Idiolexicon

For me computer games are predictable. They are pre-programmed, and will not do anything except what their programmers programmed them to do. If the programmer did not think of it, it can not happen. Donkey Kong will never get tired of throwing heavy barrels at you, or strain a muscle, or get hungry and just eat the princess. After playing a computer game for some time, you know what you can expect from it. But is it possible to take the unpredictability of an animal, and merge this behaviour with a computer game, by this replacing parts of the computer code by animal behaviour?

This is from the introduction to Wim van Eck's Master's Thesis, in which he used live crickets to control the ghosts in an otherwise normal game of Pac-Man. The new insect players add a lot of unpredictability to the game. For example, what are you supposed to do when they all huddle together in one corner of the board and don't move?

Much like in the original game, the ghosts' movement bares no connection to Pac-Man's movement. But when he goes into pursuit, the crickets' board begins to shake. Shaking ground being a very good sign of a predator, they will try to escape.

This has all kinds of interesting implications for the video game world. Moreover, it's just a little bit creepy. You can read Eck's thesis, as well as watch videos of the game in action, at his hopepage. (via)

And now, here's a bonobo playing Ms. Pac-Man: (via)