The Rise and Struggles of Neurogaming

Author: Clay Strader

Two things have stayed consistent within the gaming industry since its inception: Growth in popularity and continuous improvement in realism. Over the past half-century, video games have improved alongside the growth of technology, leading to better graphics in video games, more powerful dedicated gaming consoles, and greater functionality for the player. After the tech bubble popped in the early 2000s, video games reached a new status with the introduction of motion and depth sensing from devices such as the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Kinect. This was the first time the gaming community could play without a controller and experience motion tracking from the comfort of their homes. This era of games revolutionized the definition of gaming as newer technology fades the line between simulation and reality. One decade after the Wii, the industry surpassed another major milestone with the Oculus Rift VR Headset, which allowed consumers to be transported into their games. As the forefather of virtual reality, Oculus began the trend and expansion into improving virtual technology. Companies such as HTC Vive and Valve were major key influencers in this sub-category industry of gaming, with significant investments and buy-outs for research and development coming from corporations such as Microsoft, Google, Meta/Facebook, and Apple. All this funding for virtual reality has allowed technology to improve significantly quickly. However, this has not translated for the rest of the niche technologies still emerging in the world of gaming. One sub-field of gaming that has particularly struggled with consistent and strong growth throughout its development is the field of neurogaming.

What Is Neurogaming?

Neurogaming is the field that blends together the works of neuroscience, technology, and gaming into one. Compared to motion sensors and virtual reality, neurogaming is a much newer frontier for technology and gaming, with its journey beginning “in the early 2000s with the advent of brain-computer interfaces (BCIs)” (Pedersen). While the origins of neurogaming technically started in the 1970s with games controlled by “simple biofeedback devices to measure physiological signals like heart rate and skin conductance” (Pedersen), significant advancements were only possible with BCI technology improving and becoming more accessible to the commercial audience.

With only two decades of research and development, neurogaming is still in its infancy. As a result, the term neurogaming has been commonly mislabeled by both individuals and academics as a broad term for encompassing all gaming technologies that involve inputs and outputs that directly relate to the body rather than the mind. This has led many to misrepresent virtual reality, motion sensing, and other biometrics as categories of neurogaming instead of counterparts in the same industry.

The basis of neurogaming is using BCIs, such as Electroencephalogram (EEG) headsets, to read brainwaves as inputs for in-game changes. Signal processing converts raw brainwave data into specific in-game actions by using advanced algorithms to “analyze the data to identify patterns associated with different mental states or intentions” (Pedersen). “For example, if a person thinks about moving their right hand, certain patterns of brain activity will be detected and translated into a command that triggers the corresponding action in the external device” (Society).

Like its industry counterparts, neurogaming has unique benefits that make it valuable both in gaming and other industries. Current technological limitations in neurogaming have led to more innovative advancements in other industries like healthcare rather than traditional gaming for entertainment. Some examples of healthcare merging with neurogaming are NeuroRacer: A multitasking racing game by UCSF to improve the cognitive function in elderly people (Ingraham), Lumosity: An online brain fitness platform to “battle memory loss, boost attention, and treat emotional disorders” (Frank), and InterAxon: A meditation assistance app that creates neuro-games to treat PTSD and ADHD (Frank). Other industries that attended the conference were the defense industry under DARPA, which used EEG monitoring to “increase sniper marksmanship performance by a factor of 2” (Frank), and the education industry with Qneuro, who created Axon Infinity: An alien fighting game that teaches math skills (Ingraham).

The Ups and Downs for Neurogaming

As we can see, neurogaming has already made impactful changes in numerous industries by solving unique problems. That said, the field of neurogaming currently faces many challenges it must surpass if it wants to expand beyond specific medical and efficiency improvement applications. The two major hurdles facing the neurogaming field are fear caused by uncertainty with neuroscience technology and funding. The study of neuroscience has traces starting from the ancient Egyptians. Still, significant advancements in the field were only made in the last century, during the 1920’s when we began measuring EEG signals. As the field reached a revolutionary development, the study of neuroscience began uncovering the mysteries of brainwaves and different cognitive states. New discoveries and techniques from the exponential growth of technology rebirthed the idea of neuroscience and created a different understanding for both society and the world of science.

