Joyboard
Encyclopedia
The Joyboard is a balance board
peripheral for the Atari 2600
video game console
. It was released in 1982 and was used by standing on top of it and leaning in a certain direction.
could also be connected to the Joyboard if necessary. This is done via a standard Atari joystick port placed next to where the cable goes into the board.It can be used in a "plugthrough" manner which saves disconnecting the board when not in use.
Due to similarities in design and function, the Wii Balance Board
, a peripheral for Nintendo
's Wii
video game console
, has been compared to the Joyboard. The Wii Balance Board also allows users to control games with their feet, but uses more advanced technology in the form of pressure sensors under each foot.
game, it was developed by Amiga Corporation
and sold alongside the Joyboard upon release. Off Your Rocker, another game developed by Amiga, could also use the Joyboard, in place of a normal joystick. The object of the game was to repeat the color and sound patterns made by "Rockin' Rollie", the on-screen character. Although the game was completed, it was never officially sold by Amiga, and instead the cartridges were sent to a company called Pleasant Valley Video who then sold them to the public. Surf's Up, a surfing
game, also seems to have been developed for use with the Joyboard, but was not released either.
that, as a relaxation technique, they attempted to sit perfectly still on the Joyboard so not to engage any of the latches on the bottom of it. It is further rumored that this is where the infamous Guru Meditation
error originates from in earlier versions of the AmigaOS
operating system.
In homage to this, Ian Bogost
, founder of video game developer
Persuasive Games
, has developed the video game Guru Meditation in an attempt "to create a legitimate zen meditation
game". Although the game may be played using a joystick, if a player uses the Joyboard, they must sit perfectly still on it with their legs crossed. If a player is successful, the on-screen yogi
will rise, and once enough time has passed the yogi will begin to float and the timer starts. The time of day changes roughly each hour, and clouds pass in the background. Ian Bogost is currently working with Atari
fansite AtariAge
to manufacture the game in cartridge form.
Balance board
A balance board is a device used for recreation, balance training, athletic training, brain development, therapy, musical training and other kinds of personal development....
peripheral for the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
. It was released in 1982 and was used by standing on top of it and leaning in a certain direction.
Design
The Joyboard worked by installing the four directional latches of a joystick on the bottom of the board. Leaning in a certain direction engaged these latches, controlling the game. A joystickJoystick
A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling. Joysticks, also known as 'control columns', are the principal control in the cockpit of many civilian and military aircraft, either as a center stick or...
could also be connected to the Joyboard if necessary. This is done via a standard Atari joystick port placed next to where the cable goes into the board.It can be used in a "plugthrough" manner which saves disconnecting the board when not in use.
Due to similarities in design and function, the Wii Balance Board
Wii Balance Board
The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...
, a peripheral for Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, has been compared to the Joyboard. The Wii Balance Board also allows users to control games with their feet, but uses more advanced technology in the form of pressure sensors under each foot.
Software
Mogul Maniac was the only game released for the Joyboard. A slalom skiingSlalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
game, it was developed by Amiga Corporation
Amiga Corporation
Amiga Corporation was a United States computer company formed in the early 1980s as Hi-Toro. It is most famous for having developed the Amiga computer, code named Lorraine.-History:...
and sold alongside the Joyboard upon release. Off Your Rocker, another game developed by Amiga, could also use the Joyboard, in place of a normal joystick. The object of the game was to repeat the color and sound patterns made by "Rockin' Rollie", the on-screen character. Although the game was completed, it was never officially sold by Amiga, and instead the cartridges were sent to a company called Pleasant Valley Video who then sold them to the public. Surf's Up, a surfing
Surfing
Surfing' is a surface water sport in which the surfer rides a surfboard on the crest and face of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore...
game, also seems to have been developed for use with the Joyboard, but was not released either.
Guru Meditation
It is rumored that, early in the development of the Amiga computer operating system, the company's developers became so frustrated with the system's frequent crashesCrash (computing)
A crash in computing is a condition where a computer or a program, either an application or part of the operating system, ceases to function properly, often exiting after encountering errors. Often the offending program may appear to freeze or hang until a crash reporting service documents...
that, as a relaxation technique, they attempted to sit perfectly still on the Joyboard so not to engage any of the latches on the bottom of it. It is further rumored that this is where the infamous Guru Meditation
Guru Meditation
Guru Meditation is an error notice displayed by early versions of the Commodore Amiga computer when they crashed. It is analogous to the "Blue Screen Of Death" in Microsoft Windows operating systems.- Description :...
error originates from in earlier versions of the AmigaOS
AmigaOS
AmigaOS is the default native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. It was developed first by Commodore International, and initially introduced in 1985 with the Amiga 1000...
operating system.
In homage to this, Ian Bogost
Ian Bogost
Ian Bogost is a video game designer, critic and researcher. He is a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a founding partner at Persuasive Games...
, founder of video game developer
Video game developer
A video game developer is a software developer that creates video games. A developer may specialize in a certain video game console, such as Nintendo's Wii, Microsoft's Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3, or may develop for a variety of systems, including personal computers.Most developers also...
Persuasive Games
Persuasive Games
Persuasive Games is a video game developer founded by Ian Bogost, a professor at Georgia Tech. The company focuses on making advergames with strong opinions. They have created the first computer game to be included as part of a newspaper's editorial, Food Import Folly for the New York...
, has developed the video game Guru Meditation in an attempt "to create a legitimate zen meditation
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
game". Although the game may be played using a joystick, if a player uses the Joyboard, they must sit perfectly still on it with their legs crossed. If a player is successful, the on-screen yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
will rise, and once enough time has passed the yogi will begin to float and the timer starts. The time of day changes roughly each hour, and clouds pass in the background. Ian Bogost is currently working with Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
fansite AtariAge
AtariAge
Atari Age was a magazine distributed to Atari Club members from 1982 until 1984. It was published by The Atari Club Inc., a subsidiary of Atari, Inc.-History:...
to manufacture the game in cartridge form.
External links
- The Joyboard at AtariAgeAtariAgeAtari Age was a magazine distributed to Atari Club members from 1982 until 1984. It was published by The Atari Club Inc., a subsidiary of Atari, Inc.-History:...
- Joyboard Pics