Therapy coming to DS

Japanese company announces DS Therapy to help handheld gamers with all their pesky psychological problems.

The brain-training craze has swept the world, bringing nongamers into the gaming fray and placing sudoku puzzles everywhere. The series of original Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training (Brain Age in the US) games, along with the numerous spin-offs, task gamers with a variety of reading and arithmetic exercises that supposedly boost brain power.

Following along this road, one Japanese developer has stumbled upon what it thinks will be the next big thing--"therapy" on your Nintendo DS. Instead of daily brain training, users are asked to participate in "daily heart aeorobics."

It seems the game will ask users a series of Cosmopolitan magazine-style quizzes, which will then be "checked against up-to-date psychology findings." Topics include romantic love, money, the future, and personal relationships. The game will feature four stylish "doctors"--Kota, Saya, Reina, and Shun, who will aid the gamers on their paths to mental well-being. It will also feature illustrations by Kaori Wakamatsu.

Dimple Entertainment, a Tokyo-based publisher and developer, has previously published Japanese adventure games Ayaka Shibito and Mahoroba Stories for the PlayStation 2.

DS Therapy will be released in Japan on May 24 for 4,800 yen--there is currently no information about releases in other territories.

83 Comments

  • faizali86

    Posted Feb 8, 2007 2:32 am PT

    do i get pills with it?

  • teknocack

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 8:17 pm PT

    Oh.......My................ Words escape me.

  • wanderingblade

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 4:11 pm PT

    Wow, what will they think of next?

  • Swampthing

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 2:52 pm PT

    What "numerous spinoffs" are there for Brain Age?? I've seen many copy-cat programs, but no sequels or spinoffs of the original. Are these titles released only in Japan thus far? Personally, I would love to see someone port ALTER-EGO (both male and female versions) to the DS. Now THAT would be fun!

  • majestikk

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 2:05 pm PT

    Wonderin if it might help with my Porn-addiction problem...

  • cjcr_alexandru

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 11:47 am PT

    I'm wondering how many copies of this game will be sold...

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 11:46 am PT

    Will this help me with my addiction to video games? :-/

  • niels200683

    Posted Feb 7, 2007 2:15 am PT

    Seeing as to what our main tourist attraction is,
    this game is going to be a big hit in the Netherlands!

  • SephirothSyZtem

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 10:10 pm PT

    128 megabits wont do a therapy game credit.

    this will be a bare basic steap that wont work becuase many people with OCD have it so bad they cant wyan off of there problems by themself's and need someones help...like...a real therapist.

    i have OCD, i can almost 100% tell you no game will heal it.

    Doctor phil is stupid.

  • BulletProof007

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 7:10 pm PT

    Move over doctor Phil the DS is movin in ! Lol

  • Gmacrusher

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 6:55 pm PT

    Well isn't there Trauma center!!

  • TryMe01

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 6:45 pm PT

    so you have problems, go and consult your DS

  • matrixman2k

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 6:20 pm PT

    Bring more brain dead lot into the fantastic world of videogames - no?

    Still...this could be the next 'big thing' as it were.

  • acu02151

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 5:42 pm PT

    But what I'm I going to do if my DS tells me i'm psychopathic and have a high probability of walking into a pet store with a chainsaw?

  • fauljosh

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 4:56 pm PT

    interesting.......

  • comthitnuong

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 4:50 pm PT

    now I won't have to see a psychiatrist

  • ice_ninja19

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 4:19 pm PT

    This is cheap therapy here, sounds like it might work.

  • mkirklions

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 3:37 pm PT

    gimmics either work or dont... this doesnt

  • MegaMAN1121

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 3:08 pm PT

    Cool why pay 500 a hour while you can get it for 30 dollers

  • frogiggy323

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 3:01 pm PT

    It's only a matter of time until a virtual physcologist comes out and you're able to release your inner most secrets to it. Heck you can already do surgery and become a lawyer.

  • alcarazo9

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 2:52 pm PT

    sounds intersting

  • krimla

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 2:26 pm PT

    Why do we need this game to help our mental wellness when Manhunt has been doing it for a couple of years?

  • BlueYoshi579

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 2:24 pm PT

    "Honey... My DS says we... should see other people."

  • mike_515

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 1:57 pm PT

    Cool sounds great

  • ChitoKiryoku

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 1:29 pm PT

    Yay, now I won't need to see my psychologist about my social anxiety problems anymore

    lol

  • TintedChimes

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 1:26 pm PT

    hahaha, no more need from shrinks...its like an atm for shrinks...hahaha

  • taboo

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 1:09 pm PT

    Psychology? On my DS? I'm all for the concept.

