On the Internet, nobody knows you're a parrot!

Cyaneus's picture
RipleyCan animals play video games?

Researchers at MIT have been creating computer software for parrots for a long time. Their African greys enjoy viewing videos and listening to music on their "InterPet Explorer" program, and even have a specialized interface for accessing different sites. Well, I've got an African grey as well (see Fig. 1), and he's a smart little bugger. He spends more time on his own than I'd like, and it's hard to keep up with his appetite for destroying his toys. So I'm giving him my old computer.

Rather: I'm hooking up my old computer to the big screen in the family room, and letting him control a joystick to see if he enjoys it. I know he loves moving pictures: he adores watching movies or video games, and often talks to the images he sees, or even goes up to the screen to try to touch them. At first I was just planning on giving him access to simple flash games, things like this or this. Then I thought, "What about The Endless Forest? It has joystick controls ..."

I've never used the joystick controls, though. Mine is a two-button, the simplest I could find (I mostly expect him to press the main button, not the trigger). Can I set those two buttons to do actions? Dance and Roar, perhaps? What do you guys think of this idea? Is it crazy? Would you like playing TEF with a parrot?
Sonata's picture

OMFG YES

OMFG YES <3

I WILL BE YOUR PARROTS BESTEST FRIEND EVER OWO

YES. LET THE PARROT PLAY TEF.

YES. LET THE PARROT PLAY TEF. xD it will be interesting to say the /least/. x3!
Trickster's picture

YESSSSS. DO EEEET. YEEEEES

YESSSSS. DO EEEET. YEEEEES ZOMGOSH ♥ *giggles* That would be amazing. If only my bettas could use a joystick-though, I'm sure they'd just rear and bare their antlers all the time, so maybe its for the best :3

EPIIIC ♥
muesique's picture

OMG You gotta film him

OMG You gotta film him playing TEF OOO: And put it on Youtube for all of us to enjoy!

I know that crows are capable of using foreign tools to solve tasks... Hmm, I'd love to see a parrot do this! XD
Pegasicorn's picture

This just sounds like so much

This just sounds like so much epic.
I wanna know the result. 8D (And of course be around Forest-wise to see what happens.)
Kiraki's picture

Yes! Hehehe sounds so awesome

Yes! Hehehe sounds so awesome XD
Cyaneus's picture

I'm glad you guys don't think

I'm glad you guys don't think I'm totally nuts!

It will be at least a couple weeks before I get the joystick hooked up: for one thing, we're moving to a new house, and I won't have the TV connected for about a week. For another: he's really super destructive (one of his favorite hobbies is taking apart the thermostat and turning on the heat), so I need to devise a way to keep him from taking apart the joystick casing--I'm thinking I may need to put it in a plexiglass box with a hole in the top. Once I get moved in I'll get the ball rolling there.

Here's the pictogram I'll surrender to him, I never use that one anymore!

Kaoori's picture

BEST IDEA EVER. I WANT TO

BEST IDEA EVER.

I WANT TO PLAY TEF WITH A PARROT. I LOVE PARROTS <33
Seed's picture

ZOMG. This would be so

ZOMG. This would be so awesome! I'd love to see it.
Harakka's picture

That is just AMAZING. I'm

That is just AMAZING. I'm definetely going to stalk that picto from now on...! ♥ Wow. 8DDD
Tally's picture

I'll be sure to run around in

I'll be sure to run around in circles and such if I see him. I know my parrots used to love watching tv and things. c:

I love this idea, it's a great thing to keep him busy while you're gone!
Fincayra's picture

I have an African Gray, too.

I have an African Gray, too. =)
That's a really neat idea.
Swifttail's picture

Parrot+playing TEF=Epic

Parrot+playing TEF=Epic WIN.>w<
I'd do that, but I dun have a parrot. ;_;
But either way, this ish the BESTEST idea I've heard today. OwO
PARROT+TEF=FTW!

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Spyrre's picture

This sounds SO epic. =O Such

This sounds SO epic. =O
Such a wonderful idea! I hope he enjoys playing.... and I´d be very curious to see how he would interact or how he figures out the game. <3
Will you announce us when he gets on-line, or just let him play randomly?
trigger_mortis's picture

DEFINITELY If my parrot was

DEFINITELY

If my parrot was bigger, and wasn't so interested in tearing keys out of keyboards, I'd totally let her play as well! xD

Just a suggestion...
You should set your bird up with a peacock or magpie deer. :B
Amazon's picture

This is awesome!

This is awesome!