To The Pain

Reedo writes: "If you enjoy gaming and pain, this is for you. Two German designers have developed the Painstation, which is basically a revamped Pong. Except for one major difference - The PEU(Pain Execution Unit), which delivers a dose of pain to your left hand in the form of heat, punches or electroshock, when you mess up."

Comments

hm

[prizzznecious]

A lot of people have been insulting this, and asking why in the world anyone would play it, but it seems pretty obvious to me. Pain makes your body produce adrenalin, which would definitely heighten the gaming experience. It's not like the pain this machine delivers is extremely intense--but it should be enough to get your endorphins pumping and get your cheeks flushed and make you enjoy the game THAT much more when you win. Sure, it's not for you wusses who wouldn't play the pain game back in grade school, but who wants to play with people who can't take the consequences of losing anyway? :)

Personally, I'd like to see a study that pits the enjoyment derived from regular pong vs. pain-pong. I wouldn't be surprised if people reported a much higher level of enjoyment during pain-pong, even if they lost some of the time.

4/01 is coming...

[Christopher B. Brown]

And it would be entirely appropriate to propose an RFC that, amongst other things, specified:

• WSDL schemas so that you could do this using SOAP;
• Microsoft IDL, so that you could do this using COM;
• For insult's sake, CORBA IDL;
• Integration with A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers
• An extension that involves using a whiffle bat to convince the unwary that this isn't going to be too painful...

There are but weeks to go; time to start reviewing other 04/01 RFCs for further inspiration....

Go Outside

[weston]

So, just yesterday I was having a conversation with this guy from the Netherlands, and he was telling me how weird the Germans are. I told him they seemed pretty much like everyone else to me. Today, I'm not so sure.

But hey, if you want to be involved with activities where there is potential for pain if you mess up, may I suggest the following:

• Mountain Biking: Ever seen the "radius" seperated from the "ulna" and sticking "out of the arm"? Mmmm. Compound fractures.
• Rock climbing: You'll probably be saved from most permanent injury by clipping in, but it doesn't always stop people from breaking both kneecaps on a bad fall.
• In-line skating: Actually, ice skating can work too, but gravel or pavement are better surfaces for abrasive punishment on top of impact punishment. They absorb blood better, too.
• Playing with Microwave/EM Cores. What's that smell? Liver? (Don't do this. Seriously. Don't.)
• Dating: Nothing gives good internal pain without permanant damage like dating (well, maybe not permanent).
• River rafting: I'll never forget my dislocated shoulder. Sigh.

Really, I don't know why adding pain to an activity is an accomplishment. Sure, it makes the "stakes" more real, but if you want real stakes, do something real.