Thank you to everyone who has enquired on where we are at with MyFriendQuest. The last three months have been particularly busy – and launch of MyFriendQuest is now very close. In the three months since the BrightMind LABS project’s success at the Global Social Venture Competition in San Francisco, we have completed the first round of beta testing of the MyFriendQuest game. This game is designed to teach children to perceive emotions in others – and to learn the skills necessary to fit in socially.
The premise is that Cognitive Behavior Therapy can be delivered effectively and relatively cheaply to kids who need it by fusing the therapy with the immersive gaming principles that kids so love to engage in. Target developmental ages are from four to eight – and it is ideal for children on the autistic spectrum, those with dyspraxia, learning difficulties or extreme shyness or social phobia. The good news is that most kids love to play MyFriendQuest regardless of their neurological needs.
The results of beta testing have lead to a number of important changes in the game – mostly around useability. Our earlier versions needed improvements around the ease of navigation and user interface for less able children while retaining a richness of experience for more able children. Thank you for all the families who participated in beta testing and allowed us to assemble the data necessary to make these changes.
The game is currently in the animation studio having the finishing touches made to these changes, and will be released once these are complete. We are still on target for an August release – and a formal clinical effectiveness study will commence shortly afterwards. We’ll keep you posted.
"I wish there had been something like MyFriendQuest available when I was a kid!
yeah… keep up the great work