New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

June 10, 2009 -

Still haven't figured out who "borrowed" your copy of Twilight Princess?

Soon your Wii may help you narrow down the list of suspects.

Australia's Herald-Sun reports that the Wii Vitality Sensor announced by Nintendo last week at E3 measures some of the same body responses as the polygraph. In particular, the sensor attaches to a user's finger to measure pulse and skin conductance. The newspaper reports:

Skin conductance response is a measurement of fluctuations in the electrical conductivity of skin -- also known as electrodermal response and galvanic skin response.

These fluctuations in conductivity correlate with changes in emotions, such as experiencing fear, anger and desire. That's why polygraphs - generally called lie detectors - measure skin conductivity changes along with other bodily responses including pulse and blood pressure.

Nintendo hinted at potential Wii lie detecting fun at E3, the Herald-Sun notes:

Games using the Wii Vitality Sensor have not been announced yet, but Nintendo said the Vitality Sensor would "provide information to the users about the body's inner world"...

You can imagine games along "truth or dare" lines being developed for fun at home on a Nintendo Wii fitted with a Wii Vitality Sensor. The Wii could use the sensor to assess whether or not the player was telling the truth.

GP: Turning truth detection into a parlor game? I'm not sure whether that's a positive commentary on the capabilities of the new Wii peripheral or a slam on the reliability of the polygraph.


Comments

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

Think we could fool you-know-who into using this?


Sortableturnip's Law: As an online discussion of video game violence grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Jack Thompson approaches 1

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

"You were asked if you borrowed Twilight Princess for the Nintendo Wii from a friend, you said no & the lie detector determined, that was a lie more then 10 times."

All the numerous stuff you can do with the evolution of technology these days.

What we got here is failure to communicate!

What we got here is failure to communicate!

Lie detector? Eh.

There's a reason actual lie detector results aren't admissable in court: They're WAY too easy to fool.

 There are some things they could do with this, though. For example:Anyone remember a game show called "The Chair"? The idea was, you kept your heart rate under a specific level while you answered questions. If it went above, you lost a certain amount of money every second it stayed above. Lose all your money, game over. I could some company throwing something like that on the Wii. As long as they don't get the actual host to do voiceover work. (John McEnroe. No, I'm not kidding. Apparently Bjorn Borg wanted too much money.)

 I'm Charlie Owens, good night, and good luck.

I'm Charlie Owens, good night, and good luck.

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

Lie detectors are more failable than people. 0-o

Or abotu as accurate as zippy and spelling >>

 


I am a criminal because I purchase media,I am a criminal because I use media, I am a criminal because I chose to own media..We shall remain criminals until Corporate stay's outside our bedrooms..


http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com


Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.

---

http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

Clearly, this is Nintendo's ingenious method of cutting back on piracy. Before inserting the game disc, it will ask you how you obtained it ;)

GameSnooper

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

Tyrell: Is this to be an empathy test? Capillary dilation of the so-called blush response? Fluctuation of the pupil. Involuntary dilation of the iris...
Deckard: We call it Voight-Kampff for short.

 

Sorry, I could't resist. :p

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

It's a Wii E-meter.
---
I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.


---
I'm not under the affluence of incohol as some thinkle peep I am. I'm not half as thunk as you might drink. I fool so feelish I don't know who is me, and the drunker I stand here, the longer I get.

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

"Turning truth detection into a parlor game?"

Some would argue "truth detection" has always been a parlor game.

If Nintendo does decide to write a "truth or dare" type of game around this thing, I hope they make it clear the device is not actually an effective means of detecting lies. Not that they'd ever do that , as it would take all the "fun" out of the silly gimmick.

I only worry that taking lie detectors seriously when responding to personal questions, even in the context of a game, could cause real trouble in people's relationships.

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

What are we talking about here? People taking games seriously? Haven't we beaten this one to death a million times? On a daily basis? Should someone blurt out the classic "It's just a game" argument?

Yes, I know, there are morons out there who WILL take it seriously, but we deal with these people all the time. Relax.

I don't know about the vitality sensor yet. Obviously, it would have pratical applications in programs like Wii Fit, but beyond that, I'm not sure about all the "get-you-in-the-game" features they bragged about at E3. Although, some lie-detection game would be kinda cool; see if you can control your bodily response. I've always wanted to take a few lie-detector tests to see if I could beat it.

