Affective Gaming And Ghosts In The Machine

Thanks to the IGDA for its 'Ivory Tower' column discussing the concept of 'affective gaming' - provoking more intense emotions in videogame players. The academic-authored piece reveals: "At Glasgow Caledonian University, we are currently looking specifically at those environments which are renowned for producing supernatural experiences. By modelling and adapting reputedly haunted places in Edinburgh, UK we have been able to create game environments which evoke ghostlike experience for approximately 60% of people who experience it." They also claim game creators could change content based on the gamer's mood, since "...the affective state of the player can be determined by how they use the gamepad. Not only does the pressure of button depression indicate the level of player arousal, but also the rate at which a button is pressed and eventually released indicates the emotion felt by a player."

Comments

Whoah, don't let Liberman see this

[NanoGator]

"Not only does the pressure of button depression indicate the level of player arousal, but also the rate at which a button is pressed and eventually released indicates the emotion felt by a player."

This article is rated M for mature.

This demonstrates that ghosts are hogwash?

[Red Pointy Tail]

If anything, I think this demonstrates that ghosts doesn't exist. It is just the mood and atmosphere of the place that makes it feels creepy and ghostlike. If ghosts really do exist then it would not be easily translatable by computer modelling - that is clearly ridiculous.

But then, when one talks about ghosts, a sense of the ridiculous is sometimes necessary...

Re:This demonstrates that ghosts are hogwash?

[Beekhuis]

i do not completely agree here.
in the computer model there are factors that adapt to its player. also they stated that it passed on the "feeling" to 60% of the players. is that the same 40% that is a sceptic in normal life? the same 40% that sleeps in haunted or creepy places without problems? or is the 40% indicating that the modelling dudes have a lot of work left to do?
this gives me the "feeling" for a situation to be spooky, besides other factors, environmental adaptation seems mandatory. id love to hear a perfectly logical explanation for how a "dead" environment is able to adapt to its live visitor.

anyway, another and perhaps the biggest factor in spooky situations is the subjects own mind that fills in all the gaps. i think that this is why for example the blair witch was a hit. because of all the faulty cam work, people are forced to fill in the gaps them selves. thus making it all very personal and scary.
for the modelling dudes, the creation of such a setting would be the easy part? Regards !

Re:This demonstrates that ghosts are hogwash?

[McCarrum]

I have to disagree (also). You can simulate responses to a situation without encountering the situation itself. Perfect example, the various studies of solving phobias with virtual encounters of such a phobia. If it snake exists or not does not affect the reaction of someone with a phobia of snakes.

This is also a side-point to the essence of the article. By producing an environment which stimulates such an encounter (simple example, the strategy of being a terrorist/counter-terrotist in Counter-Strike), you invoke a set of certain responces in the players (beyond 12 year olds yelling you're haxoring or that you're gay), but you also can invoke time-critical reaction, anaylsis and interactions.

Alot of potential, and I'm looking forward to it.

Re:This demonstrates that ghosts are hogwash?

[anielsud]

Extending upon the other comments to the parent, it seems that the question of whether ghosts do or don't exist is not the question being analyzed here - the question is how closely one can virtually create a world that makes you react to the same way as a "legitimate" haunting would. The most fascinating part of this article is that it seems that the models for affective gaming through response times and so forth on the gaming pad can rival the effectiveness of much closer monitoring techniques outlined in the article - eeg's and gsr's.

It's interesting to think about how this could change the gaming industry. But beyond that, imagine what it could do for pr0n. :)

Re:This demonstrates that ghosts are hogwash?

[spitzig]

No, they've just created NEW ghosts. Now there are lots of haunted games!

Dynamic Content

[Umgawa71]

Reading through the Dynamic Content section of the article, I came to the conclusion that this could make videogames fantastically bizarre. Imagine for a moment the Xbox processor during a game of DOA Xtreme Beach Volleyball:

"Hmm, we're just not getting the right emotional state out of this guy... Mesh Engine, can you go up a cup-size or two on that one? ... nope, that didn't work. Physics Engine, we're looking for a little more jiggle, here... Now, AI, could you spike the ball a couple of times? Aha! There he is, he's back now."

