December 7, 2006: At the University of Texas at Dallas, Mihai Nadin is testing a game that simulates walking through a city. Gamers walk on a sensor, following directions on a screen and avoiding obstacles.
The game improves the ability of the mind and body to work. “If the aging are to maintain their independence, it’s going to be through living, through action, through doing things,” Nadin says.
He envisions a day when video games will be used as tools for rehabilitation at nursing homes. But, he cautions, that day may be a long way away if game makers view the elderly simply as a lucrative demographic. “I would prefer that companies raise their ethical standards and start thinking: Don’t we have the responsibility to produce the games that reflect their needs, that will make their life better?”
For the full story, see: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6589941