GlucoBoy turns diabetes blood-testing into a game [Joystiq]

[DP ServBot]

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Portable, Peripherals

A new glucose monitor targeted at children with Juvenile Diabetes hopes to entice its young users by doubling as a video game. The GlucoBoy tests small amounts of blood for glucose levels, just like a normal glucose self-diagnosis device. Upon plugging it into a Game Boy Advance or DS, however, GlucoBoy rewards players for routine glucose checks or having correct blood sugar levels by giving them points, which can be used to unlock mini-games on the cartridge.

Interestingly, we originally reported about GlucoBoy way back in 2005, with Engadget having reported on it first in 2004. Due to the device's small market, its inventor Paul Wessel has spent three years trying to get approval from Nintendo to produce the device. GlucoBoy launched in Australia on World Diabetes Day, with plans to bring the glucose-testing device to more regions soon.

[Via Next-Gen]

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[sisko]

GlucoBoy, huh? Sound like a third rate super hero's sidekick.

I'd be surprised if this gets launched stateside.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Seems to me like the groundwork for Captain Novalin II!

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Here's hoping that this increases the value of my copy of Captain Novalin for SNES.

What a worthless game (value-wise) for such a rare one in the wild!

[Sothy]

I was expecting it to have needles that take the childs blood from the buttons.

[udisi]

Cpt. Novolin wasn't that bad, and I'll have to say Rex Ronan was down right hilariously fun.

[CosmicMonkey]

I'm diabetic. I want one....

[Ed Oscuro]

In before DIABEETUS...you know, they should sign up Wilford, then this would be a true cultural phenomenon.

Sorry to turn your life-threatening condition into a joke, folks. I'm sure that's not what the inventor had in mind, but...pricking yourself to play games? Ruargh, that's a cutter simulator game right there. Training kids to cut themselves! :O

[rbudrick]

Seriously. Every diabetic kid I knew joined the trenchcoat mafia.

This game is an instant future rarity.

-Rob

[CosmicMonkey]

Sorry to turn your life-threatening condition into a joke, folks. I'm sure that's not what the inventor had in mind, but...pricking yourself to play games?

I stab myself in the leg 4 fucking times a day to inject Insulin. And then I get to prick the end of my finger at least once a day to find out what my blood sugar level is. The whole blood and needles thing starts to get pretty fucking annoying rather quickly. I think I deserve a little mini-game to play if my blood sugar levels are bang-on. As well as a cuppa and a joint.

[Ed Oscuro]

Sorry about that, but you know, I'm thinking of Pavlov's dogs here. A little kid is going to have a hard enough time getting things intellectually, and when you throw in some kind of reward other than the "hey, you get to live another day" reality, that just seems odd.

I'm not condemning it, but I'd be cautious as I think there's a real psychological dimension to rewarding people for inflicting (just a little) pain on themselves, especially when they're kids.

[XYXZYZ]

I stab myself in the leg 4 fucking times a day to inject Insulin. And then I get to prick the end of my finger at least once a day to find out what my blood sugar level is. The whole blood and needles thing starts to get pretty fucking annoying rather quickly. I think I deserve a little mini-game to play if my blood sugar levels are bang-on. As well as a cuppa and a joint.

Man, that has to suck. I know a Korean woman who has to stab a needle into her stomach area (I'm not sure what she's stabbing into, the pancreas perhaps?) every time she eats.

[diskoboy]

I wonder if Wilford Brimley will do the ads?

[otoko]

What type of games? I know my dad will be stoked to hear about it.