Topic: Wii Vitality Sensor *expanding the blue ocean*

[King of Twitch]

that actually sounds like a pretty good idea. lets hope 3rd parties actually have some similar or better ones.

And thats the good part of this.. if i can come up with a decently neat lil idea like that, imagine what Miyamoto can come up with or Suda51!

Indeed, third parties will have great gameplay ideas once Miyamoto shows them what they are

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

^ And thus, the win.

[Mop it up]

There was supposedly a Tetris game back in the day that used some tech like this. I guess it would in/decrease the number and/or speed of falling blocks depending on your level of panic, imagine something like that for all the other puzzle games you can think of. Or if you not stressing on a puzzle, maybe a timer pops up to make you sweat a little.

There was, it was Tetris 64 for the, uh, Nintendo 64. It was released only in Japan and was bundled with the Bio Sensor accessory. If your heart rate increased then the blocks would fall slower, and if it decreased then the blocks would fall faster. There was also an option to reverse this and make the blocks fall faster if your heart rate increased, which I guess is an exercise in keeping calm!

The Bio Sensor clipped to your ear though... Are you still going to be able to hold the Wiimote + Nunchuk with this thing clipped to your finger?

[nickmitch]

Maybe on your pinky?

[Mop it up]

That would still be uncomfortable if holding something.

I wonder if it could work on a toe...

[Stogi]

If it's exactly like the tech in the hospital, it doesn't matter where it is clipped, just as long as it is calibrated.

[EasyCure]

I've only heard of two possible uses for the vitality sensor. One that I liked was using it to gauge you in the middle of a battle/race and alter the difficulty or AI attack patterns based on your vitals. Imagine a shmup where the waves get more frantic the higher your heart rate goes. Even more exciting, imagine the "Architect" AI controller from Left 4 Dead or The Grinder having access to your vitals and using it to make decisions based on how stressed or rushed you are. Or in a racing game give your score a boost based on how much of an actual rush you feel from nearly hitting an oncomming car. Perhaps make it so that you go into hypermode in a new Metroid Prime game if your vitals shoot up enough.

That's what excites me about the Vitality Sensor thing-a-majigger.

Samus in Hypermode would be bad ass.. but not just if you activate it when your heartrate increases. It'd have to be like this:

The game senses your heartrate getting higher and purposely increases the difficulty and intensity of the music to make it even higher, then triggers hypermode.. But now you also have to try to lower your heartrate before you overload and hypermode starts killing you!

[Stratos]

I'm more concerned about whether Nintendo would actually try something like that with this thing. Reading your heartrate is an awesome way to add to immersion. At least Suda 51 has plans for it down the road.


I remember reading about that, Mop it up. I wonder if anyone ownes one here.

[EasyCure]

I'm more concerned about whether Nintendo would actually try something like that with this thing. Reading your heartrate is an awesome way to add to immersion. At least Suda 51 has plans for it down the road.


I remember reading about that, Mop it up. I wonder if anyone ownes one here.

And by try something like that, you mean in a more traditional game? Because if they took the time to announce it, i'm sure they'll use it in a more blue ocean title like Wii Fit or something.
I too worry this might end up being a one trick poney peripheral if thats the case.

But who's to say they cant add the tech into the wiimote itself by the time the wi's successor rolls around? I'm sure if it was cost effective enough, they'd already have the Motion+ tech in it, and would have the Vitality Sensor tech in it as well if they could (like someone suggested, perhaps have it in a wrist strap). Then there would be no worry about customers not having access to the peripheral and thus dividing up the user base.

lol wait a minute, Nintendo loves money; they'll include motion+ tech but keep the vitality sensor seperate for profit$

[BlackNMild2k1]

http://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/090731qa/index.html

Question: What is the idea or concept behind the Wii Vitality Sensor? Do you have a feeling that it will become a world-wide phenomenon like Wii Sports or Wii Fit? To the extent you can disclose now, what can you let us know about the launch timing?

Answer:
Iwata:
It seems like the Wii Vitality Sensor is a kind of product which we are having some difficulty in addressing its product concept. The majority of the audience at E3 responded to it like "what in the world is Nintendo planning with a single pulse meter?" A human pulse not only contains information as to how many times a heart beats in a minute, but also various kinds of information such as the condition of automatic nerve.

