University of Oxford and FuturLab form gaming wellbeing partnership

Published by

Sam Pither

Brighton-based game developer, FuturLab, has partnered with the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute to study the wellbeing of gamers playing PowerWash Simulator.

FuturLab have released a new ‘Research Edition’ of the game, which will give researchers the ability to monitor players who have opted-in and contact them in-game to ask quick questions about their experience.

The team conducting the research have previous experience looking at the link between video games and mental wellbeing, having conducted similar studies on players in Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons and EA’s Plants Vs Zombies: Battle for Neighbourville.

In their study, titled “Video game play is positively correlated with well-being”, they state: “Contrary to many fears that excessive play time will lead to addiction and poor mental health, we found a small positive relation between game play and affective well-being.”

Players who take part in the research will unlock special in-game rewards, along with potentially advancing research into mental health and gaming.

The announcement follows FuturLab’s recent partnership with Into Games, which will see them set up an after-school club with the aim of helping people from disadvantaged backgrounds find their way into the games industry.

Sam Pither

Sam is the Regional Editor of Biz News, responsible for both Hampshire and Dorset. A new recruit to journalism, Sam started writing for the Business Magazine as a freelancer in May of 2022 after completing his degree in English at University College London. His passion for local businesses and ability to tell a story soon caught the attention of the publication’s management team and have led to his meteoric rise. Sam, who lives in central Reading, takes a particular interest in technology, gaming and food and drink, having been a chef before starting his degree.