AHH! I'm going to have a seizure!

[Tr3vor]

Have you ever noticed, (well, of course you have) that nearly all of the atari 2600 games have effects that blink the whole screen?

 

i dont think that this would be acceptable today. it they re-released the 2600 for some reason, they would probably tone it down a bit.

the FCC, or whoever controlls this seizure thing, whould be pissed.

was there anyone back then that anilized a game for these kinds of effects?

 

if there is anyone here who has that disorder that causes seizures, i feel bad for you.

[godzillajoe]

I don't think it's an issue unless it flashes at a certain frequency

 

Just blinking wouldn't cause seizures, constant strobing at a certain rate might

 

I had a friend who worked on this stuff, they would drag people in and expose them to all different colors and rates.

 

I don't remember ever hearing about the 2600 making someone spaz out.

[Wickeycolumbus]

Have you ever noticed, (well, of course you have) that nearly all of the Atari 2600 games have effects that blink the whole screen?

 

 

This is a trick to make more objects to appear on the screen than the hardware allows (so it is unavoidable in most cases).

 

I don't think that this would be acceptable today. it they re-released the 2600 for some reason, they would probably tone it down a bit.

the FCC, or whoever controls this seizure thing, would be pissed.

was there anyone back then that analyzed a game for these kinds of effects?

 

The 2600 was actually re-released in 2005 as the Flashback 2. Some of the games (namely Yars' Return and Lunar Lander) have pretty bad flicker, so it seems to be a non issue.

[VectorGamer]

There was talk back in the day regarding Defender and how the ship flickered every time you pressed the fire button. Headaches and the like and maybe it was said tongue-in-cheek about causing seizures. I don't recall where I read this but if someone knows they can post a scan.

[Frostbite Bailey]

Seizure! The only thing that made me shake was constant hours of decathlon

[Tr3vor]

no, im talking about:

like on Dodge 'em, when you complete a level,

defender: losing the last humanoid,

missile command: game over

[Laemeur]

To my knowledge, no one "controls" the inclusion of seizure-inducing flash/flicker effects in video games. Some companies include the warnings as a preventative measure against potential lawsuits, but the FCC or any other gov't body (in the U.S., at least) doesn't require them. People with epilepsy have to be careful when watching TV or movies, too, and when's the last time you saw a seizure warning on either of those?

[+Random Terrain]

That's one reason why I hardly ever play Beamrider. The screen flashes red every time you shoot an enemy. Totally irritating and unnecessary.

[fiddlepaddle]

...the FCC, or whoever controlls this seizure thing, whould be pissed.

was there anyone back then that anilized a game for these kinds of effects?

The only one who "controls" it is the person watching the screen. Those warnings are just extra paper courtesy of the lawyers. Seizures are very rare, and can even be induced via florescent lights in some cases. Also, flashing of various frequencies can hypnotize many people under the right conditions.

 

If you are really concerned, be sure to read that seat-belt warning on the visor in your car and the fine print on your Mcfrench fries.