Stress
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Memory Shocker: keeping busy makes you too busy to remember things
The New York Times has picked up the scare-story baton again, this time citing two pieces of research that supposedly indicate we're spending too much time jacked into our electronic devices. The University of California, San Francisco, has come out with some data showing that the brain needs "downtime" to properly digest, learn, and memorize events. This is supported by the University of Michigan, which confirms that people remember much better after a walk through nature than after a walk through dense urban environments. Basically, crunching new data is preventing us from assimilating older, potentially more important, information. That's neatly (though somewhat dubiously) tied into electronics by reference to their ubiquitous presence and use in daily life. If you're constantly listening, watching, or checking something, you can't very well be packaging those precious memories of grandma's 85th birthday at the same time. Of course, the same could be said of a really good book you can't put down, but that doesn't make for a sexy headline, now does it?
Officers' Quarters: LF guild leader PST
Every Monday Scott Andrews contributes Officers' Quarters, a column about the ins and outs of guild leadership. Some guild leaders think we are irreplaceable, but few of us actually are. Who will carry on the Torch of the Damned if we can't fulfill our duties? I know exactly who would if I ever had to stop playing. But some guild leaders aren't that lucky. Caasi is one of them. She wrote me this week to ask what she should do. Erro thar. I've been playing WoW since 2006 and started my own guild in July 2007 and, at times when RL does not allow enough time, I have handed the guild over to a friend. As it stands there is currently two 2ic's and various raid and class leaders. It has generally gone smoothly, starting off as a leveling guild and then moving on to (very) casual raiding. We didn't get to do much of TBC raiding due to most members leveling slowly and only starting to play the game in TBC. We are up to TotC standards but have encountered a raid and guild breaking issue. When the Australian DST changes kicked over our raiding teams were pretty much split. This has meant that raiding stopped for around 6 weeks causing quite a few of our main raiding team to leave. During that time I took over main guild leadership to try and kick people back into gear. Things were working well enough until I realised that I had over committed myself both IRL and in game. I was fast heading to "SCREW THIS GAME AND YOUR STUPID BLOODY ATTITUDES" before I realised that something needed to be done.
Checking In, an app for when you're stressed out
Too much stress can kill. According to the American Medical Association, stress is a factor in over 75% of sickness and the World Health Organization has stated that stress is America's number one health problem. We all experience some degree of stress and that's on the increase due to information overload, the increasing complexity of our lives and a litany of reasons too numerous to count. We all know this on some level, but what can be done about it? One possible solution can be found in a very intriguing app called Check In: The 5 Tools of EBT [iTunes Link] $.99 US. EBT stands for Emotional Brain Training, a method that was developed over the last 30 years at the University of California, San Francisco, to act as an appetite suppressant for obese children. Eventually, in response to new discoveries in neuroscience (the study of the nervous system) EBT reached its present form. EBT is a brain-based emotional response training method that purports to teach people how to effectively process stress so that their stress level returns to one of well being. The method involves 5 specific levels of stress ranging from 1: feeling great, to 5: totally stressed out. Once a level is determined you are given systematic and repetitious tools to raise your level. With enough practice transitory results can become longer lasting as you, in effect, rewire your brain to deal with stress in a positive manner. When the app is first run, you'll see the screen at the top of this post. There are two major components of the app: one that determines your current brain state and another that helps you raise the brain state, eventually getting to 1.
WoW Insider Show live at a special time tonight
Because I'll be out of pocket this coming weekend (and by "out of pocket," I mean driving a Uhaul with all of my earthly possessions in it through the Rocky Mountains), our podcast is going live at a special time this evening -- we'll be on the air over on Ustream at 6pm Eastern time. I can't tell you exactly who'll be on with us, but it'll have all the things you've come to expect from the show: some silliness, your emails (email theshow@wow.com if you have something to tell us), and lots of insight about the latest news out of Azeroth. This week, we'll talk about shady Arena team ratings, the controversial change to Bestial Wrath, the Abyssal Maw and what we know of Cataclysm's dungeons, and if we have time, we'll talk about how being in a guild can actually make you calmer.Sounds like a packed show, no? That's because it is. And if you can't make it to listen live tonight (you can jump right after the break if you like for another embedded feed), then worry not, because as always, we'll have the show on the iTunes feed for your listening enjoyment. But if you are around, do stop by -- I'll guarantee it'll be a good time. See you this evening!
