Future Now
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BodyShock Winner Profile: Gaming for Mental Health
Play it! Say it! from IFTF on Vimeo.
We're excited to start releasing the winning presentations from the BodyShock the Future contest for ideas to improve global health that was held this summer.
The grand prize winner of the Roy Amara Prize for Participatory Foresight was Play It! Say It!, with Andrew Shaw and Elizabeth Ure flying in from Australia for the event. Their presentation is above, and their entry into the contest describes their brilliant idea:
"PLAY IT! SAY IT! is simple - we propose to use the existing communication functionalities of video game consoles (voice chat and messaging) to provide phone and online counselling to the people who use them. The online video game community is larger than the population of Canada, and at least one 1 in 5 people playing have a mental health condition. Beyond the existing benefits of online and phone counseling, consoles offer universal access points to ensure coverage, and the opportunity to develop rapport while playing simple games to support the sharing of concerns. We value quality of life."
This past week, Andrew sent us an update on their progress in the past couple of months since they won:
"Since the presentation we’ve made some great contacts who are helping us take the idea forward. We hope to be in a position to bring government and Microsoft together in early 2011 to discuss their joint willingness to explore the idea further. This will be a critical point for us."
We wish Play It! Say It! all the best as they move forward with their idea to use gaming to support mental health. Stay tuned for videos of the other BodyShock winners over the coming weeks, and for updates on each winner as they make progress.