[games_access] Research questions about games helping veterans

[Ben Sawyer]

The likely approach for DoD is an SBIR grant - those must involve  
commercialization but such a path for one switch is easily done.  The  
issue for DoD SBIRs is they are US based so we'd need a u.s. based  
organization to submit for one (provided there is a call for one to  
begin with which is another story).

In the UK such a similar grant would come from the MoD.

There will be many different types of schemes for grants/support/ 
commercialization of course.  The conference should explore things  
like this.

- Ben

On Nov 18, 2007, at 6:11 AM, Barrie Ellis wrote:

> I am very anti-war - and really don't like a lot of the hyper- 
> realistic FPS a lot of these soldiers seem to like playing reading  
> reports. These are pretty nasty games in my eyes. Give me Uo Poko  
> any day of the week. This said, I'd happily see Department of  
> Defence money taken for building accessible controllers for giving  
> people some fun who can't otherwise. Do you think this is likely to  
> happen? What might be the best approach?
>
> I have had a few people approach me stating that they are  
> supporting soliers that have lost limbs, mostly looking towards one  
> handed controllers as a solution to gaming. If we could get the  
> DragonPlus RPG DuoCon2 one-handed controller back into production,  
> this would aid a lot of one armed gamers. Unfortunately, we'd need  
> to have to guarantee a lot of sales (http://www.ncsxshop.com/cgi- 
> bin/shop/SAM-PS2RDC2.html - National Console Support suggest 20,000  
> sales) to see this likely to happen.
>
> Although Ben Heck seems to be having some success in getting a one- 
> handed controller manufactured: http:// 
> gameaccessibility.blogspot.com/2007/10/access-controller-finds- 
> manufacturer.html - It does not look to be the ideal solution for all.
>
> Barrie
> www.OneSwitch.org.uk
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ben Sawyer" <bsawyer at dmill.com>
> To: "IGDA Games Accessibility SIG Mailing List"  
> <games_access at igda.org>
> Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2007 10:48 AM
> Subject: Re: [games_access] Research questions about games helping  
> veterans
>
>
>> There is some emerging evidence that virtual environments help   
>> veterans with PTSD as long as it's part of a very scaffold and   
>> supported therapy.
>>
>> The more specific question might be are some of these cases (the  
>> non- PTSD induced ones) a result of veterans who suffer pain and  
>> suffering  due to disabilities, reduced social atmosphere, etc.
>>
>> PTSD is a very debilitating problem but it's well worked on by  
>> others like Skip Rizzo, Russ Shilling, and others in the  
>> cyberpsychology realm.
>>
>> In terms of drugs and alcohol while there are ideas for games  
>> that  help here they are more suited to teens, etc. then well  
>> worn  veterans.  There was some work by the Marines to use a game  
>> for anti- drug efforts in the Marines - I need to find out more  
>> about that  project and if it produced results.
>>
>> The issue of whether games work or not or especially vs. other  
>> media/ processes or within them is a big part of some of the major  
>> funding  RWJF is providing to the games for health community  
>> through Health  Games Research.  However, it's hard to do  
>> comparative media studies  and it's likely we might not know for  
>> sometime these differences.   It's also more likely that we parse  
>> using games vs. not based on the  goals we have and how they map  
>> well to things games are accepted as  doing quite well such as  
>> motivation and distance socialization.
>>
>> Where the SIG and its members might do well in looking at veteran  
>> issues/defense needs is in adaptation of controllers and creation  
>> of games for people who have suffered various ambulatory injuries  
>> and  for people with rehabilitation needs from head injuries,  
>> etc.  These  would obviously have crossover use to civilians  
>> suffering from the  same issues be they by birth or accidents not  
>> involving warfare.   Unfortunately it is likely the DoD has more $ 
>> $ more easily available  to tackle these issues then do private  
>> civilian side sources.
>>
>> - Ben
>>
>>
>>
>> On Nov 17, 2007, at 3:58 PM, Reid Kimball wrote:
>>
>>> Michelle's recent post about veterans seeking relief through games
>>> reminded me I saw this the other day. Truly staggering and mind
>>> boggling the numbers of veterans that aren't getting the help they
>>> need.
>>>
>>> http://www.crooksandliars.com/2007/11/15/cbs-news-investigates-  
>>> shocking-rate-of-veteran-suicides/
>>>
>>> "In 2005 alone, 125 veterans committed suicide each week and of the
>>> more than 88,000 vets returning from Iraq, more than 28% of them  
>>> have
>>> experienced mental health problems."
>>>
>>> This is definitely an area we need to research, how much can games
>>> really help depressed veterans? Will it help them? Will it be abused
>>> like drugs and alcohol? Is it THE solution or is it best to include
>>> gaming as part of a larger therapy?
>>>
>>> -Reid
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> games_access mailing list
>>> games_access at igda.org
>>> http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/games_access
>>
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