Nintendo's next killer app: diabetes management

by Alan Rose { Mar 15th 2006 at 12:30PM }

In the past, Nintendo has attempted to put a little fun into health care by introducing hands-free controllers for the disabled and rolling console carts for young patients. However, they probably never envisioned Dr. Mario playing an important role in helping diabetic gamers manage their blood sugar and blood pressure through a game console. A physician at the University of Washington and a design director at Nintendo's Redmond campus will be collaborating on a specialized interface that will enable patients to do just that. The proposed system will also offer check-up reminders and quiz patients on proper dieting and exercise regimens.

If all goes well, this experiment could set a new standard in the management of other chronic illnesses--and make Nintendo's next console truly revolutionary.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kevin @ Mar 15th 2006 12:37PM

Cool idea hope they run with it, could make healthcare a little more interesting. And who know some more of us might take responsability for our health :)

1up_clock @ Mar 15th 2006 12:48PM

Okay, now read this carefully, Sony and Microsoft fanboys:

What has YOUR favorite company done to help people with serious illness?

J B Cougar @ Mar 15th 2006 12:53PM

This announcement may be way outside of what you'd expect a "video game" system/company to do, but I think it's an important thing to read about -- it really shows that Nintendo is largely uninterested in what MS and Sony are going to try and do with their systems. Mainly, that's to sell a supercomputer to young males who like FPS. Nothing wrong with that approach at all, but I'm really into innovation these days, not more of the same.

What's coming down the pipeline from MS and Sony makes me think that they believe we should all be just fine with what we have today, for the next 5 years (average lifecycle of a system), but with better graphics. Call me a pessimist or Ninny fanboy all you want, but I got tired of playing sequels before it was cool to bash them.

darryl @ Mar 15th 2006 12:55PM

"What has YOUR favorite company done to help people with serious illness?"

Release video games to pass the time? I don't want MY favourite VIDEO GAME company doing anything but make games.

Djstawberryjam @ Mar 15th 2006 12:55PM

wow kool, i've been diabetic for almost 10 years now i'd love the thought i can play games and check my blood sugers on my nintendo console, i hope this happnes soons, wonder if it will work with the rev or somthing.

SilverDogg @ Mar 15th 2006 12:58PM

darryl, funny thing is, nintendo is the only ones devoted to games. funny? funny? yeah.. =D

Masaki @ Mar 15th 2006 1:02PM

hey guys I know this is off topic but...

http://www.revolutionreport.com/articles/read/341

Miyamoto comfirms revo fuctionality in twilight princess

InvadErGII @ Mar 15th 2006 1:10PM

You all seem to be forgetting that Nintendo has done this already. Doesn't anyone remember Captain Novolin?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Novolin

darryl @ Mar 15th 2006 1:11PM

"darryl, funny thing is, nintendo is the only ones devoted to games. funny? funny? yeah.. =D"

Right... I forgot. Nintendo makes game hardware and software. Microsoft makes plastic lawn chairs for it's xbox 360 patio set, and Sony makes great gaming sofas. I almost forgot.

SilverDogg @ Mar 15th 2006 1:14PM

darryl, you got it all wrong. nintendo makes game hardware and software, microsoft makes bugs, and sony makes grills (www.ps3grill.com). DUH! ;P

SonicRift @ Mar 15th 2006 1:18PM

Nintendo makes video game hardware and software

Sony and Microsoft make media centres.

epobirs @ Mar 15th 2006 1:19PM

So what we've really got here is a sequel to Captain Novalin?
http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/egm04.htm

It is silly to develop the idea that Sony and Microsoft are not doing their part for the impaired and less able. Nintendo, being of more limited scope than the other two, can only make efforts through the field of video games. Microsoft has a considerable investment in tools to make computers usable by those with various handicaps and has a number of full-time employees with just those conditions who are understandably very motivated to make this stuff work. This means not just the accessability tools in Windows but also APIs for third parties to create more elaborate tools for the disabled.

Sony likewise is a very diverse company and has made similar investments. It isn't just charity, it's good business. While automation can help improved the lives of ordinary people it can be vital to allowing the handicapped to have any life at all. You won't see these products at your local Target but they do exist.

Also, one thing that made the Playstation the console of choice for those with a missing or impaired hand is the ASCII RPG controller. It puts all of the inputs of a PS1 controller (no analog sticks) in a single hand's reach. Although it was intended to leave a hand free for holding a book or magazine during the boring leveling up sections of RPGs (and other activities I suppose) it found a whole other market among physical therapists doing rehabilitation work. ASCII never marketed it that way but I encountered several people in that field when I selling some on eBay a few years ago.

