Jane McGonigal's Future: First, I am glad to know that not only is there another person out there that believes the world can be "saved" with the use of games, but that this person is also a woman! Recently, Jane gave a speech at the 2008 New Yorker Conference on video games influence and effect on the world. She specializes in alternate reality games (you might know her from iLoveBEES or her current game: The Lost Ring). Her games are much more immersible because they are, in a sense, more "hands-on". An interesting tidbit from her speech was that in the "old days", starving communities were made to play games on certain days because it allowed them to forget about eating; therefore, the food would last longer. If games could once upon a time allow a community to survive longer (and even outlive those that didn't play games), I don't see how it cannot have that same amazing effect today. The idea that games are "just for kids" is ridiculous and stifles us as an evolving human race. Anyway, Jane's speech is very interesting and inspiring, so go watch it here!
Cybertherapy 2008: is a convention specializing in the use of technology as forms of therapy (ding ding ding! :D ). I wish I could attend because some of their topics this year include: Neuropsychological assessment, Anxiety disorders (plus a PTSD workshop!!), Augmented reality, Videogame applications, and Virtual reality applications (among more). I may just be a strange person, but whenever I hear the words "anxiety/depression/mental disorder", "video games", "surreal", or "art", my ears perk up like ultrasonic radars. I'm very excited to be going to the GDC, but I'll be slightly disappointed if not a single gaming company is interested in talking about video games for use as therapy. Although not far off, Cybertherapy 2008 doesn't start until June 23rd. I've noticed they've reserved a link on their site for upcoming .pdf presentations from the conference (yay!); so, I'll be checking up on them soon to see if they've posted any. Here's their website in case you're interested in checking them out as well: Cybertherapy 2008.
PopCap Games: seems to be on to something. According to a PopCap survey, more disabled gamers (physically, mentally, and developmentally) play casual games than other types of games (20%+ for casual games vs. 15% for games in general). This supports my theory that casual games can be prescribed as therapy for those with mental illnesses. They provide for a necessary release, but I just don't want games to "avoid" the actual issues. I want games to be created by developers and therapists together to push through the hill of "distracting the brain from the illness" over to the "helping in a long term sense" field. You guys don't have to hold hands to complete this quest (but it might help).
On another note, I am very interested to see what PopCap games is going to do with their newfound information. All I can say is that I hope they do something.
Random Link: Cyclepong 2.0. Yes, I said it... cycle + pong = Cyclepong. I wish I had one to put in my basement! (but, I guess I need a house with a basement first... or money... or preferably both). One day, I'll have my dream basement; so far: ping pong table, turn tables playing gnarls barkley and/or gorillaz, and now Cyclepong (for those waiting to play on the ping pong table). You may call it redundant, I say it's brilliant!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Meme of the Month: Debut Album
So, I thought Corvus' Monday Meme was cute, so here goes mine:
East African Airways' State-controlled Manufactory of Echoes debut album!
Here are the rules if you want to join in:
East African Airways' State-controlled Manufactory of Echoes debut album!Here are the rules if you want to join in:
- Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random Wikipedia article you get is the name of your band. - Go to Random quotations: http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3
The last four words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album. - Go to flickr’s “explore the last seven days” at http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover. - Put it all together, that’s your debut album.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Review: The Last Straw & A Closer Look at OCD
First, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day! (I wonder how many mothers would like to spend mother's day away from the family... ;) ). I spent a nice mother's day with my mom, husband, and daughter, if anyone was curious. I am also now officially moved to Dallas, TX! So, lets get the ball rolling...
