New video game company aims to develop therapeutic games
New video game company aims to develop therapeutic games
New video game company aims to develop therapeutic games
March 15, 2022
By Nicole Wetsman
Summary
Devolver Digital founder Mike Wilson is partnering with medical device expert Ryan Douglas to launch DeepWell Digital Therapeutics, a video game company that will both develop games that can treat health conditions.
The company will also help outside companies identify existing games that have therapeutic value, the founders say.
The company also aims to help video game makers without a specific health focus identify games that could benefit people's health.
"We don't necessarily make the game therapeutic. The games are therapeutic," Douglas says.
DeepWell would identify those situations within games and help the companies get games cleared by the FDA as a medical device.
The company wants to go through the FDA first - not develop games that would be marketed as "Wellness" products but could not make any medical claims.
Even if they're able to show the games work well, therapeutic video games aren't a replacement for therapists or other mental health interventions, Douglas says - the games are an additional layer, and the goal, for now, is to target mild and moderate mental health conditions.
Reference
Wetsman, N. (2022, March 15). New Video Game Company aims to develop therapeutic games. Retrieved March 21, 2022, from https://www.theverge.com/2022/3/15/22976720/mental-health-video-game-treatment-deepwell-devolver-digital