J B Cougar @ Mar 15th 2006 1:41PM

"Right... I forgot. Nintendo makes game hardware and software. Microsoft makes plastic lawn chairs for it's xbox 360 patio set, and Sony makes great gaming sofas. I almost forgot."

I actually laughed when I read that, but it's not addressing the point that was made again by post #11.

Both MS and Sony have outright bragged that their systems have been designed to be media centers. The old adage: "do one thing and do it well" still applies to Nintendo in this case, which is what the original poster was implying. I appreciate the sense of humor though, good stuff.

Razer @ Mar 15th 2006 1:41PM

1_UP: "Okay, now read this carefully, Sony and Microsoft fanboys:

What has YOUR favorite company done to help people with serious illness?"

Actually my uninformed friend, Bill Gates and the Gates foundation donate more than Nintendo and Sony combined to battle hunger, disease and research cures for diseases. Actually Bill Gates (Microsoft) is one of the biggest "donors" in the world to causes. So it's about time Nintendo step it up a notch and try and be as giving as MS is.

For more info: http://www.gatesfoundation.org/default.htm

Brock @ Mar 15th 2006 1:44PM

"2. Okay, now read this carefully, Sony and Microsoft fanboys:

What has YOUR favorite company done to help people with serious illness?"

Yeah sounds like a great idea... lets think about this... kids that are dying and falling apart: Instead of encourage them to spend time with their family, get out one last time and do that one thing you want to do in your life before you die, tell that one person how much you really care about them, and experience ACTUAL life with fresh air with other REAL human beings... lets let them waste the last little bit of life away stairing aimlessly into a TV monitor. WHAT'S MY FAVORITE GAME COMPANY DOING TO HELP THE ILL STRICKEN? Encouraging them to LIVE in their life, and PLAY in theirs.

Looks like a good gesture, but ultimately will do nothing, and possibely make matters worse.

Earl @ Mar 15th 2006 1:57PM

"2. Okay, now read this carefully, Sony and Microsoft
fanboys: What has YOUR favorite company done to help people with serious illness?"

Yeah sounds like a great idea... lets think about this... kids that are dying and falling apart: Instead of encourage them to spend time with their family, get out one last time and do that one thing you want to do in your life before you die, tell that one person how much you really care about them, and experience ACTUAL life with fresh air with other REAL human beings... lets let them waste the last little bit of life away stairing aimlessly into a TV monitor. WHAT'S MY FAVORITE GAME COMPANY DOING TO HELP THE ILL STRICKEN? Encouraging them to LIVE in their life, and PLAY in theirs. Looks like a good gesture, but ultimately will do nothing, and possibely make matters worse.

taotad @ Mar 15th 2006 2:14PM

According to the American Diabetes Association there are about 20 million diabetics in the U.S alone. That equals about 7-8% of the population and the problem is only growing.

As it may seem to naive souls that Nintendo is doing this out of pure and beautiful goodness, dollarsigns also tends to light up the hearts of Nintendo shareholders. IF they get kids to follow-up their bloodsugarlevels with this its not only good money, but also good PR.

http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics.jsp

Todd H. @ Mar 15th 2006 2:36PM

What's next? Nintendo cures a bad case of herpes...

sizcoz @ Mar 15th 2006 2:43PM

Anything that helps the needy is a good thing in my eyes as long as the vision is not only lead by a profit making motive.
On another note
Says Miyamoto. �And one of the most important features is that, because Revolution can run GameCube software, when you play Twilight Princess on Revolution you can take advantage of the Revolution controller.�
Read the full NOE vip interview over at
http://www.nintendoinfo.com

striegs @ Mar 15th 2006 4:16PM

I've just come up with a test to determine when someone ventures beyond the event horizon of fanboyishness.

Have you ever typed, uttered, or thought to yourself the phrase: "my gaming company is more altruistic than your gaming company"? If so, then I'm sorry, but your personality has long since been compressed into a singularity. Not even light can escape a black hole, so don't think that you and those stubby legs are going anywhere fast.

Discuss.

GlitchCog @ Mar 15th 2006 4:18PM

You have to be careful when you talk about how many diabetics there are out there. This video game thing is certainly targeting children. If there are 20 million American diabetics, only about one in 12 of them has the type kids get. That's only about 1.6 million.