Review: The Last Straw! is a board game that is supposed to bring to light health issues based mainly on socioeconomic status. Now, the creator's intention is great, but it's scope seems to fall so short. If you're going to bring up the issue of social determinants on health, why would you make the game based on an audience that already knows and agrees with your point of view? Board games are relatively cheap, fun, and available to most everyone, so why not market the game for that audience as well. Although The Last Straw! focuses on a different aspect of health than what I usually cover, they illustrate one of my main points perfectly: Health professionals and game makers need to work together in order to successfully produce a "healthy" game. Most games that try to have an impact on health aren't made from an entertainment point of view, but instead leave the taste of a stale doctor's visit in your mouth. Here are my suggestions to the creators of The Last Straw! (Kate Reeve and Kate Rossiter): add a game industry professional to your team and your game will go much further than the scope you have set up right now There are so many indie developers out there that have a good understanding of what makes a game fun, have some arts skills, and have some marketing skills, which are the only things that this game is missing. For example, look at the image of The Last Straw! board above. Does any of that say "play me!"? You can't even tell what the game is about. Simply adding people of all different races, classes, geographical locations as the background (think: a "sea" of faces), would greatly peak a players interest/empathy during the game while also providing that the game is about "people". Now, as my disclaimer (which I suppose disclaimers are supposed to be first, but here it is either way), I have not played the game. This is huge since I cannot properly/accurately evaluate a game if I haven't played it. YET, it says something if I have to ask myself if I would even WANT to play a game that fails to even entertain my eyes.
A Closer Look: OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) is just that, it's when people obsess and compulsively fulfill those obsessions as though it were a need. Some obsess about rituals (if I don't tap the wall three times before bed, something bad might happen); others obsess over other things, often repeatedly checking beyond what's considered "normal". My mom has OCD. I have a minor, rather controllable case of OCD. Now here's my concern and why I want to take a closer look at OCD: I worry that the hardest mental disorder to conquer with casual games is a disorder that makes you obsessed with things. Video games can already be addicting, so who's to say that a video game won't make your OCD worse? Well, here are my thoughts on those important issues:
Shame plays a big part in OCD (so does stress). Doing that act alleviates that stress, but there's a shame in knowing you are controlled by this act. This shame adds onto the stress, which starts the ritual all over again. It's a vicious circle. Now imagine being able to transfer your ritual into a video game that allows you to complete it, yet it makes it look like you are playing a game just like everyone else on their computers. Also, computers offer an invaluable privacy which would alleviate a lot of the stress that comes from the unnecessary shame.
You may ask, "Well, how would this solve anything? Wouldn't the player just be addicted/obsessed with the game?" To solve possible addictions, I propose a "nicotine-patch" method utilized by timers within the game. At first, the player will play the game as much as needed for the game to recognize a "starting point" in its timers. From then, the game can cut down the time allowed to play by 15-20% (specifics can be found by conducting field research on what timing schedule is most effective) until one day, ideally, the game is no longer needed. This is essentially how the nicotine patch works; you give the player what they want, while gradually reducing the "need". Any thoughts?
Random Link: The new Humana Games for Health website caught my eye recently. It's very well laid out and informative, although not complete yet. You should check it out!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
VR for Combat Stress & Games for Health
First, I want to thank everyone for all their amazing feedback. I'm learning so much, and it's good to know that my idea isn't just some far-fetched plan, but something that's already in the works by many people. Being new to the "blog world", I've noticed that I'm more of a fan of frequent but short blogs versus the long blog once-a-month. So, I'm going to try and post more frequently about my findings and ideas instead of just bombarding everyone with one gigantic blog a month. Sound good?
Here are my findings:
Virtual Reality Therapy for Combat Stress - Psychologist Skip Rizzo is an amazing guy working on some pretty amazing things. Rizzo is doing research with The Institute of Creative Technologies, and is finding out that virtual reality is proving helpful to many mental disorders, as well as helpful to almost any industry. They're working on many projects, but one that also peaked my interest was a "The Sims"-like game that implemented an automatic story generator with a tutoring program so that military families can practice how they will react to their soldier coming home. I can't tell you how vital games like this are! Living on base as an entire unit came back from Iraq, within the next week, you start hearing the horror stories. "So-and-so killed himself.... Hey, did you hear? So-and-so got in a fight with his wife, killed her, and then killed himself while their 6-year-old daughter was instructed to stay in her bedroom upstairs..." This is not a joke. They are some of the saddest tales from the Iraq war. Skip Rizzo and his colleagues seem to understand how useful video games are. Their Virtual Iraq project utilizes the video game Full Spectrum Warrior to help their patients conquer their fear-induces anxieties. I think the most important thing to take from this is that: it's working. After 3-months of virtual reality therapy, anxiety would decrease by 33% and depression by 50%. One challenge that's being faced, though, is active duty members seem to shy away from the program. I can tell you first-hand that there's a HUGE stigma in the military about having a mental disorder or not being able to cope with the stresses of war. When my husband got back from Iraq and started seeking help because he was having black outs, a fellow sergeant yelled at him for having issues (mind you, my husband was a combat medic... it's no surprise he has the issues he does from what he had to go through). He told my husband that he was weak for not just "getting over" the things he's been through. On top of it all, the sergeant told him that his best friend (who was killed just a few months prior by an IED) would be disappointed in him. This stigma is a huge challenge, but I think with time and sensitivity programs, the army can get educated that mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed about. If you're a soldier reading this, there's nothing wrong with getting help. Do it for yourself and your family.
