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Immersion prototype headset tracks gamer rage, ramps up difficulty
Seattle-based designer Sam Matson developed a headset that tracks "gamer rage" and adjusts a custom game's difficulty to compensate for it. Dubbed "Immersion," Matson's headset uses an optical sensor that reads "minute color changes in the user's ear tissue to approximate a pulse." Matson's prototype headset includes both audio input and output channels in addition to the heart rate monitor, relaying information via bluetooth to a hacked Xbox 360 controller. He developed a custom shooter game using Unity that ramps up the difficulty as the player's heart race increases, encouraging the player to stay cool and collected. The Immersion headset isn't a commercially available product, and it's uncertain if it ever will be, but Matson does offer a few glances at the prototype model on his website.
The Wii Vitality Sensor is dead, at least for now
If the Wii Vitality Sensor were to be spoken of in Monty Python parrot terms, it would be an ex-parrot – bereft of life, it rests in peace. Originally announced back in 2009, Nintendo's unreleased biometric accessory has been indefinitely shelved due to the fact that the thing doesn't work with 10 percent of the people who use it, according to internal Nintendo testing. "After a large-scale test of a prototype inside the company, we found out that for some people the sensor did not work as expected," Nintendo global president Satoru Iwata said during a meeting with investors, after being asked for a status update on the product. "We wondered if we should commercialize a product which works as expected for 90 people out of 100, but not so for the other 10 people," he continued. "Though I am sorry that we did not give any specific updates after this product's initial announcement, I would say that knowing that a product has a problem we should not launch it for the sole reason that we have already announced it." Iwata also added that, even when the sensor functioned as expected, "it was of narrower application than we [read: Nintendo] had originally thought." The Wii Vitality Sensor (or something like it) may eventually make it to market, providing that the technology advances to such a degree that "999 of 1,000 people to use it without any problems, not only 90 out of 100 people."
Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor still coming to a hand near you, says Iwata
For a product with the word "vitality" in its name, Nintendo's forthcoming Wii peripheral doesn't seem to have much of a pulse these days. The oddball controller certainly piqued our interest when the gaming giant showed it off way back in 2009, but aside from some false alarms and an uncovered patent application, we haven't heard a peep. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata addressed the Vitality Sensor's conspicuous absence during a financial presentation, chalking the delay up to "differences in biological information in humans." The peripheral is still coming, according to Iwata, but it won't be released until the company can make it work well with 99 percent of consumers -- a tall order indeed. And what about the other one percent? Well, perhaps they can try these on for size.
Wii Vitality Sensor detailed in patent application, fires righteous beams of light
How does Nintendo's oft-delayed Wii Vitality Sensor work? According to a new patent filing, it's actually quite simple -- the unit fires infrared light right at your fingertip and reports how much passes through, just like the pulse oximeters the pros use. Games then translate the result to the unfortunately-named "relax fluid" number, which is the Vitality Sensor's equivalent of your Brain Age -- the more fluid you've got, the calmer you are. It's also allegedly sensitive enough to detect when you're breathing just by measuring the changes in your fingertip, as evidenced by a concept game where you have to closely adjust your inhaling and exhaling to get an avatar safely through a tunnel without hitting the presumably deadly walls. And now you know.
Nintendo continuing work on Vitality Sensor, 'really about relaxing'
Nintendo wowed E3 audiences this year when it unveiled the Nintendo 3DS. However, the Vitality Sensor, a mysterious peripheral for Wii announced at last year's E3, was missing from the lineup. What happened to it? Nintendo EVP Cammie Dunaway told Game Set Watch that Nintendo is "continuing to work on the Vitality Sensor." The reason for its absence? Nintendo had too much to show, such as the two dozen games showcased for the 3DS. "We realized we had a really packed agenda," Dunaway admitted. Fans upset about the Vitality Sensor's absence won't have to wait until next year's E3 to find out more about the device, however. "We decided we'd think about other venues that would be more appropriate," Dunaway explained. "[E3] is noisy and adrenaline-filled, and loud and stressful, and it just didn't seem like the best environment to introduce a product that's really about relaxing." But Cammie, will it help you be better at interviews? You wouldn't want Ubisoft to outdo Nintendo, would you?
