Albert Einstein once famously remarked that “imagination is more important than knowledge.” If he had been in attendance at Day 3 of Games Beyond Entertainment — a week-long series of events focused on the future of “serious gaming” — a day dedicated to exploring the intertwined worlds of games and health, then it is possible he would have been hugely impressed by what was presented. Accessibility for disabled gamers, “exergaming,” the promotion of healthy behavior for kids with obesity, and a rock drummer attached to a heart monitor were just some of the exciting conversation topics yesterday.
Collectively, the day’s talks and panels gave attendees some insight into the future of Healthy Gaming.
Assuming Al would appreciate the joy of being immersed in a virtual world, even he would have acknowledged the stellar cast assembled yesterday by the organizers as A-List. Kicking off with a presentation by Dr. John Lumpkin of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, who admitted that his teenage son’s interest in Dance Dance Revolution was his inspiration for wanting to utilize video games in healthcare development, the pace of inspiring talk on the future of gaming never flagged.
Keynote speaker Dr. Richard Marks from Sony thrilled the 400-plus attendees in the audience with a demonstration of the Playstation Move, not only showing how the gaming platform was developed but also highlighting the significant advances made by the hardware giant since the Eye Toy failed to take the world by storm – although it still sold 6 million units. Exploring the relationship between game-play and exercise as part of a mind-body experience, Dr. Marks looked more like an excited gamer than a serious researcher, and the release of the Move later this fall will be a huge step forward in the intersection of gaming technology and physical activity.
Games for Health account for approximately 1/6 of the overall video game market, and the industry is worth $6B annually, according to Dr. Lumpkin. Granted, the majority of this revenue does find its way into the coffers of Nintendo with the popularity of the Wii Fit system, but it is still not a figure to be sneezed at.
Our friends at Cambridge-based Harmonix, (yes, them again) are a recognized powerhouse in the gaming market and, following the visually-impaired research discussed on Tuesday, showed that their Rock Band game can also be used to monitor heart rate and energy expenditure through the physicality of drumming. As part of a presentation by the UK’s Clem Burke Drumming Project, Kevin Figueiredo (drummer with local heroes Extreme) was wired up to a computer, and his heart rate monitored in a ten-minute drum solo on a real drum set. John Drake, developer for Rock Band Network, then took to the stage to compare how a similar workout on a video game can also be beneficial in promoting healthy behavior.
The theme of the day seemed to be how video gaming can act as a gateway to physical activity whilst still maintaining the elements of fun that characterize why we love playing games so much. Panels covered the potential of games for rehab and physical therapy, and one even featured a fascinating device known as a Virtual Reality Augmented Cycling Kit. A discussion on the adaptation of existing commercial products for health solutions was enlivened by Mike Weckesser from Best Buy, who claimed that the retailer is “a technical solutions provider,” which is news to anyone who has tried to get game recommendations from any of their retail staff, and even Sigmund Freud was outed as a potential gamer.
As was the case on the previous two days of Games Beyond Entertainment, the presentations raised some interesting questions. The American Heart Association has endorsed Wii Fit as an important component in general health, and we were told that some medical practitioners have recommended the use of the Wii balance board and dance platforms as an integral elements in combating child obesity. However, the insurance industry cannot confirm whether any existing policies would cover the purchase of a gaming platform for health reasons and, as we know, off-the-shelf gaming devices are generally designed for consumer fun as opposed to replacing recommended minimum daily physical activity. Perhaps someday, we’ll be able to send our console receipts to our insurance companies for reimbursements.
One thing the attendees will be trying to achieve before the conference wraps up on Friday will be a combined 1,000,000 dance steps on the industrial dance mats that cover the floor of the reception marquee, with the results being used to provide data that will form part of research into the potential benefits of games as part of healthcare development.
Although it is unlikely that Albert Einstein would be quite so eager to strap on his dancing shoes. Then again, the landscape of Healthy Gaming is changing so rapidly we may all be spending less time at the gym in the future and more time burning calories in front of the television.
To learn more about Games Beyond Entertainment Week, be sure to check out yesterday’s post covering Day 2 of the conference and Monday’s post recapping Day 1. Games Beyond Entertainment Week wraps up on Friday, May 28.