Well, I can go on forever about Iraq and the military, but that's not why I'm here. Virtual reality and video games are starting to make a huge change in the world. There's an entire organization out there that are proponents of video games for health! Amazing, no? Here are their links:
Game for Health conference - This is an organization that gets together with both medical and game industry professionals to solve health issues.
Serious Games - This group has a hand in the above mentioned conference, and they also write articles concerning video games used for serious purposes. A current article they just came out with talks about a study on Popcap games and how their casual games seem to improve a person's overall mood. (Now that's what I'm talking about! :) ). Now imagine games made specifically to better someone's mood!
Ok, on my agenda for future blogs: more findings (Australia's Reach Out! program and game), some reviews (Games: Flora & The Last Straw), and some thoughts on OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).
Here are my findings:
Virtual Reality Therapy for Combat Stress - Psychologist Skip Rizzo is an amazing guy working on some pretty amazing things. Rizzo is doing research with The Institute of Creative Technologies, and is finding out that virtual reality is proving helpful to many mental disorders, as well as helpful to almost any industry. They're working on many projects, but one that also peaked my interest was a "The Sims"-like game that implemented an automatic story generator with a tutoring program so that military families can practice how they will react to their soldier coming home. I can't tell you how vital games like this are! Living on base as an entire unit came back from Iraq, within the next week, you start hearing the horror stories. "So-and-so killed himself.... Hey, did you hear? So-and-so got in a fight with his wife, killed her, and then killed himself while their 6-year-old daughter was instructed to stay in her bedroom upstairs..." This is not a joke. They are some of the saddest tales from the Iraq war. Skip Rizzo and his colleagues seem to understand how useful video games are. Their Virtual Iraq project utilizes the video game Full Spectrum Warrior to help their patients conquer their fear-induces anxieties. I think the most important thing to take from this is that: it's working. After 3-months of virtual reality therapy, anxiety would decrease by 33% and depression by 50%. One challenge that's being faced, though, is active duty members seem to shy away from the program. I can tell you first-hand that there's a HUGE stigma in the military about having a mental disorder or not being able to cope with the stresses of war. When my husband got back from Iraq and started seeking help because he was having black outs, a fellow sergeant yelled at him for having issues (mind you, my husband was a combat medic... it's no surprise he has the issues he does from what he had to go through). He told my husband that he was weak for not just "getting over" the things he's been through. On top of it all, the sergeant told him that his best friend (who was killed just a few months prior by an IED) would be disappointed in him. This stigma is a huge challenge, but I think with time and sensitivity programs, the army can get educated that mental illnesses are nothing to be ashamed about. If you're a soldier reading this, there's nothing wrong with getting help. Do it for yourself and your family.
Well, I can go on forever about Iraq and the military, but that's not why I'm here. Virtual reality and video games are starting to make a huge change in the world. There's an entire organization out there that are proponents of video games for health! Amazing, no? Here are their links:
Game for Health conference - This is an organization that gets together with both medical and game industry professionals to solve health issues.
Serious Games - This group has a hand in the above mentioned conference, and they also write articles concerning video games used for serious purposes. A current article they just came out with talks about a study on Popcap games and how their casual games seem to improve a person's overall mood. (Now that's what I'm talking about! :) ). Now imagine games made specifically to better someone's mood!
