Nintendo Now Saving Children's Lives With the DS

[Tom Goldman]

Nintendo Now Saving Children's Lives With the DS

A new Nintendo DS game is helping kids monitor a disease that is typically tough to manage.

Pharmaceutical company Bayer has announced a new piece of technology for those affected by diabetes that works in tandem with the Nintendo DS. The Didget blood glucose monitoring system works just as you would expect, but also plugs into a DS to give users bonuses.

DSi and DSi XL owners need not apply, as Didget requires the Game Boy Advance slot to work. Plugging Didget into this slot will award those who have been testing their blood in a game called Knock 'Em Downs: World's Fair that comes with the meter.

In Knock 'Em Downs, players choose to be either Hunter or Britney as they attempt to save the fair from Carnie Cal, who was recently banished. The goal is apparently to foil his plot before it's too late and he... gets back into the fair? Bayer didn't say exactly what Carnie Cal is up to, but he wears a top hat and has a twirly mustache, so he must be evil incarnate. If it were me I probably would have gone with a Legacy of Kain tie-in. Insensitive?

Players of Knock will solve puzzles and visit seven unique lands. Testing regularly will unlock points that can be redeemed for new characters, mini-games, costumes, and more. Didget owners can also have individual pages on the Didget website [http://www.bayerdidget.co.uk/Home] where they can upload scores to leaderboards and unlock even more features by connecting Didget to their computers. As diabetes can be a hard illness to live with, I think tying it into playing the DS and to social networking is a really great idea.

With the Nintendo DS being used in 3DS [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/99289-Miyamoto-Focusing-on-Getting-DS-into-Schools] will probably end up helping us travel to to parallel universes, or at least give us a portal to look into them.

Via: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28234/Bayer_Launches_Diabetes_Management_Game_for_Nintendo_DS.php]

Permalink

 

[laryri]

I don't think a Legacy of Kain tie-in would be insensitive. After all, it means the kids with the disease get to play an awesome Legacy of Kain game.

 

[Delusibeta]

While I applaud the initative to get more young diabeties sufferers to test their blood glucose levels, I can't help but think that the attached game doesn't sound very good. Especially if you don't have diabeties.

 

[Jamieson 90]

My little cousin who is 8 has diabeties, he absolutely hates testing himself, i don't blame him to those little prodder things that stab your fingers to get blood out hurt like hell, anything that made him like it more I guess would be a good thing.

 

[DividedUnity]

Although in theory this sounds amazing I doubt it would be very effective really.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

The concept of the idea? Good. The practicality of people actually doing it? Slim to none.

 

[Pegghead]

That's a lovely idea in my opinion, my grandfather suffered from diabetes so I could only imagine how tough it would be for a kid. This is solid proof that humour and happiness makes the world a better place.

 

[Pendragon9]

It's good to see various video game consoles helping to better people's lives.

 

[Snotnarok]

The made a game/thing to help people with...that isn't supported by Nintendo anymore since they're making DSi, DSiXL and DS3D since they have no GBA slots...Isn't that about as useful as making this for the NES at this point?

 

[Strategia]

The more insensitive, desensitised and hand sanitiser part of me is wondering whether there'll be leaderboards for blood sugar levels too, but the rest of me seriously doubts that and is giving the other part of me an angry glare.

 

[Scobie]

DELETED

 

[Jaded Scribe]

I think it's a great idea (and hopefully the GBA port will be available on future DS models). This kind of thing is hard for kids to deal with as it is. This will at least make it a little better by making it into a game.

Think about your average kid. Prick your finger to find out your blood sugar? They're going to fight it. Prick your finger to unlock an achievement? More palatable.

 

[drkchmst]

interesting tie in. not the sleekest glucose detector but its definitely a start. way to tie in gaming to pharmaceuticals Bayer!

 

[Jared]

And who says that gaming cannot be useful! Well, I am sure those who suffer will find this extremly useful!

 

[MGlBlaze]

The made a game/thing to help people with...that isn't supported by Nintendo anymore since they're making DSi, DSiXL and DS3D since they have no GBA slots...Isn't that about as useful as making this for the NES at this point?

The DS Lite is still sold, you know; rightly so, too, as a few of the games actually require that GBA slot; Pokemon, for instance. Then there's the handy backwards-compatibility. The reason I didn't get anything past the Lite is because they lack that slot, actually.

I'm pretty sure it's not all that hard to get your hands on an original DS model, either.

 

[The Brewin]

well im a diabetic , been that for 17 years since I was 5...and whilst I've never really had many problems with it, I can see where this would be a great idea. I think its interesting and a cool way of getting kids to actually monitor their blood sugar levels. I think this is a step in the right direction....im most pleased.

 

[Pinstar]

The game part probably needs refinement, but I say Bravo for a bright idea and a step in the right direction.

 

[Jeronus]

Playstation 3 move over.


Nintendo DS

It only does everything

 

[leviathanmisha]

My dad was a diabetic and even though the man was in his fifties, he hated to prick his finger...so yeah...this could be useful. I commend Bayer on this, it's useful and entertaining!

 

[Archemetis]

I can see why this seems like a good idea on paper.
But then rewind and take a look at the potential audience.

Gamers.
more specifically, Gamers with diabetes.
Now of course it's good to make keeping on top of your diabetes fun for a child as opposed to that horrible part of the day where you have to remember how annoying (and of course potentially life threatening) it is.

Now let's again look at Gamers, they're renowned for being, pretty competitive...
When presented with a leader-board or even just a means for comparing results they'll try their hardest to top it.

I'm almost completely ignorant as to how Diabetes works and as such have no idea if that's a bad thing, but what I'm definitely not ignorant of is gamers.

There are the idiotic types who sometimes, as a means of achieving something will strive to be the worst at something.
What happens when that something becomes 'the worst diabetic'.

Admittedly this scenario is incredibly unlikely, but c'mon people this is the internet, EVERYTHING can and will happen on it...

Again, like I said it's not likely, but it's a possibility to be considered.

But beyond that I can't honestly fault the idea.
It's only other flaw is that non-diabetics supposedly won't get enjoyment from it, but it's not for the non-diabetics... So why worry?