Brainwave Controlled Game From Square Enix

zombies-alive writes "Square Enix and Neurosky, maker of wearable sensory equipment, are coming out with a new 'Brainwave-Controlled' RPG. The game will be demonstrated at the Tokyo Game Show for the (Windows) PC, which features the NeuroSky MindSet headset. At this moment, the headset only detects the gamer's level of concentration and relaxation by means of a single electrode placed on the forehead."

Comments

concentration vs relaxation

[JDHannan]

They had an exhibit at the science center in calgary that let two people sit down and each wear this helmet strap thing. The more you relaxed, the closer a ball got to your opponent's side. Conversely, the more 'stressed' you were, the closer it got to your side, forcing you to "try to relax" even more. We played it 4 or 5 times, the first few genuinely, then with me trying as hard as i could to be stressed and concentrate as much as possible. I found absolutely no correlation between me and the ball

Re:helps in concentration?

[lysergic.acid]

while i think this technology may have some useful purposes in the future, i'm a little disturbed at the type of applications it's already being marketed towards:

NeuroSky's products offer opportunities for its exclusive partners and developers to create next generation applications in markets as diverse as consumer electronics, health & wellness, education & training, transportation, market research and others.

i'm honestly afraid that this technology will be used by marketing/advertising firms to develop even more insidious ways of manipulating consumers. with marketing/advertising permeating all aspects of popular culture, even being used by politicians to frame political issues in ways that will win them public approval, we're increasingly living in a society of mass manipulation. we don't need to give the persuaders an even greater degree of control over us by letting them have unprecedented access to the thoughts and mental processes of consumers.

though i'm sure they'll probably start handing these out at focus groups so that they can tap directly into the subconscious desires of the individual as the ultimate form marketing research. marketing gurus are already helping major corporations appeal to the primitive reptilian minds of consumers to exploit people's subconscious associations. unfortunately, this results in consumers making irrational purchase decisions, which is at least partly responsible for the family SUV phenomena in the U.S.