Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

[Num7]

Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

Do you feel the urge to conquer ?
That must be why I wasted sooooo much time playing Starcraft and Age of Empires 2

I always knew that it was more than addiction, it was... the urge to conquer!!!

Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'
2008-12-28

Playing on computer consoles activates parts of the male brain which are linked to rewarding feelings and addiction, scans have shown. The more opponents they vanquish and points they score, the more stimulated this region becomes.

In contrast, these parts of women's brains are much less likely to be triggered by sessions on the Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Wii or Xbox.

Professor Allan Reiss of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research at Stanford University, California, who led the research, said that women understood computer games just as well as men but did not have the same neurological drive to win.

"These gender differences may help explain why males are more attracted to, and more likely to become 'hooked' on video games than females," he said.

"I think it's fair to say that males tend to be more intrinsically territorial. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who historically are the conquerors and tyrants of our species – they're the males.

"Most of the computer games that are really popular with males are territory and aggression-type games."

In the study, published recently in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, scientists wired up a series of men and women to an MRI scanner while they played a video game, which involved competing to win on-screen territory by clicking on a series of balls.

After analysing the MRI data, the researchers found participants showed activation in the brain's mesocorticolimbic centre, the region typically associated with reward and addiction.

Male brains, however, showed much greater activation, and the amount increased as they gained more territory. This was not the case with women.

Three structures within the reward circuit – the nucleus accumbens, amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex – were also shown to influence each other much more in men than in women.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sciencea...r-games-because-of-basic-urge-to-conquer.html

Num7

 

[Num7]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

I'm no longer playing computer games. I played Starcraft like a month ago for the first time this year, and it didn't last long, I didn't even finish a game. I tried SC2 beta. It was cool and I truly lovef it, it made me feel like in the old days of Starcraft 1, but I didn't play more than a weekend, let's say 5-10 games.

Definitely not as it used to.

 

[Whitelight]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

This original post was on my birthday over two years ago! I love to play video games, and I love to conquer. Dylan just plays first person shooters. I like to win at strategy

 

[Keroscene]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

I've found that if I work at a computer all day I don't find my own computer or gaming nearly as interesting when I get home at night. But If I spend the day working outside doing manual labor, I look forward to a little time where I can sit down and relax when I get home.

But my day does feel a little more victorious if everything goes smoothly in the bathroom after my morning coffee than I think I ever will from any video game.

 

[Whitelight]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

I hear that, man. My favourite part of the morning is after I have my coffee and go to the bathroom. It's the key to morning regularity!

 

[Grayson]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

I too am happy to leave a regular 'log in the bog' first thing in the morning.

 

[TimeWizardCosmo]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

Nothing feels better than killing dozens of pixel hookers with a stolen ambulance and stealing their money.

 

[Num7]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

I used to kill massive amounts of Zerglings and Marines back in the days. I'm no longer a conqueror.

 

[TimeWizardCosmo]

Re: Men enjoy computer games 'because of basic urge to conquer'

I sold my Xbox

 

[Num7]

You did what !?! Are you playing any type of games right now ?

I tried the new super Mario brothers a few weeks ago, it was cool, but nothing like the old ones. I'd rather play old NES and SNES games than recent games with pimped graphics and supposedly awesome stories.