Throw away your keyboard, brain control is here!

OCZ’s Neural Impulse Actuator (nia) marks a new era in gaming. Rather than being a substitute for a mouse, the nia is a pioneering new peripheral to be used in conjunction with your mouse for a more immersive gaming experience. The nia is compatible with any PC game using keyboard input… past, present, or future. Predefined profiles included with the software allow the gamer to develop their own nia—memory to launch the desired behavior of their character and shoot with the “blink of an eye”, without lifting a finger.

http://www.ocztechnology.com/products/ocz_peripherals/nia-neural_impulse_actuator

http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/2600/mindlink.html

I can smell the bullshit from a mile away!

I've heard that doesn't work very well. Maybe I can dig up some articles here.

I've seen commercials for this game called MindFlex that is supposedly some puzzle game that you play with a headset and your mind.

From what I hear you just kinda think about moving the ball to where you want it to go, and it will do it unless you direct your attention to something else.

You guys realise that if this were true, it'd be shouted from the fucking rooftops? And it's being used for Videogames first instead of something more formidable like robotic prosthetic arms?

It's bullshit! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neural_Impulse_Actuator

I'm pretty sure that several years ago some scientists managed to get a monkey to play a simple mouse-cursor-moving video game with his brain waves. I have doubts that they'll be able to map a full QWERTY keyboard to a human brain any time soon, but there's absolutely nothing incredible about the concept.

I wrote some ridiculous rants about this sort of thing in a Project Natal thread a while ago. I think I was onto something so I'll reiterate:

1. We already have a way to translate neural signals into computer commands. They're called "hands."
2. Even though "mind control" is an irrepressibly delightful idea, it fundamentally can't be as useful and intuitive as control systems that involve physical manipulation of objects, because that's what our brains are built for.

Point 2 of course needs more justification than I can give it, but it's a moot question in this case. This doohickey is still using facial muscle movements as input, proving that it is little more than a headache-inducing novelty.

If it takes 17 muscles to smile and 42 muscles to frown - how many does it take to frag a DM opponent on Map01 of Dwango5?

GreyGhost said:

If it takes 17 muscles to smile and 42 muscles to frown - how many does it take to frag a DM opponent on Map01 of Dwango5?

Seven.
Twelve if you do above, and do a 180 turn to be sure you're not being followed.

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/angry-video-screwattack/34014

40oz said:

I've seen commercials for this game called MindFlex that is supposedly some puzzle game that you play with a headset and your mind.

I heard that it's actually a trap devised by some alien trying to take over the ship. Only a young Wil Wheaton and Ashley Judd can save us now.

Danarchy said:

Only a young Wil Wheaton... can save us now.

Nobody needs a pubescent nerd from Star Trek TNG. What's he going to do, break his voice at them?

<tinfoil hat> What if OCZ Technology is a front for the Church of Scientology and the device is actually a subliminal neural stimulator that turn otherwise fairly normal people into believers? </tinfoil hat>

But but--- I *like* Xenu!

Heh. I've always loved those CTists who claim there's alien/advanced tech in illuminati-controlled products, just lying dormant (or running, awaiting commands), in an attempt to enslave us all. I say, bring it on. My phone will never control me. Yeah. Ea-- OH GOD I CAN'T ACCESS THE DAILY SHOW

MWAHAHAHA

There was a game system by fisher price that let you control a fan with the power of your thought. I saw it demoed and there's a youtube video somewhere of it.

Super Jamie said:

Nobody needs a pubescent nerd from Star Trek TNG. What's he going to do, break his voice at them?

Danarchy said:

Star Trek TNG: The Game

Man that episode was so inplausible. What self-respecting future female would give Wesley Crusher the time of day? :P

That nerd dude doing the video review was quite good, I'm going to send him a review.

Hey that girl giving Wess the time of day was Ashley Judd.

Sure we all laugh about these mind control games (you heard me), but give it 20 or 25 more years and Nintendo will come out with one that will be easy to use. 10 years later Sony will come out with one.

Ah crap, IRL Tekken just in time for me to be crippled by arthritis.

This looks like another action 52 incident in the making