A Sony patent was recently discovered by Siliconera which features the company’s plans to introduce emotion tracking software to the PS3. The software is designed to pick up on players’ laughter and other visible emotions through use of a microphone and camera (most likely the Playstation Eye). The application can interpret a wide array of emotion by reading body gestures and even group interaction (think multiplayer games).

Let’s go a few months back to this years E3 where Nintendo offhandedly announced the Wii Vitality Sensor, which is a sensor that attaches to the player’s index finger and interprets pulse. What this means for the future of Nintendo’s games is as uncertain as what Sony’s ideas allude to, but we can always speculate!

So, our question for you, loyal readers, today is what do Nintendo and Sony’s ideas mean for our future gaming pleasure? My personal guess is they will be used to moderate elements of our games such as difficulty. For example, if your pulse rises or an angry expression grows  on your face after dying to the same boss for the 100th time (like this one), the application could tune down the difficulty briefly so this doesn’t happen. What applications for this technology can you guys come up with? As always, sound off in the comments section.

(Via Joystiq)