Wii is the first emotional video game system

[Magnum PI]

According to the science writer Jonah Lehrer, who looks at the Wii experience from a neuroscience pov.

http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/11/a_console_to_make_you_wiip.php

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

He might know something about emotions, but he sure as hell doesnt know anything about technology.

While Nintendo argues that the wireless controller makes game play more intuitive

Nintendo uses Bluetooth wireless technology to translate your body movements directly onto the screen.

Didnt ps3 and x360 also use bluetooth :?

 

[assen]

How can it be without the Emotion Engine?

Besides, it's only 3D, and rarely reaches 120 fps.

 

[see colon]

Didnt ps3 and x360 also use bluetooth :?

PS3 yes, XB360 no. microsoft uses a custom wireless standard that is similar.

 

[Magnum PI]

He might know something about emotions, but he sure as hell doesnt know anything about technology.

This doesn't matter as it has no relevance regarding the ideas of the article.

This is the irony of the Wii: although it can't compete with the visual realism of Sony and Microsoft, it ends up feeling much more realistic.

The Wii breaks down that annoying wall separating you from the television screen

Wii owner what do you think about the article ?

 

[StefanS]

I don't know. To put the article to the test, you'd have to put test subjects in a PET scanner and have them play some games. To have conclusive evidence, playing the Wii should have different pattern than playing PS / Xbox.

As it is, the article's just an opinion, nothing more.

 

[NavNucST3]

I'm going to read the article now, but I would say that I have ALWAYS had an emotional attachment with games, and it started much earlier than Wii. Games have made me jump in fear, laugh, and obviously if you read how many attempts it took me to kill General RAAM in Gears, ANGER . All neuro-physiological effects, that meet the requirements of William James.

I'd also like to add that there are more buttons on the Wii controllers than people seem to think, and traditional gamers are probably still going to be on the couch, except while Bowling.

edit: I read the article, both pages.

 

[PeterT]

I disagree, ICO and lots of other games were quite emotional an experience for me. Also, how could the Wii be more emotional than PS2? It doesn't even have an Emotion Engine

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Once again, men of science fail to notice the blindingly obvious. People have been having emotional experiences from computer games for as long as they've been around. Wii's controller may make the game experience easier for newbies, but for other gamers used to their controls, they are used transparently. And that only applies to 'instictive' game control, which'll be a sub-set of Wii games. And PS3 and XB360 get camera control that is just as intuitive as Wii, along with peripherals like Guitar Hero's. Wii is certainly not the first video game system to evoke emotions.

 

[MasaC]

It's true. Today it gave me the silent treatment almost all day and then it suddenly bursted out in near uncontrollable rage. I hate it when it acts up like that. It's worse than my wife _that_ time of the month.

 

[slider]

My vote goes to tamagotchi.

 

[thatdude90210]

He makes some good points, that the Wii allows a player to be more "connected" to the games. Playing games on the Wii such as Wii bowling, boxing, etc feels more like the real thing than pressing a button ever could. And that similar body movements in other games can bring you into the games the way regular controllers just can't.

But he goes a little far in inferring that somehow because of being connected in this way, it becomes more of an emotional experience. Maybe I just don't buy that emotion is necessarily tied to physical movements. People can feel emotional just by watching a movie.