply.
James
pronoblem
Have they investigated *where* the blisters are located? I know a few Nintendo players, and my guess is that the blisters would be on their *palms*, not their fingers (unless they are female ofcourse)
Remember, most Nintendo players are teenage boys... doesnt take too much to figure....
Simon
The real linux_penguin has Slashdot ID 101961. Anyone else is an impostor. Including Bruce Perens.
I know you youths are probably too young to remember, but everybody who played Activision's Decathlon on the Atari 2600 probably still has permanent nerve damage in their hands. To make your character run, you spun the joystick. To run faster, spin faster. The hell of it was, this was one of the few fun two player games out there, so you ended up playing it again and again and again. I remember having cramps in my hands for days.
that video games are lame-ass
A lot more information on this can be found at http://www.oag.state.ny.us/p ress/2000/mar/mar08a_00.html, the state Attorney General's page on the matter.
--
Mod up a post Rob doesn't like and you'll never mod again
The correct link to the Attornet General's website is below. The one on altavista is broken. /press/ 2000/mar/mar08a_00.html
http://www.oag.state.ny.us
The Correct HadouKen performed by RYU and Ken from the Street Fighter series is ::
::
:: [Down], [Diagonal Down+forward], [Forward+lowpunch,medpunch,or highpunch]
The speed of your HadouKen is determined by the power you want. Low speed = High Power and vice versa.
Looks like a new form of Nintendonitous.
Its short enough. Anyway, the article does not mention any suits, contrary to what everyone is posting. It just says there was an attorney general investigation, and nintendo is offering gloves.
Try not to let your knee jerk so hard next time.
what kind of gloves are they giving out? what kind of party is mario throwing?
i hope those arent latex! (not LaTeX!)
--jay
I used to get blisters playing the original nintendo as well as the atari.
Can I get the gloves for my Original Nintendo box too?
But doesn't anyone find this incredibly ridiculous? Frick, man - if the game gives you blisters, don't f!ing play it so much.
Brutally stupid.
schmeel.
--
This
The Hammer Throw in Track & Field on the NES was the worst blister producing game ever... anyone remember this one?
Also, they seem to only want to send one glove. (They ask you to specify whether you want left or right) Maybe they'll send up to four gloves, but only one in each size / orientation.
You need to send them one of the following:
- A receipt for the game
- A credit card statement showing a purchase of the game
- A cancelled check for the game
- The UPC code, cut out of the side of the box
- The first page of the instruction booklet
- A photo of the cartridge
- A photo of your TV, with the game onscreen.
Also, they need an outline of the player's hand, traced on white paper, so they know what size.Since it's just an ordinary glove, and they're being pretty generous, please don't screw them over.
--
Mod up a post Rob doesn't like and you'll never mod again
Finally, some relief!
--
Mike Hoye
So if Nintendo has to supply gloves to those whose hands are damaged through excessive Mario Partying, should the tobacco companies be paying for the health care of those dying from lung cancer through smoking, etc?
Ha ha! Too late, someone beat you to it!
The problem with the Mario Party games is the fact that in some of the mini-games the N64's analogue control stick needs to be quickly rotated. Some gamers go about this by using their palm on the top of the stick, instead of their thumb as ALL of Nintendo's documentation suggests.
:)
I have played the game a bit, and I personnally use my thumb most of the time, however when I do use my palm, my IQ kicks in and i SIMPLY DON'T PRESS HARD! My younger cousins (ie: under 12) have problems with this, and sometimes get blisters. I have taught them to use their thumbs, or press softly... problem gone!
Companies should not be held accountable for product misuse. This is like blaiming soda bulbs for children's deaths (they are for drinks, not for rockets.) This sounds like a Geeks in Space awhile back:
Something like this (off the top of my head):
CowboyNeal: Once I was injured by a Microsoft Natural Keyboard
CmdrTaco (I think): Dude, that doesn't count when your mom wraps it round your neck...
They then talk about the time he got his hair caught in an IntelliMouse
But, would this be M$'s? fault? Of course not! Why blaim Nintendo for stupidity, or a lack of parental supervision?
Stupidity should not be allowed to rule the day.
The article said these were _fingerless_ gloves, with a padded palm.
