Insurance company-backed game reminds old people how to drive

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A way to finally get your parents to shut up about your games obsession

We’ve all heard the old saw about violent video games affecting kids. One insurance company,The Hartford, is turning the stereotype on its head by releasing DriveSharp, a Brain Age-style game targeted toward old people who can’t drive. Pull this one out every time your grandpa yells at you about your “idiot box” and “loser life” and about how “you’ll never amount to anything.”

While you might expect a Gran Turismo clone with a max speed of 20 mph, DriveSharp was designed by “a global team of more than 50 scientists” and resembles Bejeweled more than Driver. According to the game’s website, multiple medical journals have written about the benefits of DriveSharp training, including the impressive statistic that it cuts the risk of crashing your boat of an Oldsmobile by half. I’m curious how they measured that one, but hey. Science.





Above:Surprisingly, none of the minigames remotely resemble driving."Jewel Driver" here
is basically a shell game that hides gems behind fish.

For a temporarily discounted price of $79, The Hartford will provide you with three casual-friendly games meant to train your brain in tracking multiple moving objects, road sign recognition, observation and reflex speed. Hopefullyit'll soonadd “how to not hold up traffic” in DLC. For those who balk at spending nearly $80 on clones of Bejeweled and three-card monte, The Hartford is offering to pay $50 to customers who have completed the entire game. You’ll still be paying $19 plus insurance premiums, but at least you’ll have the benefit of “faster thinking, noticing more, and quicker reactions” to combat your incipient Alzheimer’s.

If you’re interested in giving the game a try, there’s a free sample of Jewel Driver at DriveSharp’swebsite, along with order details for those with money to blow and 10 hours to kill

(viaGamePolitics).