Update:
It appears as though “Blood Sport” has been officially suspended by Kickstarter at the time of this writing. Needless to say, the future of the project remains uncertain.
The creators of the Kickstarter had the following to say about the suspension:
“Hi all! We’re currently suspended and looking into the reason. Stay tuned, and make sure to start training for Blood Sport by donating some blood down at the clinic while we figure this out!”
The original story is below:
A blood donation gaming hybrid Kickstarter project titled “Blood Sport” has been recently gone live on the popular crowdfunding platform.
So first off: What is “Blood Sport?”
According to the Toronto, Canada-based creators of the project, Brand and Grotesque, “Blood Sport” aims to raise the stakes of gaming, by making it so when you lose blood in game (as in say, competitive gaming titles such as Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare or Halo: The Master Chief Collection)…you lose it in real life as well (albeit for blood donation purposes).
Read more details surrounding the undoubtedly intriguing blood donation project after the break.
Blood Donation Gaming Kickstarter: “Blood Sport”
The following comes from “Blood Sport’s” official Kickstarter page:
“With Blood Sport, we’re taking the consequences of the gaming world and having them affect you in real life. So every time you get hit in the game, blood will be intravenously drawn from your arm.”
Apparently, “Blood Sport” works in a manner similar to the way controllers vibrate when a player’s on-screen character gets hit or shot in-game. Rumble packs. in a nutshell, work by causing the controller to vibrate by via activation of an electrical signal. The creators of Blood Sport state that the system works by re-routing that same electrical signal and using it to turn on its blood collection system.
The blood donation and collection system uses an “Arduino Board,” which keeps track of how much blood is being taken so that it shuts down before the player does by allowing users to input his or her age, weight, and other anthropometric measurements.
Furthermore, “Blood Sport” is said to work with any game that has controller vibration capabilities.
Now on to the more obvious question many may be asking, which is simply “Why?”
Check out what the project’s creators have to say on their motivations:
“Our goal is to develop a refined multi-player unit that can be taken across the country for blood donation gaming events. We are not a charity and we are not a game manufacturer. We are simply creating the gaming hardware that will allow us to get gamers thinking about more important issues while still doing what they love. From there, we’ll partner with the appropriate organizations in both the gaming and medical communities to bring it all to life.”
“Obviously, Blood Sport has a lot of skeptics. More than anything, people fear giving blood. And when you add a competitive layer to it, even more so. But by running carefully monitored tests with medical professionals, we’ve created a unit that makes blood donation easy, fun and nearly painless.”
“Remember, we’re coming at this as gamers, and that’s really what the hardware is all about. We’re not inventing any new medical devices and it’s not for sale. All we want to do is create the best, most immersive gaming experience possible – while also helping people in need.”
Additionally, you can view a video showcasing “Blood Sport” below:
At the time of this writing, “Blood Sport’s” Kickstarter has received approximately $3,200 of a $250,000 goal (CAD) with 41 days to go.
The “Blood Sport” team, pending successful Kickstarter backing, is aiming to deliver the project by March 17th, to coincide with the release of EA and DICE’s upcoming first-person shooter, Battlefield: Hardline.
If you’re interested in reading more about the blood donation gaming Kickstarter project, “Blood Sport,” you can do so here.
What are your thoughts on “Blood Sport?” Do you think it will gain any traction with the Kickstarter community, or do you believe that it is flat-out ridiculous? With the shortage of blood, and blood donation being an increasingly desired commodity, do you feel that this attempt at merging gaming and public health services to be a good idea?
Let us know in the comments section below! As always, stay tuned to GamerHeadlines.com for the latest in video game and technology news.