Games to lift stress away: Flower, flOw, and Cloud, from thatgamecompany

This is a cross-post of a popular post from the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog that I think will be of interest to TechPsych readers:


As I set out to revisit some of my early posts on this blog, I came across a link to a review the Flower game, created for the Playstation 3 by Jenova Chen, Kellee Santiago, and other members of thatgamecompany. It is good to know that this group continues to work towards the goal of creating innovative games that provide gaming experiences that are calming, pleasant to use, and unlike most game genres.

The following video review by Pete Dorr won't give enough details about the game to spoil it for you. Go ahead and watch the review!


Since I don't have a PS3 (yet), I'm sharing a couple of reviews of Flower that I found on the IGN website:

"thatgamecompany's mellow, beautiful adventure through the dreams of plants starts out so disarmingly pleasant that one would be forgiven for assuming it's just a game about flying around and picking up flower petals. It's not until one experiences the couple-hour experience from beginning to end (preferably with 5.1 audio, the lights off and no human distractions) that the game really gets its emotional hooks into you. Without ever introducing a single line of dialogue, any characters (at least in the traditional sense) or clear goals, Flower takes you on a ride that's over far too soon, yet somehow seems just right for what it's trying to do: suck you into a world without the usual video game trappings while playing with your emotions in a way no amount of manufactured tear-jerk dialogue or surprise deaths ever could. It really is unlike anything else you'll ever play and stands as one of the best (if not the best) examples of SixAxis motion controls on the PS3."

Who knew the meaning of life could be so simple?
(Ryan Clements, IGN)

"thatgamecompany has depicted something that I never once imagined: what would a flower's dream look like if we could see it? Flower, a PS3 downloadable that comes as a spiritual successor to flOw, is one of the most beautiful games that I've ever played. Not just because the visuals are entirely breathtaking, but also because the experience of playing it offers more enjoyment, emotion and enlightenment than any game I've tried in years."

"Before you read on, keep in mind that Flower isn't quite for everyone. There will be those that experiment with it but won't see the point, as it strays so far from the traditional spectrum of gameplay systems, but it's truly worth playing...Flower is a poem, where you as the player participate in the dreams of flowers confined to the ever-changing landscape of a colorless city. Each dream, or stage, revolves around a different theme and gameplay objective, but your method of control remains the same: tilt the controller to direct a series of flower petals through beautiful environments. Press any button to stir up a wind that will coax them along. As you begin with one flower petal, you'll soon touch other flowers and gather more petals, generally influencing the environment in a way that pleases the dreamer. This setup works amazingly well to create varying tasks for you to enjoy..."

Flower was listed as one one of the best games for the Playstation 3 for HDTV, along with a flOw, a 2006 game from the same company:

Best Playstation 3 Games For Showing Off Your New HDTV



Flower

"Supported HD Output: 720p, 1080i, 1080p- From the same developers that brought you the serene flOw comes Flower, whose gameplay has players guiding a flower petal across gorgeously rendered fields and plains, replete with individually modeled leaves of grass that blow and sway in the wind. Colorful, peaceful, and exhillerating, Flower is a difficult game to describe, and simply must be experienced in all it’s HD beauty to truly be appreciated. A real gem."

(Flower is played with the Sixaxis wireless game controller that can sense motions and provide precision in interactive game play. The Sixaxis was recently replaced by Duoalshock 3, which provides motion sensing and rumble. I'm not sure if the new controller works with Flower.)



flOw
"Supported HD Output: 720p, 1080i, 1080p- Calm, serene, and beautiful in it’s simplicity, flOw was one of the first PSN titles released when the Playstation 3 launched in November 2006, and it’s still a gorgeous work of art. From the calming music, to the simple gameplay, flOw proves that you don’t need high resolution textures and thousands of animations to produce a beautiful image."

"FlOw is a game about piloting an aquatic organism through a surreal biosphere where players consume other organisms, evolve, and advance their organisms to the abyss."

I came across Cloud about four years ago, when I was looking for non-violent games that could support relaxation and stress-reduction. Cloud was created by some of the members of thatgamecompany when they were students at UCS.