I've never played this particular game, but I've had plenty of controller blisters, and I *never* got them on my palms.
Always my fingers and thumbs.
Does this strike anyone as odd?
Has anyone played mario sport?
Where did you get blisters?
No, no, no!
When Daikatana is released, Satan will drive to work in a snowplow.
I guess it's Nintendo's fault that people are playing so much video games that they have blisters. that's like Gun makers offering free bulletproof vests for those who keep getting hurt from shooting themselves...
Once you take a break, your fingers will heal.
This isn't nearly as serious as things like tendonitis, CTS, etc (which is what you'll get from too much of Quake-type games).
basically the game is sorta like an electronic boared game
<emad> it is a real neat idea
<emad> you go through various boards
<emad> and after each person has played their turn
<emad> you play a minigame
<emad> (there is a bunch of other stuff but I will ignore that)
<emad> there are dozens of different minigames
<emad> 2-3 of the games are I guess powergames
<emad> like say tug of war
<emad> you have to rotate the joystick as fast as possible
<emad> in order beat the other 3 guys
<emad> what ends up happening is
<emad> you go so fast
<emad> you burn you f-ing hand off
Famous Last Words:
during the games where you need to rotate the stick, like the one where you need to generate power to light up a light bulb by peddling a bike, or (if I haven't forgotten) the tug of war game. I tore the skin off my palm in a little circle by doing this, which later blistered. Luckily in mario party 2 there aren't any games that require rotation of the joystick.
if you read the article it points out that the glove giveaway is because the ny state attorney general investigated it.
boy, doesn't that make you feel so much safer?
now that you wont get injured by playing nintendo 24-7, youll never have to go outside and risk being perforated by triggerhappy plainclothes police officers with automatic pistols.
if you really want a laugh, dial the 800 number
1-800-521-0900
and listen to the safety warning. i fell out of my chair laughing. sample:
some individuals may experience skin irritation, including blisters and/or damage to the control stick if they rotate the control stick with the palm of your hand. nintendo recommends that you rotate the control stick with your thumb or holding it between your thumb and forefinger. if neither of these methods work for you, and you would still prefer to use your palm to rotate the control stick, nintendo will send you a glove upon receipt of acceptable proof of ownership...
you need to send proof of purchase + an outline of your hand, "so that nintendo can determine the size of the glove to send and whether it should be for the right or left hand". proof of purchase can even be a picture of the game or a picture of a tv screen running the game. shipping in 4-6 weeks.
this kind of stuff boggles the mind.
unc_
I remember playing Super Mario Brothers 3 and Zelda (mostly zelda - what a game! It's still a lot of fun to play the original) as a tike right up until my bedtime. Having played all day, and not wanted to have to restart from scratch, I would unplug the adapter from the back of the TV, and put a video cassette box in front of the power light so that my parents would be unaware that it was still on (they didn't like it - thought it was a fire hazzard or something). I would then get up early in the morning merely to finish my game. Sadly, many times I'd come back to find that it had crashed/frozen. Very upsetting at the time.
Back to the topic of blisters and such! :) The original NES controllers were hardly agronomic, and gave me terrible soreness after many hours of play. (we could also complain about the ~60hz refresh of the TV... after 8 or so hours, that can give you one splitting headache at relateively close range...) :) (the gameboy was even worse, for that matter...) Still, something must be said for these device's durability. I myself never owned a gameboy, but serveral of my friends have, and their gameboys took/take tremendous beatings. If any newer devices that are similar in build (say, the palm) were to get dropped, stepped on, thrown, run over, submerged in water, etc, they most certainly would be destroyed. But I've seen the gameboy go through all that and survive, and rarely have cosmetic disorder, even. (I think this is because Nintendo of America seems to have a projected audience of 5-10 year olds in mind when they make their products... just a guess.)
still, every blister I got playing those games was well worth it. It made the game a lasting memory in my mind, made it a special event. No pain, no gain. I think that giving game players gloves to use free of charge will partially ruin the game experience for many of the players, minimalizing the preserverence that goes into beating a game.
