INDIVIDUAL PAPER
HEART-RATE VIDEO GAME
OSKAR OTOYA
CONTENTS
Main Focus…..………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...3-4
Objective Tree……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6
Work Cited………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...................7
“No other sector has experienced the same explosive growth as the computer and video
game industry. Our creative publishers and talented workforce continue to accelerate
advancement and pioneer new products that push boundaries and unlock entertainment
experiences. These innovations in turn drive enhanced player connectivity, fuel demand
for products, and encourage the progression of an expanding and diversified consumer
base”-Michael D. Gallagher, president and CEO, Entertainment Software Association
(theesa.com)
There have been numerous video games developed through the decade. This is not that
surprising considering 67% of US households play video games, with the average gamer
spending eight hours a week playing video games (esrb.org). The effects of video games have
gone from educational purposes to that of pure entertainment and continue to make strides
towards both. Designing on Computer Keyboards, or DOCK, plans to change the entertainment
industry in a positive way with a revolutionary video game idea. DOCK’s video game will reform
horror games and be unlike any we have seen to date. This one of a kind game will include
numerous maze-like levels, first player interactions, puzzle solving, logic games and that well
sought after “scare” factor.
DOCK’s main focus is to create an entertaining first person game through the use of
heart-rate monitoring to adjust the gameplay based on its feedback. With that in mind the rest
of the project can be edited to meet this specific requirement. Most games take a year or
longer with a large development crew to complete. The group is focusing on time and
development constraints to construct a successful game that doesn’t compromise its
entertainment and professional aspects. The group faces a development constraint, in the
sense that while most management teams are seasoned veterans in software engineering, they
lack knowledge in business and creating a successful video game. Most industry based video
games have group members with a large spectrum of abilities ranging from: marketing,
business, development/coding and management. DOCK lacks most of these. The time
constraint is the condensed time limit to complete this large scale project. Most development
teams consist of multiple developers who specialize in small parts of the desired video game.
DOCK does not consist of a large development team making the main focus for the group:
heavy organization and early deadlines to try and avoid time issues. As for the development
draw backs the group will be attending a few seminars and taking personal time to understand
the software used in the creation and making sure they are adept in the software languages.
The idea originated from the video game, pac-man. The project involved creating a first
person maze where the user would have to navigate through while avoiding obstacles and
enemies, just like in the pac-man video game. While the group was brainstorming maze ideas, a
horror theme was introduced. The group really enjoyed the first person horror game idea, but
previous games of its kind had been created. So the group needed something different that
would make people want to play it.
And that is when the group came up with a time sensitive, horror video game that
would change its intensity based on the person’s bio-feedback. While the gaming industry has
seen games that directly involve physical movements, there have not been any on the market
that involve bio-feedback. Bio-feedback is data returned based on a biological response such as
a heart-rate, breathing, blood, etc. The game will use bio-feedback to get the heart-rate of the
user and modify the game during the actual game play.
The horror video game’s theme is much like the SAW movies but less gruesome. The
SAW movies’ mastermind captures people he believes to be criminals or people of interest and
places them in a maze where each person has to solve a puzzle. The puzzles are timed and are
usually not defeated without losing multiple body parts and or dying. DOCK’s video game uses
the kidnapping idea with a limited time to escape. We want the users to really have to focus
and think about the solution while still keeping track of the time. With the following quote in
mind “The worst thing a kid can say about homework is that it is too hard. The worst thing a kid
can say about a video game is that it is too easy.” The development team focus was making
sure the puzzle really challenges the player. The group’s philosophy is: ‘there is no puzzle too
hard to crack’ and that is what the group wants the player to feel.
Brilliant things come from incorporating multiple ideas, which is what was done. The
group didn’t just stop at focusing on replicating a single movie with a few changes. Instead data
and inferences from previous games that deal with suspense/horror were collected with the
hopes of designing a game that the public will actually want to play. DOCK is hoping to add a
twisted surprise ending to trick the user and create that “wow” factor.
The main objectives of the project are:
Our mission is to develop a
modular open source platform
used for the sole purpose of
entertainment.
Cost Objective
Design
Operational
Objectives
Robust
Easy assembly
and disassembly
Lower cost than
previous
generations
Minimum
hardware
with large
views
Profession
appearance
Perform on a
variety of
operating system
Modular
Entertainment fundamentally is the action of providing or being provided with
amusement or enjoyment. The objective tree found on the previous page is a small tree that
really captures the essence of what the group hopes to accomplish. And that is to create a cost
effective video game that is robust, in the sense of software, with the capabilities for easy
download and installation.
The focus of the project should be on who the stakeholders are and their goals. The
main stakeholders are: The provost, you the teacher, and the audience, the users. The provost
would be our instructor because he controls and monitors progress. While he isn’t an active
member in the group there are some requirements that must be met before approval for the
projects validity can be granted. The audience is a major stakeholder without the audience this
project would be obsolete. Some of the greatest minds of our time came up with the statement
“the customer is always right even when they are wrong” and the group lives by that through
developing based on the user’s desires.
Overall the hope is to change the gaming industry in a positive way. The user should get
a thrill out of playing the game but also be able to feel like they used all cognitive abilities to
complete the levels. The implementation of the heart-rate monitor into the game modifies the
game play based on the heart readings making this game unique. The developing team hopes
to be the pioneers behind bringing bio-feedback to the industry.
WORK CITIED
Author Unknown. 2010. http://www.esrb.org/about/video-game-industry-statistics.jsp
ESA. 2013. http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2013.pdf
SAW. 2004-2010 . http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002593/?ref_=tt_cl_t1
Pac-Man. 1998. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man