Research Article
A Serious Game for Hemophobia Treatment Phobos: First Insights
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-030-06134-0_27, author={Jo\"{a}o Petersen and V\^{\i}tor Carvalho and Jo\"{a}o Oliveira and Eva Oliveira}, title={A Serious Game for Hemophobia Treatment Phobos: First Insights}, proceedings={Interactivity, Game Creation, Design, Learning, and Innovation. 7th EAI International Conference, ArtsIT 2018, and 3rd EAI International Conference, DLI 2018, ICTCC 2018, Braga, Portugal, October 24--26, 2018, Proceedings}, proceedings_a={ARTSIT \& DLI}, year={2019}, month={1}, keywords={Serious game Development process Programming Game development Hemophobia}, doi={10.1007/978-3-030-06134-0_27} }- João Petersen
Vítor Carvalho
João Oliveira
Eva Oliveira
Year: 2019
A Serious Game for Hemophobia Treatment Phobos: First Insights
ARTSIT & DLI
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-06134-0_27
Abstract
This paper addresses the development process of a serious game - PHOBOS - for hemophobia treatment. Hemophobia, also known as blood phobia, is the fear of blood, wounds, injuries, amongst others. The game addresses the issue through applied-tension exercise combined with exposure therapy on a virtual reality environment. One of the main challenges was to design a game that reconciliate in a balanced way an immersive narrative and plot with the treatment of a phobia that causes great tensions and find the best mechanics to allow a gradual exposure to blood. Artistically we wanted to create the more realistic environment possible, in tune with the sound design. This process was done with the help of a team of psychologists that in conjunction with the team of game developers created a plot that helps the player to adjust his discomfort and challenge himself in his path to deal with this phobia. We present an early stage development process of a virtual reality phobia game, from the brainstorming concept of the game to the development to the first prototype with its requirements and hardware used.