Japanese doctors recommend Brain Training for seniors
by Dan Choi 
{ Mar 7th 2006 at 1:45PM }
Nintendo's line of brain-training games for the DS has found success among a wide
range of ages in Japan, but its success with seniors has now been noted even among doctors and hospitals over there.According to the Associated Press, some hospitals have started placing DSes in waiting rooms and wards for patients. An administrator of a "memory loss clinic" in a Kyoto hospital said that doctors there have gone so far as to recommend the purchase of a DS and a game for elderly people to "stimulate their brains regularly at home," even watching patients play as an informal method of diagnosing dementia.
Apparently, "Sony rushed out its own version of brain-training software in October but has yet to release sales figures." It's unlikely that the title could match the millions of units sold by its DS-based rival, but regardless of who's ahead, the gaming community should be pleased that 67-year-olds are now eager to "play a little everyday before going to bed," maybe even beating their grown-up children at the game someday.
[Thanks, madgamer & samsoon; via Go Nintendo & GameDaily BIZ]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Sense @ Mar 7th 2006 2:09PM
I can't wait for this game to hit stateside. It looks like a lot of fun.
Now if they'd just announce the US date and price for the DS Lite, I'd be set.
Vincent @ Mar 7th 2006 2:40PM
Umm...has Jacko seen this article?
It's good to see that games are getting some good press. Finally. Videogames are actually good for the brain in some ways--think hand-eye coordination--but most older people wouldn't touch them because they're unapproachable to that demographic based on subject matter and complicated control schemes.
A new age of gaming is coming, and it's not just because of Nintendo. As the SNES/Genesis generation begins running the world, and the majority of the population has played or is currently playing videogames, anti-videogame lobbyists will matter less and less, and there will be more stories like this.
A welcome change indeed.
madgamer @ Mar 7th 2006 3:12PM
YAY I was on Joystiq :P heh. This really is a great thing for the DS and I am sure it will be a success in the US as well. It might not get prescribed by doctors :P but a success nonetheless
Junoboy18 @ Mar 7th 2006 3:53PM
This is really great news, I'm pretty sure this is the start of new days for the video game industry. Today they play Brain Training, maybe later theyll play Tetris and then so on until we see elderly people playing things like Mario Kart or MArio Party. I really hope so...
Brian @ Mar 7th 2006 4:04PM
Don't you know? Japan is run by a bunch of devil-woshipping Buddhists who want nothing less than to destroy Christianity and the innocent children who are so diligently protected by their parents from any physical or emotional harm. Moreover, it is a common belief in Buddism that the elderly are useless, and so the doctors are mentally euthanizing these poor helpless patients. You should all be ashamed of yourselves.
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I'm guessing Jacky-poo would say something blasphemous like that.
Cyberclaws @ Mar 7th 2006 7:52PM
Yeah...
As much as I like Nintendo, I think that this news comes shortly after the fact that the old prez of Nintendo bought a new hospital/wing...
Nick Reed @ Mar 8th 2006 12:20AM
I thought I saw rumors that the US release of the DS Lite was going to coincide with the release of New Super Mario Bros. Which would be May 7th.
Does anyone else find it odd that mainstream press articles are constantly referring to Nintendo as if they're struggling financially? Call me a fanboy if you'd like, but I think it's odd that the article mentions them needing to turn around their fortunes and calls them "struggling", while mentioning that revenue is down a whopping 1.7% to 3.6 Billion...