Virtual Soccer Experiment Bonds Strangers

Thanks to BBC News for its article discussing a virtual reality game using a soccer ball and an 'exertion interface', as devised by MIT's Media Lab Europe in Dublin. The article explains: "Breakout for Two uses video conferencing over broadband to create a virtual 'glass wall' players have to break down with a ball." According to researcher Dr Stefan Agamanolis: "It was designed... to show how remote strangers can bond and feel more at ease with each other more rapidly when they have to exert themselves physically, rather than when relying on 'traditional' electronic communication, like instant messaging or e-mail", and he further explained: "When you get into that state of arousal, you are more likely to be able to bond socially with other people around you."

Comments

I see a new type of dating service...

[BeatdownGeek]

"When you get into that state of arousal, you are more likely to be able to bond socially with other people around you."

So is this a good way for slashdot geeks to meet girls?? Sweet!

...

Oh wait, it said "physical exertion"... Nevermind.

Re:I see a new type of dating service...

[karnal]

Your sig ties into your comment so well! :)

Re:I see a new type of dating service...

[Anonymous Coward]

In Soviet Russia, people arouse YOU.

Re:I see a new type of dating service...

[Anonymous Coward]

Come on now... we are reaching aren't we? I would hope people arouse me in the rest of the world too.

Boy

[daeley]

"When you get into that state of arousal, you are more likely to be able to bond socially with other people around you."

Boy, the jokes just write themselves sometimes, don't they?

Re:Boy

[hambonewilkins]

Yes the jokes do write themselves, especially since the quote is backwards:

"When you "bond" socially with other people around you, you are more likely to get into that state of arousal."

Soccer bonding

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, soccer is such a bonding thing in the US:

"Joe, do you like soccer?"

"Why no, it really sucks"

"Sure does. How 'bout them Rams?"

Re:Soccer bonding

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe that's why it's a story from the UK not the States.

Negative Effects

[ArmenTanzarian]

The article mentions that people compete though. Yeah, you may bond with the guy on your team, but what happens when you develop speedy rivalries with your competitors? How many times have you been accused of doing something "cheap" in an online game?

Or what happens when your team starts losing and it's one guy's fault? Not exactly a teambuilding exercise in that case.

Lenny: We won! And it was all thanks to team work!
Karl: Yeah, my teamwork.

Combine it with Quake, and...

[jbarr]

...you could engage in classic soccer riots too!

Explains

[Apreche]

Soo. If you physically exert yourself you will be friendly with people nearby. This must be why geeks who don't get out of their chair are so anti-social. It makes sense, and I've seen and experienced this myself. I'll believe it.

I've got an idea

[Pluvius]

"It was designed... to show how remote strangers can bond and feel more at ease with each other more rapidly when they have to exert themselves physically, rather than when relying on 'traditional' electronic communication, like instant messaging or e-mail"

How about instead of using this technology, we just go get some friends, head down to the racketball court, and actually play together?

Yeah, yeah, I know this is a revolutionary concept, but I think it could work.

Rob

Re:I've got an idea

[Saige]

So, when you're working with a team on, say, the other side of the continent, just going down to the racketball court together could be a tad tough. Sure, the company can fly one team out to the other's site to all play racquetball, but that could be a bit expensive to do so.

I felt the article was describing how such techonology could be used to help people who are not in close physical proximity still find ways to bond together as a team - not as a stand in for people actually going and doing such activities together.

Though well done games might be more interesting then a simple game of racquetball, that's not really an issue at this point it time, it appears.

Re:I've got an idea

[Pluvius]

So, when you're working with a team on, say, the other side of the continent, just going down to the racketball court together could be a tad tough.

Don't muddle my facetiousness with your logic!

Though I don't really see the point in playing a physical game with someone who isn't there. A big part of playing a sport is the physical closeness of the competitors, and taking that out of the equation seems to make the whole endeavor pointless. Maybe I'm just weird.

Rob

It's Breakout, but not as we knowit Jim

[BeerCat]

The article states that it is based on the old game Breakout, and even gives a picture here

I don't remember Breakout being like Wallace and Gromit beating off the sheep in A close Shave, or am I showing my "We used to dream of Breakout against sheep. When I were a lad, all we had were a few blocks on a screen. And the colour was stuck on top. And we were grateful."

Re:It's Breakout, but not as we knowit Jim

[AnImaginaryPlace]

The red paddle makes me think this is a screen shot of a pong game. Maybe not this one: Pong but something similar.

Re:It's Breakout, but not as we knowit Jim

[Mattb90]

That's because the screenshot is from Hasbro's 3D Breakout remake that came out on PS1 and PC back in 2000. The sheep may not be on Gamespot page, but I've seen them on a press site.

This looks like a job for Smell-o-Vision

[DynaSoar]

Add a pheremone detector on each end, coupled to the other end's pheremone reproducer, and suddenly it becomes a lot easier to find out if you're going to be compatible with each other.

I'd like to see the FAQ on where to place the detector.

As usual...

[drinkypoo]

The pornography industry and the military will be the first benefactors of the new technology.