We all thrilled to announce that the play4REAL XR Lab is the recipient of an Epic MegaGrant to create an alcohol harm reduction game for the Magic Leap using Unreal Engine.
Designed specifically for the Magic Leap One, No Time Wasted will be an XR evidence-based game focused on how engaging in alcohol and drug use as a teen can have a lasting impact on one’s future and health. As the game unfolds, the player realizes that they have the power to use special tools to help their friends make better choices around alcohol use at a party. For example, one tool allows the player to identify the blood alcohol level of their friends, and another lets the player rewind time to help party attendees make better choices. For example, rewinding time to stop a friend from leaving the party with car keys in hand, for example.
The player’s goal in the game is to help their friends make different decisions at the party and subsequently change the future. By freezing time, the player can hide their drunken friend’s keys and watch the situation unfold, or give advice to the bystanders ignoring a passed-out friend and get them to take action.
This theory- and evidence- based game is designed to increase the player’s ability to identify risks in their environment, increase their self-efficacy to refuse risky situations, and to increase their knowledge and understanding of future consequences related to alcohol and drug use. We propose to conduct a pilot study with 40 teens to test the efficacy of the game.
