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E3 2009: Wii Vitality Sensor Not So Easily Dismissed

Wii Vitality Sensor One portion of Nintendo's E3 Media Briefing that landed with a puzzled thud was the moment when the company revealed the Wii Vitality Sensor, e.g. a little peripheral that clips to your finger to transmit your heart rate and other vital signs to the Wii.  No games were revealed alongside it, leaving many people wondering just what the heck the team from Kyoto had up its sleeve this time.  The most obvious use of the technology probably involves a modernized version of Tetris 64, a Japanese release that used similar technology called a Bio Sensor to track a player's stress rate and then alter the speed of the falling tetrads accordingly.  I'd like to think there are bigger things in stores for the Vitality Sensor though, and hopefully not just for the inevitable casual and fitness games that are sure to appear at some point (Wii Fit Vital, I'm looking at you).

Allow me to brainstorm some ideas.  Imagine an action shooter adventure in which your character runs faster when you are stressed.  How about a platformer that generates random levels based on your oxygen rate?  Ever consider trying to sneak undetected through a gauntlet of enemies that will notice you if you get yourself too worked up?  There's much more to do with this gizmo than to just add it to the pile of exercise/fitness games.  Say, how about a Metal Gear Solid rematch against Psycho Mantis?  We already know that he likes to look into your memory cards.  What do you suppose he could do if he could look into you?

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