The effects on the brain of marathon gaming sessions have been studied, focusing on the visual – Tetris addicts who close their eyes and continue to see the pieces fall are often cited – but not on the auditory aspect, ignored until a recent work from Nottingham Trent University in England, which reveals that many players continue to hear explosions, sound effects and music long after the end of the game.
Researchers call this sensation a game transfer phenomenon, or GTP ( game transfer phenomena). They collected and analyzed 192 experiences of 155 users narrated in internet forums, and found that it was common for them to hear noises, phrases and game music in their heads. In addition, they confused sounds of the real world with those of the virtual one and, when they went to sleep, many had the impression of having left the console on.
Sometimes, some everyday situations triggered sensations related to the game: thus, a player reported that, every time it got dark, he believed he heard the signal that in the Silent Hill title warns of the arrival of monsters. According to psychologist Angelica B. Ortiz de Gortari, leader of the research, the GTP study helps us to decipher how the brain forms associations , and shows us how easy it is to confuse it.
