Recanted: Neurological Game Control Finally a Commercial Reality

Even though I was very excited to read about it earlier, I'm recanting my desires for an OCZ NIA input device.



I am doing so because I am skeptical of it's usefulness. Lets consider the three input types provided by this product.

- Jaw Tension
The NIA takes an analog measurement of your jaw muscles, and maps this to multiple input triggers. One example review mapped 'slightly clenched' to run forward, and 'very clenched' to run forward while jumping. Another review commented that by using brain-to-jaw communication instead of the brain-to-finger communication, you shave about 100ms from your response time.

But that means you cannot speak, yawn, or eat while using the device. And that, my friend, is insane.

- Eye movement
The NIA takes an analog measurement of your lateral eye movement, and maps this to multiple input triggers. One example review mapped the left and right edges of the screen to 'sidestep left' and 'sidestep right'.

But that means that you must keep your head pointed straight at the monitor, and it means that you stop looking at the screen when you want to give input to the stupid thing. Or, that if you look too hard at an edge of your screen, you accidentally give input to the stupid thing. And that, my friend, is insane.

Even the most exciting potential for this thing - using your eye movement as a replacement for the mouse - is impossible because it only tracks horizontal movement, not vertical movement.

- Brainwaves
The NIA takes constant measurements of your alpha and beta brainwaves, and maps their intensity and frequency to six different input triggers. For instance, elevated alpha levels are associated with spikes of aggression. An example review commented that they were able to make their character jump by thinking profanity.

Besides the whole stream-of-mental-profanity madness, doesn't that mean (and I'm the least educated about this aspect) that you have to stop emotionally responding to your game? If spikes of aggression trigger one behavior, and spikes of elation trigger another behavior, what are you going to do to stop triggering this behavior from normal gameplay? Stop caring about what's happening?

Also, those calculations are reportedly done in software, reported to consume 10% - 15% of your processor time. I was using that processor time, thank you very much.

Add to this that almost every review I found reviewed this aspect the least, commenting that 'we couldn't train ourselves to use it quick enough to give a fair review', and it makes me very, very skeptical that it will be useful.


- Final Thoughts
So, what you really do with the OCZ NIA is give up $150, the uncaring use of your jaw, the uncaring use of your eyes, and the uncaring use of your brain, and gain about 100ms of reflexes. I'm a gamer, but I'm not that hardcore.

If I was paralyzed, I'd think this was great. As someone with full use of their limbs, I'll pass.