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Guest:
Nancy Imado – Research and Customer Relations – Shadow’s Edge
Hosts:
Why did you get into the gaming industry?
I am very new to gaming – my love of gaming actually came from when I was approached by my lovely friend and boss Rosemary about working on Shadow’s Edge: a game that builds emotional strength. I was very excited to be immersed in something like that. That was when I was first introduced into the world of gaming – by working on a game!
I am very new to gaming – my love of gaming actually came from when I was approached by my lovely friend and boss Rosemary about working on Shadow’s Edge: a game that builds emotional strength. I was very excited to be immersed in something like that. That was when I was first introduced into the world of gaming – by working on a game!
But I do have an eleven-year-old daughter who has always been into gaming – she has a chronic condition and so of course there was a lot of waiting time involved when it comes to hospitals, and I would always see her gaming and I got interested in it.
Designed for teens & young adults to tap into their healing power of self-expression.
I love the idea that something that could be seen as negative – waiting around at the hospital – became something positive – bonding with your daughter and discovering gaming.
In regards to the work you do for the team behind Shadow’s Edge – what is your role in helping this amazing game come to light?
It is a FREE self-help mobile game designed for teens and young adults to tap into their healing power of self-expression. It is a game that is great for journal prompts. It’s asking teens to journal about their emotions in a fun and interactive way. For years we’ve known that journaling has been a very effective way to let out emotions. Art is another – I mean I can’t draw –
*Laughs*
But I still love art. My daughter is so good at drawing and I see the positive effects it has on her. So in Shadow’s Edge, we implement this – players are encouraged to journal and graffiti in the game. I mean what better way to reach people than on a medium like their phones – which we know young people are attached to.
In Shadow’s Edge, the story starts in a city that has just been hit by a storm. The player has to make their way around the city and bring it back to life. This is achieved by finding pages of a Shadow`s Edge community journal the city once had but has now been scattered around the city. The player has to find these pages and on every page, there is a question and this question has to do with their emotional wellbeing. As they play, they get rewards and tools to use so they can make graffiti on the city buildings to bring the city which has been washed out back to colourful life. Their graffiti creation can reflect what they are feeling. As the player finds more and more journal pages, plants start to grow – the sun starts to sunshine and slowly new life starts. grow.
That’s a brilliant idea and I love – we have tried out the game. The colouring is a stroke of genius – in recent years grown-up colouring books have become very popular. Now more than ever it is necessary to find different outlets to manage our mental health.
I agree! Looking back at research by the American Psychological Association: 70% of teens go through depression and this leads to depression in adult life. Play has been used in psychology for hundreds of years. We just bring self-help content to young people in a fun way and using a medium that they are already used to is crucial.
That’s true – teens are already on their mobile phones so having an app that helps them with their mental health is necessary. Social media can be a toxic place with cyberbullying – but it’s nice to see something like this. How has it been working on such an impactful game?
What I really love – is how many people I have been able to work with. The stories I have heard from some of the teens playing Shadow’s Edge and how this game has helped them – it’s been truly amazing. I love seeing how gaming is coming into health and exploring the multitude of benefits it has.
We have just received some good news, so we are working on our community features in the game.
I like that as well – that gaming is getting the recognition it deserves. Usually, when you see gaming on the news it is something negative – which is why this game is so important. Mental health is something that needs more focus – using an app is very forward-thinking – the older generation and the younger generation can both benefit from this. Speaking on mental health is never easy for anyone but statistically, it is harder for people of colour as it is usually frowned upon. What do you hope comes from this game?
As you mentioned mental health is usually seen as a taboo, especially as a person of colour. In my own family we never really talked about that. So that’s why this is important– to young people in particular who have a platform that will help them become resilient – help them understand what they are feeling. Children can have that opportunity to know how to manage their emotional struggles, through a fun activity which then opens doors for them to reach out for professional help. It is life-changing.
We support that statement wholeheartedly. Something as simple as colouring and writing in a journal is such a small thing but it goes a very long way in helping your mental health. This app is a must. Are there any other future projects that you are working on? Or anything else for Shadow’s Edge?
Yes! I’m a bit excited!
*Laughs*
We have just received some good news, so we are working on our community features in the game. We can’t wait to unveil it! We are putting more into Shadow’s Edge and really growing the game, growing the community around the game as well. We will continue to prove that Shadow’s Edge works. Lurie Children’s Hospital is conducting a study with Shadow’s Edge to see how the game can help young cancer patients just entering remission. This is an independent clinical study and Lurie’s is looking to publish in August 2020. We are excited to see the results of this.
That does sound exciting! Such a positive impact the game can have. Are there any questions from the team? anything else for Shadow’s Edge?
What advice would you give to someone struggling with their creative side?
Writing, writing, writing – write without looking back. It’s the best way to express yourself.
How do you think we should go about changing the narrative when it comes to gaming so that it’s not always seen as something negative – so that games like Shadow’s Edge can be properly embraced.
I mean organisations are popping up to remove that stigma. Platforms like yours (Melanin Gamers) it’s a way of bringing information to the community – positive information and I hope that other organisations and communities can shed a light on the positive aspects of gaming.
Alan – If I understand it correctly the idea came from a book called digging deep, what was the transition from book to concept to game?
The book was being used by professionals – like child life specialists. It worked well for younger children, but the book wasn’t as successful on teens. So our founder Sheri Sobrato spoke to Rosemary Lokhorst who is our tech girl, found a platform which teens would engage with…mobiles of course! Then, of course, we did research.
Download the app now
Nancy Imado
Research and Customer Relations - Shadow's Edge
Annabel
Melanin Gamers - Founder & Writer
The founder & director of Melanin Gamers.
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