Death in video games is cheap, but a pair of gamers decided to add some consequences to failure. “Dyak” and “Furrtek” connected two Sega Genesis gamepads to shock collars like those used to discourage dogs from barking. Some coding work allowed games like Sonic or Battletoads to deliver a signal to the gamepads whenever the player took damage, sending an unpleasant shock through the collar. The results are entertaining, though we don’t see the Genezap finding widespread popularity as a peripheral.
Genezap brings virtual pain to Sega Genesis players with a shock collar
Genezap is a shock collar attached to the gamepad of a Sega Genesis. When a player takes damage in a game, a shock is sent to the collar.
Genezap is a shock collar attached to the gamepad of a Sega Genesis. When a player takes damage in a game, a shock is sent to the collar.
is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.
The system isn’t too different from Painstation, a long-running Pong-based arcade game that punishes players for losing with whips, heat, and mild electrocution. Unlike Painstation, though, Genezap has no two-player requirement, making it less about camaraderie and more an additional punishment for failing at games that are already pretty hard. If Painstation is about exploring mutual discomfort with the game as an intermediary, Genezap could be seen as an extra difficulty level to brag about beating. Or, as the building instructions say, “no pity for bad players.”
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