Hello,
Some of you may already know I am interested a bit in health games.
Today I would like to recommend you an article about few fields where such games are used.
http://utminers.utep.edu/asinghal/Wang-Singhal-%202014%20chapter%20on%20Digital%20Games%20DK-AS-GK%20Book.pdf
Personally, I play one of them - SuperBetter, which helps to achive goals and be more motivated.
The game was designed by Jane McGonigal, game designer, during her recovery after an accident.
Playing SuperBetter helps in depression, anxiety and during tough sickness, but also can be useful to loose weight or quit smoking.
Here you can find more information:
http://www.gamesforchange.org/play/superbetter/
or
https://www.superbetter.com/about
Do you like playing games? Do you have a favourite one?
Did you play any of the games mentioned in the article? What do you think about that kind of games?
Do you know any other fields where games are used not only for entertainment?
The topic of games and the philosophy of gamification, deriving from the world of games, is a very interesting phenomenon. For me, personally, the field I aim to apply it in is organizational change - which is close to health issues - the only difference is that it is the health of the organization, not a single individual that we are talking about.
ReplyDeleteI don't play games but I am interested in designing game environments for communities. Apparently it takes designing: the space for the game, which includes a set of rules that people agree to follow; the spatio-temporal boundaries; rules of communication; artifacts used and finally a goal. The goal is the interesting part - usually it is a mysterious goal, one that we cannot define specifically, but we get close to defining it while playing the game. This idea is used for example in business, to solve mysteries, to find a way out of uncertainty.
I am very interested in how it works with reference to our health, thank you for the interesting research inspiration.
Hi Dominika!
DeleteThank you for your comment. I'm glad that you liked my post.
That's very interesting topic you are writing about. I have never imagine that organizational changes could be performed with a help of a game :) Could you recommend me any article about this subject? I would gladly read a little more about it.
There is a very good introductory book I could recommend: "Gamestorming, Gry biznesowe dla innovatorów". It explains the mechanism and gives examples of heuristics, i.e. the games that are empirically tried out and giving good result with reference to organizational change. I hope you will find it useful!
DeleteThank you. I am sure I will check this book in my free time :)
DeleteDo you like playing games? Do you have favourite one?
ReplyDeleteOf course, I do :) My favourite one is GTA series. I will try SuperBetter now.
Did you play any of the games mentioned in an article? What do you think about that kind of games?
I have never tried this type of games, I will now. It's hard to say anything more about that kind of games without any experience.
Do you know any other fields where games are used not only for entertainment?
Hardly, even games for kids that are supposed to teach them new things or improve their skills are used for entertainment as well. This is entirely new topic for me and it's a bit hard to elaborate about it.
Hi Mateusz!
DeleteThank you for your comment. I like GTA too, but didn't play it for a long time.
I agree with you that even educational games entertain and I think this is the reason why kids are playing these games :)
Hi,
ReplyDeleteyes, I like playing games. I don't play to often though, I buy one or two games a year and play it around two weeks. Recently I played one of Hitman series. If I had to pick one favorite title it would be Global Operations, an old multiplayer shooter game that I played with friends back in the good old days :)
I haven't heard of SuperBetter before and I haven't played it. I watched the video on their website and I think that it's more a kind of a motivational tool. I think they are ok as long as they do the job and motivate. Virtual Iraq seemed interesting as a tool for PTSD treatment. I watched how it looks like on youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2FdgulDNkU and honestly, I'm not sure how exposing a veteran to virtual battle can help him to overcome PTSD.
Games are used by US soldiers. There is DARWARS project which is used to train both battle tactics and daily situations on foreign missions.
And there's a lot of educational games for kids.
I think that Virtual Iraq helps for the veterans to confront their memories in a kind of controlled environment. I am not a psychiatrist, so I cannot explain how it works (or if it works).
DeleteDARWARS seems to be an interesting project (I don't know much about it). Thank you for noticing about it. It shows how broadly games can be used.
Do you like playing games? Do you have a favorite one?
ReplyDeleteFrankly speaking I'm not of fan of games. Just because I consider it as a waste of time. I always preferred playing real 'games', like tennis, football or basketball. Back in primary school, it was really hard for me to imagine someone preferring spending 3 hours on the couch playing computer games, instead of spending it actively outside on the fresh air. I'm definitely one of the old-school representatives here.