Study: Playing in a guild actually lowers stress
A new study done by researchers at Australia's Queensland University of Technology says that spending time online playing World of Warcraft with others can actually be good for your mental wellbeing -- within moderation of course. Researcher Huon Longman studied WoW players who played alongside guildies in game, and found that players often shared their real-life concerns with their virtual associates, which resulted in lowered levels of "anxiety, depression, and stress." In short, it seems that when you build relationships and share emotions even with people online, it can help you deal with problems in real life as well. That follows what we talked about earlier this week with Dr. Hilarie Cash -- games like WoW can definitely complement real-life relationships and actually help you relax.But only when used in moderation -- Longman also found that 10% of the sample he studied played considerably more World of Warcraft than normal, and that those players not only didn't experience a bigger benefit to their wellbeing, but actually experienced more "negative psychological symptoms." A good balance of virtual and real life can have a lot of benefits, but falling too much into virtual life can actually cause more problems psychologically, according to this researcher's work. Obviously, this is one study of many about how playing these games can affect how we think, but the results are definitely reflected in experience: in-game relationships, used in moderation, can definitely help you deal with the real world in a healthier way.Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Anti-Aliased: Serious business guys, serious business
This is one of those quintessential arguments that pops up time and time again amongst gamers, guilds, groups, and communities. It's an argument that divides people, pisses off people, and causes countless more gamers to alienate other gamers. How serious should you be about playing your game? Of course we laugh about a topic like this one. Games aren't suppose to be serious, that's why they're games! They're suppose to be fun and enjoyable. If you're not having fun, then you're doing something seriously wrong. For the most part, all of this is true. Yet, there are small segments of the games that we play that actually can require everyone to sit down and "get serious."We see it in raiding tactics, player vs. player tactics, loot distribution, and many other areas (including the entire universe of EVE Online, which seems to be played very seriously.) We've even dedicated a segment of our culture to this type of behavior -- the "hardcore" crowd.So, let's go forward and look at the question, "Are games getting too serious?"
EVE Evolved: How do you handle burnout?
Burnout is something that affects all MMOs and most players experience it at one point or another. Your favourite game stops being as fun as it used to be and you don't feel like logging in. We all handle this in our own way. As a long-time MMO gamer, I've faced burnout many times in games ranging from EVE Online to Everquest 2 and World of Warcraft. I've quit the latter two games several times due to burnout but somehow even after playing EVE for five years (five years exactly on Tuesday 24th), it has never made me quit even when I've burned out. So how do you handle burnout and what makes EVE so special?In this short article, I discuss burnout in MMOs and the different ways I've handled it over the years in EVE Online. Read on as I explain why EVE is the only MMO that has never made me quit.
15 Minutes of Fame: Tanking with a panic button
15 Minutes of Fame is our look at World of Warcraft players of all shapes and sizes – from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about.It's always fun to indulge in WoW talk with fellow players, but our favorite interviews for 15 Minutes of Fame happen with people for whom WoW opens doors – whether as fun and frothy as indulging another hobby by crafting a replica of Booty Bay entirely out of Legos or as meaningful as being able to game in a non-threatening, non-judgmental atmosphere among like-minded friends. This week's featured player exemplifies the power of WoW to energize and empower people's lives. MMOs can make wonderful outlets for disabled players, who find online camaraderie and 24-hour access amenable to their unique needs. Kalzedhan Hurenfal of Feathermoon-A US not only games "around" his limitations but in fact focuses his crosshairs dead on them: he's a tank with a diagnosed panic disorder.Kalzedhan suffers from a handful of debilitating mental disorders that keep him socially paralyzed, homebound and unable to function in a productive work environment. Yet through WoW, Kalzedhan not only has been able to re-engage in relationships and personal achievements – he does it in the hotseat as a tanking Warrior.