More than likely, the main people playing mario party will be little kids - Mario gets fairly irritating for me, and would even if they made a sexy game with a quake 3 style engine using the guy. Considering that Mario is a kid thing, to a great extent, many of those gloves might go completely disused. (I know I wouldn't have used a glove... you lose tactility by adding an extra layer. Even I realized that at a young age - but maybe not with that verbiage.) :)
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CAIMLAS
~/ssh slashdot.org ssh: connect to host slashdot.org port 22: too many beers
I had forgotten all about it, actually, until I read the story.
About two months ago I was playing Mario Party with my nine year old son, and he was teaching me the mini-games. I don't remember which one it was, but basically, you had to rotate the joystick faster than the other player to win. Of course, the only way to do this quickly is to place the controller in the center of your hand and rotate it that way.
Sure enough, I was rewarded for my efforts (I finally beat my kid at something on the Nintendo :-) with a large, painful blister that took a week to heal, and I can still see a faint outline where the new skin grew back.
Well, I could sue, or better yet, just use a little common sense next time.
Babies are cute because they have to be.
Many people seem to be implying with their posts that Nintendo shouldn't be responsible for people hurting themselves from playing too much. This isn't exactly the case. For those who don't play Mario Party, here's how it works:
r -$500, fit-video-games-somewhere-in-there machines.
The game is kind-of-like a board game. The object is to get as many stars as possible. The person with the most stars at the end is the "Super Star". Stars cost money, and at the end of every turn, the players play a [semi]random mini-game in competition for coins. The hand devastation comes from some minigames where the way you win is by rotating the analog stick as fast as you can. (Games like tug-of-war and pattle battle). Nintendo put grips into the tops of their analog sticks so that it would be easier to make fine controls in games like Mario World, which is really just shortsided on their part, thinking that all that stick would be good for is meneuvering in a 3D enviornment.
Anyway, after playing even one of these minigames where the object is to rotate the stick, your hand is raw. In most minigames, this is not the objective, but they are frequent enough that by the end of the whole game, you are in some serious pain (even though you had a great time).
This is probably one of the most fun nintendo games there is. Its designed for 4 players at a time, everyone can see the whole screen all the time (no split screen [ala any first person shooter or any racing game] where you get some small fraction of an already small screen), and no one can become a "master" and just make the game uninteresting for everyone else. Rent it and call some friends over. Then get some free Nintendo brand gloves too =].
This free glove thing is just a little late. They recently released Mario Party 2 (more of the same thing with some nice new stuff and more games), where all of the stick-rotating minigames have been removed.
Upside: At least Nintendo listens to their customers and tries hard to put good stuff in the box, unlike some broken, rushed-to-market, DVD, Internet, Stereo, do-everything-else-in-the-known-universe-for-unde
Dave
--------
WWGD? (What Would Goku Do?)
Mario party has a bunch of little "subgames" inside. One of these is won by rotating the joystick as fast as possible. Players quickly learn that the fastest way to rotate the joystick is with the palm of the hand. Pressing the joystick into the palm of the hand and feverishly rotating causes the blister.
The most tragic ailment of my childhood was Doom-Claw. Sure it took all night to develop, but it was serious stuff! The associated symptoms were horrible too, besides being unable to open my hand for at least a day...the next morning always came about with horribly aching lungs and cigarette stained fingers. And the nightmares. After a good night of Doom, I was gauranteed to have creepy dreams until the next weekend when the whole gory process started over...
"Muwahahahaha... My games are so addictive they cause injuries to the players! I have finally reached my goal after all these years!"
You should never take life too seriously - You'll never get out of it alive.
Can we say "Class Action Law Suit"?
Legally, this may translate to an admittance of guilt on Nintendo's part. Then, they will be open for attack from users who have had more serious problems (carpal tunnel syndrome, addiction, insomnia, etc.) with any of their products. Even if these lawsuits all fail, the legal fees could get racked up quickly.
... or, if you don't have the game, but do have an N64, just sit down, put your palm on the joystick and rotate as fast as you can for about a minute.
I haven't played this game much, bt I know at least one part these complaints must come from. It's a mini-game where you are in a raft traveling down a river and the whole point in to push the raft to your side of the river. Apparently the best way Nintendo could imitate the rowing of oars was to have people rotate the joystick.