The rest of them got it the same way every human being alive would get it if they live long enough. If you eat lots of carbs and don't exercise you will get diabetes... it's just a matter of time. Basically your pancreas gives up slightly before the rest of you. But those people are old and don't play video games. They're not going to want a video game medical device hybrid.

32_footsteps @ Mar 15th 2006 4:45PM

Actually, Glitch, I'd watch my presumptions on that. My dad has adult-onset diabetes, is a grandfather, and he'd love a video game console that would check his blood sugar when he needs it.

Though he might need something more mature... like a GTA game where how much he can do is dependant on how good his blood sugar is doing.

RocketSeason @ Mar 15th 2006 4:53PM

This is totally cool. If thats true, I am going to buy a revolution for my wife! She needs all the help she can get from Dr. Mario.

pudge @ Mar 15th 2006 5:23PM

To set things straight:

Bill is actually the worlds biggest philanthropist..not one of..'the' biggest.

Yamauchi (Nin's former CEO) *just* gave $62,000,000.00 to a hospital in Japan, so its not like they are greedy and doing this all for profit.

And Diabetes affects all ages..my friend is in his thirties and has to get dialysis three times a week (hooked up to a machine to clean his blood) for four hour each time. His veins are in horrible shape after doing this for years..you know what he does to pass the time? Play his DS.

So quit your crying....this has appeal to a specific audience, and might just be a sincere move by nintendo.
How you can possibly say its a bad thing? All fanboys are grossly biased. It just makes you look ignorant.

Brock @ Mar 15th 2006 7:13PM

Haha... basically Nintendo is the reason so many people have diabetes. They sit around and don't excersize while they play Dr. Mario. This should help out a lot... Oh man... what a paradox... Talk about irony.

pudge @ Mar 15th 2006 7:49PM

only type 2 is perpetuated by inactivity...and thats only one factor in the cause.

Did nintendo cause bad genes passed down from your ancestors too? lol

Tony @ Mar 15th 2006 8:42PM

Thank god someone in here mentioned the difference between Type 1 and Type 2. Kids who get Type 1 just get it, they can't prevent it. It doesn't matter what they ate or what they did.

It's a pretty rare circumstance for a kid to be so out of shape that he gets Type 2 diabetes... it's usually reserved for older people. This is usually what grandparents get and then they have to take some insulin pill.

In the case of kids with Type 1, it's not a bad idea. A lot of diabetic people I know are very casual about it and that's not a good thing.

I wish so many people weren't so ignorant about this stuff. Articles never mention the type and there's a really fundamental difference between them. I'm honestly quite surprised there weren't more posts here drawing some connection between games and getting diabetes, though, so that's good lol.

Pikachelsea @ Mar 15th 2006 9:23PM

"How you can possibly say its a bad thing?"

THANK YOU, #23. Couldn't agree more.

Can't believe some people here are so petty as to say "O YA WEL MY VDIEOGAME COMPANIE DONATES MORE $$$ THEN URS, LOL!!" This is about helping sick and disabled people. Geez, some people are so disgusting.

dwl @ Mar 16th 2006 8:44AM

The classic type 2 diabetic without good control will eventually lose pancreatic function and require daily insulin injections to survive (just like the classic childhood type 1). In addition, one of the more worry trends in the field of public health medicine has been the rising incidence of type 2 diabetes in younger populations. As a consequence (assuming the obesity epidemic doesn�t suddenly stop), there�s probably going to be a heck of a lot more people who could benefit from knowing how better to manage their insulin doses.

And this brings up an additional point: while core non medical management principles of diet and exercise remain uniform, the evidence base regarding best practice in medicine is constantly evolving (and not to mention variable from hospital to hospital, let alone country to country), and there�s no doubt that there�s some major study on the way regarding new treatment guidelines. So whether or not a game can adequately address this practical issue remains to be seen.

However, if they made a game for educating the population about gestational diabetes (transient diabetes occurring during pregnancy), I could see how that would further widen their appeal to a female demographic.

RocketSeason @ Mar 16th 2006 10:35AM

My wife has type 1...

...but she also drank alot of "sugar water" (yes, thats sugar dissolved in water) When she was a kid, so who knows exactly how people get Diabetes. I suspect that the rise in Diabetes cases may have something to do with Fat, cola-filled gamming brats.

We do know that children who get Diabetes have a far more difficult time with it than Older folks. Insulin dependence is not a fun thing. So whatever can be done to educate and help the problem is excellent.