Vest that lets video gamers 'feel' gunshots blamed for violence

David Edwards and Muriel Kane

Published: Monday March 17, 2008



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A vest that enables video gamers to feel the impact when their characters are shot in-game is raising fears that young people are being desensitized to violence.

The 3rdSpace gaming vest, invented by a Seattle surgeon, includes eight air pistons over vital spots and may be the most sophisticated offering yet in a series of such devices that have been intended to enhance the sensory experience of gaming.

Gamers' reactions have ranged from mildly interested to highly enthusiastic, but anti-gun campaigners in Britain, where the device has recently become available, are alarmed. One activist told Channel 4 News that people keep asking her "Why are our kids out in the street killing each other on a weekly basis?" and warned that it's because "We feed them a diet of violence."

However, the vest's inventor insists that by enabling players to feel the sensation of being shot, it is actually re-sensitizing them to the reality of violence.

This video is from Channel 4 News at Noon, broadcast March 17, 2008.







