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The first 'woo' computer game?

DeVega

Critical Thinker
D
Joined
Nov 17, 2004
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It's called "The Journey to Wild Divine"

Checkit out - http://www.wilddivine.com/Demo/

Thing is - I'm a sucker for really good graphics & it looks kinda cute - I'm tempted! ;)

My DH would never play it cos he'd freak if you stuck those things on his fingers! Seriously though, it does seem to be a new use of the existing game technology (that is, if it IS actually responding to the feedback?)

Anyone more technically inclined care to have a look?
BTW - some new-age bloke - Deepak Chopra - is introducing it. Seems I've heard him mentioned here before...

Interesting though...

DeVega
 
The technology is similar to some tech used in exercise machines and other devices, so I don't see why the sensors and the conversion to digital data wouldn't work.

At $169, though, I'm sure I could find more entertaining things to do... and frankly, I wouldn't put a dime into anything associated with Deepak Chopra. No way is that dude EVER going to make money off of me.
 
Oh good lord! :eek: :eek: I didn't notice the price!
Think I'll save my pennies for the last instalment of Myst...

DeVega
 
Journey to Wild Divine

I've actually purchased two copies of this game for my Fiancee and my mother. Both of them might be considered as firmly within the woo camp. My mother suffers from MS.

My mother especially has enjoyed the game and they both quite frequently talk about it. I've never bothered with it but it does appear to be clever and entertaining which is all that is necessary for any game. In addition it teaches meditative relaxation techniques with biofeedback provided by the sensors. As far as the metaphysical side of it goes, personally I see little difference between that and games which hurl fireballs at dragons or swing lightsabers.

If the relaxation techniques help my mom, and she thinks they do, then I'm all for it and consider the money well spent. I admit I cringed when I was reading the crazy sales pitches on their website, but I do accept that biofeedback can be used to assist relaxation by making a person aware of physiological conditions they might not normally recognize.

The price is a steep hit, but the game does come with a specialized gizmo which collects the biofeedback information from sensors placed on three fingers. This device does indeed work exactly as it is described. It's quite nifty actually.

When my mom said she'd first finished the game (she's been through it completely about three times now) I asked if she has achieved total enlightenment.
 
jmercer said:
And what was her answer?
Click to expand...

Well it was a joke and that's how she took it. Personally I think she has a long way to go to reach real enlightenment. We were talking about it over the weekend, she seems to think Sylvia Brown is a fraud but John Edwards is real. <shrug></shrug>
 
I can think of 'woo' elements in computer games

Children of the Nile
Rome - Total War

Require the building of temples, to improve certain stats to do with the virtual population under your command.

You can possibly get by without building such temples, but the game will be tougher as a result.

Kinda like real life really. Ignore the religionists and they say to the back of your head "we'll pray for you" - i then turn back to them and say "save it for someone that believes in the power of prayer, i'm an athiest" - "we'll pray for you" etc etc
 
AngrySteve said:
I can think of 'woo' elements in computer games

Children of the Nile
Rome - Total War

Require the building of temples, to improve certain stats to do with the virtual population under your command.

You can possibly get by without building such temples, but the game will be tougher as a result.

Kinda like real life really. Ignore the religionists and they say to the back of your head "we'll pray for you" - i then turn back to them and say "save it for someone that believes in the power of prayer, i'm an athiest" - "we'll pray for you" etc etc
Click to expand...

In a historical context the idea is over-simplified but valid. Quite often temples provided specialized services (such as people who could read, write and count) as well as formed a bureaucracy that directly supported government functions (tax collection, food distribution and so on). So the building of a temple might be expected to have an impact on the surrounding community.

I think it's a bit far-fetched to be limited to a single temple type in RTW. The Romans were typically very tolerant of foreign religions and a variety of temples and shrines could be found in any Roman town. I still love the game although it has quite a few quirks that aren't as realistic as I like. Somehow the idea of being able to attack a besieging army by shooting them down with archers on your walls isn't quite right. The stupid AI just runs the army up into arrow range, lets you gun down as many as you can and then they run away.
 
