My hubby’s birthday is coming up, and I gave him his gift early, because it was big and hard to hide. Plus, I couldn’t wait to see how excited he would be to open it! He’s been hinting about wanting this Playstation 3 (80GB) for months.
I had thought about waiting until Christmas to buy it, but I’ve been working a lot lately, and decided to go for it, to surprise him. Plus, he told me it will play Blu-Ray discs, and that would be a good deal, since a Blu-Ray player would be almost as expensive on its own… Sure, sure.
The first game I got him is Call of Duty 4. If you’re not familiar with the Call of Duty games, it’s a first-person wartime simulation. (Do you watch The Office? Remember when Jim went to the Stamford branch, and they were playing Call of Duty as a team-building exercise? And Jim was in the corner with his sniper rifle, jumping around and going nowhere? That’s the game.)
Anyway, he fired it up and started playing, and I was watching the screen, amazed by the clarity of the graphics, and the realism of the motion and everything. The flash-bang grenades actually have a blinding effect, and you can hear the ringing in your ears.
There is a scene where the team has to escape from a sinking ship. You have to run through the labyrinth of cargo crates, metal stairways, narrow corridors, and make your way up to the deck and jump into a helicopter, all while the ship lists and leans. It’s thoroughly disorienting.
As I was watching him negotiate the sinking ship level, I started getting all clammy and hot. My tummy tightened and twisted. “Is it hot in here? Why is it so hot in here?” I leaned back and put my feet up on the coffee table, suddenly feeling very sick. Nausea… uck.
After about 3 tries, Hubby completed the level and went on to the next chapter of the story. I still felt yucky, and I was trying to figure out how I could be sick.
“I think I’m seasick from your game.“
“Oh, yeah. There’s a note in the instructions about that.”
Stupid game. I went upstairs to lie on the bed and recover, with the fan blowing cool air on my face and arms. Much better.
If you get a PS3, be careful if you’re prone to motion sickness. I’ll be sticking with less realistic games, I think. 
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I don’t think that this is a tale of a gift or a PS3. I think that this is a story about being the best wife. EVER!
Get, Bad Company it’s better than COD4. I love it. I used to play COD4 with Jason Boom on Xbox Live.
BigPappas last blog post..A Legend Dies
lol
i’ll remember that if i ever get one. my other half gets dizzy and motion-sick from my PS2 Tony Hawk games as it is …
enders last blog post..Sing Along
Aww!! What a great gift
I get like that too watching games.. crazy! It’s great that it plays BluRay too… a two-in-one gift
Lisa365/starbursidereuss last blog post..the “Bee’s Knees”
With so many video games, do you ever get to play them all?
At least the Wii won’t make you sick.
Your hubby is so lucky to have you. Video games are definitely man’s best gifts.
My mom has gotten motion sickness since Sonic on anything fast. She much prefers when Dad plays the Wii, not the PS3
I had never heard of someone getting motion sickness from watching a game? Is the PS3 really that advanced in graphics? I have only played PS2 and although the graphics are good (to me anyway, but what do I know) they aren’t all that realistic.
I might have to get me one of those PS3′s!!
Kats last blog post..Top 10 Movies with a Surprising Ending!
Y’all must have a nice-sized HD television that the PS3 is hooked up to. My unsolicited advice: Get a smaller TV -or- buy a Costco-sized amount of Dramamine!
Hilarys last blog post..This makes it all worth the while!
To BigPappa – yes, she is the best wife EVER!
To Kat & Hilary – the PS3 graphics are simply amazing and I have it hooked up to our 56″ Samsung DLP HDTV that I bought a few months ago in full 1080p.
It has come to be that I too get sea sick from video games, especially if I am not playing them. I think I’ll be sticking to Sims for now.
i’ve been getting motion sickness from games ever since halo. i think they rock but i just can’t play them!
maybe try lots of dramamine!
elaines last blog post..ATM vs. Debit Cards
I’ve owned a PS3 for a few months now, the only game I have for it is Metal Gear Solid 4. I didn’t get motion sickness lol, but the graphics were awesome and I spent most of the time staring at the details than playing the game…much better than the PSOne graphics, that’s for sure, hehe. Though it would have been better if I had a HDTV (SDTV for the lose). I would buy some more games for it, but $60 for a new game is a bit much for me atm..
Sanjo-chans last blog post..Second Death Note Movie in US Theaters in October
I wonder whether it would be better to be the player instead of the spectator. I don’t get carsick when I’m the driver – only when I’m a passenger.
@Sanjo-chan: We won’t be getting any other games for a while, because they are so expensive!
My hubby has been driving me nuts for a PS3 too… I keep trying to find ways to put it off. Looks like yours got lucky!
I totally get seasick so I am going to definitely stay away from that game.
Whiney Mommas last blog post..It can be a little crazy…
I get sick if I play Spyro the Dragon games for too long on the GameCube or the PS2. The whole camera motion thing can really make your stomach turn over sometimes!
Lisas last blog post..A Weekend Full Of Nothing.
I’ve been getting motion sickness from video games for years — way before WII, PS3 and all these new ones. Gosh, I think it was way back when my boys got their first Nintendo. I can’t do roller coaster, either … so maybe some people are just more sensitive. Glad to see I’m not alone.
Lories last blog post..Alternative to Disney Dining
Years ago, my mom watched me play the original F-Zero on SNES with me for about 5 minutes when a similar thing happened to her. I’m sure she’d get a kick out of your story if for no reason than to know she’s not the only one.
I got motion sickness from watching my husband play guitar hero. He was playing it on a really big tv, and with the scrolling screen…It was just too much. I didn’t feel too good…It’s fine though if I watch it on a smaller tv..thank goodness because hubby loves that game.
Jens last blog post..What’s your favorite movie?
This makes me want one more! Haha!
I think the Wii’s a great idea… if you’re young and want to bounce around. I just want to sit on my ass and play!
Three factors that determine motion sickness:
1) Speed and FPS, fast objects create complexities for the center of our brain responsible for taking in visual information. High saturation meshed with dark shadows and sometimes even over use of bump maps with razer sharp faces. Projected lighting in a dimmed environment, close quarter combat or even badly rendered and or poorly programmed graphics.
2) Screen lighting and screen size, believe it or these two things are the most underestimated and overlooked aspects. Screen settings for lighting should never be turned up high as it creates a visual blur, to the gamer its non existent but overtime you feel it when your eyes hurt, itch or you feel drowsy. The size of the screen also determines play time, massive tv screens are the worst for any game type. While I realize it doesn’t matter to the gamer the bigger the screen the stretchier the pixels or graphics. That stretching creates warped artifacts too small to see by the naked eye, if you have ever witnessed underwater vision then over exposure to large screens is what leads to a visual hallucinations as it might make the screen appear bigger or smaller at random intervals.
3) You might just have a vision problem which should be checked out or you could be sensitive to certain kinds of games in which case you should read game packing before buying as they usually have warning labels for the visually stimulated.