Jane McGonigal: The Game that can give you 10 Extra Years of Life
When Game Designer Jane McGonigal found herself bedridden and suicidal following a severe concussion, she had a fascinating idea for how to get better. She dove into the scientific research and created the healing game, ‘SuperBetter’. In this moving talk, Jane explains how a game can boost resilience and promises to add 7.5 minutes to your life.
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ABOUT Jane McGonigal
“Jane McGonigal asks, “Why doesn’t the real world work more like an online game?” In the best-designed games, our human experience is optimised. We have important work to do, we’re surrounded by potential collaborators, and we learn quickly and in a low-risk environment.
In her work as a Game Designer and Director of Game R&D at the Institute for the Future, she creates games that use mobile and digital technologies to turn everyday spaces into playing fields, and everyday people into teammates. Her game-world insights can explain and improve the way we learn, work, solve problems, and lead our real lives.
Several years ago she suffered a serious concussion, and she created a multiplayer game to get through it, opening it up to anyone to play. In ‘SuperBetter’ players set a goal (health or wellness) and invite others to play with them and to keep them on track. While most games, and most videogames, have traditionally been about winning, we are now seeing increasing collaboration and games played together to solve problems.”
The VIDEO
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1. Website 2. Jane on Twitter 3. Website: SuperBetter 4. Game: World Without Oil
