Icelandic developer Mind Games has released an iOS video game which players control using their brainwaves.
It is a zombie-themed game called 28 Spoons Later – but the developers claim a serious purpose. They say it will help psychologists and psychiatrists treat children who suffer from attention span problems.
The aim is to stay alive as long as possibly by using your mental focus, to bend the zombie’s spoon – Uri Geller style.
Brainwaves are detected by using the PLX XWave headset, which is powered by NeuroSky’s technology.
Brainwave powered games have been on the horizon for a while, and MindGames claims it was the first company in the world to sell an iOS application powered by user’s brainwaves in the form of Tug of Mind, which allowed players to upload a photo of someone they knew in order to turn them into an angry 3D opponent that must be defeated by keeping cool.
The company’s founders include artificial intelligence and neurophysiology experts, who claim that the game could help the estimated 5.2 million children in the US who meet the criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
CEO Deepa Iyengar said that the training game would help players learn vital skills and children would be more productive and
“28 Spoons Later is a mind training game, which helps you to train in the important mental habit of focus while having fun,” commented Iyengar. “This game is a first step toward our development of clinically effective mind training games. Such games could be used by psychologists and psychiatrists in medical centres to train people who have problems with attention.”
The game is currently available on the App Store as a universal app for both iPhone and iPad for £2.99, but the PLX XWave headset is significantly more expensive, costing $99.99 (£65).
Given that smartphones and tablets have been blamed for a decline in sales of video games, releasing 28 Spoons Later on iOS should appeal to a wider audience, but while medical professionals may see the benefits, casual users are unlikely to be enticed by something which requires an expensive peripheral at a time when sales continue to struggle.
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Only 5.2 children in the whole of the US with ADHD? ;)
Looks fascinating though. I wonder how long until we start seeing significant numbers of mind-games, iOS or otherwise.
Thanks @Martin. :-)
There used to be 6 children with ADHD, but one of them has been 80 percent eaten by zombies....
Seriously I have added the missing "million".
The "million" is still missing after a cache dump and refresh :)
Seriously, though, we at MindGames really appreciate your interest in our company and our new game. Thank you for writing about us.
I want to make clear that 28 Spoons Later and our other releases so far have not yet been evaluated for effectiveness in clinical conditions, although we are working on it. Also, we don't see it as an unconditional alternative to medication, certainly not in all cases. In some cases it may well be a complementary therapy along with medication.
Best regards,
Deepa Iyengar
CEO MindGAmes Ltd.
Dear Steve,
Thank you for covering MindGames and our new release. We really appreciate it!
I wanted to make clear that our games have not yet been evaluated for their effectiveness in clinical conditions, although we are working in that direction. Also, we don't see the games as unconditional replacements for medicine in all cases. The games may well often serve as complementary treatment along with medication, for example.
Best regards,
Deepa Iyengar, CEO MindGames Ltd.
Terrific idea!! Children in the U.S. these days are regularly being medicated for attention deficit, but many might not really have a medical problem. Rather they might just need to train their limbic system to focus. Games such as these will prove very valuable for the mental and physical health of children. Particularly significant is that the game can be played while on the move in the back seat of the car!