Biofeedback Gaming 223
runningwater writes "A new kind of game was debuted at the E3 expo. It is called Journey to Wild Divine. The game features a biofeedback USB interface designed to allow a player (or players) to navigate through the game using their mind power, breath, and heart rate. This is a wild and visionary concept which works so fluidly you can blow on the screen and objects move as if propelled by your breath. The game features an awesome soundtrack, including Grammy-nominated artists and spanning many genres. This is the new generation of gaming, and you have never seen anything like this before." Their site has a page with more information about the biofeedback aspect.
Has to be done (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Has to be done (Score:2)
Re:Has to be done (Score:2)
Re:Has to be done (Score:2)
Sides... Slashdot runs MT ads... what's a few hundred thousand more hits?! =)
cortana (at) megatokyo
Tetris (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Tetris (Score:2)
Trollkiddie: (Score:2, Funny)
I think you had to be there. (Score:4, Insightful)
Ah well.
does anybody remember... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:does anybody remember... (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, look how well those caught on...
Re:does anybody remember... (Score:5, Interesting)
Isn't Dance Dance Revolution one of the highest selling arcade games?
I know it spawned a bunch of PC Rip offs
power pad (Score:3, Funny)
Brilliant.
Re:power pad (Score:2)
Dance Dance Revolution
Re:power pad (Score:2)
Re:does anybody remember... (Score:2, Insightful)
"Several years ago"? Try almost a decade and a half! There have been other attempts since then. Anybody remember the Genesis Activator Ring [vidgame.net] (at the bottom of the page)? Also, there have been numerous fishing poles, golf clubs, baseball bats, skateboards, snowboards, etc. And one could probably even lump steering wheels/pedals in this category as well, since a good set will
Re:does anybody remember... (Score:2)
2 questions (Score:5, Interesting)
2. Will playing a biofeedback game teach you how to do things with your state of mind that are difficult to learn in other ways?
It's an intresting idea... the devil (or God) will be in the details, though.
Re:2 questions (Score:2, Funny)
Re:2 questions (Score:2, Insightful)
More bandwith, " wait 'til you see what this does for porn!"
New graphics card " wait 'til you see what this does for porn!"
New Virus named after girl " wait 'til you see what this does for porn!"
Chinese moon base in 2012 " wait 'til you see what this does for online porn!"
Build your own fuel injection computer " wait 'til you see what this does for online porn!"
-Ian
Re:2 questions (Score:2, Interesting)
Look ma, no hands! (Score:5, Funny)
Plethysmographs [parksmed.com]
Re:Look ma, no hands! (Score:5, Funny)
I'm not so sure about that
Re:Look ma, no hands! (Score:3, Funny)
Yeah, cuz we've all struggled with that sometime or another...
Ohh, think of the Social game potential... (Score:5, Funny)
"Why are you breathing so hard? Hey! Stop looking at me like that!"
The New Generation? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The New Generation? (Score:2)
Re:The New Generation? (Score:2)
Next thing I know, I'll be drinking 'magic' red lemonade...
Re:The New Generation? (Score:2)
*foams at mouth*
Game or Path to Inner Peace? (Score:5, Interesting)
The testimonials [wilddivine.com] are what you would expect from a new product but with no mention of an estimated release date or where to purchase it makes me wonder if this could just end up being a marketing tool without an actual release.
I guess I'm going to have to wait until I see something more tangible.
Re:Game or Path to Inner Peace? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Game or Path to Inner Peace? (Score:2, Interesting)
Oh Indeed! I must have skipped over that!
I read through most of the rest of the website and it does seem to be a tool for meditation more than a game. The screen shots do appear rather nice if lacking in obvious movement (hard to tell from just screen shots granted).
I do have concerns about a doctor called "Whitehouse" though that they use to describe the interface [wilddivine.com] - it makes it sound very official if you only give a cursory glance over the material.
