Gabriel and IU awarded funding for anti-smoking video game for girls

Second round of funding from National Cancer Institute allows Gabriel Interactive’s “Ocean Secret” to move into the next phase of development and production; launch of product to be announced late 2011. 

Indianapolis, IN—Gabriel Interactive, Inc., designer and developer of computer and console games, announces it received $1.7 million through the National Cancer Institute in its efforts to complete Ocean Secret, an anti-smoking computer game for girls. The game is scheduled for completion in late 2011.

“We’re excited for a number of reasons: First, most companies don’t make it to Phase II, this game will be completed and ready for market in 2011, but most importantly, we think it will make a difference in the lives of young girls,” Michael Root, Gabriel president, said. 

The goal of the game is to communicate the myths and dangers associated with smoking to pre-teen girls in a fun, interactive way. Ocean Secret is the first installment in a series of health-related games to be known as the Dolphin Pier Mysteries. 

The funding comes as part of the Cancer Institute’s Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award. Gabriel received the Phase I award roughly three years ago, which granted Root and his team to research and develop Ocean Secret. 

Gabriel has been working with a leading Indiana University researcher, Dr. Anna McDaniel, in the research and development stages. McDaniel, director of the Health Informatics program in IU’s School of Informatics and associate professor in the School of Nursing, guides the educational content of Ocean Secret. The testing for the game will include pre-teen girls from the Girls Inc. of Indianapolis, a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.

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