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Videogame 'Re-Mission' Helps 12-Year-Old Beat Cancer

informationweek.com — His treatment consisted of, among other things, chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, and permission to play "Re-Mission" as often as possible. Developed by HopeLab, Re-Mission features a cancer-fighting nanobot named Roxxi who helps educate and entertain stricken teens.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jun 1, 2007

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37 Comments

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  • JoshuaGross, on 10/11/2007, -0/+21What's the replay value of a game about Alzheimer's? Ouch.
  • 1988hannah, on 10/11/2007, -0/+18Very interesting! In case you are wondering the people who make it, HopeLab, are a non-profit organisation who research how to make the lives of young people with chronic illnesses better.
  • xxTazxx, on 10/11/2007, -1/+12White Blood Cell, I CHOOSE YOU!
  • number9ine, on 10/11/2007, -1/+7"Insert Bone Marrow To Continue"
  • jclassracer, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6"I liked killing the things that made me so tired and all of the things that made me miss my friends"
    /aw
  • sk8ordiemofo, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5Check and mate, Mr. Thompson.
  • negativefx, on 10/11/2007, -1/+5hmm, that was relevant.
  • tehbored, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4You know what wouldn't surprise me? If Jack Thompson got on this and demanded that this game be kept out of the hands of cancer patients under 17 because it's too violent.
  • leontes, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3This is very intruiging and something I feel like we are going to see a lot more of in the future. We know that positive visualization and artistic play is useful therapuetically. I imagine seeing things for adults as well, that helps them work through what's it like to be diagnosed with altzheimers or the like.

    I wonder if video game therapy falls into the perview of an expressive therapy, as it is a sort of intermodal experience that involves the choices and cooperation of the client. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expressive_therapy
  • leontes, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Positive visualization is probably the mechanism of how it functions. It's not like the kid is guiding a little ship that is helping them, but given what we know about healing suggestions it may as well be. Harnessing the power of the placebo effect is a brilliant idea and I think this program is working on that level. If you let someone know they have the power to heal themselves, they may just harness that power. Sort of runs counter to the whole empirical let's take belief out of it world, but the truth is, when you are dealing with something like cancer, why not try to use the power of suggestion to the patients advantage, rather than the advantage of some sort of crackpot witch doctor.
  • ngmcs8203, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4I am so glad that this game is starting to reach out to young kids. I had been on board with this project since inception and am proud that kids are starting to use it on a more widespread basis. My role wasn't large, but just enough that I can see what I contributed throughout. I hope HopeLab inspires other similar companies to start thinking of alternate methods of educating children who are as sick as I was.
  • meggani, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2are you WBC's ambassador to the internet or something?
  • Mindgame101, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1This shows just how strong the human body can be with enough determination and a good spirit.
    If you were bedridden I bet you would want to do anything but watch a crappy TV or feel sorry for yourself.
  • Aniphx, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2I would be interested to see a response from him. I am wondering whether or not he would actually have the audacity to badmouth this game. Or will he actually hold his tongue. Either one would be interesting to hear about.
  • leontes, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1@hootpie

    Everything is interelated. No doubt the mechanism is works on a neurological level if it works... But I wonder if the game will be more helpful with a human guide playing along side to help process emotions or education that are discovered by the client. My concern is with the professional application of these new type of games, rather than their mechanism of function.

    EDIT: Ah, well, you've edited your response. I think it was an intruging point.
  • Area51mafia, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2They should team up with Child's Play if they haven't done anything already.
  • Armor1901, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2...
    So what happens if he dies in the game?
  • BeanBunny, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1Who else thought of Rex Morgan: Experimental Surgeon or the other two games (the one with the diabetic elephants or the one with the asthmatic dinosaur?)

    Either way, awesome story, totally dug.
  • Yez70, on 10/11/2007, -2/+2Hmmm, does this mean we'll have virtual drug games?

    Will we see games that start curing depression and other neurological disorders?
  • SpectralSounds, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1Dad? ... is that you?
  • D3koy, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1So is there something special about this game in particular, or could a 360 and Halo3 cure all kinds of other problems
  • down4twenty, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1I guess the cancer got sick of that retarded ass game and left his body.
  • DaRizat, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1"No parent knows a lot about child oncology until they have to."

    What about a Child Oncologist who has healthy kids?
  • Disease, on 10/11/2007, -4/+1Torrent plox
  • hootpie, on 10/11/2007, -5/+2Probably.
  • negativefx, on 10/11/2007, -5/+2I'm with skatastrophy... just think: Mario Is Missing! and all your hate for his jokes against edutainment titles will go away.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -5/+1Is that michael jacksons charity for dying children? dead kids tell no tales oooh yeah sha mone!
  • tektalk, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1*Insert Jack Thompson Joke or Insult*
  • scabbers, on 10/11/2007, -6/+1So are they really controlling the nanobot using virtual reality?
  • skankyBacon, on 10/11/2007, -7/+1Fake. Clearly video games are only there to train people to kill other people. An old man told me so. Thanks Jack!
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -10/+4That's good and all, but imo it kinda sucks that he had to play educational games instead of good games. Poor kid, getting punished for having cancer :(
  • negativefx, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1sounds to me like he's gonna end up bringing an AK to work and wiping out his management that made him work overtime and on weekends.
  • PhantomBantam, on 10/11/2007, -8/+1They're training killers, though!
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -8/+0Sounds to me like he would suck off a thousand dicks and have the worlds ultimate bukkake party for a cure.
  • inactive, on 10/11/2007, -14/+0Hahaha, that kids going to die from cancer.
    Thats what happens when america tolerates fags.
    The wii sucks.
    George bush is the best president ever.

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