Definition of Transformational Games
I am using the term Transformational Games as suggested by Jesse Schell and his team at Schell Games as a better name than Serious Games, since these are games that transform the users or their world in meaningful ways beyond pure entertainment, and are often not inherently serious (with the grim aspect that can imply). This is a generally inclusive definition - I tend to reject any definition defining games of this type as being about learning or teaching, as there are quite a few examples that I believe fall outside of those bounds (e.g. SETI@home, or various projects using networked game consoles for protein folding research). I'm not crazy about the term Gamification either, since it has been used by some to imply that just throwing in scoring, achievements and a few game elements is all you need to make anything fun - that trivializes both the challenges of making good games, and achieving significant results. People like sugar and you can make a lot of foods more popular by adding sugar and don't even need to apply heat, but that kind of cookification of food isn't going to put chefs out of business either... But if you undertake gamification as a thoughtful way to apply the best techniques of game development to other fields, I'm all for it.
Transformational Game Work by Noah Falstein
I have contributed to dozens of transformational game projects in my career, the majority since the year 2000. Some notable examples:
Shell Simulation - Design of a systems simulation for Shell Exploration and Production in Holland
East3 Project - Game to treat ADD/ADHD through neurofeedback, built on research from NASA (company folded)
ReMission - a game to help children with cancer stay on chemo, published by Hopelab. Proven effective, results published in the journal Pediatrics.
Space Station Sim - Dual-use educational and entertainment title designed originally for Gentle Revolution Press, in conjunction with a NASA Space Act Agreement, published by VisionPlay Entertainment
BTS Microsoft project - Project review with the Swedish company BTS on a transformational game for Microsoft
Hungry Red Planet - Nutrition education for kids through a game based on settling Mars, published by Health Media Lab, game won multiple awards
Health Care Compliance Strategies - Submitted proposals for improving their compliance training software
Quixit - Founding member of a brain-training startup in conjunction with the French company Happy Neuron, creating mental acuity exercises
Morphonix - Consulted on the design of several of their games to teach brain science to children
Freedom Fighter 56 - Historical educational game about the Hungarian Revolution, published by Lauer Learning
Microsoft - Expert witness regarding exercise games (exergaming) for a trial involving the game Yourself!Fitness
Immune Attack - Reviewed design of this game for the Federation of American Scientists
Cisco Mindshare Game - Lead designer on this project for training entry-level network engineers
Physio Software - Design work at their Paris offices on their physiology simulation model for game developers
USAID - Helped design a framework for this US government organization's transformational game work through Digital Mill
BP - Design work on an unannounced financial projection game for BP
Neuroracer - Consulted on this project with Dr. Adam Gazzaley to research distraction while driving covered by the New York Times
KTM Advance - Several projects for the Paris company that did Transformational Game work for many French industrial giants.
MindMaze - I have been working with the CEO of this Swiss company that has created games to help stroke victims recover, as well as VR technology for medical purposes.
Akili Interactive Labs - Serving as a consultant and Executive Advisor to this company that has turned the Neuroracer work into AKL-T001, a digital health product seeking clearance by the FDA as a prescription treatment.
AppliedVR - Worked with this leader in Virtual Reality training to deal with chronic pain.
StoryUP - Advisor and consultant for a company using VR in conjunction with EEG to improve the mood of patients.
Dopavision - A German company with a VR Game-based treatment for Myopia
Soihtu - A Finnish company working on a game to treate depression
Mindless - A division of Freestyleplus, applying improv comedy techniques to digital games to boost creativity and keep minds healthy
George Lucas Educational Foundation - Working with their recently rebooted Lucas Learning group on some exciting educational games
Shell Simulation - Design of a systems simulation for Shell Exploration and Production in Holland
East3 Project - Game to treat ADD/ADHD through neurofeedback, built on research from NASA (company folded)
ReMission - a game to help children with cancer stay on chemo, published by Hopelab. Proven effective, results published in the journal Pediatrics.
Space Station Sim - Dual-use educational and entertainment title designed originally for Gentle Revolution Press, in conjunction with a NASA Space Act Agreement, published by VisionPlay Entertainment
BTS Microsoft project - Project review with the Swedish company BTS on a transformational game for Microsoft
Hungry Red Planet - Nutrition education for kids through a game based on settling Mars, published by Health Media Lab, game won multiple awards
Health Care Compliance Strategies - Submitted proposals for improving their compliance training software
Quixit - Founding member of a brain-training startup in conjunction with the French company Happy Neuron, creating mental acuity exercises
Morphonix - Consulted on the design of several of their games to teach brain science to children
Freedom Fighter 56 - Historical educational game about the Hungarian Revolution, published by Lauer Learning
Microsoft - Expert witness regarding exercise games (exergaming) for a trial involving the game Yourself!Fitness
Immune Attack - Reviewed design of this game for the Federation of American Scientists
Cisco Mindshare Game - Lead designer on this project for training entry-level network engineers
Physio Software - Design work at their Paris offices on their physiology simulation model for game developers
USAID - Helped design a framework for this US government organization's transformational game work through Digital Mill
BP - Design work on an unannounced financial projection game for BP
Neuroracer - Consulted on this project with Dr. Adam Gazzaley to research distraction while driving covered by the New York Times
KTM Advance - Several projects for the Paris company that did Transformational Game work for many French industrial giants.
MindMaze - I have been working with the CEO of this Swiss company that has created games to help stroke victims recover, as well as VR technology for medical purposes.
Akili Interactive Labs - Serving as a consultant and Executive Advisor to this company that has turned the Neuroracer work into AKL-T001, a digital health product seeking clearance by the FDA as a prescription treatment.
AppliedVR - Worked with this leader in Virtual Reality training to deal with chronic pain.
StoryUP - Advisor and consultant for a company using VR in conjunction with EEG to improve the mood of patients.
Dopavision - A German company with a VR Game-based treatment for Myopia
Soihtu - A Finnish company working on a game to treate depression
Mindless - A division of Freestyleplus, applying improv comedy techniques to digital games to boost creativity and keep minds healthy
George Lucas Educational Foundation - Working with their recently rebooted Lucas Learning group on some exciting educational games