I later posted about how I used the game in in my work as a school psychologist:

CLOUD GAME*

Cloud is a relaxing, nonviolent game, created by graduate students at USC. The character, a child, flies around, collecting clouds and putting them into puzzles in the sky. The music is very soothing. The game is free and can be downloaded through the website. This game could be used to help relax students with anxiety disorders, Asperger syndrome, etc., develop coping strategies. Here is the link to the Cloud video trailer.

(I use the Cloud Game as a form of crisis intervention with students undergoing high level of agitation and stress at the middle and high school level.)

Below is a video of the Cloud game, which was designed for use on a computer. It still appears to be available for free from the USC website.



FlOw was Jenova Chen's MFA Thesis, built upon Mihaly Csikszenmihalyi's Flow Theory:

"being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."

The game went on to become an award-winning PS3 game. The early web-based version of flOw is free, and some of the gameplay can be done using your finger on a touch screen. The music is relaxing, almost hypnotic.



Why this is important:

There is a need for games that can be used for relaxation, as most commercial games focus on action and thrills, often delivered through violence.

(Pictures and videos are from the IGN website, YouTube, and related websites.)

Videogames, Teens, and.... Civic Education?

Here is a link to a post on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog about the recent results of a study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project:

Videogames, Teens, and.... Civic Education?

Virtual Worlds and Games in Education: Link to posts

If you are interested in learning more about virtual worlds and gaming in education, take a look at my recent posts on the Interactive Multimedia Technology blog. Sharon Burns did an excellent job in her video overview that includes virtual worlds for children, such as Whyville.

More about Virtual Worlds in Education: Link to Edutopia's articles and resources.

Post from Johnathan Tarr, HASTAC, about Sharon Burn's Virtual Worlds Tour ( includes an 8-minute overview video)

DimensionM: Evolver Pre-Algebra video game from Tabula Digita

Tabula Digita has created a 3-D first-person videogame to teach pre-algebra concepts. Tabula Digita also offers a 3-D Algebra game, Dimenxian, available for PC's and Macs.

Here's some information from the website:

"DimensionM™is an immersive video game world that engages students in the instruction and learning of mathematics. Pre-algebra and algebra objectives are covered through a series of missions that bring math into a world that today's students understand. Students become so captivated in solving problems that they forget they're learning but they don't forget what they've learned."

3-D Interactive Algebra Game: Dimenxian -First Mission now available!

Dimenxian is a 3-D, immersive algebra game with a backstory, great gameplay, and engaging graphics. A great tool for reaching reluctant math students. The first mission is now available for purchase through the website. The price is about $30.00 and site licenses are available for schools. It can be downloaded or mailed as a CD.

The following is an excerpt from an article posted on the TabulaDigita website:

"Etuk started the company three years ago with co-founder Robert Clegg, an award-winning electronic game designer. Tabula Digita's first product, Dimenxian, is a first-person story-driven game that leads students through an action adventure environment while learning foundational algebraic concepts. The multiplayer educational game challenges players to accomplish several tasks - and learn algebra - to succeed, making the company's motto "learn math or die trying" all the more fitting. "We're losing a whole generation of kids to educational teaching methods that don't resonate with them," says Etuk. "I want to give kids the option to do whatever they want to do. I believe that by grabbing their attention and redirecting it to education, you can open up a whole world of options they might not have considered." Etuk says years of research on teaching math, student testing, and video game playing went into developing the games. The company has a partnership with The Princeton Review and has tested the game with hundreds of children nationwide."

Robert Clegg
Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder, Tabula Digita, Inc.
Robert is chief product officer and co-founder of Tabula Digita. Prior to joining, he founded and launched the company iStadium where he created the world's largest games. He developed games that 60,000 people in one stadium could play simultaneously. He also invented, tested, and managed the production of all computer-based products for the company, and is the sole inventor on all four of the iStadium patent applications. Robert has been working with interactive media and education since 1987, and in 1988 he started his first company, Instructional Sports Software, where he developed the first player training software for NFL football and NCAA basketball programs.

