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Why government health departments are spending millions on mobile gaming
Today sees the release of The Walk, an iOS and Android game backed by the UK's Department of Health. It's the second release in a collection of apps funded as part of the UK's Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI). The first -- StepJockey, an app that lets you map, locate, rate and log the calorific expenditure of staircases around your city -- came out on Monday. All five apps in the program encourage you to move more, or change negative habits. Can an app improve your life? At the very least, we're guessing the Department of Health -- having just spent £2 million on this round of investment -- thinks so. This is part of a growing trend, that could see government agencies in the UK taking a leaf out of Silicon Valley's book when it comes to solving (health) problems. Read past the break to find out why it's putting so much money on third-party digital initiatives.
Zombies, Run! studio slows it down for The Walk
Six to Start first tried to get you off the couch with Zombies, Run! an audio drama that combined fitness with gameplay by casting you as Runner 5, a survivor of the zombie apocalypse. For those who can't quite work up that much energy, the developer is now working on The Walk, which would incentivize you to get up and move by once again making you the star of the show. Due to come out on mobile devices later this year, The Walk puts you at the center of intrigue as you're given a package that needs to be delivered to Edinburgh, Scotland. Before you can board your train, terrorists hot on your tail blow up the station, and an electromagnetic pulse knocks out anything electronic. With no functioning cars at the ready, you're forced to walk to Scotland, hopefully staying one literal step ahead of those pursuing you. The Walk will be the "best pedometer you've ever had but it's also got a game built into it. So you're king of playing all the time whenever you have your phone with you," says Six to Start co-founder Adrian Hon. "Getting into the habit of moving more is a big process," says Hon. "It can take several months to get in the habit, so the idea of having a single, huge, long journey is just more inspiring than short or intense exercises. We're sensible about this. The only way you can get up to what health officials say you should be walking, which is about 10,000 steps per day, is by walking throughout the day." Runner's World recently called sitting "the new smoking" due to its negative impact on your health. If you need a nudge to get moving, perhaps The Walk could be it.
