Neural Impulse game controllers have been around for almost a year. Beginning with OCZ Technology Neural Impulse Actuator. With that supposedly you can control a game with your brain, not your hands. After seven months they had a sixty – four bit driver ready, and following several patches. I wouldn’t expect a device that attempts to interpret freaky brain signals to run smoothly. There has to be some experimentation in an ongoing basis with a new tool as complex as a brain wave controller could be – someday. According to Wikipedia “the Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA) is a device developed by the OCZ Technology Group and was one of the first commercially available products of its kind. It uses biopotentials from the forehead to interface with a computer. In general, the device falls into the technical category of neural interface (NI) or Brain-computer interface (BCI). However, the name Neural Impulse Actuator implies that the signals originate from some neuronal activity but what is actually captured is a mixture of muscle, skin and nerve activity including sympathetic and parasympathetic components that have to be summarized as biopotentials rather than pure neural signals. “

TOKYO (BUSINESS WIRE) NeuroSky, Inc., the leading manufacturer of “wearable” consumer bio-sensors, announced today the unveiling of a brainwave-controlled video game at the Tokyo Game Show 2008 in Makuhari, Japan, on October 9 and 10. This exciting and entertaining demonstration is based on a new game concept being jointly developed with Square Enix Co., Ltd. (Square Enix).

The technical demonstration developed with Square Enix operates in conjunction with Windows PC machines and features the NeuroSky commercial headset, MindSet™. The recently introduced MindSet is capable of interfacing to a variety of gaming platforms, including PC, console and mobile. It resembles a pair of headphones, with a single electrode contacting the user’s forehead while reading the player’s brainwave information, or EEG data. The headset registers the current state of relaxation or concentration of players, allowing them to perform a variety of actions within the game.

“At Square Enix, we are actively involved in developing a variety of gaming interfaces. I am thrilled to have this opportunity to work with NeuroSky, and apply their advanced sensor technology in this brain-wave controlled game demonstration,” commented Ryutaro Ichimura, Producer at Square Enix. “Although the main purpose of the demo is to test the results of our short development period, I hope it also unlocks new potentials in gaming.”