  • CheddarLimbo

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:38 pm PT

    Blech.

    Even taking aside the "it's not really a game, it's software" point, this sounds like a pretty crap project.

    I think I'd get more reliable results on my emotional well being from the schizophrenic homeless guy that hangs out down town than I would from a Cosmopolitan-esque quiz game.

  • Eloy

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:36 pm PT

    It' s gonna be a huge success as big brain academy, sudoku gridmaster, Electroplacton, Nintendogs and Brain Age were.

  • lord-of-gamers

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:36 pm PT

    OMG! i mean i thought it was wierd bringing in the sudoku into gaming - i do both at different times and i am sane as ever but this is going a bit far and ummm just asking - how will it be up to date on the DS?? rofl

  • DurhamNC

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:26 pm PT

    Two words: Oh dear.

  • Slash_out

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:22 pm PT

    that could be fun... the first or two time you'll play it. But, i don't think a game can help someone on his "well being", it's too limited. Still that could lead to a new kind of products: software like, for people in the waiting room in this case in a psychologue's waiting room...

    ----------
    jkdeadite
    I hope it has some sort of wifi update capabilities to keep the psychological data current and keep the game from getting old.
    ----------
    Hrm... Psychology is NOT like math, medecine, astronomy or i don't know what kind of science.
    There are no equation that are accepted yesterday and proved wrong the day after. There is no question of getting old and being new. it evolve very slowly.

  • JFreezy02

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:21 pm PT

    I can see it all now........

    DS Therapy: How many hours of video games do you play in a day?
    Super Geek: 23 hours. I have to eat and pee in the spare hour.
    DS Therapy: Do you have a girlfriend?
    Super Geek: Does my right hand count?
    DS Therapy: Have you ever had a girlfriend?
    Super Geek: Does my right hand count?
    DS Therapy: Do you have a job?
    Super Geek: Not yet. I am still in the Jedi Academy. When I graduate, I plan on being an inter-galactic guardian.
    DS Therapy: Put down the DS and seek REAL therapy!

  • Kurtisadei

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:14 pm PT

    i don't think this is a good idea

  • stiker71

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:13 pm PT

    Eh useless.

  • SM2099

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:04 pm PT

    I hope they bring it out on the west.

  • fmobliv06

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:03 pm PT

    wait so..whats the point of this game? it sounds pretty rediculous lol

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:02 pm PT

    I'll have to see it.
    Brain exercises are easy to comprehend; either you figure it out or not in x amount of time. Psychology strikes me as much weirder and more unique to the individual. I could be wrong, but that's what comes to mind.

  • aoi23

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 12:01 pm PT

    Haha, I might look into this just because of how silly this sounds.

  • ignominiousf

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:47 am PT

    Time for some DS-related suicides, I guess.

  • Sense

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:46 am PT

    Good i really need a therapy.

  • styphin

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:41 am PT

    Um, what? I seriously think people should NOT be getting psychological help from a video game. I love DS, but that's rediculous.

  • jkdeadite

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:37 am PT

    I hope it has some sort of wifi update capabilities to keep the psychological data current and keep the game from getting old.

  • TwoStirsPaco

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:35 am PT

    I'm still a Brain Age guy. It's about as gimmick-y as games should be. Current brain age: 22

  • superchunli

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:13 am PT

    I remember playing a therapy "game" on my C64 back in the day. I can't remember the name of it, but it was text based, and mostly consisted of recognizing your sentence structure and then asking "How do *you* feel about (thing you mentioned)?"

    It was a neat idea, but once you got done figuring out it's patterns and feeding it cursewords, it didn't have much to offer. Here's hoping Dimple Entertainment can add some more gameplay to the concept.

  • SorcererLance

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:10 am PT

    cheaper than seeing an actual doctor and getting those expensive meds...an interesting idea

  • Rmadilo

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:08 am PT

    If I don't get this I'll go MAD!!!

  • brotherscampos

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:06 am PT

    It is a new and diferent concept on hands of the Nintendo the creators of all the video games World and a new game experience (Wii)

  • Chief_Kuuni

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:05 am PT

    I'm so there

  • Kbs64

    Posted Feb 6, 2007 11:01 am PT

    Another land slide of crazy games brought to you by the letter "N".. (Nintendo). Let the next craze begin!!

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