Pigs Playing Games

Here’s something animal rights activists can get behind, humans and pigs playing computer games together. You heard right. Dutch researchers teamed up with game designers have created and produced a computer game that both humans and pigs can participate in together; its called Pig Chase. The key element of the game is for pigs to have interaction with an iPad equipped human player through a pig pen mounted light effects screen. It makes you wonder if all pigs have an “inner Einstein” screaming to get out, but in reality it works on the same principle as a cat chasing a laser pointer. In essence, the human player operates a light effect on a pig pen wall, which in turn attracts a curious pig’s attention. By moving the light effect into certain directions the game playing human can get the pig to move past certain objects and push lighted areas with their snouts. Will this eventually help livestock producers, who knows? It is an interesting concept that needs further development. So yes, technically pigs can play video games, or more accurately all animals have a natural curiosity and will follow the elusive “dangling carrot”.