However I have to admit that very rarely I do play games. But even when playing computer games, I still prefer playing.. sport games. FIFA is here a great example. Quick match and re-match with a friend and we're done with games. Back to real life discussions.
Did you play any of the games mentioned in the article?
No, I didn't.
What do you think about that kind of games?
Personally, I think that whatever works for someone it's great. If these games stimulate and encourage someone to achieve goals set, that's perfect. I'd see it as one of the means helping people.
Do you know any other fields where games are used not only for entertainment?
Education would be one of the fields. Teaching and learning through games.
Hi!
DeleteI agree that balance between real and virtual activities is needed. Undoubtedly, sport is necessary for our body and health, but playing games can also bring many positives. Of course, it depends on a game, but we can improve our reflex, decision making abilities, strategy thinking, etc.
Did you try playing Kinect (or something similar) games? It could be sport and gaming in one ;)
I have tried Playstation Move, but that's far away from any real sport experience. Hard to imagine all the sweat of the floor and my room smelling like a gym ;)
Delete
ReplyDelete1. Do you like playing games? Do you have a favourite one?
Yes I love to play games. One of my main hobby is collecting old games especially for Nintendo platforms. When I was younger I played a lot but now it depends. I am huge fan of Indie Games and my favorite one is Braid.
2.Did you play any of the games mentioned in the article? What do you think about that kind of games?
No I didn't play any games like MindFlex, but I like to play on Playstation Move and I must say that is kind of fun not only with your friends or colleagues.
3.Do you know any other fields where games are used not only for entertainment?
Let's begin with games made for army - Full Spectrum Warrior this game which was developed as training tool for U.S Army and it was modified for commercial release (the original military version of the game can also be unlocked in commercial product).
This game has also been adapted by psychologist to assist veterans from Iraq overcome the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
You have got also plane and train simulators (other vehicles also), this genre is used to train pilot and train drivers.
Hi Tomasz!
DeleteYou have interesting hobby :) I didn't play Indie Games (I think so, or maybe Minecraft is an Indie Game?).
I also like games where I have to move a little more than in usual ones, but I prefer Kinect, because I don't have to hold anything in my hand :)
Thank you for your inspirational comment.
Yes, I do. I like games where you have to build something and fight for resources and space with other gamers . I love football games like PES or FIFA ;) (Pro Evolution Soccer is my favourite). During my secondary school, I was playing a lot with mates. Online game “Gunz” allows players to create teams and fight against other groups.
ReplyDeleteI did not play in any of mentioned games. I was playing the games where body is controller and it gives a lot of fun. It is a great opportunity for relax and physical activity. In my opinion swimming pool is a better way to have a contact with sport. Games, which are forcing to use our muscles or brain - are very good alternative.
Multimedia applications and games created for educational purposes. You can teach pilots, soldiers, or drivers (that I saw few days ago in training centre - special device, which simulates car interior). You can train standard behavior without endangering life. Pilots will be familiar with real machine, and can continue course after virtual lessons.
I haven't seen a simulator for teaching drivers. I think such tools was not so popular when I was preparing to my driving license exam. It could be an interesting way of learning how to drive :)
DeleteIn recent years, digital games have become one of the largest and most profitable global media industries and they play an important role in the everyday life of millions of people all over the world. Around the world a lot of new crafts have developed connected with digital games industry. I know there are a lot of shops, websites, factories, companies which still develop and provide players with newer and newer products. A lot of people in our modern world don’t like watching TV or movies without fast and flowing action and story. I agree with these people because for me watching TV series are so boring and stultifying. Therefore I love playing digital games especially computer games. I have got my own personal computer which was created especially for games exactly for “the Witcher” and for “Call of Duty” series. I have got a console PS3 also but I prefer to play using the mouse and the keyboard than pad or move(?). As I have written above I like playing action role-playing games (action RPG) like “the Witcher” and first-person shooter like “Call of Duty” series. For me computer games are very interesting and creative kind of entertainment. And I think playing games improves people’s mind’s abilities.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard about this kind of games before. I was very surprised when I read the article presented by Emilia. I am sure that in the future I will join this kind of games. I think this is very interesting and first of all it may be useful. The Modern world is a little crazy and sometimes we look for some help to fight against our weaknesses.
In my opinion games have great potential not only in the entertainment area but also in the educational area. I know games which are used to train soldiers and pilots. In my opinion in the future we should create more games for children which will teach them maths, history, foreign languages and others school subjects.