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

I'm sure they would.  Just look at all the other disclaimers games are saddled with:  The Wii and DS both display the videogame health warning every time you power them on.  Every time you load up a Wii game you get the remote safety screen.  Even the "Trauma Center" games include a disclaimer warning you against attempting any real-life surgical procedures.

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

The problem is, noone really pays attention to any warnings on these games because they're so ubiquitous now.

I can only imagine that there will be a fair number of people who take this thing's 'lie detection' seriously.

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

I was thinking the wii vitality would be better suit for a Fear Effect liek game, but a lie detector game works too i guess.

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

It did look an awful lot like part of of a lie detector.

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

It is actually a commonly used medical device for measuring pulse. For each of my 3 kids, my wife had one attach to her finger during labor.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma

Re: New Peripheral Could Turn Your Wii Into a Lie Detector

Doset thou love me?

No

But thou lies!

 
Forgot your password?
Username :
Password :

Shout box

You're not permitted to post shouts.
TechnogeekIf the developer were male there wouldn't have been a "conversation" in the first place.10/19/2014 - 2:27am
Montetrolls are just at their absolute worst when it comes to women and feminist. You could bet good money that if the developer were male the trolls would be silent and the conversation would actually focus on the journalism.10/18/2014 - 9:18pm
MontePapa: Not the first time we've had a journalism scandals before, but the harassment never got close to this level; the difference with this scandal is that feminists are involved. Without the feminist angle, their would be A LOT less harrassment10/18/2014 - 9:15pm
Papa MidnightMonte: That's honestly rather short-sighted. As has been proven with other persons who have been targeted, if it wasn't Quinn, it would be someone else.10/18/2014 - 6:26pm
AvalongodI think that's part of what gives an esoteric news story like this real life...it taps into a larger narrative about misogyny in society outside of games.10/18/2014 - 3:29pm
Avalongod@Monte, well the trolls made death threats that came to police (and media attention). I think this is tapping into a larger issue outside of games about how women are treated in society (like all the "real rape" stuff during the last election)10/18/2014 - 3:28pm
WonderkarpZippy : Havent tried the PS4 controller. might later.10/18/2014 - 2:37pm
MonteSeirously, If Quinn was not involved and GG was instead about something like the Mordor Marketing contracts, the trolling would have never grown so vile and disgusting. There have been plenty of movements in the past that never sufferred from behavior..10/18/2014 - 1:57pm
MonteWe have seen scandel's before but the trolling has never been as vile as what we see with GG. Trolls usually have such a tiny voice you can barely notice them, but its like moths to a flame whenever femistist are involved.10/18/2014 - 1:53pm
ZippyDSMleeWonderkarp: You might be able to if you had a PS4 controller.10/18/2014 - 1:00pm
MaskedPixelantehttp://store.steampowered.com/app/327940/ Night Dive starts charging for freeware.10/18/2014 - 12:21pm
Matthew Wilsonthe sad thing is there are trolls on both sides of this. people need to stop acting like their side is so pure.10/18/2014 - 12:19pm
MechaTama31So, only speak out on a scandal that hasn't attracted trolls? I wouldn't hold my breath...10/18/2014 - 10:49am
MonteI feel like GG just needs to die. The movement is FAR to tainted by hatred and BS for it to be useful for any conversation. Let GG die, and then rally behind the NEXT gaming journalism scandal, and start the conversation fresh.10/18/2014 - 10:33am
quiknkoldand we dont have a Dovakin to call a cease fire10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
quiknkoldThe whole thing is Futile. Both sides are so buried deep in their trenchs that there isnt a conversation. Its just Finger Pointing, Name Calling, Doxxing, Threats. there needs to be a serious conversation, and GG isnt it.10/17/2014 - 7:37pm
quiknkoldI thought it was a good article. Jeff is right. I feel like GamerGate did destroy its message. I am for Ethics in game journalism, but man. so much hate. and its on both sides. I've seen some awful stuff spewed on twitter. Its a big reason why I exited..10/17/2014 - 7:34pm
Matthew Wilsonwhile he focused on gg, he did call out both sides crap.10/17/2014 - 7:18pm
Papa MidnightThat was a damn good read offered by Jeff Gertsmann.10/17/2014 - 7:17pm
Matthew Wilsonhttp://www.giantbomb.com/articles/letter-from-the-editor-10-17-2014/1100-5049/ deferentially a nice write up.10/17/2014 - 6:44pm
 

Be Heard - Contact Your Politician