Well thats OK, but the problem is that when playing against the computer you have to rotate so god damn fast that you're forced to put your palm on it. Well if you play this game once or twice, you quickly have a problem, that being that it hurts like fuck to spin that little joystick into your palm.
Anyway, this is a good gesture by Nintendo.
object of the game
rotate joystick rapidly
makes quake look like chess
i rented mario party once, and well.. i ended rubbing my palm on the controler untill the skin came off, and it dident take very long, perhaps 5 games or so..
:)
uhm, personally i always thought the game was a scam to help kids break the analog joystick faster, so they could sell more controllers
Perhaps I should complain to Playboy or Penthouse because I'm jacking off too much without using lubricant (which I think they should provide).
Jesus Christ, I probably have carpal tunnel
syndrome from playing Asteroids. Should I
sue Atari?
Or should I just assume that I
am stupid and played a little too long? Maybe
I should have rested between games? No way!
I should get free gloves from Nintendo!
Shit, I just sprained my ankle playing softball. Should I sue the company the made the bat or the company that made the glove. Maybe I should sue the city too for having a softball league at all! After all, they should make sure I am in good enough shape to play softball.
Someone should protect me from my own stupidity!
You just wish your ID was as low as mine! I used to be proud to have such a low id, but not so much now. Slashdot most
killer instinct gives me more blisters than debbi does dallas. i should be what about all the mental anguish it caused me when i couldn't do the infinite combo anymore ??? HUH what about me and my needs?
Nintendo is committing $80 million for the gloves and agreed to also provide $75,000 for the cost of the attorney general's investigation, Spitzer said.
Why did this investigation cost $75,000? Does it really cost that much to call up Nintendo and say, "hey, how many guys cut their hands?" Even if they called up all 90 of the cut-handed individuals, that's like a $500 phone bill (maximum) and 1 days wages for the AG or one of his workers, right?
At least Nintendo is picking up the bill...
python -c "x='python -c %sx=%s; print x%%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))%s'; print x%(chr(34),repr(x),chr(34))"
Personally I think most of the new games suck and I cant imagine why people get injuries playing boring games like the fighting games. If you are into reflex skill games, in my book nothing beats Stargate the arcade gave from the early 80's (advanced version of defender)
It had 8 controls: left hand: ball headed stick for up-down with a thumb button for direction reverse; right hand: thrust, fire, inviso, smart bomb; either hand hyperspace.
I used to get left thumb and right index finger skin problems (calloses sp? and blisters) but where else could you get and hour of adrenaline rush at extreme levels of complexity for a quarter.
I miss those blisters
no sig.
It's a game where you play tug of war against your opponent, the faster you rotate the joystick the harder you pull.. Till eventually you pull the other guy over the edge.
:-( Guess I need to try harder next time :-P
I ddin't get a blister the controller actually became part of my hand. But then I think it was partly my fault. I was a little, well, Excited? I was turnin away at the controller, got up, and started yellin, and screamin, go crazy getting myself pumped up, and intimidating my friends. Next thing I knew it was over, and I looked down and the controller was soaked in blood, and I had to pull the center joystik out of my hand, yes it had actually gone INTO my hand! I still have the scar from where this happened to me! And the worst part, I DIDN'T WIN! It was a damn tie
Anyway's, I think it would be cool if nintendo sent me a special nintendo gaming glove because I managed to get one of their controllers stuck in my hand.
"I couldn't give him (Bill Gates) advice in business and he couldn't give me advice in technology." Linus Torvalds
This post was on-topic.
Are you the guy who moderated me down "offtopic" on the announcement of Linux 2.3.48, where I posted a question about a compilation problem I had with it?
Everything comes with warning labels these days. We've all seen funny ones and sad ones (anything that says "For external use only" is both).
Save paper and time! Label everything with this:
If you are going to hurt yourself with this product, don't use it. Stay at least five feet away from it.
-sig-
consoles seem better for people with small hands anyway
In one case, a C++ developer from Chicago died when his 9mm handgun was accidentally discharged, into his chest, due to his RSI induced muscle spasm.
