This document discusses using popular video games to promote health initiatives. It notes that while some health games have been created, they suffer from a lack of visibility and advertising. The document proposes addressing this by partnering with the creators of hugely popular existing games like World of Warcraft and League of Legends to develop mods or additions focused on health topics. Specific examples outlined include a diabetes mod for WoW that tracks blood sugar and a stress management tool integrated into the competitive multiplayer online battle arena game League of Legends. The goal is to leverage existing gaming platforms and audiences of tens or hundreds of millions to more effectively promote health messages and programs.

1. Gamififying Healthcare through
popular video games
A twist to tackle visibility for Health Games
initiatives
@Lostnurse

2. Benefits of
gaming Health Games Creative Solutions
1 2 3 4 5
Demography Problems

3. Benefits of
gaming Health Games Creative Solutions
1 2 3 4 5
Demography Problems

4. Benefits of Gaming
“The purpose of all video games is to train a player to work harder while still enjoying it...” - Nick Yee

5. Benefits of Gaming
Provide intrinsic rewards
(self-esteem)
A place to be productive
Collaboration & social
skills (over 65% of gaming
is social)
“The purpose of all video games is to train a player to work harder while still enjoying it...” - Nick Yee

6. Benefits of Gaming
Intrinsic rewards (self- Improves ability to reason
esteem) and solve new problems
Productive space Improve Peripheral
vision and hand-eye
Social and colaboration coordination
skills (over 65% of gaming
happens online) Improve response time
and decision making
“The purpose of all video games is to train a player to work harder while still enjoying it...” - Nick Yee

7. Benefits of Gaming
x
“Fun from games arises out of mastery. It arises out of comprehension. It is the act of solving puzzles
that makes games fun. With games, learning is the drug” - Raph Koster

8. Benefits of Gaming
Teaching potential
Contribution → “Fold it” and “Eterna” (protein&RNA folding
games), “Evoke” and “WWO” (crisis management games)
Overall just full of potential
x
“Fun from games arises out of mastery. It arises out of comprehension. It is the act of solving puzzles
that makes games fun. With games, learning is the drug” - Raph Koster

9. Benefits of
gaming
Health Games Creative Solutions
1 2 3 4 5
Demography Problems

10. 60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Over 50 18 - 49 years Under 18

11. Total of 352.000.000
active players
http://www.theesa.com/facts/pdfs/ESA_EF_2011.pdf

14. With all these potenciatial gamers and the
teaching potential games offer, several
healthcare initiatives have seen the
opportunity to invest in this industry,
however, they don't seem too successful

15. Benefits of
gaming
Health Games Creative Solutions
1 2 3 4 5
Demography Problems

16. Health Games
x
¿Cuál es el problema? Q/A, prueba-error, obsoletos, no jugables...

17. Health Games
x
Aprender jugando, hay juegos que cumplen este objetivo
The Magi and the Sleeping Star
GameEqualsLife
Re-Mission
HopeLabFoundation

18. LudoMedic
DM1 Aventura
Monkey-Toons for Lilly Diabetes

19. Benefits of
gaming
Health Games Creative Solutions
1 2 3 4 5
Demography Problems

20. Problems

21. Problems
Problem 1: Lack of advertising and visibility. Many
healthcare speakers that start including
“Gamification” in their presentations haven't heard of
many of these games

22. Problems
Problem 1: Lack of advertising and visibility. Many
healthcare speakers that start including
“Gamification” in their presentations haven't heard of
many of these games
Problem 2: It's possible that people with a diagnosed
disease or illness, are embarassed to play Health
Games

23. Benefits of
gaming
Health Games Creative Solutions
1 2 3 4 5
Demography Problems

24. Proposing a new approach
Use existing popular videogames

25. Proposing a new approach
Use existing popular videogames
Videojuegos such as World of
Warcraft and League of Legends
(Most played games of 2011 and
so far for 2012) have millions of
users each day

26. Proposing a new approach
Use existing popular videogames
Videojuegos such as World of These games provide a learning
Warcraft and League of Legends design that allows the user to
(Most played games of 2011 and easily learn new concepts
so far for 2012) have millions of
users each day

27. Proposing a new approach
Use existing popular videogames
Videojuegos such as World of These games provide a learning
Warcraft and League of Legends design that allows the user to
(Most played games of 2011 and easily learn new concepts
so far for 2012) have millions of
users each day
They are fun and entertaining

28. Proposing a new approach
Use existing popular videogames
Videojuegos such as World of These games provide a learning
Warcraft and League of Legends design that allows the user to
(Most played games of 2011 and easily learn new concepts
so far for 2012) have millions of
users each day
They are full of possibilities (mods,
They are fun and entertaining cheats, a platform...)

29. Title Total US/EU play hours July 2011 through June 2012
League of Legends 1,292,502,456
World of Warcraft 622,378,909
Minecraft 371,635,651
Heroes of Newerth 184,520,156
Diablo III 172,907,605
Battlefield 3 171,852,550
MapleStory 165,503,651
World Of Tanks 145,702,931
Call of Duty: Modern 126,754,082
Warfare 3
http://www.dfcint.com/index.php

30. Foreseeable impact
Diabetes cases vs Gamers by age
1%
18%
Under 20 30% 29% Under 18
20 - 65 18 to 49
69%
Over 65 Over 50
53%

31. Examples

32. World of Warcraft Diabetes Mod
+

33. World of Warcraft diabetes mod
Distance
Combat
Food
Drinks

34. World of Warcraft diabetes mod

35. World of Warcraft diabetes mod

36. World of Warcraft diabetes mod

37. League of Legends Stress
Management
+

38. League of Legends Stress
Management
Very stressful PVP game
Requires team effort
Very competitive
20 to 40 minutes long
“Ragers”

39. League of Legends Stress
Management
The CSA* measures stress on 20 scales in 5 major areas of adjustment: Organizational, Cultural,
Relational, Behavioral, and Personal
Very stressful PVP game
Requires team effort
Very competitive
20 to 40 minutes long
“Ragers”

40. League of Legends Stress
Management
The CSA* measures stress on 20 scales in 5 major areas of adjustment: Organizational, Cultural,
Relational, Behavioral, and Personal
Very stressful PVP game
Behavioral Domain
Requires team effort Resilience
Very competitive Decision Making
20 to 40 minutes long Optimism
Stress Management
“Ragers”
*CernySmith Assessment

41. League of Legends Stress
Management
Top – 1 vs 1
Mid – 1 vs 1 Team effort
Bot – 2 vs 2 Very competitive
Jungle – 1 - 1

42. League of Legends Stress
Management
Stress test

43. League of Legends Stress
Management
Stress test Youtube

44. League of Legends Stress
Management
Play the game
Stress test Youtube following the
instructions

45. The Sims Lifestyle Management
+

46. The Sims Lifestyle Management
Game provides
Family status
House
City and services

47. The Sims Lifestyle Management
Game provides Possible cheats
Choosing a job that
Family status adapts to your work
House schedule
City and services Fast learning
Money

48. The Sims Lifestyle Management
Game provides Possible cheats
Choosing a job that
Family status adapts to your work
House schedule
City and services Fast learning
Money
TIME FRAME
(Walking, spending time with family, spending time in the computer, time in the gym, preparing food...)

49. The Sims Lifestyle Management

50. Thank you for your time!
Anna Sort
asortglez@gmail.com @Lostnurse
http://lostnurseinthedigitalera.wordpress.com/