LifeSource Wellness Connected family brings wireless health monitoring home
Giving mere mortals the power to monitor their own health at home isn't a shocking revelation, but LifeSource's new Wellness Connected family takes in-home status checking to another plateau. Three products in the line are being announced: the Wireless Automatic Blood Pressure Monitor, Wireless Precision Scale, and Wireless Activity Monitor. The trifecta utilizes FitLinxx's proprietary wireless technology in order to link together and provide users with information on blood pressure, weight, and "activity" that can be logged and analyzed on a typical computer. Regrettably, no pricing information was mentioned, but we get the sense that this trio won't be coming without a noticeable premium.[Via medGadget]
Sensor vest promises to affirm that we're always stressed out
So maybe your stress level isn't sky high just yet, but even after an extended weekend, all it takes is that one email to get you right back where you were last Wednesday. As if you really needed something to tell you that (and if you don't have time to wait for Sweety to become a reality), a host of researchers have created a sensor-laden vest that will be able to inform wearers just how stressed they are. Developed as part of the EU's CONTEXT project, this sure-to-be-hip vest packs ultra-sensitive electrodes which register changes in muscle tension as individuals get more and more stressed, and in theory, letting someone know what's happening will allow them to simmer down before they further jeopardize their health (and the livelihood of colleagues, if you dig). Eh, we still prefer the Dr. Whippy method, honestly.[Via Talk2MyShirt, thanks Tony]
Sweety stress reliever hears you out, won't complain if you batter it
We'll go ahead and squash your welling excitement: from what we can glean, Sweety is nothing more than a concept, but for enough cash, designer Haishu Zhang may be willing to make your dreams a reality. Nevertheless, this highly sophisticated stress reliever somehow hears you out and can determine the root cause of the tension in your life. He'll also invite you to play interactive games to keep your mind on more peaceful endeavors, but if the world just tosses too much in your way, he isn't opposed to being maltreated if it steers you clear of the roof.
The DS Lite gets repeatedly busted for 'science'
Well, maybe about 40% science and 60% "haha, awesome." A new website called Broken Review puts electronics through a battery of tests (or, rather, the tests are battery) to determine their durability. The first item they experiment on? A poor DS Lite. In the beginning, the tests are simple, everyday situations: how scratched does a DS Lite get in a pants pocket with keys? But in subsequent tests, the DS is beaten, scratched, run over, submerged, and dropped from increasing distances -- on video! It survives for much longer than we expected! This could be very useful if you're planning to throw your DS out a window.
Wednesday Night Live!
Blizzard is at it again and so are we! We'll be live blogging the stress test event part deux tonight, on the scene with both Alliance and Horde characters. Be sure to give a /wave to any "Insider" you see walking around. We'll be trying to stay where the action is – be it in arena's attempting to best our own 8-1 record, or watching the GMs hand out more 'phat lewts'.Right now the server is up and running, quite smoothly actually. Keep an eye out here and we'll keep you updated with the latest!Check out after the break for all the action.
Breakfast Topic: Relieving stress
Usually we think of WoW as a way to relieve stress that we acquire in real life. Yet sometimes stressful things happen in WoW, and we need to find ways in real life to relieve them. I find that whenever something like this happens in the game, from battleground whining and insulting, to trouble finding good roleplayers, it does me a world of good to write about it on WoW Insider in some constructive manner. Not only do I address the problem in myself this way, resolving my own attitude towards it, but I do something that, I hope, helps other people who are experiencing the same problem in their own gaming as well. Many WoW players have blogs of their own, and I presume writing there has a similar effect.What do you do in real life to relieve stress from WoW-related problems?
