Not too long ago a 13-year-old boy in Hong Kong threatened his parents with a knife when they unplugged his video game. Sounds appalling and even a little bit fantastic, doesn’t it?

What is it about these consoles, computers, and games? Why are they so addictive? Is it the action? The violence?

“The Journey to Wild Divine” game (www.wilddivine.com) for PC and Mac features an immersive 3D environment and an utterly unique interface. Instead of the mouse or keyboard (which you can still use but not in place of the sensor interface), this game asks players to use a special biometric feedback device to control game play.

The device, which comes with the $159.95 game, is similar to a lie detector. Clamps gently attach to three of your fingers and read your pulse and something called skin conductance level (SCL) — apparently a measure of your skin’s ability to conduct electricity between two electrodes.

This information is translated into action on the screen. For instance, if you come to a tranquil scene of water with a flag pole in the middle distance, you can practice using your mind and body to make the flag turn (as if blown by a magical wind).

It sounds odd — even trippy — but it is doable.

No Comments
General