Reading #18: Biofeedback Game Design

References:
Biofeedback Game Design: Using Direct and Indirect Physiological Control to Enhance Game Interaction by Lennart E. Nacke, Michael Kalyn, Calvin Lough, and Regan L. Mandryk.


Published in the CHI '11 Proceedings of the 2011 annual conference on Human factors in computing systems.


Author Bios:
Lennary E. Nacke is a professor at UOIT and holds a PhD in game development.
Michael Kalyn is a graduate student at the University of Saskatchewan.
Calvin Lough is a student at the University of Saskatchewan.
Regan L. Mandryk is an assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan.


Summary:
Hypothesis:
That physiological input can help to enhance a users gaming experience and control.


Methods:
The first step towards testing users interaction with a game is to create one. So the authors started by creating a simple side scrolling platformer and added sensors to the equation. The sensors they had tested eye movement, electric activation of muscles, skin response, heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature. They designed two new methods of input as well as using the Xbox controller.


Results:
Subjects actually preferred the two methods of control that were come up with in the experimental group, rather than the control group that used the xbox controller. They stated that they liked the sensors that they could control the most.  


Contents:
The authors seek to establish a new gaming paradigm that uses physiological interaction with the user. They attempt to find which sensors are preferable to users. As well as how users react to having to learn new controls over using ones that already exist.


Discussion:
As an avid video game player this was interesting to me. The ability to have another method of interacting with a game is intriguing. But I really dont feel like it would ever become anything more than a gimmick. I know personally when im playing a video game im pretty focused on what i am doing. It just seems to me that any type of interference on the part of a sensor would just ruin a lot of immersion in the game and be kind of disruptive overall.