OCZ Neural Impulse Actuator

[Chalex4]

The crazy future mind control devices are here at long last!! I have seen a lot of these in the past, but most never make it to mass production.

Bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘mind games,’ OCZ’s quirky new game controller, the Neural Impulse Actuator (NIA), has now ‘begun mass production’ and the company claims that shipping is ‘imminent.’

OCZ’s CEO and self-confessed willy-waver, Ryan Petersen, said that the NIA ‘radically changes the ways that gamers can interact and control elements within games, and can be configured in a matter of minutes for any game that is already published or will be released.’

OCZ claims that the NIA’s ‘user-friendly software is calibrated based on the individual’s physiology and personal preferences. Each of the Actuator’s signals can be assigned to a specific keystroke on the keyboard or a mouse button; consequentially, gamers can run, jump, and fire faster - all without lifting a finger.’

As well as this, OCZ reckons that the death of the faithful keyboard and mouse for gaming could soon be on the horizon. ‘ The NIA will allow users to control PC games without the use of a keyboard,’ said the company, ‘and minimal use of a mouse.’

Our own Clive Webster had the chance to try out a prototype of the bizarre contraption at Computex 2007, where he found that it took a lot of getting used to, but easier to use after ten minutes of gaming. However, he also reckoned that it would be no subsitiute for a set of WASD keys when it came to accuracy. Source

Press Release | Review 1 | Review 2

Just noticed this on Ebuyer for £89.99 inc vat (free delivery) and I am very tempted to buy it!! I will probably wait until Overclockers stocks it though since they always undercut Ebuyer .

[Chazlene]

Neural Impulse Actuator

I don't know why but that sounds like something very rude...

Bloo was talking about this earlier, looks quite cool, although I don't see how you can actually control that much stuff with it.
Also, I thought computer gaming couldn't get any more lazy and inactive, but now that you don't need to lift a finger...

[Hutch]

Apparently that really only works for a few keys, you cant control the whole game with it with any skill...

[VoX]

I bet that this is an American invention so that they can keep on eating hamburgers while gaming.

[Isphera]

OCZ’s CEO and self-confessed willy-waver

Do you know this from experience or has your friend Brian from the back-alley being telling you rumours again?

Jokes, but it won't work.

[Chalex4]

I wonder what the health implications would be of this device, since people are still complaining about the effects of wi-fi, and this does crazy stuff to your brain.

[Chazlene]

I thought the same thing, I could imagine feeling very ill after using the device...

[ez64]

Nothing to do with wifi as the ant ouput is insanley low, its the massive radio/mobile drums/antenna's that can fry pigeons that are the problem.

[Calneon]

There was an article in this month's PCGamer that I was reading. It apparently uses the very small twitches in your muscles when you think of something to determine what you want to do.

You can't actually just think 'shoot' to shoot, and 'jump' to jump. The guy doing the review in PCGamer had it set up to do different actions for his different levels of concentration. Eg. He would concentrate mildly to walk forwards, a bit more to shoot, and concentrate a lot to jump. Doesn't seem like much control, I think ill stick to mouse and keyboard.

[Hutch]

I read the same article.

[VoX]

I'll stick to mouse and keyboard for the time being, it seems as if you are just buying brain cancer.