This post is produced by Zack Lynch, founder of NeuroGaming Conference.
Always an excellent example of Moore’s Law at work, new gaming platforms, segments, and technologies are being introduced and adopted faster than ever before – sometimes more rapidly than we can grasp their full potential.
If there is anything we can take away from the acquisition of Oculus VR by Facebook, it’s that it’s easier than ever for new gaming technologies to emerge, gain rapid development traction, and be shotgunned into the mass market much faster than anyone expects. With virtual reality an important part of the neurogaming ecosystem, this acquisition and other new products on the horizon make for some exciting times ahead.
Neurogaming is where the mind and body meet game-play. It’s where your full nervous system is integrated into the gaming experience by using new sensor technologies, output systems, and game design techniques.
For years, science-fiction books and films have romanced us with the promise of such technologies, but now they are beginning to emerge every few months, and the reality is so much more exciting than fiction.
Today neurogame developers are creating next generation immersive experiences by integrating gesture control, virtual reality, neurosensing, and haptics to engulf players in other-worldly dimensions. While some are going deep, others are going wide; exploring new ways that motion control, augmented reality, neurosensing, and eye tracking can be combined to create deeply personal experiences in the real world.
To explore the cutting edge of neurogaming, we’ve brought together 50 executives, game designers and investors who will be speaking about best practices, showcasing new products and ideas, and networking with attendees to help accelerate this cutting edge gaming sector.
Following on the success of last year’s sold-out inaugural gathering, the NeuroGaming Conference and Expo will be held May 7-8 at a much bigger venue, City View at Metreon in San Francisco, to accommodate demand.
This year’s conference will further explore the latest technology and delve into trends and topics such as the future of VR and what it means for games and social interaction; how and why to incorporate human emotions into game play; and how to accelerate learning and brain fitness through neurogaming. Attendees will get hands-on time with several recently crowdfunded projects, while panelists will explore investing opportunities and the commoditization of neurogaming.
Leading experts from across neurogaming will be sharing their insights including: Palmer Luckey, founder of Oculus VR; Ed Fries, co-creator of the Xbox; Stanley Yang, CEO and founder of NeuroSky; Robin Hunicke, founder of Funomena; Mike Ambinder of Valve; Tan Le, CEO and founder of Emotiv; Tim Chang, managing director of Mayfield Fund; and GamesBeat lead writer Dean Takahashi.
Many of the enabling technology companies will have their products on display in the expo to play with, including: Emotiv, ViviTouch, Advanced Brain Monitoring, NeuroSky, Mindo, CastAR, NeuroSky, Throw Trucks with Your Mind, Intific, Leap Motion, Faceshift, DAQRI, Blue Marble Brain Company, MindLight, Briim, Ontario Brain Institute, NeuroElectrics, NeuroDisco, The Ascent, OpenBCI, NeuroGaming, Melon, Interaxon, and others.
This year a neurogaming hackathon will precede the conference (free for all interested developers) to foster experimentation with using the latest neurogaming technologies, with over $50,000 in prizes to help stimulate ideas, creativity, and awesome teamwork.
We are at the dawn of the neurogaming age, on the cusp of making the impossible possible for entertainment, health, education, and more. Come play a role in the revolution and see what’s on the neurogaming frontier.
Zack Lynch is the founder of the NeuroGaming Conference and Expo and is author of the book, The Neuro Revolution: How Brain Science is Changing Our World. He is also the founder of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization, and cofounder of NeuroInsights. You can follow him @neurorev.
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