Would it be possible to make a self-help videogame?

[J T]

I started thinking about this today as a possible way to combine some of my different passions in life: psychology and video games. I think one of the major problems with psychotherapy is that it is so time consuming and expensive, that it is a luxury few can afford. This is why self help books, tapes, movies, and seminars are often so popular.

Self help stuff is often really limited though because people take it in very passively. They read or listen to people talk about this stuff, but they don't really DO anything with what they learned. This is why psychologists often roll their eyes at self help products and why few self help products are created by psychologists that have actual scientifically informed knowledge about human behavior.

Videogames, however, are not a passive media. You interact with the content. It's possible that they are even a better form of media for self-help, though this has not been explored much. I have been involved with a few related projects, such as an online interactive learning program for training therapists by simulating therapy settings. I have also tried out some virtual reality products used to supplement therapy for PTSD. I have never seen a self-contained and interactive self-help program though.

I'm wondering if you guys have any ideas on what a self help videogame might even look like?


(I know the easy answer is "this is a bad idea", but I'm hoping to generate some creative ideas for how to actually use videogames to improve people's lives, so please don't flood this thread with naysayers)

[Gamerforlife]

The Sims comes to mind, since it mirrors real life activities. Perhaps it could be a way for people to virtually apply self help techniques in a safe environment

In a way, video games by their very nature can be viewed as self help tools. They help teach to overcome obstacles, accomplish goals, improve yourself through practicing, socialize(look at MMORPGS), be creative(Little Big Planet), or learn how to date girls. Okay that last one is sort of a joke, but Japan has a lot of dating sims

I think games like Viva Pinata are interesting, because the game seems designed to be a relaxing experience and relaxation I think plays a part in some self help practices

[J T]

Hmmm... this is making me think that I might need to start by thinking about what are the major topics needed for a self help program, and then designing a game for each topic. Things like...

1. Managing your money and creating wealth
2. Managing difficult emotions
3. Being more assertive
4. Relaxation training
5. Creative problem solving
6. Physical exercise

...and so on. I think there a few existing products that already try this. Wii Fit obviously does the exercise thing, but I though Yourself! Fitness was a really smart entry in this area. The old Lemonade Stand game that came with the Apple II in the 80s is a simple manage your money and create wealth kind of game that could be expanded to more realistic settings. Brain Age, though I have my doubts that it works, is supposed to help with creative problem solving and improve your intelligence. There is a meditation game with Deepak Chopra called "Journey to Wild Divine" that measures your heart rate and trains you to relax. You achieve the goals of the game by doing meditative techniques that lower your heart rate.

[irixith]

Do either of these three games sort of fit the mold of what you're thinking?

Personal Trainer: Cooking
Personal Trainer: Math
Personal Trainer: Walking

All of them for the DS. The cooking and walking ones are especially excellent, I must say. I was somewhat disappointed that the DS got so few of these games (in North America anyway) and so many of the silly brain training ones.

[Limewater]

It's really late. I'll think about this more later. However, I figured that this thread needed mention of ELIZA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA

[saturnfan]

Do either of these three games sort of fit the mold of what you're thinking?

Personal Trainer: Cooking
Personal Trainer: Math
Personal Trainer: Walking

All of them for the DS. The cooking and walking ones are especially excellent, I must say. I was somewhat disappointed that the DS got so few of these games (in North America anyway) and so many of the silly brain training ones.

There is one that helps you quit smoking too, I see it at gamestop sometimes.

[J T]

I have a related question, assuming I were to make a self-help video game, when should the game be fun and when should it not? I could see making a fun game out of the skills required to manage money (something like Recettear), but I don't know if I would want to make a game out grieving the loss of a loved one; however, it could be possible to explore issues of loss in an interactive context... I just don't know if I would want a set of rules that go with that (rules being the basis for most games).

[J T]

I just stumbled across this, but I have to go to bed and will need to look into it more later:

http://www.primechoice.com/philosophy/shelp/cash.htm

[brunoafh]

There is one that helps you quit smoking too, I see it at gamestop sometimes.

I saw that before, but it only made me want to light up a smoke for being so silly, and I don't smoke. Anyway,

Video games are already a form of self-help in a sense for some (relaxation, stress reduction, plain old escapism), myself included. I'm able to relate them to the care-free time of my life that was free of responsibilities, so popping in a Genesis or an NES cart manages to evoke these feelings for a few hours of free time, and let me just disconnect from some aspects of my life that may be a bit shit sometimes. Few things are able to provide as much simple, effective, and quick entertainment as a few hours of Ninja Gaiden II.

