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| FEAR |
However it gives an idea what the final game could look like.
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| Amnesia: The Dark Descent |
Thursday 13 March 2014
Games with Similar Visual Style
However it gives an idea what the final game could look like.
Brainwaves in Games
There are a few brainwave based games mostly small and experimental such as 'Throw Trucks with your Mind!' and 'Mindball'.
Most seem to only use your Concentration levels as a way of interacting with the game and not your emotional levels like how fearful or stressed you are, the closed to this is the game 'Nevermind' which uses Biofeedback, but still even that does not use brainwaves.
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Brain wave video games 'should be classified as medical devices' | Metro News. 2014. Brain wave video games 'should be classified as medical devices' | Metro News. [ONLINE] Available at: http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/24/brain-wave-video-games-should-be-classified-as-medical-devices-3854329/. [Accessed 13 March 2014].
Mind games: Using brain waves to play a video game - Los Angeles Times. 2014. Mind games: Using brain waves to play a video game - Los Angeles Times. [ONLINE] Available at: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/08/business/la-fi-tn-mind-games-how-brain-waves-control-a-video-game-20130307. [Accessed 13 March 2014].
Most seem to only use your Concentration levels as a way of interacting with the game and not your emotional levels like how fearful or stressed you are, the closed to this is the game 'Nevermind' which uses Biofeedback, but still even that does not use brainwaves.
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Brain wave video games 'should be classified as medical devices' | Metro News. 2014. Brain wave video games 'should be classified as medical devices' | Metro News. [ONLINE] Available at: http://metro.co.uk/2013/06/24/brain-wave-video-games-should-be-classified-as-medical-devices-3854329/. [Accessed 13 March 2014].
Mind games: Using brain waves to play a video game - Los Angeles Times. 2014. Mind games: Using brain waves to play a video game - Los Angeles Times. [ONLINE] Available at: http://articles.latimes.com/2013/mar/08/business/la-fi-tn-mind-games-how-brain-waves-control-a-video-game-20130307. [Accessed 13 March 2014].
Dynamic Difficulty
As mentioned under 'About', my idea involves using Biofeedback as a way to adjust a games difficulty level.
Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA) or Dynamic Difficulty Balancing (DDB) is a way of balancing a games difficulty on the fly.
So if you are losing and find the game hard it will dynamically adjust to make it more manageable and visa versa if you are managing too well it will get harder.
A list of some elements that could be made DDA:
Example of some games using DDA:
Some people do not like DDA in games, even considering it cheating. However I do not consider it any more cheating than being able to select your difficulty level at the beginning of the game or in the options and many successful games such as Left 4 Dead has used it.
One way to possibly appease these types of people would be to perhaps add both into a game, so a player could select to disable the DDA and select a preset instead, such as Easy or Hard.
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Adams, E, 2013. Fundamentals of Game Design. 3rd ed. NA: New Riders.
Ernest Adams. 2008. The Designer's Notebook: Difficulty Modes and Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132061/the_designers_notebook_.php. [Accessed 13 March 14].
Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment (DDA) or Dynamic Difficulty Balancing (DDB) is a way of balancing a games difficulty on the fly.
So if you are losing and find the game hard it will dynamically adjust to make it more manageable and visa versa if you are managing too well it will get harder.
A list of some elements that could be made DDA:
- Speed of enemies
- Health of enemies
- Frequency of enemies
- Frequency of powerups
- Power of player
- Power of enemies
- Duration of gameplay experience
- Wikipedia
Example of some games using DDA:
- Borderlands
- Fallout 3
- Fallout New Vegas
- SiN Episodes
- Resident Evil 5
- Left 4 Dead/2
- Mario Kart
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| Left 4 Dead |
Some people do not like DDA in games, even considering it cheating. However I do not consider it any more cheating than being able to select your difficulty level at the beginning of the game or in the options and many successful games such as Left 4 Dead has used it.
One way to possibly appease these types of people would be to perhaps add both into a game, so a player could select to disable the DDA and select a preset instead, such as Easy or Hard.
---
Adams, E, 2013. Fundamentals of Game Design. 3rd ed. NA: New Riders.
Ernest Adams. 2008. The Designer's Notebook: Difficulty Modes and Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132061/the_designers_notebook_.php. [Accessed 13 March 14].
Wednesday 12 March 2014
The Idea
My Idea is for a horror game that detects your beta waves using a brainwave headset to attempt to gage your fear/stress levels. When these are too high the game gets easier, the less scared you are the harder it becomes (the opposite from Nevermind).
This is an interesting way to implement a dynamic difficulty system.
Plus there is the possibility that a heart rate sensor could also be used along with the beta waves for even for accuracy.
Another feature that could be implement is mini-game level where you have to not blink for a set time and if you do, you are killed by a creature/ghost.
