The Painstation consists of a specially made case which gives two players the opportunity of playing a specially adapted and expanded variant of the classic video game, Pong, against each other. The electronic controls are connected by digital transducers to several components providing sensory feedback to players. During the game, the players place their left hands on the PEU (Pain Execution Unit) which serves as a sensor and feedback instrument. Possible feedback effects are heat impulses, an electric shock and an integrated miniature wire whip. The feedback generated is dependent on the playing process and can increase in its intensity. The respective opponent can try to alter his or her playing style to purposely change the intensity of the feedback. If a player removes his/her hand from the PEU device, they automatically lose the game. The system was originally developed by Tilman Reiff and Volker Morawe, two students at the Kunsthochschule für Medien Köln (Academy of Media Arts, Cologne) in 2001, as an interactive art object. A similar game concept was featured in the 1983 James Bond movie "Never Say Never Again".