Traditionally, great games has made people excited and stimulated. Wii Vitality Sensor has great potential for various applications like measuring how horrified a player is in a horror title. What we are trying to propose first is a video game with a theme of relaxation, which is completely opposite from traditional ones, to enrich the users' lives. Especially among those who are constantly busy, I am sure you have experienced not being able to go to bed even when you are so tired after a busy day at work and coming home late at night... What if you were able to visualize how to unwind and relax, or check the condition of your automatic nerve by simply inserting your finger in the device once a day? We are conducting some tests internally at Nintendo, and found some patterns among our employees, like improving automatic nerve condition as the weekend nears or vice versa. Seeing what their condition is actually like, they can "visualize" how they are looking forward to weekend. And see completely different patterns on each individual person. And I think you have all had an experience where you are not in tune with how your body is doing or aware of how exhausted you body may be in a busy, strained period, but if you can visibly measure your condition every day, you can start to see how you're doing. It would be like stepping up on a scale every day and seeing the change of your weight. Our new challenge that is different from past software development is to make a video game by using the visible activities of your automatic nerve.

Before Wii Fit launched, everyone doubted how well it could sell. As for Wii Vitality Sensor, I think it will face similar doubts as to whether such a product will sell well in the video game market. Of course no one can tell how people respond to it before the launch. We understand everyone wants to enjoy a vibrant lifestyle, so I believe if the product could support that desire, it would make a large impact in society. We are hoping to make one such proposals a year, or every two years at best, to try and realize what no one has ever done before. As there was concern at E3 this year that people might misunderstand us as makers developing sequels only, we decided to make it (Wii Vitality Sensor) public at the media briefing. We would like to deliver the actual product not too late in the year next year. As I have mentioned, last-minute polishing is crucial for developing video games, so please understand that we'll need to refrain from commenting on an exact release date.

[Stratos]

Nice catch, BnM. I'm especially happy that Nintendo themselves are talking of how it can be used in a horror title. I know this doesn't mean it's guaranteed they'll make one themselves, but it's nice to know that the thought has crossed their minds.

One can hope for an Eternal Darkness 2 Silicone Knights/Nintendo project using it. Having both a casual 'relaxation' title and a more 'traditional/core' horror title to support it would be nice.

[EasyCure]

Nice catch, BnM. I'm especially happy that Nintendo themselves are talking of how it can be used in a horror title. I know this doesn't mean it's guaranteed they'll make one themselves, but it's nice to know that the thought has crossed their minds.

One can hope for an Eternal Darkness 2 Silicone Knights/Nintendo project using it. Having both a casual 'relaxation' title and a more 'traditional/core' horror title to support it would be nice.

Maybe they're retooling Fatal Frame 4 to fix the controls/bugs and add Vitality Sensor support

[Stogi]

I just thought of a game that focuses on your fears.

You first pick what you fear most. Then the setting changes to an "uncomfortable" area that highlights your fear. As long as you are calm, your fear will disappear. However, if you become nervous and scared, your fear will consume you!

But I knew it. I knew this was going to be used in conjunction with the balance board to develop better health statistics about yourself. Knowledge is half the battle.

[ShyGuy]

That's a cool idea. You have to view videos of spiders.

[BwrJim!]

and lets not forget, they can change how the thing reads you.  It could be a strap, an earlobe attachment, another attachment for somewhere unspeakable. and so on..

[Stratos]

and lets not forget, they can change how the thing reads you.  It could be a strap, an earlobe attachment, another attachment for somewhere unspeakable. and so on..

Didn't Suda 51 say something about strapping it somewhere unspeakable?

[Mop it up]

Now it is time for them to make Bio Tetris 2. I'll bet that would be a big hit.

[EasyCure]

I just had a though (actually I had it yesterday but didn't feel like editing my post to include it):

Nintendo has gone on record a few times (i believe) mentioning how the vitality sensor could be used with a horror title.. do you think its possible that they'd be developing their own horror title (or at the very least, be reworking Fatal Frame 4 like i originally stated) for this? Perhaps they'd release two titles, one for the core audience and one for the blue ocean and attack from both fronts just to get this out there.

