NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever - Kotaku Comments

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

designmartini — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:31:04 MST

Hello, I discovered this when I realized that shooting communists in Goldeneye actually made me less homicidal when I came home from a shitty day at high school.

designmartini

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

KM91 — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:59:29 MST

Duh, I knew video games relieve stress.

KM91

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

EnigmaNemesis — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:38:32 MST

@Witzbold:

Oooh, that is why, it was the wrong Witzbold I looked up. I did it without the "zero"...

Awesome, looking forward to playing!

EnigmaNemesis

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Witzbold — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:35:28 MST

@EnigmaNemesis: My PC cant even run STALKER without overheating. I play on the 360. ;D

PC is so outdated now, not to mention has some weird overheating issues. Not sure why though, since it has good airflow. But I think the case is a little small though.

WITZB0LD (the 0 is a zero)

Cool man Ill add you later tonight then!

Witzbold

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

EnigmaNemesis — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:03:29 MST

Nvm, I checked your gamertag, you probably have the PC version!

EnigmaNemesis

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

EnigmaNemesis — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:54:20 MST

@Witzbold:

Witz, you play on the 360?

Look me up EnigmaNemesis, we can throw down and party up!

But I agree, it is a great stress reliever, and always has been. There are a few things that I do to relieve stress:

1) Gaming as usual, since this was the first form discovered as a kid (even though many of NES controllers were flung and thrown in anger)!

2) Working out, I used to power lift for a little over a decade, great stress pushing up around a quarter ton of weigh from your chest!

3) Firearms ... I love to go to the range and pop a lot of shots off with my handguns and rifles ... great stress reliever and makes you forget the world around you.

EnigmaNemesis

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Witzbold — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:50:36 MST

Best stress relief for me is to cause more on others online in games!

*goes back to ganking people with point blank M203 shots in COD4*

---

Seriously though its a great way to unwind for a bit and forget about the world. Its the same reason why folks read a book, watch movies, do art, cook, etc. Gaming isnt any different. I think its why a lot of folks in Japan really took well to the DS. Due to the mass number of titles with "almost" something for everyone people have learned to embrace the DS and find something they can play to forget about the stressful lives they live even if just for a little while here in Japan. Plus with seeing lots of other folks everywhere owning / playing a DS it makes them feel more comfortable taking part in "gaming" also, since it doesnt seem as taboo as before when it was thought of gaming was something only "otakus" do.

Witzbold

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Zio — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:28:04 MST

@tk.: I'm pretty sure that a large majority of that 37% is made up of angry girlfriends and wives. It's a lost cause.

Zio

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

dv8godd — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 14:24:43 MST

@tk.: I was trying to figure out how to convert the other 37% into a slave labor force that goes to get the gamers Fritos and beer while mid-tourney.

dv8godd

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

TheDollHouse — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:59:21 MST

@tk.: Isn't it obvious? We convert them by fear mongering. Tell them if they don't become gamers they're very bad people and bad people will go to a very bad place. If that doesn't work then a good old fashion guilt trip might work.

TheDollHouse

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

gadgetfanatic — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:52:25 MST

@tk.:I'm trying to get out of gaming actually.

gadgetfanatic

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

tk. — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:50:56 MST

So, how do we convert the other 37% into gamers?

tk.

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

tk. — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:44:33 MST

@vanderhoef: The drums are also a great way to keep warm in these winter months :)

tk.

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

little_dragon — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:36:21 MST

Posts about the NPD on gaming blogs allways freak me out, because NPD is the acronym for "Nationalistische Partei Deutschlands" -> german nationalist party and they're nothing more than a bunch of Neo-Nazis...

This time it was particularly unsettling, because I've just opened a youtube video about the (german) NPD in one tab and this article in the other one.

Could one of you nice Kotakuites explain to me, what the american NPD exactly ist? You'd save me three seconds of looking it up on Wikipedia...

Ever so gratefull!

little_dragon

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

gadgetfanatic — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:35:24 MST

@ghnvt:I believe you should believe in yourself.

gadgetfanatic

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Anarchist_Gamer — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:22:42 MST

I can lose myself in a good drumming session in Rock Band. Releases all the stress that goes along with Finals Week.

Anarchist_Gamer

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

gaint_superlogical_crabs — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:18:27 MST

I use them to wind up :)

gaint_superlogical_crabs

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

huginn — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:07:24 MST

Gaming can tune you out. Put you in recharging batteries mode.

3 hours of back to back Marvel vs capcom 2 does this for me.

But yeah. Um... Honestly, who funds these studies? Captain Obvious?

huginn

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

K-Squad! (Badass Edition) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:07:19 MST

I would like to disagree, not having enough free time to play my games gives me stress. Having a lot of games but only being able to play one is stressful. Keeping track of all those usernames and passwords is stressful. Dying or losing is stressful, or getting into arguments with people. Playing the game knowing you are putting off something you should be doing can be stressful, and the amount of choice and angles involved in gaming now is stressful.

K-Squad! (Badass Edition)

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

graddy — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:59:45 MST

This isn't a study. All it is, is a survey. And no big surprise that gamers say that they play games to relieve stress. But does it actually do this? Well one could suggest yes. It is entertainment and it does help to take your mind off of things.

