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]

Tags: Depression, DukeNukem, FPS, Research, Study, USNIMH

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