Re:Dynamic Content

[fpatton]

I can see it now. Nice hooters!

Subsonics?

[Anonymous Coward]

Did they use very low tones (16Hz springs to mind for some reason?) to generate these "ghostlike" responses?

lol

[otis_amber]

Whoa, so now my games will act to my emotions? Need to remember to not act so emotional toward my games...

Panic or Boredom?

[xenocide2]

Ever been faced with a boring situation you'd wish would hurry up (i.e. another boring cutscene, perhaps one you've already seen before)? Some players quickly become frustrated at the lack of control, almost viewing it as a punishment. I consider myself one of these players. The original Deus Ex had the right idea, with very few cutscenes and a lot of dialog happening in a "heads-up" manner.

Also I'd love to see the game guide that has to tell players how to cheat the emotional detection system!

Re:Panic or Boredom?

[Pembers]

Ever been faced with a boring situation you'd wish would hurry up (i.e. another boring cutscene, perhaps one you've already seen before)?

Once or twice, yes. The few games I play already seem to have emotion detection built-in: I hit the <Esc> key, and the game fires up its neural network simulator and usually comes to the conclusion: "Hmm, the player seems to be bored with this bit. Maybe I'd better get back to the action."

Greatest emotional response from a game

[servognome]

The greatest emotional response I have ever gotten out of a game, was playing Eternal Darkness on the Gamecube. Anybody who has played the game will know how the insanity system not only affects the character but the player.

After playing a few hours I go to save and end up deleting the file. Ooops wrong button. Then I see all the save games in my directory get deleted. SON OF A ******. Controller flies out of my hand, then the screen flashes back to reality... the save games are there, darn machine tricked me!

Re:Greatest emotional response from a game

[Merusdraconis]

Yeah, but then Eternal Darkness also gives you an easy and cheap method of avoiding all of those effects. They should have thought about that a bit more.

The bit I found most interesting was the idea that the game could force you into a certain mood. I can see that being really useful.

Emotional Response

[Mythfit]

If you want more emotional response from the players, then start hiring real writers and professional actors who know what they are doing. Instead of having your voiceovers done by Willie the stock room boy.

Re:Emotional Response

[TwistedSquare]

Depends on the type of game of course... I don't care how good the story is in C&C Generals, I still tried my best to skip every movie and cutscene 'cos all I wanted to do was play. Whereas Deus Ex, I was pretty involved in the plot, and even more so in FFVII. It's not necessarily the genre though -- I actually followed what was going on in Half-Life, whereas Doom I completely ignored the "plot" and in Serious Sam as well, because those games are all about the action, plot is irrelevant.

Re:Emotional Response

[SamSim]

I was going to suggest that games designers simply place a genuine curse on the game, or allow the ghost of their dead cleaning lady to haunt all the cartridges they ship, or something.

Just a random idea...

[gabraham]

A modified version of this technoglogy would be great for use in elevators and pedestrian cross lights!

Re:Just a random idea...

[SamSim]

I've always wanted to make a pelican crossing where if you press the button repeatedly, the lights change more quickly. I wouldn't tell anybody, just come back in a few months' time and see how many people figured it out.

I'm an emotional player

[bersl2]

I yell to the guy I just fragged in the other room at a LAN party. I feel what the character in the game is feeling.

It'd be really cool if games would give me some biofeedback.

(-1,Worthless)

Re:I'm an emotional player

[Anonymous Coward]

It'd be really cool if games would give me some biofeedback.


Do you *really* want to know how a headshot feels like? I certainly don't.

Re:Whoah, rated M

[Anonymous Coward]

Look at this project, THIS is more than affective gaming, its artificial sexuality!!!

• http://hybrid.concordia.ca/~hugod/tangible/MOJOy stick.htm