Device Reduces Stress While Gaming 133
Bayscribe writes "Vyro Games, a Dublin Ireland company, unveils a device today that forces you to relax while playing games. It is called a PiP, or "Personal Input Pod," and it measures things like the moisture in your hand to assess whether you're stressed. If you're showing signs of stress, your performance in a game deteriorates. If you relax, you do much better. The PiP communicates wirelessly with software on devices such as mobile phones, PCs or games consoles... If you relax, the dragon spreads its wings and flies. If not, it stumbles all over the place."
Imagine that on a gaming competition show! (Score:3, Funny)
Wait, this is the most boring competition ever. I'm breaking for lunch.
moisture in your hand... (Score:4, Interesting)
In other words, whenever your palm gets sweaty, you're stressed. And I'm supposed tu buy an expensive device to tell me that? O.o
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RELAX IMMEDATELY!
Ever notice the parents in the grocery store? *shake* *shake* *shake* CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW! *shake*
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Yes, you're a gamer, you sole existence depends on buying overpriced pointless hardware. You ego depends in the price of your 'rig', so expensive is good.
Go, buy it, it will work even better when combined with a killer nic [killernic.com]. You do have one of those do you?
Besides, there is has Pod and a lower case i in it's name. How can it not be totally cool?
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I sweat profusely and uncontrollably (Score:3, Funny)
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I'm a grammar nazi, and even I realize that there's a time for bad grammar (for comedic effect). So you basically need to expand your sense of humor to correct the deficiency you are experiencing.
I have a better idea (Score:4, Funny)
2)
3) ????
4) Profit. And you just saved the sanity of the rest of the world, too.
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I'd be happy if it just cut their microphone when they got stressed.
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...or call their moms and play-back what they just said.
The result would be a lot like a shaped charge, but less messy. ;)
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So calm, until... (Score:5, Funny)
Now, I've got to go load up an FPS to releave the stress I generated keeping that damned thing flying.
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The secret is: "There is no dragon."
I'm not sure why this is considered new. It's just the same biofeedback we saw in the 70s, with new glitz spat upon it. I can imagine the Nintendo DS version now: Wario Yawned, with fifty microgames to test how fast you can get your zen on.
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Though I suppose it could reduce the cost of controller replacement for those who suffer from 'Nintendo-
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I don't mean to come acress as a sexist here, but I feel that men either don't stress as much, or are better at dealing with it/hiding it, while women tend to become noticably wrecked under stress.
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Really ticked off (Score:5, Funny)
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Nah, it chuckles to itself as it uses credit card info stored on your computer to buy another controller, and monitor just in case. Any maybe something nice for itself when you're gone.
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Work (Score:1, Funny)
Rex needs this (Score:4, Funny)
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Signed, a Packer fan.
Old... very, very old (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Old... very, very old (Score:5, Informative)
It's been a "fish that swims and grows as you relax" and "an animal that evolves (from a fish to a lizard to a monkey) as you relax" this time apparently it's an insect. It's usually funded by University research grant (a waste of money IMO, especially when it's public funds) and with pumped up headlines like "games of the future to be controlled by your mind".
As you say, really simple stuff, I'm really sick of reading about this same "advancement"/"new technology" over and over. I'll probably *still* be reading "news" about it when I'm an old man.
Dragons, not insects... (Score:1)
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Anyone who can make up an older example :p
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If you were too stressed you could sweat on the Jacquard looms, which would make them gum up.
If you were too stressed you could sweat on the abacus strings, which actually made them slide better.
When Ogg sweat on rocks, rocks change colors. But rocks dry and change back, so must re-sweat to keep data. Ogg invent DRAM.
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It was some stupid tortise and the hare game in which i could win as the tortise based on how relaxed I was...and I had to hold these 2 sensor things in my hands.
how is this new thing 'new'?
Depends on the game (Score:4, Interesting)
It's no surprise, then, that stimulants are so common [tomsgames.com]. I'm actually pretty surprised that they aren't selling energy drinks with added Diazepam [wikipedia.org] to counteract the jitters....
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From the Google Cache:
Article 1 [64.233.167.104]
Article 2 [64.233.167.104]
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Biometrics (Score:3, Insightful)
Dan East
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So, yes, they already have a lie detector. Using electrodermal activity to detect lies has been around for ages [howstuffworks.com]... these guys are just engineering it nicely. Good f
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Yes, and it's never been anything but pseudoscience and snake oil. Time and time again, lie detectors have done no better than chance when subjected to double-blind tests.
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I agree though, something like this could be an interesting gimmick for a game, but it wouldn't work for any real MP games.. i think it'd be to easy to cheat at.
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I think this could be a cool way to learn to be aware of and control stress.
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Personally, my palms don't sweat much, but I know people whose do very easily. Pretty much if they hold onto something, regardless if they are stressed or not, their hand will become very sweaty. These biometrics vary so much from person to person I don't see how this could work very well.
Perhaps because... The product works by first establishing a baseline set of characteristics for the user. It finds things like the normal level of moisture in your hand, and then works by detecting the slightest bit of variance from that baseline level.
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The product works by first establishing a baseline set of characteristics for the user. It finds things like the normal level of moisture in your hand, and then works by detecting the slightest bit of variance from that baseline level.
So you can cheat not only by putting on a pair of "gaming gloves" but also by submerging the controller in a fishbowl during its initial calibration?
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According to TFA, the device measures a personal baseline, and then interprets deviations from the baseline as stress. Although, for someone who is stressed all the time, I'm not sure how that would be useful.
