How Mirror's Edge fights simulation sickness

by Ross Miller { Jul 17th 2008 at 5:15PM }

In case you're curious as to how DICE is planning to fight against simulation sickness in Mirror's Edge (not motion sickness, since you're not actually moving), an EA spokesperson provided a number of explanations during our hands-on with the game. For starters a little white blip is now placed the middle of the screen. It turns blue when it's charged for the slow motion action, but more importantly, it serves to focus the viewer's eyes.

The rep told us that they interviewed ballerinas to see how they perform spins without feeling sick. Their trick is to focus on a certain object or spot on the floor, which inspired the devs to add the dot. For those who find it distracting and obnoxious, there is an option to turn it off.

Also removed was the head bobbing found in the earlier GDC menu. The rep said they are now viewing the game from your eyes and not your head. Finally, the developers of the game told us that the use of the sides of the screens provides a sense of peripheral vision in the game. We were told they hadn't decided whether or not to use letterbox widescreen for 4:3-resolution television screens.

Tags: dice, e3, e3-2008, ea, electronic-arts, mirrors-edge, motion-sickness, simulation-sickness

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Will @ Jul 17th 2008 5:23PM

Glad they got rid of head bob. I'm sure my head goes up and down when I move, but my brain's smart enough to tell that I'm moving and keep the world steady for me. Doesn't work that way when I'm sitting at a desk.

Tiptup300 @ Jul 17th 2008 6:48PM

I hate when people get my ideas before I'm able to show them. I've had this idea for years. :(

Microswirl (MKWii:1676- 4270-3674) @ Jul 17th 2008 10:35PM

I'm the same way, plus I can see through my eyelids when I'm sleeping and I remember forward in time.

kip @ Jul 18th 2008 9:31AM

When Marathon came out on the 360 and people got motion sickness... wasn't the solution to *enable* head bob?

arrrgh @ Jul 17th 2008 5:25PM

lol @ 4:3 screens

Master Bruce @ Jul 17th 2008 5:37PM

I'm glad they actually put some thought into that. I was going to avoid the title because I was sure it would induce "simulation sickness".

On a side note, do we really need a new term? Can't we just call it motion sickness?

J @ Jul 18th 2008 8:41PM

Yes, there's a difference between the two. Not in the sensation, but in the way it is induced. Motion sickness develops through your body's sense of balance, your body's change in position and orientation causes you to feel ill. Simulation sickness is kind of the opposite. Your mind perceives motion, but your sense of balance says otherwise, so you have a conflict of stimulus.

They probably could be combined into some sort of umbrella term, but they are separate phenomena.

Mike M. @ Jul 17th 2008 5:43PM

"use of side screens"

Do you mean the sides of your screen when playing in widescreen or does this have some sort of multi-monitor support?

Ross Miller @ Jul 17th 2008 5:49PM

sides of the screens

Mike M. @ Jul 17th 2008 6:16PM

Thanks for clearing that up.

Jimmijam @ Jul 17th 2008 5:41PM

Great. Glad they figured it out.

Now is there anything more to this game or is it basically gonna be 7 hours of running around boxes, walls, and pipes. Cuz' that'll hold about an hour of my enjoyment.

Cash @ Jul 18th 2008 4:42PM

Obviously not a portal fan then?

Jimmijam @ Jul 18th 2008 5:26PM

True. Not a portal fan. Not because I don't like it, but because I've never played it.

I was a fan of Assassin's Creed for the first 3 or 4 cities. Then it became a chore.

Obie @ Jul 17th 2008 5:44PM

Comparing gamers to ballerinas? No...just....no.

Mindfeeld @ Jul 18th 2008 5:11PM

Yeah that's just wrong.

Ballerinas are actually ACTIVE.

Mike M. @ Jul 17th 2008 6:00PM

Just because it isn't very flattering doesn't mean the comparison isn't apt in this incredibly specific point. Both have to compensate for fast spins without becoming nauseous. That does not imply that gamers wear spandex or anything else.

Jimmijam @ Jul 17th 2008 6:18PM

(quietly puts his spandex away)

Obie @ Jul 17th 2008 6:21PM

Wow Mike, your Vulcan-esque lack of humor was quite insightful.
Thanks.

Jimmijam @ Jul 17th 2008 6:37PM

(quietly puts away his Vulcan ears away)

fred @ Jul 18th 2008 2:34AM

vulcan ballerina gamers cant get a break

HappyFunBall @ Jul 17th 2008 6:09PM

I remember the first time I played CoH, I got motion sickness from jumping off the buildings...

I got used to it eventually, but it took a couple of days.

mr mobius @ Jul 17th 2008 6:47PM

So what I felt after the fixed machine guns in Call of Duty 3 actually has a name. Interesting.

ugg.tryptophan @ Jul 17th 2008 7:33PM

give me a barfbag, im ready to play! : )

Alvie @ Jul 17th 2008 8:55PM

Does the blip move, or is that dot gonna burn my tv?

Fourdee3 @ Jul 17th 2008 8:56PM

thats funny because I have a dot on my monitor and tv.
I find its helpful for lots of games to know exactly where the center of the screen is.

people are always like
"whats with the dot?" and I like "what dot?"

EvilCheburashka @ Jul 17th 2008 9:32PM

I am in love with this game. It's seems genius, and I hope to God it lives up to the expectations.

Josh @ Jul 17th 2008 9:42PM

I get motion sickness...or simulation sickness...or whatever...when playing FPS games on Wii, but only on Wii.

rowd149 @ Jul 17th 2008 10:46PM

:/ I was actually feeling the head bob. I don't get motion sickness easily, so the only reason I wouldn't want it in the game was if it was gonna screw up aiming. Otherwise, I hope they include it as something to turn on and off like the dot...

Burnt Meatloaf @ Jul 18th 2008 5:27AM

It's nice to see that developers are becoming aware of things like this these days.

Head bob was always added to make the game look cool, never to enhance the gameplay. It particularly annoys me with racing games, because my interpretation of what the car is doing depends on the scenery, not how aggressively the dashboard sways back and forth. Racing games that simulate G forces with the camera actually make the game 100x harder to play for me. Things don't work that way when I race my Subaru in real life, so I don't expect games to work that way, either. Of course, I'm talking about sims here, where car control actually matters, rather than bumper cars.