Physio2Games

Definitions

Physiological signals are conventionally used on game user research not only to passively record user’s body responses but also as a way to create real-time adaptations that can enhance the overall game experience. This adaptation strategy uses a biofeedback mechanism called Biocybernetic Loop, which utilizes personal physiological data to infer users’ states (e.g. stress, excitement) and react accordingly.

Current issues in Biocybernetic Adaptation

Although this sophisticated technology has shown very promising results in assisting players to either improve the game challenge or avoid frustrations, there are still several limitations regarding the integration of physiological sensors, the signal processing, and psychophysiological inference as well as the communication between the system and the games.

Our Proposal

To address such issues, the Biocybernetic Loop Engine (BL Engine) proposes an integrated physiological computing architecture that serves as a unifying tool in the collection, analysis, translation pipeline of adding physiological intelligence to games. In this tutorial, we will expose successful use cases of physiologically adaptive games that have been developed and carefully evaluated. We further proposed a hands-on activity in where assistants will be guided through the cumbersome process of adding biocybernetic adaptation to customizable games. The tutorial ends with a provocative discussion about the most promising scenarios in where the use of physiologically augmented games can enhance the quality of gameplay and players’ wellbeing.