I was R&D for this neurofeedback project a year or so ago, and basically had to come up with and integrate this system into like 40 some already existing psychological games. The idea was to get feedback from your brain and tell the player what they needed to do differently in order to do better (ie you're not focused enough...your straining to hard...etc). There were also some little games that I made specifically for the EEG system, where you controlled your little dude on the screen or whatever by having a certain state of mind. Everything always seemed a little backwards though...

What I'm getting at is what about having some sort of feedback system in this Zen in a Video Game, where depending on the users' brainwave feedback, things would happen in the environment to encourage the relaxation state or whatever the goal is in this scenerio, instead of the game telling the user how they needed to change. I think it is all a really cool idea, and I'm gonna check out that deer "game" too later on tonight hopefully.

Cheers

edit - just a slight detail added

That's the one, endless forest. Bearing in mind it's a multiplayer screensaver thing, you might need to check your firewall to allow it.

Quote:Original post by sanch3x
I think I found it but I can't check it out since it's blocked from work.

Endless Forest

Thanks!

Quote:Original post by popsoftheyear
I was R&D for this neurofeedback project a year or so ago, and basically had to come up with and integrate this system into like 40 some already existing psychological games. The idea was to get feedback from your brain and tell the player what they needed to do differently in order to do better (ie you're not focused enough...your straining to hard...etc). There were also some little games that I made specifically for the EEG system, where you controlled your little dude on the screen or whatever by having a certain state of mind. Everything always seemed a little backwards though...

What I'm getting at is what about having some sort of feedback system in this Zen in a Video Game, where depending on the users' brainwave feedback, things would happen in the environment to encourage the relaxation state or whatever the goal is in this scenerio, instead of the game telling the user how they needed to change. I think it is all a really cool idea, and I'm gonna check out that deer "game" too later on tonight hopefully.

Cheers

This sounds like a good idea and could help people to get into a relaxed/meditative state.
But apart from that, what you'r talking about is pretty damn interesting and hints to the future of input devices. Always since Atari's dubious Mindlink controller I've been psyched about the idea to influence a game with just the power of ones mind, but that still sounds utopic to me.

So is there any commercial device that does something like this, or are there any immidiate plans to release such a controller?

I've only been stumbling over a nice vid at gametrailers that supposedly shows the usage of such a device, but I wasnt able to find additional info:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/56877.html

Apart from that I've read an article about a company calles NeuroSky who seem to work on an EEG device:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/games/2007-04-29-mindreadingtoys_N.htm

I can't wait..



Anyway, regarding the Virtual World and Zen Video Games topic, I also think that it's an excellent idea and the time could be just about right for such software (seeing the acceptance of more and more socalled "non-games" thx to the Wii console).

I'd only say that the term videogame would be rather inappropriate, cause that could lead people to criticise the software for not being a "good game" or not "gamy" enough.
The primary function wouldn't be to offer a compelling game, but to offer a meditative experience.

I'm more and more unsatisfied with the term "videogame" myself, which only insufficianttly describes an interactive medium, that also offers "non-games", something which seems to be a complete contradiction to me.
While I think about it.. I might start a new thread regarding this topic.

Quote:Original post by Chris B
I'd only say that the term videogame would be rather inappropriate, cause that could lead people to criticise the software for not being a "good game" or not "gamy" enough.
The primary function wouldn't be to offer a compelling game, but to offer a meditative experience.

I'm more and more unsatisfied with the term "videogame" myself, which only insufficianttly describes an interactive medium, that also offers "non-games", something which seems to be a complete contradiction to me.
While I think about it.. I might start a new thread regarding this topic.

I agree with you that for clarity there needs to be new terminolgy. I think the medium currently called "video games" will evolve into the primary artform of the coming decades. I like the term Interactive Art myself.

Take a look at my journal sometime. I've written some things there about it. The next journal entry I'm working on is called "The Poetry of Space" and is about creating emotion through a virtual environment, on topic with this thread.

Quote:Original post by JimDaniel
I agree with you that for clarity there needs to be new terminolgy. I think the medium currently called "video games" will evolve into the primary artform of the coming decades. I like the term Interactive Art myself.

Yes, I think that we're right in the middle of a changing process.
I also like the term Interactive Art, but I think I'd go for something broader like "Virtual Interactive Experience" or just "Virtual Interactivity".

Quote:Original post by JimDaniel
Take a look at my journal sometime. I've written some things there about it. The next journal entry I'm working on is called "The Poetry of Space" and is about creating emotion through a virtual environment, on topic with this thread.

I'd love to, but it doesn't seem to work atm.

"We're sorry, but access to this resource is denied.
Reason: Were sorry, but we were unable to locate this users journal."