May 29, 2008

Ready, Set, Play!

If you hear the word "gamer" and immediately default to an image of a long-haired teenager in ill-fitting clothes, think again. More and more older adults are turning to video games for a dose of physical and brain fitness.

• According to the Entertainment Software Association, 24% of Americans over the age of 50 played video games in 2007.
  
  
• The brain fitness software market alone generated $225 million in revenue in 2007 -- up from $100 million in 2005.
  
  
• The serious games market in the U.S. is estimated to be $1.5 billion, growing at 8% per year.
  
  
• Educational Games Research (EGR) reports, "health plan investment in brain fitness centers rose from $35 million in 2005 to $65 million in 2007."
  
  
• EGR also reports that more than 400 brain fitness centers have been launched in residential facilities for the elderly in the U.S.

Healthy Games research getting a lot of play

At the recent Games for Health national conference, four major emerging trends in healthy gaming were outlined:

• The escalation of exergaming -- the use of games to improve physical fitness
• The introduction of video games into rehab and therapy programs
• The participation of major health care providers in healthy gaming research and practice
• The rise of games for first responders and medical professionals

Those providing services to the aging have not been left out of this growing industry. The delivery of health education and fitness activities through the use of interactive electronic games that allow people to play safely at any age is increasing. This approach, known as "serious games," researches games and simulations for non-entertainment domains - education, training, health, public policy, defense, and strategic communication.

Many of these games create simulated environments that engage and motivate older adults to role play; craft their own scenarios; and evaluate, make choices and discover the consequences of those choices.

Current research in the healthy games arena seeks to measure what changes can be linked to the actual message or movement provided through the game and to determine what game activities motivate behavior change, such as increased exercise. Researchers in this field are studying the processes of learning, skill development, community building, and attitude and behavior changes.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds Health Games Research at the University of California -- Santa Barbara.  This national program supports research to enhance the quality and impact of interactive games used to improve health. Its aim is to advance the innovation, design, and effectiveness of health games and game technologies to help people of all ages improve their health-related behaviors and achieve better health outcomes.  

Wii leading the way

Much of the research and practical applications of healthy gaming is being done with the Nintendo Wii game system:

• Meridian Health in New Jersey has launched an "exergaming" research initiative focusing on the metabolic and caloric impact of workout regimen involving Wii-gaming, as compared to traditional workouts.
  
  
• Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute has teamed up with the University of Minnesota to design a study that will measure patients' function before and after rehab which includes use of the Wii. Preliminarily, it appears that "Wii-hab" helps patients improve strength, range of motion, dexterity and balance.
  
  
• The recent U.S. launch of Wii Fit will likely invite further research efforts. Wii Fit allows players to create personal profiles, set training goals and track progress in lowering weight, BMI and Wii Fit Age. The game's four main exercise categories include strength training, aerobics, yoga and balance.

Log on to learn more

Humana Games is sponsored by Humana Health and is dedicated to understanding how video games can be used to encourage active lifestyles, combat obesity, encourage effective disease management, provide entertaining physical therapy and battle age-related physical and mental decline.

Dancetown Fitness System is designed for use in continuing care retirement centers (CCRCs), assisted living, retirement communities and senior centers. Dancetown provides tools to track standardized Tinetti Balance and Gait tests, the Senior Fitness test, the TUG test and the Six-Minute Walk test.

Lightspace is a new product that includes an interactive floor space comprised of 16"x16" programmable LED lit and pressure sensitive tiles that can display any color, pattern or image. The surface is able to detect location, movement and density of players in order to provide limitless variety of games.

www.Gaming4Health.com is the first online social network for healthy games. Log on to find a growing database of healthy games, as well as a place to share knowledge, research and experience in healthy gaming.

If the idea of serious games ignites your passion, check out the masters program in Serious Game Design at Michigan State University. This program prepares game designers, theory experts, content experts and researchers for careers in collaborative serious game design.

News you can use

Developing National In-Home Caregiver Training Standards -- is a report recently issued by the Caregiver Project for Older Americans. Click here to download a copy of the report.

Slow Medicine -- A recent New York Times article explores the idea of "slow medicine," which emphasizes comfort over cure at the end of life.