
The biofeedback games made to improve our well-being
This article is part of a collaboration with iQ by Intel. When Space Invaders dropped into Japanese arcades, the alien shooting gallery was such a phenomenon that the 100 yen piece, the equivalent of an American quarter, became a rarity. The games action was straightforward and exacting, and the narrative spoke to everyone’s inner xenophobe. Ultimately, however, it was the stellar soundtrack a simple pulsing heartbeat that accelerated with each passing minute that made each playthrough a thrill. Videogames have always had the ability to affect a player’s biorhythms but now games are being created to pull those physiological reactions into…