Local Colorado Public Radio station that runs daily hour long interview programs of local interest (Boulder, Colorado, where the company is located) ran a program on Wild Divine last week. One of the creators was interviewed. He emphasized the biofeedback, relaxation, and control over one's own body aspects of the game. Although he mentioned that people could read their own beliefs into the game as to what was happening with their bodies, whether it be chi, chakras, energy, whatever (Boulder is after all a haven of Newage philosophy) my impression was not that he himself was ascribing anything paranormal or supernatural into it.

Their marketing department, on the other hand, may be taking a different tack.

- Timothy
 
Dan - it sounds like it could be of benefit

to people who need to learn relaxation. That's quite a neat departure for a computer game! I'm glad they have not ascribed any specific religious significance to it as that would ruin it IMO...

Do you think that the little sensor things actually just work by monitoring your pulse - or is it something more sophisticated?

I'm still quite curious about the game - think I'll see if there's a downloadable demo - even though you wouldn't have the sensors it would give me a feeling as to whether it was just too hippy-dippy for my comfort zone!

My best to your mum... I visit with MS patients occasionally with my PAT dog, Mack at the local respite home. I can see why breathing and relaxation techniques would be of benefit.

DeVega
 
Re: Dan - it sounds like it could be of benefit

DeVega said:
to people who need to learn relaxation. That's quite a neat departure for a computer game! I'm glad they have not ascribed any specific religious significance to it as that would ruin it IMO...

Do you think that the little sensor things actually just work by monitoring your pulse - or is it something more sophisticated?

I'm still quite curious about the game - think I'll see if there's a downloadable demo - even though you wouldn't have the sensors it would give me a feeling as to whether it was just too hippy-dippy for my comfort zone!

My best to your mum... I visit with MS patients occasionally with my PAT dog, Mack at the local respite home. I can see why breathing and relaxation techniques would be of benefit.

DeVega
Click to expand...

I believe the sensors measure pulse and basal skin response (sweat activity or skin conductivity). It appears to be fairly responsive to changes in breathing and the game responds well to correct sensor input. There is an option that turns on a graph of the input values. Again, I haven't played with it personally but the game seems to be designed in such a manner that the actual technique being performed is well monitored by the sensors. There are sections that deal with breath control as well as various forms of "energy visualization".

From what I've seen the game is presented in semi-mystical manner that will appeal more to a generic new age type audience than it would to us realists or to someone firmly entrenched in a particular flavor of woo. The game comes with a relaxation music CD as well as some CD from snake oil salesman extrordinaire Deepak Chopra. The game is filled with as much mystical symbolism as they can fit on the screen and it's quite pretty in a sort of Myst way with 5 year old graphic capabilities. Half Life 2 it's not.

Thanks for your kind words about my Mom. It's a bit of a struggle dealing with her condition and her deeply held beliefs at times although I think I finally got something across to her. We wound up talking about homeopathy and she just couldn't imagine how anyone could fall for it. I pointed out that the same reason she has for not believing in homeopathy are the same reasons people don't believe in her pet theories. Maybe she got a little enlightened after all.
 
Not exactly a game as such, but surely everyone who was around when Home Computers were first taking off had a "biorhythms" programme?

I recall early TV shows, extolling the virtues of the BBC Micro and Vic 20, used biorhythms as examples of good home entertainment applications. I remember watching the lines creep their way across the screen, wondering if I'd die when all 3 lines crossed!
 
Oddly enough I find Grand Theft Auto: Vice City very relaxing and therapeutic.

Although the things I tend to be doing seem unlikely to lead me to ultimate enlightenment.

And I tend to find it's for the best if I don't walk down the street carrying a baseball bat for a few days afterwards...
 
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