Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Games for Virtual Rehabilitation

Tonight on ABC news, there was a segment on a doctor that was using a video game simulator to treat post traumatic stress syndrome for vets returning from deployment in Irag.

Here's a couple of interesting links to research on this use of serious games:

Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of PTSD Symptoms in Cyberspace, NYU

Virtual Rehabilitation Keynote, Rutgers

There's even a conference regarding the use of games for health.

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Video Game Training for Hazardous Materials Emergencies

MSNBC featured a clip today on the Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center's serious game project- Hazmat: Hotzone.

"Current hazmat training occurs through classroom lectures that are occasionally supplimented by large scale field exercises. Unfortunately, due to the high cost and logisitcal difficulty involved, these field exercises can only be staged once or twice a year.

Hazmat: Hotzone is not intended to replace either the lectures or the field exercises. Instead, this program is designed to fill the training gap that exists between these two methods. It serves as an affordable mechanism to apply classroom knowledge and reinforce what has already been learned."

Friday, July 08, 2005

Advertising in Games West

The Advertising In Games Forum brings together advertising agencies, leading brands, game companies and technology companies for the first time.

The forum identifies and examines the opportunities and pitfalls in the use of advertising in video games and provides a unique assessment of the driving forces that are shaping this market.

The huge growth in game playing audiences among key demographics offers a new and an unprecedented opportunity for agencies to connect brands with content savvy consumers. The conference program features pioneers and practitioners from both the agency/client and game developer perspectives and will provide critical information on how advertising can add realism and revenue for new games and offers insights on the range of options and ROI available when considering games as a new medium.