Category: Mobile Gaming

NASA sets sights on mobile games

| March 8, 2013

Mobile Games NASANASA looks to mobile games to promote space exploration

The game industry has long been considered a field of entertainment. Games offer people an escape from boredom and a chance to enjoy a virtual world that they would not get to experience normally. Mobile games have become very popular, as they can be played anywhere and at any time. They are also becoming increasingly important in the world of science, where the concept of gaming is having a profound impact on research.

Developers called upon by NASA

NASA has issued a call to hundreds of game developers, many of whom specialize in mobile games. These developers are being summoned to the agency’s Ames Research Center in California, where they will participate  in an initiative designed to combine games with science. Developers answering the call will be asked to create games that are designed to make real science and technology appeal to the general public. These games will highlight the advancements being made in aerospace exploration.

Mobile games may encourage people to get involved in exploration

NASA is eager to find new people that are interested in exploring space, and believes that gamers may be the ideal candidates. Mobile games will be used to reach out to these people, encouraging them to examine the prospects of space exploration and discovering the secrets of the universe. The games that will be developed at the Ames Research Center will touch upon a wide array of scientific theories, all of which are firmly rooted in actual science and not science-fiction.

NASA has a history with games

This is not the first time NASA has shown interest in mobile games. The agency is responsible for Moonbase Alpha, a lunar exploration game, and Mars Rover Landing, which mimicked the Curiosity’s recent arrival to Mars. Whether mobile games will make space exploration more appealing to gamers has yet to be seen, as many of these people have been steeped in games that depict a somewhat scientifically inaccurate representation of space for the sake of entertainment.

Mobile games could be powerful tools for cancer research

| March 6, 2013

Mobile Games cancer researchMobile games gaining attention as possible research tools

Mobile games may soon play a profound role in cancer research. Over the past weekend, cancer researchers and developers from Google joined together to create a mobile game that was designed specifically for the research of tumor genes. This is not the first time mobile games have been used for such a purpose, but Google’s efforts have rekindled interest in the possible uses of mobile games to introduce innovative solutions to serious problems.

Cancer Research UK sets sights on mobile games

Cancer Research UK, one of the leading cancer research organizations in the United Kingdom, has announced plans to develop mobile games that are designed to accelerate the discovery of cures for various types of cancer. The organization will be teaming with Facebook and Amazon in order to see this effort come to fruition. The organization plans to have the first of its mobile games developed over the course of three days, with developers from both Facebook and Amazon creating a working prototype for the game.

Game could shed light on new solutions

Once the prototype has been completed, it will be given to a dedicated development firm that will turn it into a cross-platform game for both iOS and Android platforms. The game will likely be similar to FoldIt and Phylo, both of which essentially crowdsource research efforts concerning genetics and serious diseases. Cancer Research UK suggests that mobile games hold a great deal of potential, as they are entertaining for consumers and could shed some light on solutions that researchers may have never thought of in the first place.

Mobile games can tap into the power of the crowd

Most mobiles are firmly within the realm of entertainment, rarely used for any purpose beyond staving off boredom among consumers. Cancer Research UK suggests that the true potential of mobile games lies in crowdsourcing, pooling the collective problem solving capabilities of a populace and using this capability to overcome major challenges that have impeded research for several years.