ESA HEARTLAND SERIES: Q&A WITH PHOSPHOR GAMES CEO JUSTIN CORCORAN
ESA is excited to announce the Heartland Series. Showcasing the geographic diversity of the video game industry, the series will feature interviews with video game publishers, developers, and innovators from across America, highlighting the groundbreaking work and innovation they bring to every corner of the nation. To start the series, ESA spoke with Justin Corcoran, CEO of Chicago-based Phosphor Studios. Read the Q&A to learn more about Phosphor’s story and how it is making an impact on its local community.
NEW VIDEO GAMES PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE ENTERTAINMENT AND PROSTHESIS
TRAINING
‘Iron Man’ actor Robert Downey Jr. compares his bionic arm with that of Alex Pring, recipient of a Limbitless Solutions arm.
One of the many incredible video games on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s third annual SAAM Arcade last month, Smash Bro provides children with prosthetic limbs accessible entertainment and training in the use of their prostheses. The game is just one of nine developed through a partnership between the University of Central Florida (UCF) School of Visual Arts & Design (SVAD) and Limbitless Solutions, a UCF-based nonprofit dedicated to providing children 3D-printed bionic limbs at affordable costs. Players interface with the games through the same
system used by Limbitless to move its bionic limbs, providing children with accessible interactive entertainment and training in the muscle control needed to use their prostheses. Many of the games were tested by 9-year-old Alex Pring, who received the very first arm engineered by Limbitless from none other than Iron Man. “We’re really excited,” said Matt Dombrowski, SVAD assistant professor of digital media.
“We love Limbitless’ mission, so it was natural for us to partner with them. We want to be able to take this tech to all children who can’t play games now, to make games accessible. It really is all about the children.” Limbitless will use the games to teach children scheduled to receive its bionic limbs how to use its system, while SVAD hopes to create versions of the game that will allow any child to use the interface, making the experience similar to traditional video game consoles. “They [SVAD] have been incredible partners and are helping to make both the experience and training for the bionic kids innovative, exciting, and fun,” said Albert Manero, Limbitless Solutions founder. “We have the same passion to help children, and the games are really
fun. Some of our bionic kids who got a sneak peek at some of the games keep asking when they’ll be ready to play them with their friends.” The 2017 SAAM Arcade, supported by the ESA Foundation, selected 40 independent games to be featured in its Indie Showcase. Dombrowski and fellow SVAD Assistant Professor Peter Smith showed Smash Bro at the event and discussed accessibility technology with Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution David J. Skorton and White House staff from the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.
Goldman Sachs valued esports at $500 million in 2016 and expects the market will grow at a rate of 22 percent annually over the next three years. (Source: Business Insider)
TECHFREEDOM PODCAST: MICHAEL D. GALLAGHER
Entertainment Software Association President and CEO Michael D. Gallagher recently discussed video game and technology policy with Evan Swarztrauber of TechFreedom on the non-profit, non-partisan technology think tank’s Tech Policy Podcast. Gallagher provided insights on a wide range of issues that impact the $30 billion video game industry, including tax reform, broadband, and trade.
Listen here.
MOBILE VIDEO GAMES LOWER WORK-RELATED STRESS
Feeling stressed at work? Playing video games during breaks can help improve your mood, according to a recent study by University of Central Florida doctoral student Michael Rupp and his coauthors. After using a computer-based task to induce cognitive fatigue in 66 study participants, researchers gave them a five-minute rest period. During the break, participants were instructed to either sit in a quiet room without their phones or other devices, participate in a guided relaxation activity, or play the video game Sushi Cat. Researchers then periodically tested the participants’ stress levels, overall mood, and cognitive performance. Participants who sat in a quiet room reported that they felt less engaged with work and
experienced worry, while those who participated in the guided relaxation activity felt less negative effects. However, only the participants who played the video game reported feeling better. “We often try to power through the day to get more work finished, which might not be as effective as taking some time to detach for a few minutes,” said Rupp. “People should plan short breaks to make time for an engaging and enjoyable activity, such as video games, that can help them recharge.”
SOCIAL ISSUES TAKE FOCUS IN NEW WAVE OF VIDEO GAMES
An E3 attendee plays ‘The Cat in the Hijab’ at E3 2017’s IndieCade showcase.
Artists and storytellers have never shied from taking on important issues in their work, and video game developers are no different. More and more video games are taking on subjects ranging from freedom of speech to immigration. Take for example the recently released virtual reality (VR) video game Blindfold, which tackles the imprisonment and torture of journalists. Players assume the role of an Iranian photojournalist being interrogated in the 1980s for releasing photos to Western news outlets. The fate of the player character depends on whether the player confesses, but even then,
there are no guarantees. Blindfold is just one in a series of new VR experiences that use immersion to create empathy and drive social change. Earlier this year, the IndieCade showcase at E3 highlighted several games focused on social issues, including The Cat in the Hijab and PolitiTruth. In the former, players assume the role of a cat wearing a hijab on the subway. The game explores what it is like to be on the receiving end of hate speech and encourages players to think about how they react to it when it happens to them or others. In PolitiTruth, players distinguish real-world political fact from fiction by guessing if news stories are true or false. “We live in a moment where our world is saturated with more misinformation than ever,” PolitiTruth developer Christopher Cinq-Mars Jarvis said in his artistic statement for the game. “My ambition through this game is to inform and encourage people to better discern their sources of information, build
their political consciousness, and exploit their competitive nature to do so.” With developers finding creative ways to use interactive entertainment as a tool for social change, the video game industry is poised to play a key role in addressing some of the most pressing social issues of our time.
The global audience of core esports fans is predicted to reach 191 million in 2017, growing 50 percent to 286 million by 2020. (Source: Variety)
"What's so great about [video] games and impact is they can be applied to so many different fields. Yes, we have games that can be used in the classroom to teach. We also have games that can be used for humanitarian purposes, maybe to raise awareness around an issue or to create empathy, or to help change social behavior." - President of Games for Change Susanna Pollack (Source: FOX5 NY)
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