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Hunicke, R, 2005. The Case for Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment in Games. ACE '05 Proceedings of the 2005 ACM SIGCHI International Conference on Advances in computer entertainment technology, [Online]. NA, 429 - 433 . Available at: http://www.cms.livjm.ac.uk/library/aaa-games-conferences/acm-ace/ACE2005/SS1-5%20(a143).pdf [Accessed 11 March 2014].
This is an interesting way to implement a dynamic difficulty system.
Plus there is the possibility that a heart rate sensor could also be used along with the beta waves for even for accuracy.
Another feature that could be implement is mini-game level where you have to not blink for a set time and if you do, you are killed by a creature/ghost.
---
Hunicke, R, 2005. The Case for Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment in Games. ACE '05 Proceedings of the 2005 ACM SIGCHI International Conference on Advances in computer entertainment technology, [Online]. NA, 429 - 433 . Available at: http://www.cms.livjm.ac.uk/library/aaa-games-conferences/acm-ace/ACE2005/SS1-5%20(a143).pdf [Accessed 11 March 2014].
What is Biofeedback?
Biofeedback is the process of receiving feedback from sensors on the human body. Which can include a persons heart rate, blood pressure, stress levels, blinking and even brainwaves.
Biofeedback is being used and experiment with a lot for therapy, such as for controlling fear, anger and concentration.
There is also some small games that have been made using these sensors, some of which where on Kickstarter.
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Peper, E, 2009. Biofeedback an evidence based approach in clinical practice. Japanese Journal of Biofeedback Research, [Online]. 36(1), 3-10. Available at: http://www.bfe.org/articles/Clinical%20biofeedback.pdf [Accessed 03 March 2014].
Mike Ambinder. (2011). Biofeedback in Gameplay: How Valve Measures Physiology to Enhance Gaming Experience. [Online Video]. NA. Available from: http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014734/Biofeedback-in-Gameplay-How-Valve. [Accessed: 07 March 2014].
Biofeedback is being used and experiment with a lot for therapy, such as for controlling fear, anger and concentration.
There is also some small games that have been made using these sensors, some of which where on Kickstarter.
---
Peper, E, 2009. Biofeedback an evidence based approach in clinical practice. Japanese Journal of Biofeedback Research, [Online]. 36(1), 3-10. Available at: http://www.bfe.org/articles/Clinical%20biofeedback.pdf [Accessed 03 March 2014].
Mike Ambinder. (2011). Biofeedback in Gameplay: How Valve Measures Physiology to Enhance Gaming Experience. [Online Video]. NA. Available from: http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1014734/Biofeedback-in-Gameplay-How-Valve. [Accessed: 07 March 2014].
Wednesday 5 March 2014
Nevermind
One of the best examples of a Biofeedback game is Nevermind: A biofeedback horror adventure. Which was being made not just as a horror game with biofeedback gameplay, but also as a tool for mental health.
This game gets more difficult the more scared you get, so you must learn to control yourself in order to complete the game. It is basically a mental health tool to combat anxiety.
The Nevermind Gameplay Trailer! from Erin Reynolds on Vimeo.
Unfortunately it was a Kickstarter project that didn't quite make its money ($129,615 out of $250,000).
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Nevermind Team. 2013. Nevermind: The Game. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nevermindgame.com. [Accessed 06 March 14].
This game gets more difficult the more scared you get, so you must learn to control yourself in order to complete the game. It is basically a mental health tool to combat anxiety.
The Nevermind Gameplay Trailer! from Erin Reynolds on Vimeo.
Unfortunately it was a Kickstarter project that didn't quite make its money ($129,615 out of $250,000).
---
Nevermind Team. 2013. Nevermind: The Game. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.nevermindgame.com. [Accessed 06 March 14].
Thursday 13 February 2014
Augmenting Traditional Gameplay
An interesting paper on augmenting traditional gameplay is the 'Biofeedback Game Design: Using Direct and Indirect Physiological Control to Enhance Game Interaction' by the University of Saskatchewan (Canada). In which they used multiple types of sensors, including a normal gamepad.
Their results concluded that players preferred physical interactions with games.
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Nacke, Lennart E., 2011. Biofeedback Game Design. Biofeedback Game Design: Using Direct and Indirect Physiological Control to Enhance Game Interaction, [Online]. NA, AN. Available at: http://hci.usask.ca/uploads/202-Nacke-Biofeedback_Game_Design.pdf [Accessed 05 February 2014].
Their results concluded that players preferred physical interactions with games.
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Nacke, Lennart E., 2011. Biofeedback Game Design. Biofeedback Game Design: Using Direct and Indirect Physiological Control to Enhance Game Interaction, [Online]. NA, AN. Available at: http://hci.usask.ca/uploads/202-Nacke-Biofeedback_Game_Design.pdf [Accessed 05 February 2014].
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