On the plus side it does appear to be going to
New age fluff piece of crap: (Score:4, Funny)
http://www.wilddivine.com/modules.php?na
OMG...make it stop
Re:New age fluff piece of crap: (Score:3, Interesting)
"At the Wild Divine Project, our founding principles"
Are they anticipating an increase in followers after releasing their "biofeedback" game? Perhaps the flower wearing, left leaning, tree hugging people at the company are actually taking this "Rocky Mountain High" thing a little bit too far.
Re:New age fluff piece of crap: (Score:5, Interesting)
When I was a kid, I was diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). At one point, my parents signed me up for some biofeedback sessions. I would go to this office in downtown Denver, and they would put one of those electrode nets on my head -- they always used to squirt some cold goop into each electrode to ensure good conductivity between the electrode and my scalp. This was annoying, because the goop got kind of crusty when it dried out -- always had to wash my hair when I got home.
Anyway, once the net was in place they'd hook me up to a computer. The screen displayed information about the state of my brainwaves -- alphas, betas, gammas, deltas -- and my task was to attempt to control the relative levels thereof. The theory was that if I could learn to do that, I could apply the same technique elsewhere (eg in school) to sharpen my concentration.
I never noticed that it worked especially well. I suspect there are two reasons for this: 1) I didn't stick with it for very long; and 2) the information about my brainwaves was displayed as colored graphs -- line graphs, bar graphs, and I seem to recall a pie chart, too. Staring at a line graph scrolling past on a computer screen for an hour is really damn boring. The objective was to heighten my concentration skills. Presenting me with a boring-ass chart was probably not the best way to do that.
If I did well in a session, they would let me use their computer to play Commander Keen for a while before my parents came to pick me up. I was much more interested in playing Commander Keen than in those stupid charts.
For that reason, I think this game may be a huge advance over the stuff they had me do. Having an external objective to focus on (ie manipulating the game environment) is much more interesting than trying to make colored lines stay low. If the price isn't too high, I may just buy a copy of the game and the USB controller and give it a shot.
Extensibility (Score:4, Interesting)
That said, I'd be particularly excited if the system could somehow be made extensible, i.e. that using a front-end software they provide you associate certain activities with normal system commands. In such a system, for example, you could perhaps script an interface to react to your GSR to control any game.
Alternately, I'd hope that they have a simple front end so that an end-user could write a program to read the same information from the sensors. This would allow us to basically create parallel games or simply meditative tools without the "storyline" or particular format of their game.
i wonder... (Score:5, Funny)
Biofeedback eh? (Score:3, Funny)
How does this relate to SCO? (Score:3, Funny)
For Doom-style games as well (Score:5, Funny)
- Wait for you to turn the corner.
- Check heart rate.
- If heart rate > 150 write "gotcha!!" on screen.
Cult? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:And Star Trek (Score:2)
Taking the Idea and Running With It (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Taking the Idea and Running With It (Score:2)
Re:Taking the Idea and Running With It (Score:2)
Re:Taking the Idea and Running With It (Score:2)
Re:Taking the Idea and Running With It (Score:2)
No shootings tho.. hm. I missed out.
Re:Taking the Idea and Running With It (Score:2)
AI version (Score:3, Funny)
cripes not this again.... (Score:3, Interesting)
umm I had a biofeedback input device on my TANDY Color Computer in 1985. and it had a couple of games that allowed you to "play" them.
Whil I'm sure they have advanced cince then it is hardly visionary.
I love it when the new pup's learn old tricks they think they were the first to come up with it.
Yes it's better cince they take more than 2 inputs (heartrate and skin conductivity for "biorythim") but then I played with a ekg input device in college in 1990 also..
when they can make it so I can play quake with my thoughts THEN I'll be impressed.
Re:cripes not this again.... (Score:3, Insightful)
However, the site claims to measure not just heart rate and skin conductivity, but the tiny variations in the time interval between heart beats as well. To wit:
An interesting project..... (Score:5, Insightful)
The environment itself is rendered (hopefully in real time!) with apparent triggers throughout the game. For example wondering up to a waterfall where your heartrate increases by a small factor could trigger a dolphin jumping in the water....
This type of biofeedback is definately useful! If any folk have ever attempted meditation and reaching towards understanding of self, the lack of instant-feedback makes this process extremely difficult for the uninitiated.
