The ShockCube

Utilising a large multi-touch surface, multiple electrodes and an entertaining array of mini-games we proposed to create an engaging game environment featuring haptic pain feedback. The idea was for each player to be outfitted with multiple electrodes throughout the body and as this player successfully navigates through the various challenges his/her opponents are physically shocked. The experience of beating your opponent physically rather than virtually makes for interesting gameplay.

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The Cube

This 1m x 1m x 1m cube features a fully functional touch surface via the FTIR (Frustrated Total Internal Refraction) method for user interaction and houses the multiple components required to run the ShockCube inside its shell. The Shell consisting of a lightweight wooden frame is fully customisable with easily swappable panels for a quick change of aesthetic.

The Game Mechanic

The Incrementer

When you miss a target, get hit or fail to repeat a correct pattern you will get shocked. This will start at a level of 1. You have what could be described as “nine lives”. Every subsequent mistake will increment your counter by 1. Each level is more powerful and thus painful than the last. As the punishment for your mistakes increases you will start to become stressed and tense over your next possible mistake. By the time you get to 9 you will dread 10. Meanwhile this will create much amusement for your more able friends as they watch on with a mere pain meter of 3.

The Games

Originally the shock concept called for a single much more complex 2 player game across 2 upright opposing LCD touch screens. But as the concept of the product and thus the platform evolved so did our idea on the style of gameplay required, changing to a 4 player much more social experience. Gameplay is divided into 4 engaging mini-games that utilise the mechanics outlined above and are as follows...

Shock Pattern

The central element plays a random pattern to which the players must match exactly either individually or together. If a player gets it wrong they are shocked and have their pain meter incremented by 1, each subsequent failure is of course equally punished.

Shock Reaction

The Central element will display a symbol e.g. a square. Around the rail will come a series of symbols e.g. circle, triangle, square and X, train style. As the symbol displayed in the central element comes into your patch you must hit it on time or get shocked. The speed increases after each miss. Then the incrementer comes into play.

Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shock

A slightly sadistic twist on the old playground game providing the much needed element of tension and stress to any entertainment system. Here player 2 is asked to turn around while player 1 chooses either rock, paper or scissors, once decided player 2 may turn back and carefully contemplate their decision as player 1 looks on, waiting.

Shock Timer

Designed as a loader environment where people who have no idea what the ShockCube is can get a bare bones yet entertaining taste of what’s in store. A nice fat graphical 00:00:00 timer features in the middle with simple instructions that the player has to hit their pad when it stops. The last to do so will get shocked. Players can agree to choose a level before the timer begins to test their comfort levels. Also if health and safety were ever to become an issue we can use the game incrementally so ShockCube can intelligently find the players limits.

The Shocks

Before mini-games or a cube came the idea for incorporating true pain feedback into an entertainment system emerged. With vibration becoming a fundamental experience of any modern game we really wanted to take that a step further and provide an increasingly realistic form of feedback more faithful to the win and lose experience of any game. Armed with this and the rise in popularity of haptic surfaces, especially in the gaming industry we set out to create what is now the ShockCube.

Obviously hurting people for the sake of entertainment raises several issues, most prominently safety. With this in mind we turned finally to commercial electronic muscle stimulators for a balance of power to induce a range of pain sensations and user safety. These devices were then adapted to suit our needs and integrated into the software for direct control via Adobe Flash.

The decision is left to the player on where they wish to place the pads but we do suggest the arms for the most entertaining experience. Placing the pads here makes it quite a challenge to even operate the game at the highest levels and does cause players to 'tap out' after a few shocks. However when introduced into more lively social environments more creative suggestions for placement tend to emerge.