Nahil Sharkasi

This is me on my second adventure in Second Life. I still hadn't managed to 'drop' the various weird clothing and objects I had picked up in my first visit. So here I found my self-- In Gitmo, wearing orange detainee jumpsuit... with shopping bag and 'sparkly skirt.' Totally absurd. I was here to do serious work and I spent half the time stuck in mid-air, my head half-way through the barracks ceiling.

I love the idea of modeling real-world conflict situations in a virtual game environment, but it has to get easier to negotiate these environments. I know this stuff is second nature for a lot of people, but ot for everyone. I see that as a challenge to attracting non-gamers to interactive experiences. How can we design an environment where users can more easily intuit the rules of the game....and not waste 20 minutes on apple+point click, scroll, scroll, scroll, left hand, drop, shopping bag.

The most impressive exhibits I found at 2007 Nextfest were the ones using headbands that measure brainwaves. One exhibit used this technology for a game called "Brain Ball." "Brain Ball" is a relaxation game where two players face off to try to move a small white ball accross the table. The ball moves towards the player with the more relaxed brain waves.

In a similar exhibit, called "Kokoro Gatari," the same sort of headband set up was used in a medical application. In this case, the sensors could detect the difference between positive and negative thought. Doctors can use this to communicate with patients with Lou Gerhig's disease. Doctors can get a 'yes/no' answer from a patient who can't speak or move.

There's huge potential to use this technology in a game or narrative. A game that rewards positive thought, and punishes negative thought. Or a narrative where the viewer can drive the plot by simly thinking 'yes' or thinking 'no'.

photo by Ala Diab