A University of Washington pschologist has turned to virtual reality to help people with phobias overcome their fears, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education ("Real Fear, Virtually Overcome" Oct. 15, p. A12).
The article describes SpiderWorld, a virtual reality environment created by cognitive psychologist Hunter Hoffman to help people with arachnaphobia overcome their fear of spiders. Wearing a VR helmet and gloves, users can "touch" spiders and chase them away. By confronting spiders in a 3D environment where the user is in control, some people suffering from arachnaphobia can conquer their fear of spiders after multiple VR sessions, says the article.
A related project developed by University of Washington researchers is SnowWorld, used to help psycholgically treat burn victims. Sitting in a tub of water while wearing VR goggles, patients have the sensation of flying through an arctic landscape. The article says SnowWorld has helped reduce levels of "reported pain" by as much as 50%, by affecting how burn victoms interpret incoming pain signals.
Monday, October 18, 2004
News: The "serious game" movement
The Washington Post has taken a look at the "serious game" movement, in which new applications based on videogame technology are being envisioned for non-entertainment purposes.
The military is one of the more high-profile developers in this field. The U.S. military spends $4 billion/year on videogame technology and related equipment, not only for war simulations and recruitment tools, but also to help soldiers develop thinking abilities and social skills. The fact that videogame technology is playng such a prominent role should come as no surprise, notes the article: The average age of the half-million people in the U.S. Army is 20, a demographic age which has grown up with relatively sophisticated gaming technology.
The article also reports on the Serious Games Summit now taking place in Washington that brings together industry and academic experts interested in additional "serious game" applications, ranging from education to science.
The military is one of the more high-profile developers in this field. The U.S. military spends $4 billion/year on videogame technology and related equipment, not only for war simulations and recruitment tools, but also to help soldiers develop thinking abilities and social skills. The fact that videogame technology is playng such a prominent role should come as no surprise, notes the article: The average age of the half-million people in the U.S. Army is 20, a demographic age which has grown up with relatively sophisticated gaming technology.
The article also reports on the Serious Games Summit now taking place in Washington that brings together industry and academic experts interested in additional "serious game" applications, ranging from education to science.
Friday, October 15, 2004
News: AOL, IMVU incorporate 3D functionality into IM apps
Wired magazine has examined two recently released chat services that incorporate 3D features -- the three dimensional chat room environment of IMVU and AOL Instant Messenger's 3D SuperBuddy icons.
IMVU, started by Will Harvey, lets users adopt avatars in three dimensional chat rooms so users have "the sense that [they] are in the presence of the person [they] are chatting with," the article quotes Harvey as saying. Harvey says the service is compatible with the leading chatroom apps, and claims 1,000 new users are signing up for the service every day. He says the fact that the avatars can be customized, and potentially adapted to gaming uses, makes them more than pure communication tools -- they better allow users to socialize online.
AOL's SuperBuddy icons are incorporated into the existing AIM product. The 3D images can display "emotional cues" in response to what users type to their friends or colleagues.
Both IMVU and AIM have charges related to their 3D services. The article says AOL treats SuperBuddies like ringtones, and charge $2 to use one. IMVU is free, but will have charges for user-created avatar clothing and other extras.
The article cites some interesting stats about IM usage (250 million people use IM, and 7 billion messages are sent daily) but notes that some experts are skeptical of 3D functionality in IM products. Jeff Hester of instant-messaging watchdog site BigBlueBall.com is quoted as saying that 3D is not a must-have feature for instant messaging, and "feels a little like a solution in search of a problem." Another expert calls the 3D IM services a fad.
IMVU, started by Will Harvey, lets users adopt avatars in three dimensional chat rooms so users have "the sense that [they] are in the presence of the person [they] are chatting with," the article quotes Harvey as saying. Harvey says the service is compatible with the leading chatroom apps, and claims 1,000 new users are signing up for the service every day. He says the fact that the avatars can be customized, and potentially adapted to gaming uses, makes them more than pure communication tools -- they better allow users to socialize online.
AOL's SuperBuddy icons are incorporated into the existing AIM product. The 3D images can display "emotional cues" in response to what users type to their friends or colleagues.
Both IMVU and AIM have charges related to their 3D services. The article says AOL treats SuperBuddies like ringtones, and charge $2 to use one. IMVU is free, but will have charges for user-created avatar clothing and other extras.
The article cites some interesting stats about IM usage (250 million people use IM, and 7 billion messages are sent daily) but notes that some experts are skeptical of 3D functionality in IM products. Jeff Hester of instant-messaging watchdog site BigBlueBall.com is quoted as saying that 3D is not a must-have feature for instant messaging, and "feels a little like a solution in search of a problem." Another expert calls the 3D IM services a fad.
Sunday, October 10, 2004
News: Electronic Arts has big plans for Chinese market
Electronic Arts has created a formula that it thinks will help it reap big profits in the Chinese market, reports the Wall Street Journal ("Electronic Arts Aims for Chinese Gamers With Plans for Studio," Oct. 6, 2004, p. B1).
The main focus of the article is EA's announcement that it will open a large video game development studio in China to make games for the growing Chinese market. Why bother? The WSJ points out that EA's American titles -- especially those based on American pro sports -- do not necessarily translate to the Chinese youth market. Rather, gamers in China often tap into massive multiplayer online games based on China's lengthy dynastic history. Having local developers create new titles that appeal to local gamers is a better business model than simply translating EA's stable of games that were created for the American market, the article says.