Ok, on my agenda for future blogs: more findings (Australia's Reach Out! program and game), some reviews (Games: Flora & The Last Straw), and some thoughts on OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder).
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Idea: Video Games for Mental Issues...
So, this is my idea (and ultimately the main reason I started this blog): I'm convinced that video games can be just as much of a viable solution for mental illness as any pill/therapy (if not better). First, I'll start with some history/back story on how I came up with the idea. Then, I'll give a brief example of a game ("the how"), and finally, I'll end with what I'd like to see in the future.
History: Have you ever played a game so much that you'd close your eyes and your body feels like it's still there playing the game? Immersion in video games is insane these days and is just improving as the years pass by. Virtual reality has always had a hold on our minds, but so far, it's mainly been used for either education or entertainment. They say when you dream, that's when you learn because your brain doesn't know the difference between a dream state and reality. Ultimately, what all this tells me is that video games can be a powerful tool on the brain.
Secondly, I'd like to mention something a little personal that explains my interest in this idea. I have severe depression and anxiety. I'm currently prescribed 3 (strong) medications, but I can't take them. I hate taking pills. It's a psychosomatic-induced nausea; nonetheless, it makes dealing with my issues that much harder. The pills seem to help but if I miss any, it's almost like starting from the beginning again. Currently, only one anti-depressant comes in liquid form (I've had a bad experience with the company before, so I'm worried to take this liquid form), and they offer anti-depressant patches (but are "last case scenarios" because of their serious side-effects). My experience with pills is also that they don't fix/solve anything. They just make things easier to deal with. It's like having a cold; there's no cure, but there's ways to alleviate symptoms until it "goes away". So, to all those people who have mental issues (ranging from "My kids are driving me crazy, I need to get perspective & relax somehow" to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/PTSD to "I want to end my life") and can't/don't want to take pills or risk any side-effects from medicines, I want video games (a virtual reality) to be a viable alternative.
How: Ok, so I don't have this part fully figured out yet. :) But, lets start at the beginning: minor depression/anxiety. Everyone gets depressed or feels anxiety at some point in their life. It's when these feelings start occurring more frequently that the brain's neurons start changing and stop producing "happy thoughts". So, instead of going after the deepest, darkest mind, I want to fix the every day person's anxiety/depression. This means taking a look at casual games. For instance, you have a parent who stays at home with their kids all day and is starting to get unnerved. You know you just need a break, but you can't exactly nap for an hour because the kids will run a muck. What if there was a casual video game that allowed you to create a serene world that would help you gain a little perspective (enough to go back to "real life" with a more positive view). I propose a garden-making casual game. Something you can play for 5-15 minutes and come away feeling calmer.
You might ask, well, why not play any OTHER game; won't it be an escape either way? Video games today are an escape to a point, but their purpose is for entertainment, not healing. Casual games are already giving parents a small break within their day, but imagine if one was made specifically to calm. There would be a sense of instant-gratification versus the possibilities for disappointment that most games pose. This isn't a competition. This is a form of healing.
Another "devil's advocate" question is: Why not just create your own garden in real life? If you can, I encourage it! Yet, most of us don't have that kind of time nor perfect environment to grow what we want. Imagine being able to choose a room (zen, tropical, desert, etc.) and grow your wildest desires (bamboo, dahlias, cacti, tomatoes, etc.). You'll start off with two plants, water them, feed them, and watch them grow into beautiful creations. You can trim them, change their color, etc. No frost, no dogs stepping all over them... just soothing music and beautiful growth. Once you do well with those plants, you can obtain more complex (and beautiful) plants that need different things (shade, sun, nitrates, etc.). You'll be able to save your progress and just go back to your serene room whenever you need that escape. You can even decorate your room with personal photos that help you get back to that state of calm. There could even be an optional NPC (non-playable character) offering advice and encouragement.
