Mindshare LA – June 2010
I bought tickets to go to Mindshare LA on a whim a few weeks back and wasn’t sure if I really wanted to go. It was held on the same day as game 7 of the Laker playoffs.
But after I heard that they were going to be broadcasting the game during check-in I decided to go and just give it a shot. I’ve never been to a mindshare LA event before.
…and I AM SO GLAD I WENT. The event definitely lived up to the hype and was completely mind blowing.
The itinerary featured several really interesting speakers. My favorite by far was by Brian Seltzer, the founder of Ogmento, an augmented reality gaming company.
Augmented reality is a blend of the virtual world and reality. Notice how the gaming industry has changed dramatically since the days of super nintendo and gameboy? Modern game consoles like the Wii are now physically interactive and are driving a trend to games that are more realistic than ever before.
Brian talked about technical innovations in gaming and some of the applications for augmented reality were just ridiculously cool. How about going for a jog while wearing some augmented reality goggles. You could program in a little motivation to help you keep pace. Motivation such as…
SEXY CHEERLEADERS encouraging you to keep going. Who doesn’t like to feel like a superstar?
Or how about programming a RABID DOG to chase you. There is nothing like a little fear to get those legs pumping tubby.
During his presentation, he also revealed how turning everyday mundane tasks into a type of game can provide real incentive to improving the world. One experiment added musical piano keys to a set of stairs, and hidden camera revealed that 99% of people actually took the stairs instead of riding the adjacent escalator.
Another experiment transformed a recycling bin into a type of arcade game. This brought hordes of people to stop by and just recycle. This was the first time that I’ve ever seen a large group of random strangers actually actively recycle.
I think the applications for this type of technology are pretty much endless. Now if only I could sign up to be a beta tester…
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