Nintendo and the American Heart Association announce Active-Play partnership, co-hosting 'Innovation Summit'
Nintendo of America announced a strategic partnership with the American Heart Association this morning, effectively adding the AHA stamp of approval to all retail boxes of Wii Fit Plus, Wii Sports Resort, and the Nintendo Wii itself. "The brand serves as a chance to remind people about the benefits of a healthy approach to living and how active-play video games can be an integral part of a healthy lifestyle," the partnership's official website explains. In addition to the marketing partnership, the AHA and Nintendo will host a "multidisciplinary summit of representatives from a variety of fields ... to take a closer look at the synergies and benefits of active-play video games," entitled the "Innovation Summit." No details have been provided on when and where said summit will occur. Finally, various "active-play Nintendo video games" will be available to play at select "Start! Heart Walk" events this fall. Also, no, Nintendo hasn't explained the Vitality Sensor yet.
Nintendo and American Heart Association to make announcement on May 17
Nintendo and the American Heart Association will co-host a press event in New York City this Monday, May 17. The brief press release for the event does not offer any indication as to what the announcement will be, but Nintendo's upcoming Vitality Sensor, designed to measure a player's pulse, seems the likely focus of the event -- and the sort of thing the American Heart Association would be into co-promoting. Additionally, only the Wii is highlighted in the release, and not the DS, suggesting this is a Wii-related event. With the Vitality Sensor scheduled for a 2010 release, now seems like a good time for Nintendo to start talking about its features and software. We're just looking forward to being able to say, "Wow, we get it."
Nintendo sez DS successor will sport motion control, better graphics; Wii Vitality Sensor in July
In an interview with Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Nintendo prez Satoru Iwata provided some rare commentary on what we might expect from a DS successor – not just another DS revision, mind you – whenever the gaming giant gets the urge to upgrade its golden goose. "[It will have] highly detailed graphics," Iwata said, giving ample (but obvious!) fuel to those NVIDIA Tegra on DS rumors. "And it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing." Now, before you do that annoying cough thing while saying "iPhone" under your breath, we'd like to remind you that Nintendo isn't really an also-ran to this motion-controlled gaming thing. Iwata made a point of saying that an iPhone-esque monthly cellular data plan wasn't in the works; however, that doesn't rule out a Kindle-like data service for the future handheld, as the executive previously mused about, providing for "free" gaming downloads on the go. Now that the boring kid stuff has been put to bed, we can take the mature news out of the cabinet: The pulse-detecting Wii Vitality Sensor will make an appearance at a press conference in July (hey, that's E3 time) with plans for a release "as soon as possible." We trust you guys can take care of the old people jokes yourselves, right?
Iwata: DS2 to feature movement sensor, new Wii Zelda coming 2010
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has offered the first concrete information about the next DS system -- as in, not the next revision of the current DS, but the true next Nintendo handheld system -- in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. "[It will have] highly detailed graphics," Iwata said, "and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing." Sort of like the iPhone, yes, but Nintendo isn't exactly an also-ran in the field of motion-controlled gaming. Iwata declined to specify a release window for this DS2 -- or a better name than our suggestion. Iwata also addressed potential service changes for both the current DS network and its successor, suggesting that there would be no "monthly service plan" offered for games. He indicated that Nintendo was looking to increase the number of businesses that host DS Wi-Fi hotspots instead of supporting a 3G-like service (à la Kindle or iPhone) for the DS. The "Mac de DS" service Nintendo provides in partnership with McDonald's offers free wireless connections for the handheld, along with exclusive downloadable content. In Wii news, Iwata dropped one bomb that will delight fans ... and one that will probably initiate eyerolls. First, the good news: The new Zelda game -- sort of revealed at E3 last year -- is scheduled for release by the end of 2010. And now, that other news: The Wii Vitality Sensor, the bizarre biofeedback attachment also unveiled at E3, will be released somewhere in the neighborhood of July, following a press conference about the device. [Via Kotaku]
Nintendo's Iwata says Vitality Sensor is coming "not too late" in 2010
We know, it's been tough waiting for word of a release date for Nintendo's Wii Vitality Sensor. Almost as tough as figuring out what it actually does. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata now looks to be clearing up a few details on both fronts, however, telling investors that the company "would like to deliver the actual product not too late in the year next year," and adding that the first game for it will have a "theme of relaxation, which is completely opposite from traditional ones, to enrich the users' lives." He also again mentioned the idea of using it to measure "how horrified a player is in a horror title" as another possibility, and compared the device to Wii Fit, which he says also initially caused people to doubt how well it would sell.[Via Joystiq]
Iwata: Vitality Sensor coming 'not too late' in 2010
In the same investor Q&A in which president Satoru Iwata declared the ten-million-copy sales potential of Wii Fit Plus, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Wii Sports Resort and dismissed the idea of a price drop, Iwata also discussed the ... less than guaranteed hit, the Wii Vitality Sensor. Iwata said that Nintendo "would like to deliver the actual product not too late in the year next year." As for software, the first game will have a "theme of relaxation, which is completely opposite from traditional ones, to enrich the users' lives," but he casually mentioned the idea of "measuring how horrified a player is in a horror title" as an example of the application of the thing. One other interesting point: Iwata explained why Professor Layton's European box art is so ugly: it was designed to look more like a Brain Age title in an effort to appeal to new, Brain Age-only gamers. Whatever Nintendo did, it worked!
