Last year we debuted Zombie Yoga in an initial talk at the Games for Health Conference 2012. This year the zombies return…
After a full year of Development at DePaul University, “”Zombie Yoga – Recovering the Inner Child”" has been completed. The team set out to develop a different kind of motion game: one in which the emotional aspect of playing the game is foregrounded and physical exercise is only regarded as a vehicle of interaction.
This talk introduces the finished game and provides insight into its design process: the decisions that were made to create an emotionally driven motion game, whose main focus was on inner processes rather than heart-rate, oxygen levels and work-out. It discusses the potential benefits of focusing on these psychological rather than physical themes for the purpose of reaching and audience who does not already have an affinity towards exercising.
Supporting Therapists In Motion-Based Gaming For Brain Injury Rehabilitation
To create and design games that support therapists in their work with brain-injury patients we need to (a) better understand the scope of the problem space and (b) consider both the tangible outcomes (e.g., meeting therapeutic goals) and the experiential outcomes (e.g. increased patient confidence). We feel that all too often in games for therapy, game are designed for tangible outcomes (i.e. more related to productivity tools) than for experiential outcomes. This talk discusses these issues informs attendees on the design and user requirements for adjustable mini motion-games to support BI therapies.
Now linked through research to an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, cancer, and more, "sitting disease" is recognized by public health officials, researchers and employers as a real health concern. Hotseat is a customizable, user-driven answer to this threat. Hotseat is a mobile- and web-based solution that decreases employees' sitting time through short breaks, social accountability and game play. Described as a "trainer in one's pocket" and "Pandora for exercise," Hotseat has been recognized for its design by the Webbys People's Voice Awards and Partners Healthcare Innovators Challenge.
At the time of the conference, Hotseat will be at the midpoint of a two-month pilot with AHA employees and guests. Session attendees will hear what we've learned and what's surprised us, too. We'll review data from AHA's pilot, including baseline sedentary behavior and current utilization overall and by age, gender, and other demographics. We'll share what goes into a successful launch and what it takes to sustain engagement and track impact. And we'll highlight the necessary decision points for moving a product forward while balancing product enhancement.