I see you are a real gamer ;) I have never had computer dedicated only for gaming. I agree with you, that playing games can have positive effect on players mind abilities.
DeleteGames which teach kids are a nice 'two in one' activity. I always liked them when I was at school. Lately I have heard about the game Tutpup which allows to children from different part of world to compete in counting and spelling.
You can read more about it here: http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/tutpup-play-compete-learn-mathematics.html#.VmL6a3Yvcgs
1. Do you like playing games?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't expect "no" from any of us. I believe there is a correlation between being computer scientist and being fond of games.
2. Do you have a favourite one?
Certainly, my all time favourite is Sid Meier's Civilization.
3. Did you play any of the games mentioned in the article?
Not really.
4. What do you think about that kind of games?
I don't think that all the games mentioned in the article belong to one kind... What "Dance Dance Revolution", "Guitar Hero" and "Second Life" have in common? Apart from being "social"?
5. Do you know any other fields where games are used not only for entertainment?
The classic example would be education, I guess?
And gamification, maybe not games is used to influence behaviours (similar to certain games mentioned in the article). There are many web sites that use gamification, for instance mBank or StackOverflow.
I actually do not like games although I tried few forced by my friends. I didn’t play as a child and couldn’t get much involved as an adult. Which is a bit surprising because I generally get involved in everything very easily. I’ve seen many of my friends getting seriously addicted to games and I think this addiction is not yet taken seriously enough.
ReplyDeleteI actually watched Jane McGonigal’s speech on TED conference couple of years ago and thought back then about giving SuperBetter a try – so thank you for reminding me about it.
I have also seen her TED speech and that was the reason why I got interested in her game.
DeleteSuperBetter is a nice motivation tool, a bit different than usual games, so I encourage you to try it to check if you like this kind of activity.
Hi,
ReplyDelete1.Do you like playing games?
I like playing game,I am passionate about sports games on the console.
I am playing console game since secondary school. I have console and I playing 6 hours in every weekend.
2.Do you have a favourite one?
I don't have favourite game.
3.Did you play any of the games mentioned in the article? What do you think about that kind of games?
No I didn't play any games from this article , but I like play game with Play Station Move or Kinect in Xbox One. It is very cool :)
Do you know any other fields where games are used not only for entertainment?
Yes, I know any other fields , for example for education, I know a few games which learning person and person have a fun.
Playing Kinect/Playstation Move games is so cool :)
DeleteI also agree with you that education by gaming could be much more interesting than in a usual way.
Thank you for sharing your opinion! :)
* Do you like playing games? Do you have a favourite one?
ReplyDeleteLike everyone I play from time to time :)
* Did you play any of the games mentioned in the article? What do you think about that kind of games?
For some type of people this is very usefull. It may be helpful when you don't have enough your inner motivation. But we need to remember that this only a tool thay may help but it all depends on us
* Do you know any other fields where games are used not only for entertainment?
Gamification is a new word and it answers perfectly on this question. It is often used in business, it allows to create a specific type of motivation in company
You are right that game or any other tool cannot replace your own determination and it's just a support for the motivation, but it could be a nice way of helping :) (that's also what gamification is based on - using mechanism that brings fun for better engagement).
DeleteI play games because it's a great way to kill time. There're so many different things to do in games. Some games are good for challenge, some games challenge to think differently etc.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite game for all time is Arcanum for PC. I know it had bugs and the combat could've been better, but the world was so original. Much better than in Fallouts. 19th century fantasy world during technological revolution. The main story was great. And I still think Arcanum is one of the only RPGs that let player join the bad guy in the end and destroy the world. Also diplomatic character could persuade the bad guy to see the evil of his ways and make him commit suicide. Something I couldn't do in Fallout no matter how diplomatic my character was
sorry, I never play with a game from this Article.
A great deal of research examines whether or not video games actually improve cognitive function or ability. and the results have been mixed. Even if you're familiar with recent research that says that brain training games don't make you a smarter person, some other preliminary research indicates that it's not video games as a medium at issue, but the types of games you play. That means that answering the question "Can video games make you smarter" begins with asking what you're looking to gain by playing them.
Hi!
DeleteI have never played Arcanum, but it looks very intriguing.
It is difficult to imagine that some activity can make us generally 'smarter', but surely it can improve our skills and abilities. As you wrote the same situation is with games.