Overall I see this project as a very good idea that is hopefully implemented well. Ultimately, however, I don't see this catching on as society isn't designed around relaxation and exploring ones own self.
And a shame....
-Just some crazy duck.
(wow, userid 1599 and i think this is my first post ever to
Re:An interesting project..... (Score:2)
Why do you say that? I mean, really, is society designed, or does it evolve? If it is indeed designed (by the illuminati, I assume), then can we (read: you) speak for the intent of the designer without in fact being the designer. If you are the designer, why did you design something in a way that cou consider to be a shame? Even more basically: can something be designed around anything at all (survi
Re:An interesting project..... (Score:5, Funny)
Just what I need... the likes of me will probably end up downing three double espresso's before visiting the waterfall just so I can see that god-damned dolphin.
Re:An interesting project..... (Score:2)
Perhaps society is already as "designed around relaxation" as it can be, withou
Not real-time, not relevant (Score:2, Interesting)
When console controllers were equipped with analog triggers for the first time, did someone say "now we can have a revolutionary game where some of the tasks require the player to hold the right trigger just the right amount while hold
Duck Hunt? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Duck Hunt? (Score:2)
Meaningful? (Score:3, Funny)
I don't know, I've seen screenshots of me attacking innocent bystanders with a chainsaw in Vice City. One could derive all too much meaning from that kind of computer imagery...
Nice Ad (Score:5, Insightful)
Still, good job of slipping it past the
Where's the hardware? (Score:2)
If this is the case, this game is completely inane.
Biofeedback Myst (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Biofeedback Myst (Score:2)
Used for therapy already. (Score:2, Interesting)
But... (Score:2)
Wouldn't this discriminate against idjits?
Re:But... (Score:2)
No doubt. All this talk of mind power and "energy"... no thanks, I think I will stick to conventional relaxation techniques that don't profess this granola-eating mumbo-jumbo. Meditation is about self-control, not this pseudo-scientific hippy shit.
</flame mode>
That's just my opinion though. I personally believe true happiness is found lifting bars with weights on the end. YMMV.
Neurofeedback is coming too (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Neurofeedback is coming too (Score:2)
What type of equipment is needed? Is it expensive type stuff or basically just an RF receiver taped to your head?
What frequency are brain waves at? I would assume they are not very constant... kinda like reading a FM signal?
Re:Neurofeedback is coming too (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Lots of possibilities (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Lots of possibilities (Score:2)
Re:Lots of possibilities (Score:2)
Re:Neurofeedback is coming too (Score:2)
Interesting... (Score:5, Insightful)
The Matrix game (Score:5, Interesting)
how about a sniper game? (Score:5, Insightful)
being a real sniper requires control of your pulse and breathing... try a look at a biathlon event? you ski like crazy... then with your heart and breath racing, you're supposed to find the calm to shoot targets... training your control over your pulse and breath seems like a natural plug-in for a video game with biofeedback
or maybe some deer hunter type game too
totally turns the new age message behind this idea on it's head, but i think the grand theft auto crowd would get behind this sooner than the new age crap
Re:how about a sniper game? (Score:2)
*obligatory hick joke*
I wonder if it could tell if you're drunk, too...
*end obligatory hick joke*
Thanks to being from the south, I know dozens of guys who LOVE Deer Hunter but won't touch Quake 3. Sigh...
Hyper-sensitive Joysticks (Score:3, Insightful)
I've seen these devices, they usually measure minute changes in the physical state of a person. Like they mention heart rate, others, facical temperature. All they simply are, is joysticks that are sensitive to other types of inputs rather than fingers and hands.
I mean it will be cool and all, but not truly thought propelled. There is a learning curve with these devices. The one I saw had a headset that you had to get good with to use it effectively, because you had to train your facial muscles to contract to control the character.
Bah.
A number of uses (Score:2, Interesting)
Did they forget the military? (Keep pushing a soldiers buttons with an offshoot of this until you can't push'em anymore)
How about hackers that want to really screw with your mind?
How about cult leaders that require this type of game to "enlighten" someone?