Future: So, where do I want to see this young budding idea go? I want to be able to go to a psychiatrist one day and after I tell them how I feel, the possible solutions I'm offered are: 2 Wellbutrin/day, 1 Effexor/day, or 1 hour of "Virtual Therapy" twice/day. I want there to be an all-encompassing game that asks you a couple of questions when you start (standard multiple choice narrowing down what type of game will help your current state the best), and then just launches that game as therapy. What better way to help a combat soldier dealing with past demons and PTSD than having that soldier virtually visit the places he needs to go to get the help he needs. Imagine a FPS made for soldiers trying to reintegrate back into society and their family. I want psychologists and developers to work together on this. It just makes too much sense for nothing to be done with it. If video games can train soldiers to risk their lives, make you lose your sense of time or place, then video games can do amazing things with the human psyche if developed for that purpose.
This can be a revolutionary solution to many people's mental health. It's good that video games are starting to find innovative ways to help out with physical fitness, but now it's time to delve into the nitty gritty that is the human mind. I KNOW this can be done. I want this post to get developers thinking about the versatility of video games and how they can be used to solve some problems in this world. So, now I ask, what challenges does this idea face? Does anyone have any helpful advice? Any more information? If you read this, at the very least, I ask for any possible comments at all (questions, opinions, info, etc.). What do YOU think?
History: Have you ever played a game so much that you'd close your eyes and your body feels like it's still there playing the game? Immersion in video games is insane these days and is just improving as the years pass by. Virtual reality has always had a hold on our minds, but so far, it's mainly been used for either education or entertainment. They say when you dream, that's when you learn because your brain doesn't know the difference between a dream state and reality. Ultimately, what all this tells me is that video games can be a powerful tool on the brain.
Secondly, I'd like to mention something a little personal that explains my interest in this idea. I have severe depression and anxiety. I'm currently prescribed 3 (strong) medications, but I can't take them. I hate taking pills. It's a psychosomatic-induced nausea; nonetheless, it makes dealing with my issues that much harder. The pills seem to help but if I miss any, it's almost like starting from the beginning again. Currently, only one anti-depressant comes in liquid form (I've had a bad experience with the company before, so I'm worried to take this liquid form), and they offer anti-depressant patches (but are "last case scenarios" because of their serious side-effects). My experience with pills is also that they don't fix/solve anything. They just make things easier to deal with. It's like having a cold; there's no cure, but there's ways to alleviate symptoms until it "goes away". So, to all those people who have mental issues (ranging from "My kids are driving me crazy, I need to get perspective & relax somehow" to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/PTSD to "I want to end my life") and can't/don't want to take pills or risk any side-effects from medicines, I want video games (a virtual reality) to be a viable alternative.
How: Ok, so I don't have this part fully figured out yet. :) But, lets start at the beginning: minor depression/anxiety. Everyone gets depressed or feels anxiety at some point in their life. It's when these feelings start occurring more frequently that the brain's neurons start changing and stop producing "happy thoughts". So, instead of going after the deepest, darkest mind, I want to fix the every day person's anxiety/depression. This means taking a look at casual games. For instance, you have a parent who stays at home with their kids all day and is starting to get unnerved. You know you just need a break, but you can't exactly nap for an hour because the kids will run a muck. What if there was a casual video game that allowed you to create a serene world that would help you gain a little perspective (enough to go back to "real life" with a more positive view). I propose a garden-making casual game. Something you can play for 5-15 minutes and come away feeling calmer.
You might ask, well, why not play any OTHER game; won't it be an escape either way? Video games today are an escape to a point, but their purpose is for entertainment, not healing. Casual games are already giving parents a small break within their day, but imagine if one was made specifically to calm. There would be a sense of instant-gratification versus the possibilities for disappointment that most games pose. This isn't a competition. This is a form of healing.
Another "devil's advocate" question is: Why not just create your own garden in real life? If you can, I encourage it! Yet, most of us don't have that kind of time nor perfect environment to grow what we want. Imagine being able to choose a room (zen, tropical, desert, etc.) and grow your wildest desires (bamboo, dahlias, cacti, tomatoes, etc.). You'll start off with two plants, water them, feed them, and watch them grow into beautiful creations. You can trim them, change their color, etc. No frost, no dogs stepping all over them... just soothing music and beautiful growth. Once you do well with those plants, you can obtain more complex (and beautiful) plants that need different things (shade, sun, nitrates, etc.). You'll be able to save your progress and just go back to your serene room whenever you need that escape. You can even decorate your room with personal photos that help you get back to that state of calm. There could even be an optional NPC (non-playable character) offering advice and encouragement.