Some issues that EA may have to overcome include a shortage of local talent and consumers that can live without fancy graphics in their games, the article notes. But EA believes it has licked another issue that has bedeviled foreign software companies: software piracy. Unlike the U.S. video games market, which is based on one-off sales of shrink-wrapped discs, the piracy-prone Chinese market is already shifting away from the sale of easily copied game discs in favor of Internet-based games. The 'net model that has emerged is based on cheap subscriptions to videogame services as well as prepaid game cards -- kind of like telephone cards -- that can be bought at convenience stores and net cafes.
The main focus of the article is EA's announcement that it will open a large video game development studio in China to make games for the growing Chinese market. Why bother? The WSJ points out that EA's American titles -- especially those based on American pro sports -- do not necessarily translate to the Chinese youth market. Rather, gamers in China often tap into massive multiplayer online games based on China's lengthy dynastic history. Having local developers create new titles that appeal to local gamers is a better business model than simply translating EA's stable of games that were created for the American market, the article says.
Some issues that EA may have to overcome include a shortage of local talent and consumers that can live without fancy graphics in their games, the article notes. But EA believes it has licked another issue that has bedeviled foreign software companies: software piracy. Unlike the U.S. video games market, which is based on one-off sales of shrink-wrapped discs, the piracy-prone Chinese market is already shifting away from the sale of easily copied game discs in favor of Internet-based games. The 'net model that has emerged is based on cheap subscriptions to videogame services as well as prepaid game cards -- kind of like telephone cards -- that can be bought at convenience stores and net cafes.
Friday, October 08, 2004
News: A near-universal software emulator?
Transitive, a Silicon Valley-based startup, has claimed to have created a near-universal software emulator that "supports software written in any programming language," writes Wired magazine. Notes the article, "The company is initially going after the server and mainframe markets because that's where the money is, but said it will eventually focus on desktop PCs and consumer electronics. It claims QuickTransit will support almost any pairing of processor and operating system [and] allows a foreign application to do everything it does on its native platform, with 100 percent functionality." The emulator also supports 3-D graphics, the article notes. Demos have shown Quake III for Linux running on an Apple Powerbook, and Gimp (a Linux graphics editor) working on a Windows notebook, with no discernable loss in performance. In terms of ease-of-use, it launches automatically when a non-native application is launched. The article discusses the technology behind Quicktransit; it apparently translates blocks of code rather than going line by line, and takes advantage of faster performance of modern computer systems.
News: Kerry Swift Boat mission becomes the subject of a video game
Kuma Reality Games has developed a Vietnam War-based video game featuring a mission in which Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry took part in 35 years ago, reports the New York Times. The mission, part of a series called "Freedom's Heroes," follows the American soldiers whose boats were ambushed while on river patrol. Players have to follow the script based on the original mission, using period weapons to overcome the enemy.
More interesting than the details of the game itself was the description of Kuma's business strategy. The company, which focuses on military games, does not release pre-packaged multilevel games every few years, but rather operates a subscription service in which individual missions are released several times per month over the Internet (like "television episodes," notes the article). Users have to have high-speed Internet connections, Windows, and at least a 64 MB graphics card.
Another element of Kuma's strategy is the focus on famous people with military backgrounds. John Kerry is one timely example, and the company has already started modeling work on a mission detailing the capture of Osama Bin Laden, according to the New York Times.
More interesting than the details of the game itself was the description of Kuma's business strategy. The company, which focuses on military games, does not release pre-packaged multilevel games every few years, but rather operates a subscription service in which individual missions are released several times per month over the Internet (like "television episodes," notes the article). Users have to have high-speed Internet connections, Windows, and at least a 64 MB graphics card.
Another element of Kuma's strategy is the focus on famous people with military backgrounds. John Kerry is one timely example, and the company has already started modeling work on a mission detailing the capture of Osama Bin Laden, according to the New York Times.
News: Latest iteration of Sims takes 3-D to a new level
The Sims franchise has crossed a new 3D threshold with the recent release of Sims 2, reports the New York Times. Earlier versions of Sims had more primitive 3D effects that were limited by set perspectives and a lack of expressions on characters' faces. Sims 2 has taken the "Avatar" approach to dealing with characters' emotions, and has also incorporated "aspirations" that drive users' experiences with other characters and the simulated world in which they live.
News: Gaming industry sees the rise of "professional" players
The New York Times has noted the rise of a new breed of video game enthusiast, skilled players who play for money. The article notes the gradual creation of an infrastructure of tournaments, contests, corporate sponsors, and of course talented young players, some of whom can make six-figure incomes playing games like Halo.
Tuesday, October 05, 2004
News: Psychological effect of modern games
The Washington Post has taken a look at young people who get addicted to videogames. The article is a watered-down scare piece, weak on facts and drawing some questionable parallels with drug addiction, but makes an interesting suggestion about why videogames can come to dominate the lives of some teenagers: The "God effect," in which the realistic, engaging environments of first person shooters or massive multiplayer online games place otherwise powerless individuals (i.e., a typical teen) at the center of the universe.
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