"Games have an ease and a sexiness about them," he said. "Can we actually change people's habits and the health of at-risk populations through games? It makes sense that we can."
Sawyer's Games for Health conference brought gaming professionals to Baltimore this month to learn from each other, help some find funding for their ideas and let others show off their equipment.
Dogfight was on display there. Executives, who have opened a Salt Lake City sales office, were hoping to attract a chain of gyms to invest in the new technology. It's already an arcade game.
Another game was Lightspace Play, which uses a stage that's just over 9 feet by 9 feet and harks back to the disco era with its glowing tiles. It prompts school kids to jump from square to square to hit a virtual tennis ball or hockey puck or dodge a dodgeball or snowball. It's been marketed to schools and community centers for several years and is designed to get kids thinking that exercise is fun, said Katie Miner, Boston-based Lightspace Corp.'s operations manager.
On the health front, video games aren't just for cardio workouts either.
Digital Steamworks of Hunt Valley has created Play Visualizer that turns football and other game tape into three-dimensional action. The Baltimore Ravens use it so players equipped with special glasses can watch video versions of themselves throwing passes, tackling opponents or running for the end zone.
Kaiser Permanente and Humana health care companies showed games they hope will make learning about disease care and proper nutrition more engaging. Humana, a gaming conference sponsor, has been testing the effectiveness of games for seniors and students.
Kaiser has developed Amazing Food Detective and offered it to schools. It takes kids through a virtual mystery until they uncover the proper things to eat. Since the game doesn't actually get the kids moving, it shuts off automatically after 20 minutes and prompts the players to do something active.
"We're trying to see what works," said Kaiser spokeswoman Lorna D. Fernandes. "Childhood obesity is a big problem that costs everyone. We really need to look at everything."
Hunt Valley's BreakAway Ltd. is targeting professionals with the virtual medical school it is developing. In Pulse, trainees can learn to treat injuries from explosives or diagnose anthrax, which is often mistaken for the flu. Players can see the inside of a hospital and walk, flip through charts and examine patients. They are prompted to check the eyes and listen to the heart, which can be heard beating.
