PlayMancer (A European Serious Gaming 3D Environment) is a Collaborative Project in the EU's Seventh Framework Programme, ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) Thematic Priority Objective 1.5 Networked Media.

PlayMancer (FP7 – 2005 – 215839) started on 1st of November 2007 and and is set out to run for 36 months. 8 partners from 6 countries participate in the project.

Project Summary

PlayMancer will implement a new Serious Game environment, by augmenting existing 3D gaming engines with new possibilities. The motivation behind PlayMancer project is to investigate the potential of games in the Health Care sector.

The objectives of the project are three-fold:

User requirements from the application domains will drive development of the platform. Specifically, the focus on physical rehabilitation will drive platform requirements for supporting the development of Universally Accessible Games (UA games) and the integration of low cost player motion tracking and bio-feedback devices. Games scenarios from the lifestyle related disorder could implicate platform requirements for emotion recognition of states such as boredom, depression, anxiety and associated cognitive responses.

Due to the modular nature of the envisioned PlayMancer gaming platform architecture and the commitment to Design-for-All philosophy, the project results could be generalised to other serious games applications and user communities.

Ultimately, PlayMancer aims to support the right of all people for equal opportunities in social interaction motivated by playing, putting forward inclusive entertainment as a key quality of an inclusive Information Society.