Games For Health 2006:
In a fascinating presentation given as part of the Games For Health day held at the University of Southern California on May 9th, Debra Lieberman presented a summary of various research projects that study the health effects associated with the phenomenon of dance video games such as Konami's Dance Dance Revolution and Red Octane's In the Groove. A media researcher and faculty member in the Department of Communication at UC Santa Barbara, Dr. Lieberman acknowledged that there was a need for outcome studies to provide evidence of positive effects claimed for these games, and she started out also stating that for many researchers, parents, and teachers, video games were still "a little bit scary...seen as harmful to players or anti-intellectual," especially since research has found negative influences of some games on players' attitudes and behaviors. However, she also said that research has shown that well designed video games can produce very beneficial effects, for instance on knowledge, cognitive skills, and health behaviors. Noting that every two minutes someone dies of heart disease, and that up to now “screens” have encouraged sedentary lifestyles, she introduced a new type of game experience, using the new term "exergaming," which she described as having an "exertion interface." She said that one purpose of these games, in addition to providing challenge and fun, was to compel players to get up and move. And if a game involves a challenge to reach a goal, and the motivation exists to reach that goal, then the player will, in fact, get up and move. For more information about the rhetoric of exergaming, Dr. Lieberman recommended Ian Bogost’s book, Unit Operations: An Approach to Videogame Criticism. Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) is a game, a social activity, a dance and performance platform, a workout and weight loss tool, and a classroom and workplace activity. Its appeal stems from a variety of factors: the game’s challenges, the music, the joy of movement, the work out, social interactions and even finding dates. Dance games are now found in the home, in arcades, fitness clubs, health centers, schools and workplaces… even cruise ships. There are even versions that allow aerobics instructors to work with a group. It’s clear that dance games are popular, but what do they do for you? One of the questions about such games is whether they meet standards for aerobic fitness by raising heart rates sufficiently for the required period of time. In three studies cited by Dr. Lieberman, it was shown that DDR did fulfill the requirements. Dr. Lieberman also cited some studies made by publisher RedOctane in conjunction with their In the Groove product, which is similar to DDR. RedOctane helped conduct and pass on studies showing that exercise and dance can:
Since dance video games involve exercise and dance, it is fair to conclude that the effects of exercise and dance may also occur for dance video game players. Both DDR and In the Groove have a workout mode or fitness mode that can track a person’s progress, such as the number of calories burned, based on the difficulty of a dance and the length of time spent dancing, and so forth.
Where dance games can enhance social relationships, there is also a correlation with better health. More information about dance games and their effects can be found at the Get Up Move website. In particular, the website has several phenomenal weight loss stories, with people losing 90-140 pounds, primarily from playing dance video games. Dr. Lieberman also talked about growing acceptance of dance games in schools. For instance, the state of West Virginia (apparently the state with the dubious honor of having the most overweight kids in the nation) has determined to install DDR games in all public schools and to develop a school-based DDR curriculum. Meanwhile, in Redmond, Oregon, In the Groove was installed in third and fourth grade classrooms for a five-month study. The most “at risk” students were chosen to become “Groove Masters,” mentors to the other kids. Some of the results that came from the study included:
One study found that, among a small group of college students, approximately 35% of DDR players played in arcades only, while 65% played both arcade and home versions of the game. On average, players report about four hours weekly spent playing dance games in arcades, but players who spend time on both versions report 7.4 hours a week (5.6 on consoles and 1.8 at the arcades). Of arcade players, the average weekly expenditure is $22, but it can go up much higher. Why do they play? What do they get out of it, or what are they looking for? In a UCSB survey, players were asked to rate their experience of the game – why they play – on a scale from 1 to 7. Dr.. Lieberman presented the averaged results of this survey, which reveals something about the attitudes of DDR players.
Wrapping up, Dr. Lieberman mentioned other dance exergames, such as Pump It Up: Exceed, DanceAlong, Para Para Paradise and some Mario, Sesame Street and Disney offerings. She also mentioned other, non-dance game interfaces, such as Sony’s EyeToy, which inserts the player’s image into the screen via a camera and captures the player’s interactions with events on the screen. The future, she predicts, will include game-oriented fitness centers, wireless mobile computer games, cell phone games, wearable computer games and tablet computer games, all of which will support more active and outdoor forms of gaming. And what about future research on DDR and dance games? These include studies of developmental differences, transfer of skills from games to other environments, studies of motivation to be physically active, new interfaces (including virtual worlds) and improved workout modes with more metrics and the ability of trainers to monitor and even change parameters on the fly. In summary, she added that dance pad video games were gaining widespread acceptance because the studies show that they “make a very positive contribution to players’ stress management, weight management, fitness and health.”
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