How about game makers that really want to start toying with the user's emotions?
T
Breath (Score:5, Funny)
"This is a wild and visionary concept which works so fluidly you can blow on the screen and objects move as if propelled by your breath."
My gosh, that's amazing! All I had to do was click on "Hi-Bandwidth QuickTime Movie [wilddivine.com]" and their server got blown away too!
How do they do that!?
Atari tried something similar (Score:3, Interesting)
Sort of...with the Mindlink [atarihq.com] controller. They were supposed to come out with biofeedback software for this device but the project was canceled. Ah, those were the days...
Sounds like osmose (Score:2, Informative)
http://www.immersence.com/osmose/osmose.htm [immersence.com]
I had a go it was kinda fun but not as amazing as people said. I no longer fear death was one quote from a wired article. I think deep breathing for long periods was starving their brains of oxygen.
I've played this, and it sucks (Score:3, Funny)
Brainfingers! (Score:2, Informative)
Bio Feedback is key to learning how to control the various Brain waves that the device monitors, If I had a few extra Grand($ 2,050 + shipping)laying around I'd get the Brainfingers device! well that and a HDTV!
If you die in The Journey (Score:2)
Some Irony for the "Videogames are Evil" crowd: (Score:4, Insightful)
I think this can be a good thing.
A horror game just waiting to happen (Score:2)
While measuring heartrate, you could tie that to a "Sanity" meter (not unlike Eternal Darkness's).
Sample scenario:
The Spiritual Power (Score:2, Funny)
In other news, Scientology acquires Sierra Entertainment.
Re:The Spiritual Power (Score:2)
They forgot one biofeedback signal (Score:3, Funny)
Speaking as one who, back in the days, used to be able to play Atari games until the scoreboard rolled over to zero. Eventually it became a matter of how long I could hold off bodily functions, and whether I could run to the bathroom and back without losing all my reserve lives.
Re:They forgot one biofeedback signal (Score:2)
If Browser support is any indicator... (Score:2, Insightful)
Why is it that right brained thinkers, designers and artistic types don't seem to care about whether everyone will be able to experience their creation? Is it just the path of least resistance?
Played it at Entros (Score:5, Interesting)
It was a restaurant/bar that had about five entertainment areas around it. The entertainment areas were always cool and different.
The most famous was "Interface", where one person wears a blindfold and a camera, and the other person sits in front of a screen watching what the camera sees; using two-way radio, the second guy tells the first guy where to go and what to do. "Go left, step forward, reach down, no, left, no, LEFT, feel for the ball, YOU TOUCHED IT! GO BACK!" Within a set period of time you had to accomplish certain tasks. If you got them all done, you were allowed to enter the victory lounge. I never got to see that lounge...
Anyway, they had a sort of game show where you had to compete to see who was the calmest. They would hook up the players to biofeedback, and then they would do various things to try to shake the players' calm. For the winner, it played a recorded voice saying something like "YOU ARE THE BUDDHA".
I miss Entros.
steveha
Mozilla (Score:2)
I mean, I hear the audio of "This is Chris Bailey..." Then, nothing. Very Zen.
This isn't new (Score:2)
We were investigating it for hands free operation of some soldier mounted equipment, but determined it was too distracting, and wouldn't work well in combat situations (duh!).
Biofeedback a good thing? (Score:2, Insightful)
You could have software which advertises products and then measures your unconcious reactions to see if you are affected. Its like the most sophisticated market research validation tool ever.
On the other hand it would be cool......
WHAT IF MY COMPUTER TELLS THE POLICE IM STONED????
Re:Game?!?!? I looked, didn't see much of a game.. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Its not teh controller that matters. (Score:2, Insightful)
Just wait a few years, if this catches on, and more developers attempt this style of gaming.
Re:Its not teh controller that matters. (Score:2)
of course now we could go into bbspot's xbox "active death" technology . . .
Re:Its not teh controller that matters. (Score:5, Funny)
Making an AI smell the average gamer?
Isn't there a law of robotics that deals with this sort of thing?
Re:Its not teh controller that matters. (Score:3, Funny)