Filed under: News
Virtual reality helps some smokers quit
Can playing a video game four times a week for twelve weeks help you stop smoking? Apparently so for some.A small study conducted by the GRAP Occupational Psychology Clinic and the University of Quebec has found positive results from a specially designed, experimental, VR video game.
Smokers who play the game have a slightly higher chance of quitting the habit than those in a control group (playing a similar game with different objectives). Those who played the cigarette crushing game cite the game itself as an added defense in staving off cravings.
This type of "VR Therapy" is also used in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in Iraq war veterans, and is gaining popularity in many other areas such as drug addiction and bullying. Researches say that what a person does in the virtual reality game actually has an impact on their real-world experience.
I don't know if this is a labor of love or merely the brainchild of four very gifted games designers, but Level Up is a really weird mash-up of gaming elements that you have probably never seen in a Flash game before.
Let's start with the premise itself: Groundhog Day meets Memento. The game experience revolves around 'days': you explore the world and the clock slowly ticks towards the evening. You bounce around picking up gems and talking to the denizens of 'Level Upland'. Eventually you feel tired and head back to ...
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sjay said 12:31AM on 11-13-2009
This is quite interesting as VR can gives you how going to be in future if you continue doing some habits before it is too late. Great concept I guess.
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