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Leukaemia Patient Helps Create Chemotherapy Game
jasoncart writes "Whilst trying to visualize his illness, leukaemia patient and gamer Ben Duskin came up with a concept for a video game, according to a story on Ferrago. With the help of Eric Johnston and his employers LucasArts, the PC game, whose object is '...to destroy all mutated cells and to collect the seven shields which provide protection from common side effects of chemotherapy', is now in beta and available for free download from the Make A Wish Foundation - there are also screenshots available on Ferrago. The best news of all is that Ben is now in remission."
There's a lot to be said for the power of the mind. By taking on this project he could very well have almost willed himself to get better. I'm not saying it cured him (I'm sure modern medicine did much of the work), but it could have been a factor in the remission. He gave himself a new purpose--and a very cool one, at that. Very symbolic. It could be that his mind/soul did the rest.
Hexy - a strategy game for iPhone/iPod Touch
I always tell people about the customer who e-mailed us, telling us that our first game as an independent studio was helping her with a neurological condition. An excerpt from her letter:
I have rather severe neurologic problems in some areas of my brain and your game is helping me to regain some use of those areas that are "resting."
It was a great thing to hear.
______________________________
Trivia: The tagline under EA's M.U.L.E describes it as "a game in which up to four players attempt to settle a distant planet with the so-called help of a mule-like machine they all learn to hate.
We're indie. We're working on our 14th game.
Someone get terribly ill and wish for Sam & Max 2!
This is just one more example of the amazing work of the Make A Wish Foundation. These people, who obviously have a worthwhile cause, are amazing at their jobs. In my opinion, the most effective way to help fight cancer (for future victims) is to fund research. But given where we're at now, the only way to help current patients to make them happy. And happiness is the entire point of Make A Wish.
I've personally done fundraising for my local chapter (which is on the opposite coast), and I was inspired to do so after actually being a part of a wish. I'd suggest doing the same to anyone.
While you're not off donating to eff, be sure to donate to Make A Wish. You're literally giving happiness.
I'm not sure the point of this is to create a especially impressive game - nor, to start with, create one thats very playable. Remember its only in beta, these things can be tweaked.
The key is for the kid (Ben) to be able to say that he made a computer game... which he can now do.
Saying that - I do agree, it is too darned difficult at the moment.
I don't know about the curative powers of positive thinking, but it can't hurt anything to have a patient blasting away cancer cells yelling "Die, muthafucka, die!!."
"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
What I'd like to know are the identities of the companies who said to the Make a Wish Foundation that "this venture was nearly impossible without taking several years and literally millions of dollars." Correspondingly, I think they'd receive at least one nasty consumer letter from myself, and I think from others as well. Apparently, the companies the foundation asked either haven't seen any of the indie games that have come out in the last few years, or just blatantly lied to the foundation to avoid making a committment. I'm inclined to think the latter over the former. Heartless bastards. Could someone tell me why I keep giving them money?
On the other hand, kudos to Lucasarts, who while evil for canning Sam and Max 2, like Vader obviously still have some good in them somewhere.
Hi there, Actually, the player doesn't lose or die, he keeps fighting, as Ben did. Talk about a game design challenge... Cheers, - ej