Awhile back, in It’s All In The Mind, I talked about a product called MindDrive. It allowed you, to some extent, to control in-game actions by thought alone.
Actually, it wasn’t so much thought as reading muscle impulses. Now, however, a company called Emotiv Systems supposedly has a similar product almost ready for launch; they’re saying 2008.
It’s a helmet you can wear, and they claim it can detect thoughts, analyze facial expressions, and also allow in-game interaction, such as moving objects around.
Now that sounds pretty sophisticated. The real question, of course, is will it really work (provided, of course, the game has the necessary software in it)? I wonder about that.
One reason is that I picked up an article on Ars Technica, where scientists were trying to determine “hidden intentions” in test subjects. This used a fancy MRI device, which I suspect wasn’t like the product Emotiv is working on.
Also, I wonder at the value of picking up facial expressions. What I think outside the game may have little or no relation with what I’m doing in the game itself.
I could be talking to some arrogant twit and wishing I could bash in his face, but in-game, I may be trying to ease the situation instead of exacerbate it.
Anyway, check out the two articles and see what you think.
It sounds cool but this will probably turn out to be a badly implemented gimmick.
That wouldn’t surprise me. At least you just sit and think instead of playing wrist games ;)
I knew that sounded familiar: The Atari Mindlink System. Not sure what year that was, but it was concurrent with the 2600, 7800, and Atari home computer (mid-to-late ’80s?).
The Mindlink read electrical resistance in the forehead muscles and some facial movement, apparently. This new system must be a lot more sophisticated.
I agree that there might be a conflict between you, the player’s, intent and what you want your character to do. In one MUD I played a pacifist (by hardwired nature), happy helpful pixie-like character and though I stayed in-character as best I could, sometimes I really, really wanted certain other characters to die. Their players too, sometimes. ;)
I messed up that link somehow. Try this: The Atari Mindlink System