BESIDES providing hours of fun, well-designed computer games can yield far-reaching social and educational benefits. They can improve the lives of kids stricken with cancer and even help people learn ways to topple corrupt regimes without bloodshed, says gaming industry veteran Noel Falstein.

Such games fall into the category of so-called 'serious games', a term used to refer to titles aimed at imparting and training players on topics ranging from medical know-how, current affairs to national history.

Mr Falstein, who started his career as a programmer with Milton Bradley in 1980, was part of the pioneering batch of employees at gaming giants like Lucasfilm Games (now LucasArts Entertainment) and Dreamworks Interactive. He has been involved in serious games development over the last 10 years through his own consulting firm, The Inspiracy.

At the opening address at the XMediaLab gaming conference held here last week, he cited several examples from the United States. These include a game called Re-mission, a 3D third-person shooter released by a non-profit organisation called HopeLab earlier this year.

Targeted at young cancer patients, the player controls a microscopic robot that is injected into the body to combat different types of cancer. While reminiscent of other popular shooting games like Doom, Re-mission is designed to educate players on the types of treatment available for the disease and the importance of adhering to the prescribed therapy. According to Mr Falstein, a study has shown that cancer patients who play the game experience health benefits as they are more likely to continue taking their medication following their chemotherapy treatment.

Another title highlighted was A Force More Powerful, a computer game designed to teach players non-violent ways of resolving conflicts.

It attempts to emulate historical triumphs against dictators and corrupt governments without using weapons and other violent means. Players apply tactics like strikes and protests in a bid to overthrow their oppressors.

Mr Falstein stressed that, to be successful, serious games need to overcome the challenge of educating gamers while keeping them entertained through intriguing gameplay.

'It's hard to educate. It's hard to entertain. It's even harder to do both,' he stressed.

While these examples are largely from the US, Mr Falstein encouraged local game developers to consider doing likewise.

'I hope to have examples from Singapore to show next time when I speak in the US,' he quipped.

This article first appeared in BT on December 11, 2006