The autopsy report stated that death was caused indirectly by RSI, his survivors are suing the company where he worked, stating that there was no workplace RSI policy, and are also suing the suppliers of the text editor he was forced to use - something called "XEmacs" which (they allege) was so convoluted in its operation, that even simple text editing tasks could involve multiple keystrokes, and weird combinations of keys.
I think the message is clear. Emacs can kill you. Just use the one true editor, vi.
thank you.
There was a ZX Spectrum game called Daley Thompson's Decathlon, and most of the games involved you pressing Z and X alternately as fast as possible... the best solution I ever saw to this was a group of friends who figured out that on the original 'rubber-thumb' spectrum keyboards, you could wet your finger and simply slide it back and forth across the appropriate area to get really high scores!
the main problem with this was you destroyed the lettering on the Z and X keys very quickly, but then they were the left and right for almost every game, so everyone knew where they were anyway :)
Regards,
Denny
# Using Linux in the UK? Check out Linux UK
Police State UK - news and
Remember Commodore 64 and all those sport games like Decathlon, try to run 10000 meters and feel the pain. If you use the original Commodore joystick (triangular stick and nice red button) You probably lose (both the race and some skin) or if You play with a better stick, You'll break the stick (well not the TAC-2).
- Raynet --> .
i got carpal tunnel syndrome playing STARCRAFT for 200 hours in a row. woo hoo!
X-Files was about two weeks ago??
-- Thrakkerzog
Video gaming blisters predate Nintendo by many years. Yep, you young whippersnappers, there were video games before Nintendo! Y'all ever heard of Atari??? In fact, one Atari 2600 game manufacturer, Imagic, had a "Numb Thumb Club"! We had numb thumbs and we were proud of it! Carpal tunnel syndrome? Wussies!
Yep, back in the old days we didn't have rapid fire, and we had to learn how to press that button really fast! And we didn't have these wussy "party" games where you could sit back in your comfy couch holding your controller, we had games like Track and Field where you had to stand up and slap your hands back and forth as fast as you could! In fact, some of the kids figured out they could hold a pencil in just the right way where they could slap those buttons really fast, so those evil arcade people, they put bumps around the buttons where you couldn't do that any more!
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
i got it from robin hood on the original nintendo!!! grr
Yep, and you'll end up buying a new controller which will, *gasp*, pay money to Nintendo. :-)
Can Nintendo help me with that? Perhaps some free lube?
Ok, a bit of a rant, but the point comes down to that I think after using all of these systems, Atari, Magnavox, Coleco, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Bally, etc. all owe me a buttload of money for the hand problems I have today. I did have a lot of fun with them over the years, but please.. who the heck designs controllers? Whatever..
--
Never hit your grandmother with a shovel, for it leaves a bad impression on her mind...
I get serious eye strain from sitting staring at the computer surfing the net alday, so can I sue Al Gore, since he is the one who created the internet???
From an old but relevant joke.
Patient: Doctor it hurts when I do this (waves arm arount).
Doctor: Well don't do that!
In Republican America phones tap you.
For any of you that older folks,like me....those were the true bad ass blister makers of all.....So maybe a few people need to tough it out......
I remember getting blisters trying to beat that damn "Star Road" in Super Mario Brothers when I was little(r).
;)
I certainly didn't blame Nintendo, though the free gloves would be cool.
hey, that's a pretty good website. I think I may start spending more time over there. it was nice knowing ya, slashdot.
How long until every kid is walking around with their required bike helmet, knee pads, elbow pads, Nintendo/jerk-off glove, safety goggles, mouth protector, ear plugs, athletic supporter, etc.? Just yesterday I saw some device being sold in the local sporting goods store that is supposed to protect a child's heart if they are hit in the chest with a baseball. WHAT?? That's why you're wearing a damn glove on your hand! I played baseball from ages 5-22 and never ever heard of anyone dying from this. I have heard of a few freak accidents around the country where this has happened, but it is hardly common enough to warrant selling a shield for it. Back in my youth(says the grumpy old man), I was hit in the mouth, chest, nuts, and just about every other body part with a baseball and saw plenty of other children hit the same, and sure it hurts like hell, but nobody ever died or was seriously injured. If anything, it teaches you to catch the ball, hit the ball, or get the hell out of the way. This "children are weak and must be protected" attitude has really gotten out of hand and is going to result in a generation of people who are very mentally weak. Now we've got a company selling special gloves because excessive video game playing might result in a few blisters. That's so funny I won't even bother commenting. And we wonder why children flip out and shoot up their schools when something or someone hurts their feelings.
