The Quest for the Perfect ExerGame

“Liberty, Equality & Fraternity ” is the opening part of the title of my presentation today at the Health and Social Media Workshop today. I chose it to try and convey a sense of how I think ExerGames in the widest possible sense will come to revolutionize physical activity/exercise/sport.

Twenty minutes is not long when you are trying to convey the potential of game-based activities combined with social media to promote positive health behavior. Not only do I hope that I can get the audience excited about playing games, but also that I can find common ground in my quest to create engaging interactive experiences by having a dialogue around performance and interactive arts.

Perhaps I could get the discussion started by quoting Jane McGonigal

“Games are the ultimate happiness engine.”

Last week was pretty hectic and it didn’t help that I was recovering from having run a 1/2 marathon (more about that soon). Anyway, I mustered the energy to get my presentation ready for a workshop on Social Media and Health at the Foundation for Art and Creative Technology (F.A.C.T.) in Liverpool, England. The sessions today were are interesting mix of theory and practice around the use of social media in arts engagement and participation. Many of the issues raised about the use of social media are similar to those concerning its use in the spheres of both health and education. There was a real sense that social media is seen by arts organizations as a way to reach out and engage with their audiences. I was struck by the thought that the perhaps relative size of the organizations operating in the arts field means that they are better placed to capitalize on the opportunities that social media affords. They are not too big and bureaucratic that it takes forever to do something, nor are they too small that they cannot sustain their efforts. I am very much looking forward to a full day of sessions tomorrow where the focus shifts to the use of social media to promote health.