Nintendo promises 'very creative ideas' for Vitality Sensor, declines to name any
The kids at the Mercury-News have just had a sit-down with our old pal Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's legendary head of game development, for a chat about the recession, game controllers, and trust. The company's plan for dealing with the ebbs and flows of the international economy is simple: "We're really just concentrating on creating something that people want... something the whole family will use." Does that include the admittedly silly Vitality Sensor? Of course: "[A]ny sort of changes to interface that allows people to get into games and enjoy games is a great trend." Any clues as to the exciting new forms of gameplay this Vitality Sensor will provide? "I don't have any indication for you (of what we have in the works) other than to say that we have lots of very creative ideas." It looks like we'll just have to trust the man with the sword for the time being.[Via Joystiq]
Miyamoto: 'Have confidence' in Nintendo's ability to develop for the Vitality Sensor
Since its out-of-nowhere introduction at E3, the biometric-reading Wii Vitality Sensor has inspired some rage, some jokes, and a lot of confusion, but very little genuine interest from gamers online. The Mercury News asked Shigeru Miyamoto to respond to the widespread skepticism about the peripheral. "Ideally we would have been able to talk about this in terms of the software implementation rather than just the sensor itself," Miyamoto said. "I don't have any indication for you (of what we have in the works) other than to say that we have lots of very creative ideas." Even though he still has no specific software ideas to discuss, Miyamoto assured readers that Nintendo would do something interesting. "We understand the challenge before us, and we have met these challenges in the past. We just ask that people have confidence in us." Miyamoto also offered his feelings on digital distribution: "Personally, I'm one of those guys who, even if I have all the songs from iTunes, I want the CD as well. It's something that makes me - I feel more reassured with that physical media." He believes that a combination of digital and physical media will continue into the future.
What'll you say when you finally see the Wii Vitality Sensor games?
Nintendo president Reggie Fils-Amie recently talked to Fast Company about the mysterious Wii Vitality Sensor, saying, "All I can tell you is, with the game developers that we have, we will bring forth an experience that you will say, 'Wow, I get it.'" Curious, we took a quick poll of internet luminaries (and Joystiq staffers) as to what they thought the first thing out of their mouth would be if they saw the Wii Vitality Sensor games. Who will be right? Only time will tell.Ludwig Kietzmann: "Does it come with an apathy sensor too?"Alexander Sliwinski: "Someone's checking their blood pressure, like the kiosk at the supermarket!"Shipwreck, Cheap Ass Gamer: "Where's my receipt?" James Ransom-Wiley: "What happens when I clip it to my magic finger?"Ben Kuchera, Ars Technica: "You know, I'm done being angry at or skeptical of Nintendo. Every time I think they're doing something stupid they sell five hojillion copies of their newest concept. So sadly, I believe him."Justin McElroy: "Hey, how'd I get to the Nintendo booth? Did I make a wrong turn at Capcom?" Kyle Orland, Crispy Gamer: "Vomit?"Cheapy D, Cheap Ass Gamer: "Wow, I won't get it."[Via Eurogamer]
E3 2009 highlights: The Nintendo roundup
Nintendo E3 2009 checklist: Mario? *check* Zelda? *check* Metroid? *check* Are we missing something? Head past the break to find out!
Nintendo reveals the heart-tracking Wii Vitality Sensor
Satoru Iwata just announced the latest health-related peripheral for the Nintendo Wii -- the Wii Vitality Sensor. We're still extremely confused as to the purpose of the device, or how it will be implemented in a game, but here's a brief breakdown: It's a biorythm sensor that connects to your finger and transmits your heart rate to the Wii. How will that be used in gameplay? Will it make an appearance in Wii Fit Plus? We just don't know.
Nintendo Wii Vitality Sensor detects your pulse
And it looks like Nintendo's answer to Microsoft's Project Natal is... a pulse detector. Yep, Ninty's just announced the Wii Vitality Sensor, a finger sensor which attaches to the Wiimote to read your pulse. Details on how the accessory is going to be used in games are pretty vague, but it appears the idea is to check stress, help you relax, and just generally chill out and be groovy. That won't happen for a while yet, though: the Vitality Sensor was described as a "look into the future," so we're guessing we've got a wait in store.Update: Check out the full press release here.