@FJ
was that attachment a success or not?

Also, to addres sauss again, most meditation requires your eyes to be closed and little sound in the room except a soothing melody. Why would anyone buy a relaxation game and peripheral when they could get an almost infinite number of audio IRL?

EDIT: to add a little more to that, the whole experience in meditation and yoga is that defined by a word I'm sure you are familiar with.

Namaste.(i think that is the spelling)

This from wiki:

• I bow to that inherent in you" ("That" refers to divinity, or that which is divine.)
• "I respect divinity within you that is also within me."
• "The light within me honors the light within you." (in yoga)

This is a social experience. Being in the same room, sharing the moment together, and hearing, and feeling the life within each other. It is an almost existential experience in that you are all connected.

The more I think about it, the less I feel that it will appeal to this type of crowd.

It could be implemented easily. Game just need to track your heart rate in calm mood (it could be done by directly asking player to relax or even without notification by showing relaxing cutscene) and compare those results with your heart rate during alarming situation. No need for absolute numbers, just compare. For gameplay examples see "sanity meter" in Eternal Darkness.

Speaking about "disruptive" force. I'm not sure it could be as influental as Wii Remote, it's more like Balance Board, i.e. game+peripheral that could keep momentum of Wii. If Nintendo will be able to sell 10M+ starting at 2010 holiday season, then they're safer. Keep in mind, since 1960s Nintendo is a toy company, and they're still a toy company to some extent rather than game developer. Remember their first big succees? =)

Of course not, the game wasn't developed by Nintendo, and Nintendo itself never supported the bio sensor.

Okay, I just read up on the sanity meter, and have some questions. So, basically the way to combat it is to calm down? So, the game introduces some creepy things and you are expected to calm yourself? Why not just make the game creepy in the first place?

Secondly, why would you want your audience to lower their heart rate? Think about it? Do you really want your gamers to be playing your game apathetically in order to avoid enemies? The whole point about most horror games is that they are exciting, which gives you a nice rush. You start avoiding that rush, and the game isn't fun anymore.

I have to disagree with your secon paragraph. I think the balance board is probably just as significant as motion. However, whereas the BB allows for an endless number of creative aspects, the VS is most likely only going to be for fitness.

I also don't think it's going to change gaming but i can see a couple of possible aps.

The game could just calculate your resting heart rate before you start playing in much the same way Wii Fit uses your BMI as a starting point. Resting heart rate is generally positively correlated with age and negative correlated with cardiovascular fitness and could serve as a basis for the game to measure and track your "vitality".

It could be used in a yoga or some other relaxation based game where lowering of your heart rate below your normal resting or pre-excitation rate could be used to reinforce the benefits of relaxation.

In horror games it could being implemented something like the sanity effects in Eternal Darkness, with your iheart rate having an effect on your perception of what's happening in the game or even the control or difficulty of the game. Simple conditioning would mean that sequences that frighten you (increase your heart rate) and adversely affect your ability to play would get easier to complete on subsequent play-throughs as you become accustomed to the frightening stimuli. In essence you learn to master your fears. It could be used in games like Trauma Centre to similar effect

The question of course remains how consistent and predictable such changes in heart rate are and whether or not they can be succesfully integrated into gameplay.

hmm a mastering your fears game sounds plausible... I would like to see how that would work. I am skeptical

Me too, i'm just surmising.

Given that this thing has gone well beyond prototype phase and got a fair chunk of time at E3 Nintendo are obviously convinced that they can make it work in games somehow.

The other thing to consider is that the Vitality Sensor couldn't have cost Nintendo much on the R+D front. From appearances and from all information that i have read/heard it seems as though it's just a simple pulse oximeter. I don't think the hardware R+D or production costs are significant enough to worry Nintendo if the game/s it's based on fail to take off.

It might. it can also be a useless peripheral. Maybe the first one, because of what hsrob said. Nintendo is pretty convinced with their product.

i can easily see it in a game like Endless Ocean, because of the relaxing theme. With the Vitality Sensor you can have visual feedback of how your body is acting at the moment, while you are wathing a 3D ocean scene, with a character diving in a calm pace. They are doing Endless Ocean 2, right?

I think the sucess of Vitality Sensor will be determined to how Nintendo sells it, and if the message get to right buyers.

By the way, i just saw a review of Endless Ocean on youtube. that is NOT my type of game...that New Era Music turn me off completely XDDD

1) That's why you're posting on a forum instead of working for Nintendo

2) Those people are silly

3) That's why you're posting on a forum instead of working for Nintendo

4) Do not be so arrogant as to assume that everyone shares your taste in what is interesting. You also misundertand. The aim of the horror game would not be to lower your heart rate, the aim would be the same as in a normal horror game. Look, go play Eternal Darkness and you will instantly see the potential for the vitality sensor. When you have played this game, PM me all the awesome ideas you will inevitably think of.

5) Wow, now I'm starting to think this is a joke post. Have you heard of calibration? I'm sure the Nintendo engineers can think of something :P

6) You already mentioned exccercise, I just showed that it would be awesome in horror games. That already makes it the 2nd most versatile peripheral I can think of. Guitar hero guitars work for guitar games, dance mats work for DDR. Only the Balance board has seen use in multiple genres (and the donkey konga bongos come to think of it) Most peripherals cost much more than the vitality sensor will, and are usable in a single game

If you die, the game will automatically pause, and save your score unless your heart somehow keeps beating, then you get an extra live if you get over 9000 beats per second you get another credit and so on, it makes the gaming experience more real : )