USB Punch Head takes a beating, relieves stress
Need to blow off some serious steam? Got an extra USB port that you just can't seem to fill? If you managed to answer "yes" to both of said questions, you're in luck. Coming in March, the USB Punch Head enables users to beat and batter a USB-connected head and receive all sorts of instant gratification as the on-screen face gets disfigured and a variety of expected "oohs" and "arghs" are emitted from your speakers. Best of all, the actual head that you maul is interchangeable, and users can even upload photos of their favorite enemies for maximum satisfaction. Hit the read for a couple of demonstrative videos.
NPD says games help reduce stress, we say Animal Crossing soothes us
NPD doesn't see fit to provide us just with monthly sales figures, apparently, as they also conduct research in their secret underground bunker. There, beakers full of bright, colorful liquid of an indiscernible nature and men and women in long white coats conduct experiments. Tirelessly disassembling current hardware on the shelves and occasionally injecting caged monkeys with unknown fluids, these vigilant smart types have come to a conclusion regarding the association between stress and video games. According to the NPD, 63% of U.S. citizens play games. 30% of these gamers say they're playing more games than they did last year. Many also cite that games are a way to alleviate stress and help them unwind. We can understand it, because there is something almost zen-like in fishing in Animal Crossing: Wild World. Actually, just about everything in that game is calming and helps us unwind, even picking weeds.
MC Square X1 relaxation DAP heads to America
Considering just how little vacation we Americans manage to take (and how stressed that usually leaves us), the only thing surprising about MC Square's X1 relaxation DAP coming here is how long it has taken. Nevertheless, those interested in picking up a snazzy new DAP and rocking some totally unhip goggles need look no further, as this system utilizes lights and sounds to "induce positive brain waves" and purge those negative vibes from your noggin. As for the player itself, it offers up a paltry 512MB of internal storage space, a miniSD expansion slot, image / text file viewer, voice recorder and an oh-so-vital biorhythm indicator. 'Course, for $399.99, we'd probably just pick up a new console, call in sick, and look a lot less foolish when ridding ourselves of Earthly burdens.[Via ZatzNotFunny]
Vyro Games' PIP wants to relieve your stress
Having trouble finding the time or place to relax? Feel constantly wound up? Looking for a way to have fun and relieve stress? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be alive. Additionally, you may also be interested in Vyro Games' PIP -- or Personal Input Pod. The premise of the device is simple: via Bluetooth, the teardrop-shaped biofeedback sensor relays your stress levels (measured in electrodermal activity, or sweat production) to software on a mobile phone, where it's used to control a simple game. The outcome of the game is dependent on how relaxed the user can get, and the program continuously monitors the player's stress levels and reacts accordingly, helping them develop control over the relaxation process. No word yet on price, or when the PIP will be available... but we're not going to stress out about it.[Via Impress]
Dr. Whippy keeps the soft serve comin' to cheer you up
Ah c'mon, it's essentially a foregone conclusion that ice cream leads to happiness, so it's no surprise to hear of an invention like Dr. Whippy. This ingenious device reportedly analyzes ones voice as he / she answers questions and determines how stressed the individual is, and as you may expect, the more unhappy one seems, the more ice cream is dispensed. Score one for the pessimists.[Via WeMakeMoneyNotArt]
Pet stress patch clues you in on Fido's emotional health
Let's face it, being a pet in the modern era is pretty tough -- our furry friends live under constant surveillance and face crippling self-esteem issues brought on by a society hell-bent on upgrading them, and even replacing them outright with videogames and robots. Adding to the list of products designed to relieve Fluffy from these terrible burdens, Japanese outfit Medical Life Care Giken claims to have invented a patch to measure the stress level of cats and dogs. Based on studies linking sweat production to stress, the pin-sized patch goes on your pet's paw and changes color based on how much sweat it detects, allowing you to schedule doggie-therapy sessions accordingly. While we're not certain why it took a multi-year partnership with researchers at Toyama University to develop a sweat-powered animal mood ring, we only hope that Giken is hard at work on the fish and turtle versions of this patch -- it's been looking mighty tense in that tank.[Via MedLaunches]