But one must also ask what causes stress. Usually having a lot on your plate and not enough time to take care of it all. Given that games aren't going to get work done for you, VGs might actually serve to increase stress.

So in the short term you get temporary relief from your woes and concerns, but in the long-term you could become more stressed out as you are just backlogging yourself even more.

What's even more amazing is how quick everyone was to jump on the bandwagon with this supposed "study". Just because people say they can reduce their stress by playing games doesn't mean it actually works.

graddy

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

lionkitten — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:58:06 MST

I had the WORST day yesterday. I go home, crabby and pissed at the world. I say, OHO! New Halo maps today. Ran around and played for a couple hours, and I was WAY better and much more relaxed. And I played good too.

Turned out to be a pretty decent day after all.

lionkitten

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Denver_80203 — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:55:30 MST

I would like to agree but I find that more and more games are too challenging to relieve stress. I get more pissed than enjoyment from a good deal of games these days.

Denver_80203

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

TOCATL — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:47:22 MST

@DigitalHero: Get in to the online servers in battelfield1942 and you will be lucky if you can pass 25 kills...

TOCATL

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

onidavin — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:46:45 MST

@coyo7e: Agreed. Market research is the redheaded stepchild of legitimate research. When you go into something knowing what you want to find, it's kind of hard to not find it.

onidavin

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

coyo7e — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:40:22 MST

This does seem a bit of a "duh of course," but I wish that you would have provided a link to just who "The NPD Group" is, since apparently they're a market research firm, and I'd like to know just who funded their research.

coyo7e

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Danarcho — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:40:08 MST

I play games for the fun of being challenged. I like Contra and those types of games that are just too hard. At the same time, it does alleviate stresses of reality...especially school. Stupid finals.

Danarcho

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Roadkill — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:38:54 MST

In other news, NPD has shown in surveys that 60% of people do recreational activities to relax.

Roadkill

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Copesetic — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:37:46 MST

I agree that certain games can have that effect, but that certainly isn't my purpose for playing them. I play games because they are awesome and fun. Sometimes stress reduction is just a natural side effect. However, other side effects include increased swearing frequency, rise in blood pressure, and an unhealthy relationship between my fist and my wall.

Copesetic

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

mgslegrand — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:35:51 MST

Though this survey is common sense to us gamers, it's important because it shows the rest of the non-gamer world that we don't play games to learn to kill cops, rob banks, and eat children. Gamers have been getting a lot of negative publicity recently from politicians attempting to vilify us to create support for their pathetic campaigns. Studies like are important because they paint us as we are: people trying to find a little enjoyment or momentarily trading the problems of the real worlds for the comforts of a virtual one in which rules are simpler.

mgslegrand

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

dv8godd — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:33:49 MST

"...especially teens and older gamers ages 15 to 65 and older..."

One of the worst written phrases in the history of professional writing. I realize it's a typo on their part... but still. That's painful to read.

dv8godd

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

tehFluffz — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:30:09 MST

Well I use MY games as preparation for school shootings tyvm.

tehFluffz

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

baked ham — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:28:02 MST

@Strangelove: I agree with you on 2 out of 3. Water ain't wet, it just makes things wet.

baked ham

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

icepick314 — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:25:23 MST

DUH!!

icepick314

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Strangelove — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:22:41 MST

Other major revelations from the story:

- Water is wet.
- Fire is hot.
- Ice is cold.

Strangelove

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

SAKY — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:22:16 MST

@DigitalHero: you noob, you haven't gone presteige yet?

SAKY

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

SAKY — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:21:42 MST

Who ever made that headline hasn't entered a friend code or spent an hour of their life muting stupid people with microphones on XBL.

SAKY

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

baked ham — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:14:58 MST

@gdf: I didn't try Marble Blast Ultra, and I haven't tried Kororinpa, or Mercury Meltdown Revolution, because I had such a terribly frustrated experience with Monkay Ball on the Wii. My god. The game pissed me off. Terrible, awful camera and controls, just ruined it.

baked ham

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

gdf — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:13:42 MST

When I throw my controller out the window after falling to my death for the 200th time on Marble Blast Ultra's finl stage, is that relieving my stress?

gdf

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

Project Thanatos — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:12:58 MST

I thought this was common sense? All forms entertainment has this effect.

Project Thanatos

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

baked ham — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:12:49 MST

I play videogames for two reasons:

1) to unleash my inner beast, get my blood pumping, kill assholes, get killed, and throw fits. (Call of Duty 4, Halo 3, Orange Box, Rainbow Six)

2) to relax. (Mass Effect, Mario Galaxy, Rock Band, Oblivion, Tetris)

baked ham

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

DigitalHero — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:11:38 MST

Gaming only adds stress to the n00bs I pwn in Call of Duty 4 =P (4 Star General Level 53)

DigitalHero

NPD: Gaming is a Stress Reliever

ghnvt — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:08:27 MST

But Jack Thompson says that it makes me agressive and want to kill people....hmmm...who should I believe.

ghnvt