Each person seeks different gaming emotions when playing. Consequently, there are several styles of games that can meet every gamer’s expectations, including :
- Unburdening games (energy release, relief, break-up);
- Horror games (thrill, overcoming, fear);
- Narrative games (sadness, attachment to the character, poignant story, adventure);
- Demanding games (challenging, self-sacrifice, challenge);
- Competitive games (challenging oneself or others, valuing one’s skills, can trigger anger at losing); or
- Relaxing games (tranquillity, little effort, good time)
Gaming emotions: considering emotions in video games
Video games continue to benefit from new technologies in many areas.
Thus, a new innovative parameter is now considered by designers. It is the emotions felt by the players throughout the games.
With Ovomind cloud-based technology, our smartband allows the integration in real time all the feelings of the gamers and adapting to the game in progress. This is a huge revolution in this virtual world, which should make many followers.
How the bracelet works : capturing gaming emotions
Equipped with tiny sensors, the bracelet uploads raw data about players’ emotions into the cloud for calculation. Thus, joy, stress, fear, surprise, doubt, and anger are automatically reflected and can now change the course of the game.
The bracelet, also called smartband, measures several parameters. First, it is equipped with an accelerometer, which detects the slightest movement. Thus, by analyzing the way the gamer moves, it already knows their emotional state.
A heart sensor, measuring the pulses, corroborates this state. An accelerated heart activity can define a moment of stress or fear. Similarly, galvanic activity is monitored. The skin is a real vector of emotional transmission. The body has no less than 3 million sweat glands, which react to our emotional state, whether positive or negative. Skin temperature is also a measuring factor.
All these parameters are cross-referenced and determine the state in which the player is by pattern recognition.
Ovomind bracelet is for everyone
First, the players are the privileged targets, as the main goal is to influence the game. Thus, some indicators appear as the game progresses and the player’s reactions. The screen can become blurred in case of stress or fear. For example, warnings are issued to regain composure if there is, for instance, a rise in heartbeat.
Consequently, the game takes on a whole new dimension since its course can be completely changed. A “lost” player can, for example, be given a reward, as a way to be motivated again. The scenario now adapts itself according to the numerous emotional findings. Similarly, if during a scene that is supposed to be scary, no sign is recognized, the AI will be triggered to achieve this feeling in the player.
Streamers who broadcast live their video games will also benefit greatly from all the advantages of this bracelet. Indeed, this new way of playing will allow them to enlarge their community. Ovomind already has a pool of streamers as partners.
Streaming is completely democratized nowadays, and some people live from it very easily. Thus, with this new parameter, the community members will follow their reactions and the evolutions of the game.
Finally, developers are likely to consider the influence of the emotional states of video game fans in the near future. When designing the game, they will have to foresee the different scenarios and be capable of responding instantly to the
feelings felt by the players. This new dimension forces video game designers to rethink and integrate this option, which will become essential.
Ovomind, a promising company
On the market for one year and in Switzerland and Japan, the company Ovomind is at the forefront of the computer field reserved for gamers. Determined to ride the wave of this new technology that is the smartband, it offers a “unique immersive experience, which places emotion at the heart of the game”.
The designer of Ovomind sums up this gaming emotions revolution in three verbs: play, feel, live. Bringing emotions into the game has become a real leitmotiv for this young team. We are no longer dealing with machines that do not take into account all the emotional aspects, but with humans. The connection to the other and the interaction will now be made differently in the game universe.
The Ovomind company is, therefore, on the way to participating in the history of the video game revolution. The connected bracelet offered will bring gamers the possibility to live their games differently, with a direct impact according to the felt emotions.