I had the joystick for Nintendo, so I tore my palm skin off a couple of times playing games like that.
_______
I just wish I could c:\format Internet
These are the games I was referring to in my earlier post. They are some of the most painful games ever created, and a good portion of my *exercise* time as a kid. =]
_______
I just wish I could c:\format Internet
Okay, look...
Back when i was younger, we had the atari.
And it was good.
If you got blisters playing the atari, you dealt with it.
You didnt complain, it was just accepted. 43 straight hours of Tooth Defender or Joust, you got blisters.
And you dealt with it. Like a man.
If you were challenged to a game, and said "I cant play, i have blisters.." well, you got beat up.
Real men dont complain about blisters.
I think we should find the people complaining about getting blisters from playing games, and beat them.. Beat them senseless.
Perhaps with the gloves, even.
Either that, or they should JUST STOP PLAYING THE DAMN GAME...
The people complaining that Nintendo shouldn't have to provide safety gloves are missing the point:
Game causes blisters --> play game less --> find meaning in life --> play less Nintendo
Game doesn't cause blisters-->no reason to stop-->collapse into shroomy dreams-->wake up, buy more fine Nintendo products
Which do you think Nintendo wants?
-----
Go ahead, blame me... I voted for Nader!
This reminds me of when i used to play Street Fighter 2 for the SNES. Me and friends used to be up all night playing that game. Of course you would have to take a week of between bouts because huge caluses(sp?) would form from performing "hadokens" and helecopter kicks all night long. But the sick thing is, I would continue playing even after it start turning red and swollen.
Then of course their was D00M. Remember how these games where played with just a keyboard? and no mouse? well my wrists and hands would get so sore that they would tighten up into a ball, and i would be sore for days afterwards. BUT WE STILL PLAYED!
damn games.
But, ya know- back in those days the _joysticks_ broke. Surely you remember that ;)
These days the controls are so battle-hardened and made smaller so they are tougher to destroy, that gamers are beating themselves against them like rams trying to knock heads with a concrete wall ;)
Thick skulled gamers are going to be thick skulled gamers, so the best thing to do would be to make the gloves etc. _cool_. "You can play Mario _without_ protection? Wuss. I'd have a hole in my hand if it wasn't for the special game clothing" ;)
A lot of this is pushed _by_ these companies themselves- do you think Nintendo is going to counter the waves of kids tearing their flesh in efforts to win a Nintendo game, by responding 'It's just a game, settle down'? That's not going to happen- and their voice is a hell of a lot louder than yours is. Be grateful they're even offering protective gear. At least that is some compensation for what they are encouraging kids to do.
Nintendo Thumb is a well documented phenomena. It usually occurs in the the rabid player who gets all tense and excited during games. Furthermore, it has been shown to be more prevalent in the "weekend warrior" as opposed to the daily Nintendo user.
I don't play console games anymore, and have not had the same injuries using a keyboard and mouse, but I am glad to see that someone has finally realized that this is a serious problem and they are taking actions to prevent people from maiming themselves through too much Mario.
I applaude Nintendo for stepping forward to aid consumers in correcting this public safety issue before it became a media circus.
Earlier, I noticed the Nintendo website mentioned this at the bottom in a disclaimer, and said to use your thumbs, not your palms. Is it in the instruction booklet too? cuz that would save all their asses...
"As many of you know, I was very instrumental in the founding of the Internet" --Al Gore to Katie Couric 3/99
Maybe I'm just a wuss, but I always used to play the hell our of my SNES and N64, and I never got a single blister, much less RSI. Am I just gifted with resilient wrists and knuckle joints, or is everyone else just a moron?
DON'T PRESS HARD ON THE GODDAMN CONTROLLER!
-The 31137 Script Kiddie
$80 million for rubber gloves? Anybody else wonder if they're just trying to unload a couple warehouses full of old Power Gloves? :) What the heck, they're not good for anything anyway.