Perhaps someone with a little more knowledge on Nintendos track record can find out, but I just feel that Nintendo wouldn't throw out an idea to pitch in conjunction with a peripheral if they weren't at least working on something. Sure, something might change along the way or a game idea might be dropped all together, but it at least we'd know that at some point Nintendo was entertaining the idea of using the vitality sensor with a horror title, which in turn leads me to believe they'd be developing their OWN horror title..

[Stogi]

They were going to announce the games they had been working on at E3 but decided against it.

I could have totally seen a trailer depicting people playing through a variety of games with one of them being a horror title. I wouldn't put it past them.

Frankly, they have alot of explaining to do.

[Stratos]

Nintendo has thrown out a lot of ideas during announcements that never come to fruition.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Like real games for gamers.

[EasyCure]

Like real games for gamers.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I believe most of us are adults here and I can mention this without the topic becoming political, but I'm currently watching Real Time with Bill Maher (ep w/ Arianah Huffington for those that want to look it up) and they were talking about Prescription drug use and the proposed health care plan. The conversation was about how kids are taking pills to deal with emotion and hyper activeness & adults are taking sleeping pills and anti-depressants to deal with stress. Arianah mentioned how people need to stop taking pills to deal with stress and learn to relax more naturally.

This immediately made me mention Nintendo out loud with their Vitality sensor, and how if timed just right and marketed even better, could really be the next BIG thing in WiiCare. If the new health care plan get through and America gets on a new "Prevention" bandwagon, Vitality sensor could ride that wave by getting all those closet pill addicts to put a Wii in the bedroom and kick the pill habits.

Is it possible that Nintendo has stumbled across a magic ball that grants them the ability to peek into the near future? Because this could be yet another idea that seems stupid(non-gamish/gimmicky) to most of us yet becomes another force pushing the Wii into a commercialized mainstream market.

They already have Wii in the Hospitals to help with rehab. They already have DS' in the schools to help with learning. Whats to say that this won't end up high stress job environments set up in quiet "break" rooms or private doctor (psychiatrist) offices.
It could be the type of "game" that you sit back and have a glass of wine with or whatever else it is that you do after work to relax. It could be, with the right timing, a product of GENIUS that just wouldn't make sense till it has already penetrated every corner of the market, kinda like WiiFit or WiiSports.

Does any of this make sense or am I just rambling.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

You are looking at the blue ocean.

And it is full of messed-up Americans who provide a great market for these out-of-this-world Nintendo products.

[Stratos]

I believe most of us are adults here and I can mention this without the topic becoming political, but I'm currently watching Real Time with Bill Maher (ep w/ Arianah Huffington for those that want to look it up) and they were talking about Prescription drug use and the proposed health care plan. The conversation was about how kids are taking pills to deal with emotion and hyper activeness & adults are taking sleeping pills and anti-depressants to deal with stress. Arianah mentioned how people need to stop taking pills to deal with stress and learn to relax more naturally.

This immediately made me mention Nintendo out loud with their Vitality sensor, and how if timed just right and marketed even better, could really be the next BIG thing in WiiCare. If the new health care plan get through and America gets on a new "Prevention" bandwagon, Vitality sensor could ride that wave by getting all those closet pill addicts to put a Wii in the bedroom and kick the pill habits.

Is it possible that Nintendo has stumbled across a magic ball that grants them the ability to peek into the near future? Because this could be yet another idea that seems stupid(non-gamish/gimmicky) to most of us yet becomes another force pushing the Wii into a commercialized mainstream market.

They already have Wii in the Hospitals to help with rehab. They already have DS' in the schools to help with learning. Whats to say that this won't end up high stress job environments set up in quiet "break" rooms or private doctor (psychiatrist) offices.
It could be the type of "game" that you sit back and have a glass of wine with or whatever else it is that you do after work to relax. It could be, with the right timing, a product of GENIUS that just wouldn't make sense till it has already penetrated every corner of the market, kinda like WiiFit or WiiSports.

Does any of this make sense or am I just rambling.

BnM, you are a brilliant man. That makes a lot of sense, and not the 'gamers-think-it's-awesome' kind, but real sense. This may just be the new 'thing' and it has me all the more intrigued.