Category: Wacky Peripherals (Page 4 of 4)

From CES comes an update about a game designed to improve your meditation, The Journey to the Wild Divine is a game where you attempt to manipulate an on-screen object (in this case, a new-agey crystal) with your biorhythms (in particular, staying calm).

This software includes sensors that attach to your fingers…The first level consisted of a pinwheel that was supposed to rotate when I took a deep breath. It would move, I would get excited about it moving and it would stop. The only way I could consistently make it move was if I talked to Mike about it. I guess I’m calmest when talking. How very apt.

My first thought when reading that was how frustrated failure in games makes me. Which is to say, I’m not sure this game’s for me. Whether it is or not, though, it turns out it’s a game that might not demo well.

The noisy Las Vegas Convention Center is the worst place on the planet to test meditation software. The few people who were willing to try the Journey to the Wild Divine were as equally unable to make the pinwheel move as I was.

Heh.

If you buy the notion that fantasy fulfillment is the holy grail of what interactive entertainment can offer, then it may well be that Guitar Hero represents the pinnacle of what the games industry has so far created.

Words can’t do this game justice. Yes, it’s a rhythm game with a goofy peripheral, but when you hit those power chords, you feel like a metal god. When you nail that solo while powered up, the crowd goes nuts, and just for a moment, you’re transported. I had friends over on Saturday night, and even the guys usually content to drink beer and watch were clamoring for their turn.

I am concerned that the game is wrecking my technique playing actual guitars. But in terms of sheer fun, this is it. Kudos to Jason and John and the rest of their respective teams on a job well done.