Computer game is a real pain

Two German designers have invented a computer game that allows you to inflict real pain on your opponent.

Dubbed the Painstation, the players put their left hands on a Pain Execution Unit (PEU). When both players touch this electric contact the Pong-based game starts.

According to the designers' webpage a player's right hand controls the bat, and the object of the game is to keep the ball in play for as long as possible.

But when the ball is missed the player suffers an electric shock from the PEU.

And there are more ways to inflict pain on your opponent. The playing field is littered with symbols which, if touched by the ball, will give sensations such as heat, punches and electric shocks of varying duration.

The game ends when one of the players lifts a hand off the PEU.

The inventors noted that it is surprising how much pain people will take before ending the game.

Co-inventor Tilman Reiff said that when you are playing in public against a friend with people cheering you on, it's very hard to throw in the towel without putting up a good fight.

"I've seen people leave the table with blood on their hands and their skin completely raw because they didn't want to back down in front of an audience," he said.

The Painstation is a university project at the Academy of Media Arts in Cologne that Reiff was working on with his friend Volker Morawe.

"For those who don't mind a bit of pain, they usually find it extremely addictive," he said.

The product has not been marketed yet and Sony has already warned the pair against using its logo, and made threatening noises regarding the use of the name if the pair ever wanted to commercialise their product.