Thank you for your comment :)
Hi Emilka, great topic! I do like playing games in my spare time (although I don’t have too much of it). I would say that I’m a casual gamer and I mostly play simple games on my smartphone. So far my favourite is Monument Valley (http://www.monumentvalleygame.com/).
ReplyDeleteFrom the games mentioned in the article I played myself only “Guitar Hero” ;), but all of them seem interesting. I really like the idea behind “Foldit”, impressive and so useful!
As the commenters before me mentioned, I also heard about games being used in US army training and recruitment activities as well as flight simulators in real life pilot training.
Hi Krzysztof!
DeleteI am glad you enjoyed the subject of my post.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
If you liked Foldit, maybe you'll be also interested in DARPA project. It is not actually digital game, but kind of experiment that was aimed to show the role of Internet and social networking in broad-area and time-critical problem solving.
More details you can find here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DARPA_Network_Challenge
I like playing both, "real" and video games. The less free time I have, the more I appreciate a chance to play. In both cases I don't have my favourite one, it always depends on what I want at the particular moment. I haven't played any of mentioned games, I also don't have any opinion about the kind in general. I treat games only in categories of entertainment, saying that some game improves someone's skills useful in life sounds to me like excuse for spending time on play instead of, for example, studying (of, course this is a generalization and in many cases my approach is wrong). Answering your last question, I've heard about games mentioned by Krzysztof in previous post but I don't think that in such case players enjoy them as much as "regular" gamers.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to deny that games are firstly for entertainment :)
DeleteYes, I like playing games, tell me who doesn't?, but not this kind of games. I have got many favorite games starting for e.g. Heroes III, but I have never play any games mentioned in the article. I think this kind of games are very popular and as we can see, there is a great demand for it, since it scored such a big success. Few weeks ago I have read a book about playing games and I remember being quite impressed. So, yes, I think that are many fields where games are used not only for entertainment, but for e.g. for marketing.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Kinga!
DeleteSo basically those games provide some sort of quests for you to do in real life and give you this extra motivation to do them, right? I guess if your will is weak then they might help, however it's a "healthier" practice to boost your motivation in more natural ways. I haven't played any of the mentioned games, the ones I did and still do (unfortunately currently my leisure time is very limited) were more for entertainment (like a movie) than for motivating me to do real life tasks. Last one I tried was The Witcher 3 and I enjoyed it. ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right. SuperBetter is based on small quests to do in real life. Natural motivation is always better, but the game was created for the people that cannot motivate themselves (e.g. in depression) and need some help with it.
DeleteUnfortunately, I do not play any games - I just do not have time to get involved into any of them. The last game I played via Internet was BubbleShooter.
ReplyDeleteThere are some games attached to open source software like tetris. Tetris may be one of my favourites.
I have never played any of the games mentioned in the article. Maybe, there are people who benefit from this kind of games. For me it was always hard to be regular.
I am not catching on the games market, however, I know that there are games for the parents and their children which help parents in bringing up the children. They collect points and get prizes. I heard that this game got an award.
That's very interesting. I didn't hear about this game. Looks a bit like "SuperNanny" method :)
DeleteI'm surprised, very interesting topic!I had never heard of this type of games. I like computer games, but do not play games regularly. Sometimes I play on the train or bus to pass the time :) In the past I've played in the game simulators. I know that these games are used for training, and preparation for normal operation. There are no typical game but have serious use.
ReplyDeleteI am happy that you are interested in :) Gaming is a broad subject and sometimes touches very serious areas. I know few people who used different games to recover from illness, that's why I see gaming a bit different than many people :)
DeleteI can't remember the last time when I played computer game. I prefer to spend time in the real world if I have a choice. So far I have heard about educational games or games that allow for movement. But I will not hide, most impressed me chapters: "Crowdsourcing for Problem-Solving ", "Rehearsal of Real Life Scenarios in a Safe Space", Education of Medicine and Public Health", "Treatment of Illness and Diseases ". I think it's an interesting topic that develops in a very interesting way.
ReplyDeleteI barely play computer games but I have 2 favorite games - GTA and Counter Strike. I recently started to play CS again because it makes me less stressed ;-) I haven't heard about "SuperBetter" before but it looks really great as a motivation tool for recovering after injuries. I tried to play a few strategic simulation games. The purpose of those games was to teach how to make a good strategic decision in the company. I also know some educational games for children from http://tocaboca.com/ I believe that learning through playing is a great approach and should be more adopted by parents.
ReplyDelete