Jesse
Schell not “only” delivered the pre-conference workshop talk Secrets of
Amazing Transformational Games and the keynote address What Games Are
Good At that kicked off the 2013 Serious Play Conference last
week, but he is also one of the gold medal winners of the International Serious
Play Awards competition with the "Serious Game" Play Forward: Elm City Stories in the Healthcare/Medical category.
Yale’s Play2Prevent
initiative has partnered with Schell
Games and Digitalmill to develop the
game for the iPad, aimed at preventing HIV infection among ethnic minority
adolescents.
Elm City Stories immerses teens in the various consequences of their actions and how
thinking differently and implementing new behaviors could be the difference to
leading a healthy, HIV free life. In the game, players navigate through an
interactive world encountering a series of life-altering choices along the way.
Currently
in the first round of clinical trials, the game is on the path for release next
spring.
Working together with leading researchers in various forms of behavior
change and social impact game experts, Elm City Stories aims to show
teens through repeated reliving of certain life events, that the right
decisions can be made to promote a healthier, risk free, lifestyle.