--Rob
Problem? (Score:3, Insightful)
One would think that stressed people would need to have an easier time in order to unwind, not be forced to unwind to have an easier time. I know that when I play I want the game to be easy when I'm stressed (I love just blowing through a couple of levels really easily, makes me feel 'in control' which helps de-stress me) and hard when I'm not, not the other way around.
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I'd be more afraid of getting used to that feedback and not being able to relax without it...
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Yes. You might learn to not play the silly little flying dragon game that works so hard to get you stressed out.
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I'd be more afraid of getting used to that feedback and not being able
First test.... (Score:3, Funny)
Hmmm, this sounds interesting. Let's give it a try!
Hey! This is great! I feel SO relaxed. Oops. Oh-oh. Oh Noes!!! My dragon she be stumbling!!! I gots to RELAX! RIGHT NOW !!!!!! ARGHHHH!!!!!!!
Doesn't seem to help much. :/
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If this is how upset you get playing a video game, perhaps it's best that you don't play.
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Why am I suddenly reminded of psygnosis' Lemmings?
This is beyond stupid (Score:3, Insightful)
This is almost like saying if you have an elevated heart rate it means you're frightened.
The folks that made this device are playing their clients/customers for chumps.
Journey to Wild Divine? (Score:1)
It should monitor chat instead (Score:3, Funny)
"You cheater! Noobs! You homos! He's glitching! You"
Ireland fails at technology (Score:2, Funny)
Unless you're into those kind of Barbie-Pony games... But even then I'm not so sure.
This is the first interesting piece of technology I've seen come from my country, yet still it's not even worth developing.
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As I recall, I bailed as soon as the manager watch
Another "Feature" to add to Lair (Score:2)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
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Jack Thompson, is that you?!
I sense a marketing opportunity (Score:2, Funny)
Finally... (Score:4, Funny)
RELAX or else... (Score:1)
This is similar to an idea I once had (Score:5, Interesting)
You'd have a device which monitored physiological measures of stress and aggression in the driver, as well as behavioral measures such as weaving, blowing the horn, etc.. A heads up display would score the driver's net aggression score: green, yellow or red
After half a minute or so in the red zone, the sustained speed available to the driver would begin to drop. He could still accelerate for emergency maneuvering, but only for a few seconds, after which power to the engine would be reduced. After such a maneuver, his speed limit would drop even more unless he moved his physiological stress markers towards baseline, which would always be rewarded by an upward increment of speed. At the worst case, a speed limit would be enforced which would not be unsafe in the right lane of a highway, say 40mph or so. After a minute at this bottom level, a visual signal would alert others to the presence of a dangerous driver, and the driver would be legally required to find a place to stop and cool off.
Eventually, operant conditioning would result in drivers automatically modulating their stress levels when behind the wheel. People would learn to keep the needle on the green, zooming to their destinations with unlimited speed, arriving relaxed and refreshed. Even with traffic, they'd be able to monitor their stress levels and would be trained to limit it.
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Hopefully the blissed out people in the right lane are more likely to make room for him to cut back in.
In any case, it's just a fan
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Really? Oh, thanks. Now that I know, I'll take more precautions.
Personal Input Pod? (Score:2)
My Guild (Score:1)
"PiP" my ass (Score:1)
Great... (Score:2, Funny)
Stress Relief (Score:1)
I was actually just thinking about this today, as graduate school has caused all sorts of stress in my life.
Some people exercise to reduce stress, some people drink, some people have sex, and the list goes on. Some people play video games to relieve stress, and you can't do that if you're forced to relax. The whole idea of relieving stress is to take out anger and frustration in ways that won't harm anyone. So this whole idea is crap.
As aside because I know someone will comment - certainly some ways
can i use it when talking to Live support as well? (Score:2)
Games do not stress me. Work does. Dealing with support does....... anyhow the idea could not work in FPS too well..... you need tension there
unless they make me fall in an epileptic shock (in the game) when my hand is sweating
I have one of these. It's called a bong. [n/t] (Score:1)
Stressful games to cope with stress ... (Score:1)
airline games similar (Score:2)
It's a race (Score:2)
Because I am most relaxed when playing a racing game head-to-head against someone else... Wouldn't a more appropriate theme have been to control a floating Buddha around a screen, collecting jade statues or some such?
Nervous gamers == bad gamers? (Score:2)
I had a similar revelation lately, when I tried a new class in an MMORPG. I've been pl
Remember seeing something like this before... (Score:1)
Positive Feedback Loop (Score:2)
Wait a second... (Score:1)
feedback loops (Score:1)
As it is, it just lurks in wait to stress you out a bit, then spiral into unplayability - unless of course you don't care about the game whatsoever, in which case you shouldn't be playing.
Sounds dangerous (Score:1)
HOLY CRAP A GHOST! (Score:2)
Though this does remind me of the computers in a sci-fi book I was reading, the Species Imperative series by Julie Czerneda. Her computers monitor you for fatigue (breathing, droopy eyes, etc). Then they start popping up warnings saying "Hey, you're getting tired. Stop working in 15 minutes". The warnings get progressively more intrusive. Eventually, the computer saves your wo
Bah. (Score:2)
A more useful device (Score:2)
It uses some kind of range finder to work and sits on top of the monitor. Brilliant for posture.
anecdotal to be sure (Score:2)
Newsflash.. intense gameplay might make you edgy? Film at 11?
Wow, dumbest idea ever? (Score:1)
Tell you what Vyro Games, you wanna calm me down when I start to stress? Hook up electrodes to the pleasure centers in my brain and stimulate
What? (Score:2)
When medication blocks symptoms (Score:1)
Reminds me of... (Score:1)
I don't get it.. (Score:2)
huh? (Score:2)
It was invented already, I think. (Score:1)
To stress or not to stress... (Score:1)
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