A free concussion mod for an American football video game simulates symptoms on screen to highlight the dangers of staying on the field injured.
The mod, called MODDEN 26, was released during Brain Injury Awareness Month by the Derek Sheely Foundation. It depicts common concussion symptoms including blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, nausea, light sensitivity and tinnitus, a ringing in the ears.
Players experience impacted visuals, distorted sounds and slower reaction times during gameplay.
The modification was inspired by Hall of Fame coach John Madden, who in 2011 said: “Concussions are such a big thing, it has to be a big thing in the video game.
“Kids used to learn football in the playground, but now they learn the game more by the video game.”
That same year, Kristen Thomson Sheely’s 22-year-old son Derek died after suffering a traumatic brain injury, a serious injury to the brain, during a college football practice.
She later established the foundation in his memory.
Thomson Sheely, executive director of the foundation, said: “It’s critical for everyone to be aware of concussion signs and symptoms because players who are concussed often don’t even realise they’re injured.
“The speed at which concussions are diagnosed and treated is vital to player health, safety, and recovery time.
She added: “We want to help prevent other children and families from enduring the devastating effects of concussions.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, youth tackle football players each sustain about 378 head impacts per season.
The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine has reported an estimated 3.8m concussions occur annually in the US through sports and recreational activities, with up to 50 per cent going unreported.
Health marketing agency Klick Health collaborated with the foundation on the initiative, honouring Derek’s memory and his love of the game.
The mod features his jersey number, 40, on a stadium banner and a dedication at the end of gameplay.
Devon Taylor, vice president, group director, strategy, at Klick Health, said: “Games don’t persuade. Games reveal.
“When you feel your reaction time slow, your vision blur, and your performance fall apart, that’s your brain learning at a physiological level.
“MODDEN 26 uses the language of play to help convey something passive education and warning labels often fail to: how it can feel to experience concussions.”
