A few years ago, the idea of researchers, doctors, and game developers getting together every year to talk about how what each was doing affected the others seemed a little silly. But as our increasingly health-conscious culture begins to make games like Konami's Dance Dance Revolution and Sony's EyeToy lineup more popular, and as skill sets for practicing medicine and playing games begin to overlap, it's clear that such discussions need to take place.

That's why the Serious Games Initiative is producing the second annual Games For Health, a conference set to take place in Baltimore, Maryland, September 22 and 23. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the conference is a chance for game developers, researchers, and health-care experts to discuss how games and game technologies can be applied in the health-care field. The conference will feature panel discussions, roundtables, and a demo exposition for upcoming projects in the field. Applications shown will work on improving simulation training, direct patient care, and even rehabilitation.

"Last year we showed the world there is exciting work being down [sic] to apply the motivational, educational, and graphical power of video games to improving public health," said Ben Sawyer, codirector of the Games For Health Project. "This meeting gives us the opportunity to look at how far things have come in only a year. Some of the next-generation projects will be exciting in terms of their potential to change how patients and health-care professionals practice health care."

A keynote speaker for the conference has yet to be determined, but Eric Johnston of LucasArts will be discussing the creation of Ben's Game, an edutainment offering created in association with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for leukemia patient Ben Duskin. Other speakers of particular interest to gamers include Persuasive Games' Ian Bogost, who will be discussing advertising prescription medicine through games, and Tom Holmes of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, who will discuss the company's EyeToy.

For more information on the conference, visit the official Games For Health Web site.