COMPUTER AND VIDEO GAMES ENHANCE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS MEASURES
Computer and video games prove to be effective tools for simulating and training emergency responders for real-life disaster situations, but as the technology advances and the number of players expand, games may eventually play an even larger role in emergency response and preparedness.
Last month, New York State authorities announced that they are testing a new safety initiative that would incorporate video game consoles into the state's emergency alert system via online gaming networks. The announcement came at New York's Interop Conference, a business technology event focused on promoting new innovations in information technology. New York State Deputy CIO Rico Singleton said that the process is currently in its testing phase, but that the state is working harder to expand its communications efforts through online channels to ensure that emergency alerts reach as many New Yorkers as possible.
Meanwhile, students in New Jersey classrooms began using a new disaster recovery game to learn the critical skills needed to respond to disasters from a business perspective. SPILL, funded by Deloitte & Touche, presents students with a virtual world disaster for which they must develop a recovery plan within the confines of the business world. Students learn environmental and business concepts like negotiation, teamwork and ethics, all while balancing budgetary issues and quality control with the urgency of disaster relief.
These recent initiatives are not isolated cases; in fact, the U.S. government has made investments in video game technology as emergency preparedness learning tools. Last March, the Department of Homeland Security provided a $4.8 million grant to the National Emergency Medical Services Preparedness Initiative to develop a video game with George Washington University that allows paramedics, EMT's and other emergency responders to develop their disaster preparedness skills on the virtual scene of a large-scale crisis. From pandemics to earthquakes, players learn about the equipment needed for particular disasters, what to ask victims, triage, and how to effectively manage something as seemingly unmanageable as a large-scale disaster.
As both public and private sector organizations look for new ways to prepare for all kinds of disasters, computer and video games provide a unique opportunity for emergency responders and citizens to train and prepare for real-world situations in a virtual world. With 68 percent of American households playing computer and video games, their use as a disaster resource could become even more widespread in the years to come.
VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY TAPS INTO SOCIAL MEDIA
 By now, most Americans have caught on that social media, technology's next big thing, has become an integral part of modern society. From early Usenet systems and BBSs (Bulletin Board Systems), to present day platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, social media has enabled people to share their daily lives, meet new people and connect with old friends. The computer and video game industry is embracing the social media revolution, recognizing the importance and impact that it has on day-to-day life. As a result, video game enthusiasts are now able to communicate with their peers and share information, commentaries, reviews, and recommendations better than ever before.
 A 2008 study from the Pew Internet & American Life Project revealed that 76 percent of teens play games with other people, including online. Even games designed for single players are played socially.
The financial success of any video game is driven by peer-to-peer interaction and word-of-mouth reviews and analysis. A recent survey released by public relations firm Waggener Edstrom reports that word-of-mouth advice is the biggest influence on consumers' game-buying decisions.
 Video game players also rely heavily on social media for technology related news and content. According to a Lotame Solutions I.D. Marketing report, players are 30 percent more likely to be interested in technology content within social media.
Video game publishers and console makers are now finding innovative new ways to engage with their diverse audiences. In early November, Microsoft introduced Facebook and Twitter to its Xbox LIVE service. The response was overwhelming; 2 million LIVE users logged into Facebook and a half million accounts were created in the first 24 hours. Players using Sony PlayStation 3 can now sync their Facebook profiles to show game achievements and trophies and share information about the games they purchase. And Nintendo's handheld DS console allows players to access Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to connect with friends and share photos.
Publishers are engaging game players via social networks both before and after they buy new games. The companies can tease forthcoming games, like Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIII, before they hit store shelves by releasing screenshots and videos to the public through Facebook and Twitter accounts. Meanwhile, fans of new games, such as Electronic Arts' Dragon Age, have the ability to connect with other fans while staying up-to-date on the latest game-related news. Fans can also provide feedback on new games through these channels, and publishers can keep players engaged by providing information like software updates and codes to access downloadable content.
As major social networks and social media sites make changes and improvements on an almost daily basis, the video game industry and its use of social media will undoubtedly continue to evolve along with them.
ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION AWARDS NEARLY $2 MILLION IN GRANTS TO FUND HEALTH GAMES RESEARCH
Recognizing the important role entertainment software plays in health and physical fitness, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation granted $1.85 million last November to nine research teams to study how digital games can improve patients' health choices and outcomes. Each research team will receive $100,000 to $300,000 to fund one- to two-year studies, focusing on diverse patient groups.
The Foundation's "Health Games Research" program, founded in 2007 to further the use of games in health, is funding the research initiative. The $8.25 million program distributes grants for original game designs that require physical activity or promote healthy habits. This is the second set of grants awarded by the program. The nine research teams will study digital games using a variety of platforms including computers and video game consoles that motivate players to improve their health through:
- Healthy lifestyle changes;
- Prevention behaviors; cognitive, social or physical skills;
- Self-management of chronic diseases; and/or,
- Adherence to a medical treatment plan.
The grant recipients announced in November include:
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will study the effects of facial perception games on the brain activity and facial perception skills of 8- to 12-year-old children who have been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
George Washington University (Washington, DC) will compare physical, psychological and behavioral effects of three physical activities: (1) playing a video game that involves an upper and lower body workout; (2) playing a video game that provides a lower body workout; and (3) engaging in traditional physical education activities at school.
Georgetown University (Washington, DC) will assign two groups of high school students (and one control group) to play the Wii Active competitively or cooperatively with the goal of lowering body mass index (BMI).
Long Island University (Brooklyn, NY) will compare the use of the Dance Dance Revolution video game with two traditional treatment options for helping people with Parkinson's Disease reduce their risk of falling by increasing their balance, strength, endurance, motor coordination, and visual-motor integration.
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) will provide a virtual partner to engage in video game exercises with participants. University researchers will also investigate the effects of a 3D fantasy role-playing game that requires players to move their upper and lower body in order to control their character's movements to advance in the game.
Teachers College, Columbia University (New York, NY) will develop and evaluate a smoking reduction game, intended to be an alternative to smoking delivered on a mobile phone.
As people age, they lose some of their ability to sustain their attention and to focus on a main task while ignoring distractions. The University of California, San Francisco will study ways to improve attention and other related cognitive skills by using a driving game in which players practice paying attention to relevant information, such as traffic signs, and ignoring irrelevant information, such as billboards.
University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) will examine the influence of virtual social characters on people's motivation to exercise.
These initiatives represent a growing trend toward using computer and video games as valuable tools in the fight to preserve fitness and well-being, heal the injured and train the professionals who respond to medical emergencies.
For more information on the research teams, please click here. For additional information on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, visit their Web site, www.rwjf.org. |
