A "Shocking" Controller

[Magmavision2000]

After Zoyous made a post about controllers that shock people, I decided to post this.

 

In 2001, 3rd party controller company Mad Catz announced a controller  codenamed Bioforce  that would administer a painful shock that would cause muscle spasms if the player we're to get hit or lose the game. They quietly canceled the controller, probably because nobody is going to buy a controller that will Electrocute you.

 

Would it be a shocking success or would it be a shorted failure?

 

 

 

[Tanooki]

I think I'd find the novelty of that fairly fun.  TENS machine+controller = Good lesson in playing better.

[derFunkenstein]

This is just the weirdest thing I've seen all day. 

[phoenixdownita]

It can get weirder, like ... for men apply the adhesive shocker pads to your testicles ... hours and hours of unadulterated fun ... problem is you are likely passed out already and won't remember much aside an excruciating pain and some suspicious squarish looking shaved spots on your scrotum!

[+GoldenWheels]

Bond did it!

[Newsdee]

I wonder if it works better if a device gives you pleasure when you win...

[HoshiChiri]

In 2001, it would have failed. The key phrase here is 'causes muscle spasms'. Just a shock is one thing, but this would literally make you unable to continue playing after an error because you wouldn't have proper control of your arms!

 

Now, these days? That's a different situation. YouTube & Let's Plays are a thing now, and there's absolutely an audience for watching people torture themselves playing games (I'm sure a few have rigged something like this up).  Could be moderately successful now if they can make the concept go viral.

[Zoyous]

Haha! I was being totally facetious about it, but it's hilarious and perplexing to see that a legit company actually (at least started to) develop such a product! I suppose at some point their own lawyers had to have a little sit-down chat with the engineers. I do remember once or twice, as a kid, intentionally shocking myself with batteries and it did not feel good! But some techie people I know will lick a 9v battery to see if it still has a charge.

 

Having been to Burning Man a few times, I had the opportunity to watch (but did not play) Dance Dance Immolation, in which a person in a flame resistant fire suit plays Dance Dance Revolution and if they fail at the song, they are shot with flamethrowers. (link) I'm plenty bad at regular Dance Dance Revolution and my play wouldn't improve with the threat of fire.

[Magmavision2000]

51 minutes ago, Zoyous said:

Dance Dance Immolation, in which a person in a flame resistant fire suit plays Dance Dance Revolution and if they fail at the song, they are shot with flamethrowers

This sounds like a Vietcong torture tactic.

[Video]

Don't know about electrical stimulation, I do remember reading about that controller though. Always thought a "self destructing" controller would be cool. Mess up, and did in a game, causing your controller to pop apart requiring you to reassemble it to continue. Then I thought, wouldn't a user configurable controller be cool? That one did make it to market if I recall correctly (the self configured controller, not the "exploding" controller)