Cancer fighting game works in real life: study

2 hrs.

Matthew Hawkins

"Re-Mission" is a video game in which the player controls a microscopic robot in the body of someone undergoing cancer therapy, to fight the disease and help off set the side effects of treatment. If the player is successful, the patient is cured, and now studies show the game can also help those afflicted in the real world.

As Kotaku points out, it's what is commonly referred to as a "serious game," which aims to illustrate real world issues in a virtual, and most importantly, interactive manner. Non-profit HopeLab developed?"Re-Mission? in 2006. It is aimed at those undergoing cancer treatment, to help better understand what is happening with their bodies:

A study conducted in 2008 confirmed the game's effectiveness: those who played "Re-Mission" were more likely to comply with treatment directives. A more recent study examined why, and according to the results, the act of playing works with parts of the brain responsible for motivation, more so than non-interactive methods of education.

According to Steve Cole, Ph.D., Vice President of Research and Development at HopeLab:

Active involvement in video game play sparks positive motivation in a way that watching and hearing information does not? All participants in the study received the same information. It was the active participation in gameplay that made the big difference in motivation. This study helps refine our 'recipe for success' in harnessing the power of play in the service of health.

The results validate those who have long believed video games, given the proper context and circumstances, can be a powerful tool for motivation and education. Those interested in playing "Re-Mission" can obtain a copy directly from HopeLab here.

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Matthew Hawkins is an NYC-based game journalist who has also written for EGM, GameSetWatch, Gamasutra, Giant Robot and numerous others. He also self-publishes his own game culture zine, is part of?Attract Mode, and co-hosts?The Fangamer Podcast. You can keep tabs on him via?Twitter,?or his personal home-base,?FORT90.com.

Source: http://www.ingame.msnbc.msn.com/technology/ingame/cancer-fighting-game-works-real-life-study-511719

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