Seriously. have any of you played James Bond 007: Nightlife? That game sucked so bad I actually TRIED to die. I'm completely honest. Now take UT2004 for example and i hate being smeared across the ground no matter what. Lots of fun when someone eats a rocket to the face though, that's for sure.

So, if we get "sad" while shooting enemies onscreen, why the hell do we play FPS games?! And love them while we're at it?!
Nonsensical if you ask me, allthough I'm sure that many would actually react that way.
A typical FPS gamer would not though imo, or else he'd not be a an FPS player.
This is almost like thinking in a bar brawl; "I hope he knocks me out good now so I don't have to hit him." That's not what I'd think, that'd be more like; "I have to knock out this dude before he off's me!!"
Were these test subjects
A) Hippies?
B) Pacifist socialists?
C) Both?
..............I just don't get it.

Perhaps, the article has a typo?
It would certainly be troublesome if people starts blaming the dead victims for playing FPS.
Death Simulator?

I agree with this research result, at least for counter-strike - ofcourse I feel great, when I am winning, but not at the moment I kill, but after the round is over and the battle stopped for a bit.
And I do feel a kind of relieve, if I'm killed aswell, because the game needs a hell of lot of attention (even more so, because you only have 1 life per round and you really don't want to lose it) and I get pretty relaxed after I was shot in that round.
To be able to swear a bit after being shot, to vent some frustration, is pretty relaxing aswell (ok it certainly isn't relaxing, if you get out of control with it).

xenophon13 said: yeah most scientific studies you have to take with a grain of salt. Someone will come up with another study refuting this. also it could be that you feel relief when you get killed because of the short break you get (even if you want to get back in the action). where as when you kill someone in the game the intensity increases because you know eventually you will die and you get on a role and dont want that to stop

This needed to be quoted. The relief was actually mentioned in the OP. I can see there's not much people (except for Stof and his epic win) in this thread, who knows much about psychology. The fast paced, hectic FPS:s cause high amount of stress, and more better you do, more stress you create for yourself. The situation is pretty similar with a gambler who just wins all the time. More he wins, more stressed he becomes as the stakes go higher and more he has to lose. After the FPS player dies in a game or the gambler loses his money, even that it pisses them off, the level of stress hormones goes down and you feel relieved. The effect should be the same if you win or lose, as long as the game ends. Actually the reaction is similar to benji-jumping, when you fall, the amount of adrenaline it produces, would be enough to maintain heartbeat for a year and when the bouncing eventually stops, you're damn happy it's over. Although, you may immediatly want to try again.

So if I like to get stucked by a Plasma grenade in Halo, do I like to get blown up?

Only girly men enjoy taking a break from the action!

Dallinor said: These scientists have clearly, never seen me play. I laugh manically as I kill enemy players, and usually let out a string of curses when I die.

HAHAHA same with me! That study seems ridiculous.