Catching up with Hyper Luminal Games: “We’re really passionate about accessibility. Our stories are universal, so we feel our players should be too”

Hyper Luminal Games was featured in May 2022’s issue of MCV/DEVELOP.

CEO, Stuart Martin and Creative Director, Rob Madden caught up with Richie Shoemaker to discuss the company’s developments and goals since its last feature in 2018.

Hyper Luminal’s write up can be viewed across pages 34-36.

The web article version can be viewed here.

And the digital print version of May’s MCV/DEVELOP can be viewed here.

Hyper Luminal’s original game Cloud Jumper was featured in Issue 62 of Wireframe magazine

Cloud Jumper was featured in the May 2022 issue of Wireframe magazine.

Included as part of their Incoming games to look out for, Cloud Jumper’s segment can be viewed on page 26.

The full issue of Wireframe can be viewed for free here.

New interactive game launched to help people in Buckie live ‘healthier, happier and longer’

A team of developers at Hyper Luminal have come up with an innovative idea to encourage thousands of Scots to live “healthier, happier and longer”.

The Dundee-based studio, which normally creates games for Xbox, PlayStation and iPhone, has developed the MyLife app as part of the Blackwood Peoplehood Project.

The £12.5million initiative will establish a future-proof model for independent living by creating age-friendly homes with safe outdoor spaces for people to remain active.

The app features an on-screen avatar character to keep residents informed of local events and motivate them to take part in community activities, with suggestions suited to their needs, interests and abilities.

Each avatar will also take into account the medical, health and mobility circumstances of individual users, who can earn real-life awards – such as free gardening work or use of an electric car or e-bike.

Fanchea Kelly, chief executive of Blackwood, said: “MyLife will get to know a resident’s daily schedule and can suggest tasks or activities which encourage mobility. It could be as simple as washing some dishes, going for a walk or speaking to a neighbour, all of which earn rewards which can be used to customise their avatar.

“Blackwood credits can also be earned from community engagement or interaction, for example doing a neighbour’s shopping or taking part in a dance class.

“The avatar will be a friendly personal assistant but it is also designed to be a gateway to making new friends and a portal to allow residents to connect with other individuals.”

“Interesting and valuable addition to daily life”

Buckie is one of the three Scottish neighbourhoods to take part in the three-year scheme, alongside Charleston in Dundee and Cardonald in Glasgow.

Participants will benefit from free tablets and Wi-Fi to get digitally connected, while e-bikes, electric cars and a host of equipment will be delivered according to demand.

Stuart Martin, chief executive of Hyper Luminal Games, said the app was developed in a careful process involving local people who will use it to make the most of the scheme.

He added: “Blackwood residents are our beta testers because only by finding out what is important to them – identifying services and functionalities which should be prioritised and seeing them interact with the app – can we be sure that MyLife will improve their lives.

“The common response was ‘we don’t play games’ but just because you don’t pick up a game pad or use a PlayStation doesn’t mean you are not a gamer.

“Once we probed further, we found many played Candy Crush or Sudoku on phones or did crosswords on a tablet, and they accepted that MyLife could be an interesting and valuable addition to daily life.”

The full article can be read here.

Scots communities to have everyday life changed with introduction of interactive health app

A group of game developers have been drafted in to give an interactive twist to living and working across three Scottish communities.

The team at Hyper Luminal normally create games for Xbox, PlayStation and iPhone – but were challenged to gamify everyday life and encourage thousands of Scots to live in healthier ways.

Now the MyLife app, developed by the Dundee-based studio, is being rolled out as part of the Peoplehood project – led by Scottish housing specialist Blackwood – which aims to positively transform life for locals in three Scottish communities.

Peoplehood is a £12.5m project to develop a future-proof model for independent living in communities in Glasgow, Dundee and Morayshire, helping people to live healthier, happier and longer.

The three-year initiative will create a blueprint for welcoming communities with age-friendly homes, supported by cutting-edge technologies and safe outdoor spaces to sustain physical activities.

The funding will see each area benefit from free tablets and Wi-Fi for participants to help them get digitally connected, while also delivering e-bikes, electric cars and a host of equipment and activities within communities, all according to local demand.

“MyLife will improve their lives”

The co-design process showed that many testers enjoyed digital games, puzzles and brainteasers, but did not consider that gaming.

Stuart Martin, CEO of Hyper Luminal Games, said: “The common response was ‘we don’t play games’ but just because you don’t pick up a game pad or use a PlayStation doesn’t mean you are not a gamer. 

“Once we probed further, we found many played Candy Crush or Sudoku on phones or did crosswords on a tablet, and they accepted that MyLife could be an interesting and valuable addition to daily life.”

Stuart added: “Blackwood residents are our beta testers because only by finding out what is important to them – identifying services and functionalities which should be prioritised and seeing them interact with the app – can we be sure that MyLife will improve their lives.”

The app features an on-screen avatar character to keep residents informed of local events and motivate them to take part in community activities, with suggestions suited to their needs, interests and abilities. 

Each avatar will also take into account the medical, health and mobility circumstances of individual users, who can earn real-life awards – such as free gardening work or use of an electric car or e-bike. The more they engage with MyLife, the greater the potential rewards.

Fanchea Kelly, Chief Executive of Blackwood, said: “MyLife will get to know a resident’s daily schedule and can suggest tasks or activities which encourage mobility.

“It could be as simple as washing some dishes, going for a walk or speaking to a neighbour, all of which earn rewards which can be used to customise their avatar.

“Blackwood credits can also be earned from community engagement or interaction, for example doing a neighbour’s shopping or taking part in a dance class.

“Those credits can be used in a variety of ways such as the free use of a community e-car or getting their garden done for free.

“The avatar will be a friendly personal assistant but it is also designed to be a gateway to making new friends and a portal to allow residents to connect with other individuals.

“MyLife will be mindful of a person’s individual health circumstances such as mobility and mental health, and it can be enhanced by input from a person’s care provider or family member.”

The Peoplehood Project received £6m UK Research and Innovation funding as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund/Healthy Ageing Challenge – which was match-funded by a further £6.5m from Blackwood and its nine industry partners.

Detailed research identified the three most suitable Peoplehood locations.

Charleston in Dundee was chosen because it already has a high number of specialist Blackwood Homes.

Cardonald in Glasgow is best suited to explore the development of an integrated community, while Buckie, situated between Banff and Elgin, presents challenges around its rural location, public transport and WIFI accessibility.

Link to the full article here.