Using Games in Public Health (Part 2 of "Let the Games Begin")

This week we are continuing the second part of our two-part series on video games and public health. Last week we spoke with Tina Hoff, Vice President and Director of Entertainment Media Partnerships at the Kaiser Family Foundation, Marguerita Lightfoot of the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and David Galiel, an expert on new media with experience in game development.

Let the Games Begin

We've been noticing a lot of press about video games lately. Grand Theft Auto IV is flying off the shelves. It sold 60 million copies in the first week. Other games, like Guitar Hero and games for Nintendo's Wii gaming system, continue to increase in popularity. At AIDS.gov, we're interested in video games as one more way to reach people with important HIV/AIDS messages and possibly influence their behaviors. So, this week we begin a two-part series on the subject.