Duke Nukem and the battle against depression
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Mar 12th 2007 at 5:58PM }
No, Duke Nukem Forever hasn't received a name change (or a release date) -- but there's now a possible explanation for why you've been getting pwned by bubbly 12-year-olds on Xbox Live. Dude, you're depressed.According to a study by the US National Institute of Mental Health, depression sufferers were outperformed by their "healthy" peers in a test that used scenes based on Duke Nukem. It would seem that tests relying on spatial memory -- in this case, locating landmarks in a virtual gameworld -- might provide a method for quantifying depression. Apparently subjects suffering from deep levels of depression located the least number of landmarks. Previous research suggests that depression might be associated with a shrunken hippocampus, a part of the brain that processes spatial memory.
[Via Engadget]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sloar @ Mar 12th 2007 6:13PM
No, I get pnwed by 12 year olds because I have a job and can't spend 18 hours a day playing those games like a bunch of 6th graders with tvs in their room can.
DeezNuts420 @ Mar 12th 2007 6:19PM
Amen brother Sloar!!!!
Nick Peters @ Mar 12th 2007 6:51PM
Sloar you are obviously depressed and suffering classic symptoms of denial. :P
Diskoboy @ Mar 12th 2007 6:19PM
Wait a minute......
People still play Duke Nukem?
miles foreman @ Mar 12th 2007 6:26PM
Yeah... I'm perpetually depressed because I have to work for a living and I don't do bad at Battlefield 2. I typically place in the 1-5 range on the leaderboard and that's good enough for me.
2kings @ Mar 12th 2007 6:37PM
heh just this morning i got a version of duke nukem 3d in actaull 3d!
Vexorg @ Mar 12th 2007 6:40PM
Further studies are underway, but the results probably won't be released for at least 10 years.
Russ Stewart @ Mar 12th 2007 7:02PM
As a person WITH DEPRESSION, I have no problems locating and navigating by landmarks. I get fragged by the 12-year-old 'cause HE'S a depressed little geeky griefer who squats on my spawn spot. And then of course I've got this terrible pain in all the diodes down my left side...
Poisoned Al @ Mar 12th 2007 7:07PM
You beat me too it Russ! Life? Don't talk to me about life!
scrybe74 @ Mar 12th 2007 7:21PM
Props to Slaor - Someone should created a XBLA for 25 y/o and older....for peoplel with jobs...and a live....yes...I'm better at getting my ass handed to me by 12 year olds, high schoolers and college kids who play all night and day...
sigh...
DAMN YOU RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!!
scrybe74 @ Mar 12th 2007 7:23PM
Props to Slaor - Someone should create an XBLA for 25 y/o and older....for people with jobs...and a life....yes...I'm bitter at getting my ass handed to me by 12 year olds, high schoolers and college kids who play all night and day...
sigh...
DAMN YOU RESPONSIBILITY!!!!!!
Mr Khan @ Mar 12th 2007 7:32PM
Haven't we had this discussion (where all the over 18s unjustly bash us under 18s)?
Granted i only have 5.5 months left in my underage youth...
I could sort of see where they're going with this, though, I know some days i pwn everyone in multiplayer games, and some days i suck total ass, all depending on my mood
Justin U @ Mar 12th 2007 8:43PM
Agreed Sloar...
Quakeulf @ Mar 13th 2007 6:14AM
I have a part-time job as an illustrator/colorist and I am fulltime student yet I rank 3rd on this here game server in Half-Life 2:
http://hlstats.beuz.com/hlstats.php?mode=playerinfo&player=127652
Probably because I am so old I grew up with Quakeworld. :p
atsui @ Mar 13th 2007 2:57PM
WTF?? 12-year-olds on Xbox Live suck!! Everytime a little kid is playing gears of war they get their asses handed to them on a silver platter.