I'm assuming you mean video games as an actual means of giving people ways to better their lives, as in direct advice, or suggestions to help improve said person's life. Like therapy, which you also appear to be interested in. Pulling the level of personal connection and intervention that time with a therapist can provide off in a video game would be a pretty difficult task. I admit I kind of have a personal bias against therapy in general due to personal experience, and I think self-help books can more or less be defined as dreck. But still, the question you pose is somewhat intriguing. The closest thing to "self-help" video games out there right now are things like the Wii Fit and what have you, the exercise games. I think a big hurdle would be finding an audience for it. Most gamers 30 and under (roughly) probably just want to play games to play games, and will likely shun a game attempting to help their psyche. The people that seek self-help media are likely not the video game crowd.

So all in all, my take on it would be that video games are as beneficial to your mental health as you make them. I can honestly say I'm a more at ease person due to my gaming hobby. Yet on the other end of the spectrum, there's WoW, which can result in frighteningly real damage to the player, but that's something else entirely. Designing a video game specifically meant to help someone in the vein of therapy or self-help books/seminars would be a very daunting task, but I suppose there's someone out there that can make an interactive experience like that come to fruition.

[J T]

Designing a video game specifically meant to help someone in the vein of therapy or self-help books/seminars would be a very daunting task, but I suppose there's someone out there that can make an interactive experience like that come to fruition.

Maybe I will be that someone.

This is a new idea for me, so I'm not sure how serious I am about it yet. I think the major problem facing the field of psychotherapy is that the people that most need therapy are the ones least able to afford it. They are also tend to require the best and most complicated therapies because their problems are complicated. This often leaves these people with either no care or really poor care. If they are lucky, a few will find a good therapist that either doesn't charge much or does a little pro-bono work for special cases. But it can be a real challenge to find a good therapist even if you can afford it!

I have trained with some of the top psychologists in the country and I believe I have become a good therapist. I just need to finish my PhD and get my license so I can practice freely. I would like to change the way my field works though because there are just too many underserved people that need the help and it's hard to figure out how to reach them and still remain profitable (or even able to pay your basic overhead). I think there is a parallel here to the piracy problem that video games and other forms of digital media have. Pirates are basically people that want something for nothing, and people that can't afford therapy also want something for nothing. Game companies are really struggling with trying to get people to pay for something they can get for free. Attempted "solutions" like DRM have failed to draw in one segment of the population of potential customers because DRM punishes customers and devalues the retail product, thus making piracy even more appealing. Other companies though have figured out clever ways of letting people play for free, then charging them for upgrades later down the line, once the customer has developed a relationship with the company's products and services. This micro-transaction model has proved immensely profitable for companies like Zynga (even though many of us gamers hate them for creating crappy games that feel manipulative). Aside from profit though, Zynga's model has allowed them to tap into markets that weren't open to the idea of gaming before, in part because it was cost prohibitive. Steam operates on a somewhat similar concept, by creating a low barrier entry point into their services (free Steam client plus immense sales discounts). This gets people to start using the service, leading to regular visits, many small transactions with sales, and the occassional big budget purchase.

Back to psychotherapy, I would like to create something that doesn't create a cost barrier that prevents people from getting some immediate help and testing the waters with therapy. A lot of people won't even attempt it knowing how time consuming and expensive it is. I think this is why self-help books have always been so popular. They are quick and cheap. The problem is, they are often filled with hooey crap and are written by people who simply have opinions and who are not informed by the latest science of psychology. Even if it is a good book, it's hard to get people motivated to actually read the book and utilize the exercises inside because all of that feels like a chore. There is no way to get more out of it than what you put in. You also can't sign up for an individualized training program with the book's author in most cases.

I think a "game" or some sort of interactive program could be the answer for bridging the gap. If a game is fun you are motivated to use it. Self help books rarely motivate you to read them. The game could be made available for free or for a small fee, but it could link you to resources in the community where you could choose to see a real therapist. I still think there will always be a place for traditional therapy (just like there will be for traditional big budget $60 games). It's expensive, but provides a richer experience. I just want to be able to reach those people that are (understandably) not willing to instantly jump on board with the traditional $200 per hour once per week model that many of the better therapists require. If people could gain a taste of some of the insights therapy has to offer through inexpensive interactive software, then it might encourage them to seek out additional help if the resources are provided.