Like other new-age technologies, BCIs and other body sensors have fallen under scrutiny for concerns of privacy, body autonomy, ethical security, and overall uncertainty as the technology is still being explored. All change has the trend to stir conspiracies about possible negative impacts of change, particularly when there is new technology. This has led to slow growth in neurogaming as there are fewer people willing to participate in research and fewer investors willing to fund what they consider risky ventures. At the 2013 Neurogaming Convention and Expo, former general manager of GameStop, Chris Petrovic, is quoted saying that “companies avoid calling themselves “Neurogaming” companies because they might just wind up scaring consumers, who may not want games messing with their brains” (Takahashi). Petrovic continues by saying, “Keep consumers in mind. Don’t call this the next great Neurogaming device because it won’t sell.” (Takahashi). A key aspect that is holding neurogaming back is that the idea of neurogaming is not attractive to consumers, or at least not the average consumer. Neurogaming appeals to a niche segment of the gaming community, which makes it inherently risky to investors. The gaming market has a “lack of investors who are comfortable making game investments. Gaming falls “between the cracks” of information technology and healthcare investments, and many investors won’t even listen to game pitches because they can’t judge them well” (Takahashi). The time since the 2013 conference has proven growth for neurogaming to be an uphill battle. Major gaming titans like Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and Valve have yet to make any new innovation shifts towards neurogaming funding or development. Without either significant or creative advancements occurring, large-scale gaming sponsors will not invest into neurogaming. “Any startup will have to find partners with deep pockets, and to do that, it will have to have technology that works flawlessly” (Takahashi). If significant advancements don’t develop, the entire neurogaming industry will continue at its slow pace or begin descending to a halt.

While the future of neurogaming appears to be bleak, there are slivers of hope coming from start-ups and individual developers. Out of South Korea, LooxidLabs develops external hardware BCI adapters for the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and Quest Headsets. Attached to the top of the headset, LUCY is an all-in-one EEG adapter that plugs directly into the virtual reality headset. Once powered, the adapter can be programmed so certain brainwaves perform particular actions, such as moving forward or backward or grabbing an item in the game. LooxidLabs is still in the developmental stage but has created a unique solution to combining virtual reality with EEG, opening up an entirely new gaming experience. From an independent developer, PerriKaryal is a Twitch streamer from the United Kingdom. With the purchase of an Emotiv headset, a commercial consumer-grade BCI, Perri created and trained an algorithm to read specific EEG signals that could be translated into a command function for video games. Some popular titles she has successfully reprogrammed to control with her mind are Minecraft, Dark Souls, CSGO, and Trackmania, to name a few. Her work has shown impressive progress from an individual level but incredible potential when looking at an investment standpoint. She has demonstrated the very real possibility of casting spells, driving cars, and mining diamonds, all with the use of her mind (Great Big Story).

Conclusion

Neurogaming has defined itself as a unique field in the world of gaming. If the technology improves and becomes more accessible and reliable for the consumer audience, it will grow greatly over the coming years.

References

1. Frank, Aaron. “The Future of Gaming - It May Be All in Your Head.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 June 2013, www.forbes.com/sites/singularity/2013/06/03/the-future-of-gaming-it-may-be-all-in-your-head/.

2. Ingraham, Nathan. “The Race to Control Video Games Using Your Mind.” The Verge, The Verge, 8 May 2015, www.theverge.com/2015/5/8/8574681/mind-controlled-video-games-neurogaming-conference-oculus-vr.

3. Pedersen, Morten, et al. “Neurogaming: Bridging the Mind and Machine in the Gaming Universe.” iMotions, 22 July 2024, imotions.com/blog/insights/trend/neurogaming-bridging-the-mind-and-machine-in-the-gaming-universe/.

4. Society, Future. “Neurogaming: Brain-Computer Interfaces in Future Entertainment.” Tomorrow Bio, 15 Aug. 2023, www.tomorrow.bio/post/neurogaming-brain-computer-interfaces-in-future-entertainment-f5615-2023-08-4956747613-futurism.

5. Takahashi, Dean. “The DeanBeat: Neurogaming Is a Nascent Market Fueled by Brain Games and Sensors.” VentureBeat, VentureBeat, 4 Dec. 2019, venturebeat.com/games/the-deanbeat-neurogaming-is-a-nascent-market-fueled-by-brain-games-and-sensors/.

6. "Playing Video Games With Mind Control." YouTube, uploaded by Great Big Story, 9 Nov. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBYY3D1gkQ0&t=254s&ab_channel=GreatBigStory.