Future: So, where do I want to see this young budding idea go? I want to be able to go to a psychiatrist one day and after I tell them how I feel, the possible solutions I'm offered are: 2 Wellbutrin/day, 1 Effexor/day, or 1 hour of "Virtual Therapy" twice/day. I want there to be an all-encompassing game that asks you a couple of questions when you start (standard multiple choice narrowing down what type of game will help your current state the best), and then just launches that game as therapy. What better way to help a combat soldier dealing with past demons and PTSD than having that soldier virtually visit the places he needs to go to get the help he needs. Imagine a FPS made for soldiers trying to reintegrate back into society and their family. I want psychologists and developers to work together on this. It just makes too much sense for nothing to be done with it. If video games can train soldiers to risk their lives, make you lose your sense of time or place, then video games can do amazing things with the human psyche if developed for that purpose.
This can be a revolutionary solution to many people's mental health. It's good that video games are starting to find innovative ways to help out with physical fitness, but now it's time to delve into the nitty gritty that is the human mind. I KNOW this can be done. I want this post to get developers thinking about the versatility of video games and how they can be used to solve some problems in this world. So, now I ask, what challenges does this idea face? Does anyone have any helpful advice? Any more information? If you read this, at the very least, I ask for any possible comments at all (questions, opinions, info, etc.). What do YOU think?
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Hello, my name is...
Hello. How are you doing, tonight? My name's Marcela Roberts, and I'm a recent graduate (BS in Game Art & Design and AA in Fine Arts). I'm a wife to an intelligent, wonderful, and patient Iraq-vet (who loves to write, especially stories for video games). I'm also a mother of an insanely beautiful, crazy little girl of almost two years. She's one of my best friends.
I know we just met, but you might be asking yourself: "Why 'Twisted Reality 8'?" I figure an answer to that might be a good start for this new form of communication with the world. So here it goes...
Art is life. Life is art. Reality = Life = Art. You see a random penned squiggle on paper, I see a surreal flamingo with a top hat and cane. I also see his name... "Franklin". This is what I call a "twisted" reality. I don't see what the average person sees. Everything has a twist to it, whether its fantastical, whimsical, or horrific, squiggles transform into a life of their own right before my eyes.
Now, as for the number 8... not hard to guess. It's my favorite number. :) I have thing for circles. Thus, my love of the word "noodle" and "Boosh!" (Frisky Dingo, anyone?).
Well, after a long day, I really do need to get back to my family. I just wanted to make sure that I introduced myself a little as well as this blog. A very special thanks to Mr. Corvus (Man Bytes Blog) for his inspiration and advice! Thank you for visiting and goodnight.
P.S. soon-to-come: a video game idea that will revolutionize the way we deal with some mental illnesses.
I know we just met, but you might be asking yourself: "Why 'Twisted Reality 8'?" I figure an answer to that might be a good start for this new form of communication with the world. So here it goes...
Art is life. Life is art. Reality = Life = Art. You see a random penned squiggle on paper, I see a surreal flamingo with a top hat and cane. I also see his name... "Franklin". This is what I call a "twisted" reality. I don't see what the average person sees. Everything has a twist to it, whether its fantastical, whimsical, or horrific, squiggles transform into a life of their own right before my eyes.
Now, as for the number 8... not hard to guess. It's my favorite number. :) I have thing for circles. Thus, my love of the word "noodle" and "Boosh!" (Frisky Dingo, anyone?).
Well, after a long day, I really do need to get back to my family. I just wanted to make sure that I introduced myself a little as well as this blog. A very special thanks to Mr. Corvus (Man Bytes Blog) for his inspiration and advice! Thank you for visiting and goodnight.
P.S. soon-to-come: a video game idea that will revolutionize the way we deal with some mental illnesses.
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