Atari Mindlink
Encyclopedia
The Atari Mindlink was an unreleased video game controller for the Atari 2600
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Intended for release in 1984, the Mindlink was unique in that one had to move the muscles in one's head to control the game. These movements would be read by infrared sensors and transferred as movement in the game.
Games would be similar to ones that used the paddle controller, but with the Mindlink instead. Two games were in development for the Mindlink by its cancellation, Bionic Breakthrough & Mind Maze. Bionic Breakthrough was basically Breakout
controlled with the Mindlink, while Mind Maze was an attempt to use ESP
through the Mindlink to predict what is printed on cards, which admittedly didn't work.
Testing showed that players frequently got headaches moving their eyebrows around to play the game.
Though Atari could have tried to refine the device over time, Atari simply decided to shelve the Mindlink. Neither of the games in development saw release in a joystick or paddle controlled form in later years, partly due to the failing video game industry
and partly due to the games' limited appeal.
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
.
Intended for release in 1984, the Mindlink was unique in that one had to move the muscles in one's head to control the game. These movements would be read by infrared sensors and transferred as movement in the game.
Games would be similar to ones that used the paddle controller, but with the Mindlink instead. Two games were in development for the Mindlink by its cancellation, Bionic Breakthrough & Mind Maze. Bionic Breakthrough was basically Breakout
Breakout clone
A Breakout clone is a sub-class of the "bat-and-ball" genre introduced with the Magnavox Odyssey's Tennis and Atari's Pong...
controlled with the Mindlink, while Mind Maze was an attempt to use ESP
Extra-sensory perception
Extrasensory perception involves reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind. The term was coined by Frederic Myers, and adopted by Duke University psychologist J. B. Rhine to denote psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairaudience, and...
through the Mindlink to predict what is printed on cards, which admittedly didn't work.
Testing showed that players frequently got headaches moving their eyebrows around to play the game.
Though Atari could have tried to refine the device over time, Atari simply decided to shelve the Mindlink. Neither of the games in development saw release in a joystick or paddle controlled form in later years, partly due to the failing video game industry
Video game crash of 1983
The North American video game crash was a serious event that brought an abrupt end to what is considered the second generation of console video gaming in North America. Beginning in 1983, the crash almost destroyed the then-fledgling industry and led to the bankruptcy of several companies producing...
and partly due to the games' limited appeal.