Just watch, I bet the same person who complained about the the blisters gets there glows and next thing you know the Attorney General makes Nintendo send them free cases of baby powder to dry their hands. Then after that, some moron will be alergic to the baby powder and sue them. Others will simply let the baby powder lay infront of there nintendo where their childern will eat it and die. This will yet end up creating more lawsuits.
Hey I got an idea! Maybe I'll try to plug the game "Mario Party" into my head by ramming it between my forehead and a wall. Just think guys, then Nintendo will have to send out nice little warning stickers that you can place on your game cartrages that say "Do not ram cartriage into your head!" Or maybe I can eat a controller or bash my head into the TV screen when I loose and sue for emotional damages. Great world we live in huh? I think I'll go strangle myslef with my Nintendo controller cord now, or put the plastic bag in came in over my head.
Surely nintendo cannot be held responsible for how people use their products, as though someone could sue because they hit themselves round the head with the console. Its a game, and maybe it is the best way to spin the control stick around. Even so just because you use your head to play the game because its "fastest" isnt a reason to forget your common sense and do it. It seems that most people nowadays are lacking in common sense. This "consumer rights" thing has gone too far, and personally i think its unfair on the companies. If you step back and look at this story, it really is quite absurd. Well thats how i see it:) AdJ!
-It is better to provoke a reaction than none at all!
I never got blisters from nintendo, but I had 4 calluses (spl?-im an idiot) on my left thumb, one in each direction of the control pad.
Now that I think about it, that was directly from playing NHL 94 on sega genesis...
I still have 4 little dots on my thumb from it, at one point they all stuck out like 1/16th of an inch...pretty gross...
but I guess 4 little calluses are better than the CTS i'm giving myself now...
Does anyone remember this game? I think it was either the atari or comedore version, but the "cycling" portion required you to twist the joystick in a circle as fast as you possibly could. Of course, the best way to do this was to place the top of the joystick in your palm. The thrill of victory was much more important to the giant callouses I formed on my palms, I guess. Anyway, this had to be the absolute worst injury causing video game, if you don't count the supposed mental injuries doom causes.
... Well, its true.
--
Insert Witty Sig Here
In all my years of playing video games, ive never gotten a blister. and i do play a lot of games. mybe i just have tough hands.
-- "It is my sacred and holy duty to see those guys suffer."
When I was young, we played arcade-cabinet Pacman or Donkey Kong with those joysticks with big round knobs on the end of a thin rod. Your palm would fit over the knob and the index and middle finger would wrap around the knob on either side of the joystick rod, but the ball slid in your palm. When we played for hours, the rod would rub against the fingers until they developed blisters that burst and bled....and we liked it!!!!
Laissez lire, et laissez danser; ces deux amusements ne feront jamais de mal au monde. - Voltaire
I know someone who got blisters paying Killer Instinct. Personally, I played Zelda: Ocarina of Time for many hours and had no problems. However, I got blisters a lot from playing games on my 8-bit NES. Those old NES controllers weren't very ergonomic...
Dang. On my SNES, I would get some nice callouses from extended playing. I didn't think Nintendo would start compensating, though. Crap! I'd better stop playing my guitar, then. I've got some nasty callouses and sometimes blisters from extended playing of bass. Or, perhaps I should sue Squier/Fender for selling me a Telecaster that would inflict such injuries!
;]
Oh, boy, don't even get me started on the little drawing/writing callus I have on the side of the middle finger of my right hand. BIC and Crayola and Berol need to do something for that. I shouldn't have to bear such pain.
And the bottom of my feet! The skin at the bottom of my feet is calloused badly! I should sue the construction agency that poured the cement foundation of my basement. Crackheads. Where do they get off on allowing such injury to my feet?
Oh, and these freckles and slight sunburn I have on my arms and face. I'm officially demanding that the solar system compensate somehow for this emotional damage and indecent exposure of my melanin.
And antibodies! What do those stupid little things think they're doing, mucking about my bloodstream like that? Immunity, bah! I had to get SICK to be immune to chickenpox. I demand that measures be taken! I shall sue my own body!
...
You get the point. I'm done being silly now.
Angry IT woman in big clompy boots. And talking lint!.