Learn Math or Die Trying: Algebra in a First Person Action Adventure Speaker: Robert Clegg (Chief Product Officer & Co-Founder, Tabula Digita, Inc.) Time/Date: Monday (October 31, 2005) 1:00pm — 2:00pm Audience level: All Presentation Description This poster session offers attendees a sneak peak into the educational video game that’s revitalizing algebra education through an immersive action adventure called Dimenxian. Initial testing of Dimenxian showed an average improvement of a grade level for all kids and two to three grade levels for those performing below average. Surveys revealed that girls were just as engaged as boys: 81 percent of all students thought it showed them how algebra works; 78 percent said it helped them learn; 89 percent said it was fun; and 81 percent wanted to keep going! Learn how students felt about the first action adventure game to teach algebra and how they performed on pre- and post- test studies. The results have surpassed expectations and provide a good indication of how the new generation wants to learn.

Convergence: Video Games and Virtual Reality for Special Needs: Autism, ADD, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Social Skills...

Why should those of us who work in school settings become more familiar with VR and game applications designed for children and teens with special needs?

The first reason is clear.
Students who have learning, behavior, or social skills difficulties are in our schools for many hours a day, and educators are responsible for effectively planning and implementing evidence-based intervention practices. We know that many students enjoy video games and computers, and are motivated by visual and interactive multimedia learning activities. We know that this is an area of serious research. (See the Teacher's TV website from the UK for a link to a 30 minute video, "The Games Children Play" regarding learning and interactive games.)

The second reason is that we must prepare for the significant increase of children identified as having autism spectrum disorders. Educators need effective tools to reach and teach these students, and students need access to the general curriculum. Traditional word-based instructional methods are not often effective with these students. These students are typically visual learners who have problems in communication, language, and social skills.

The third reason is that innovative use of technology and instructional methods can benefit "at-risk" students and those who have milder disabilities. Many of these students have problems that affect attention, concentration, retrieval, working memory, academic fluency, and so forth.

We know that "at-risk" students and those with mild disabilities have a high risk of dropping out of school. Integrating new technologies and creating new ways to use existing technologies will be a challenge, but worth the effort if more students are to provided the opportunity to successfully prepare for life after high school.

For more informatoin about dropout prevention, see the National Dropout Prevention website.

Comment:
The problem with adapting VR and game applications as interventions within the school environment is that we really don't have a road map to guide us. Something that works in a university lab, a university lab school, home, or clinic may not be as effective if it is not implemented in a well-planned manner in the schools.

What is new?
Dorothy Strickland, the creator of the interactive Do2Learn website, updated people about her work in the field of autism and other disorders at the Virtual Reality,Associated Technologies, and Rehabilitation Symposium in June 2006.
Case Study: Using a Virtual Reality Computer Game to Teach Fire Safety Skills to Children Diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (Strickland)

Dr. Skip Rizzo, a key investigator in The Virtual Classroom, a VR environment that assesses ADHD in children, also participated at the symposium. The Virtual Classroom can be used to help children with social anxiety and has been modified to help students prepare for emergencies. (For more information, see the full article(pdf) and also read "A Classroom of the Mind", by Emily Sohn, in Science News for Kids.)

Sample of topics discussed at the symposium:

Autism
Facing the Challenge of Autism with Virtual Reality...Social Communication Challenges in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder...Designing Interaction with Visual Stimuli for Low Functioning Children with Autism: Criteria& Strategies to Engage Them...Can we Teach Individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions to Recodnize Emotions Using Interactive Multimedia?
Education and Gaming
Virtual Environments for Pediatric Populations
Round-table Discussion:
The Art and Science of Using Virtual Environments for Children with Autism, PDD, DCD, etc.
Related: Virtual Environments for Social Skills Training: The Importance of Scaffolding in Practice

Georgia Tech's Autism Research Group is working on innovative applications for people with autism spectrum disorders. The website has several links to resources about autism and technology.


Note:
If your school has an interactive whiteboard or SmartBoard, you have access to a tool that can be adapted to some VR and interactive learning/social skills games for use for group and classroom activities. There is a short summary of the research and benefits of the use of interactive whiteboards on the Waukesha School's website.