Sega XD Participates in Moonshot Goal 9: "Realizing a Society Where People Can Live Positively Even in Adversity"

Sega XD Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President and CEO: Hidetaka Tani; hereinafter "Sega XD"), which operates a gamification*1 business, has participated in the "Maemuki" project, led by Project Manager Makiko Yamada (affiliated with the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, hereinafter "PM Yamada"), which aims to "realize a society where people can live positively even in adversity" under Moonshot Research and Development Program Goal 9, "Increasing Mental Peace and Vitality," promoted by the Cabinet Office. Through this participation, Sega XD will begin initiatives for the social implementation of the "Mental Gym" concept, a new training service that adjusts and enhances mental states, which is being developed within the same project.

This joint project will integrate the research results on understanding, visualizing, and supporting mental states, which have been advanced by PM Yamada's Moonshot Goal 9 research and development project, with Sega XD's expertise in gamification and experience design.

Specifically, while utilizing research insights that quantitatively estimate and visualize mental states using brain, physiological, and behavioral data, we will proceed with the design of scientifically-based mental training experiences. Just as physical gyms have become established in society, we aim for the social implementation of a "Mental Gym" as a new place to regularly adjust and enhance concentration, resilience, and the ability to act positively.

*1 What is "Gamification"?: Applying game mechanisms to non-game fields to increase user motivation and influence their behavior (https://segaxd.co.jp/gamification/overview/)

Moonshot Research and Development Program Goal 9 "Maemuki" Project

The Moonshot Research and Development Program is a large-scale national research program that aims to create disruptive innovation originating in Japan and promotes challenging research and development based on bold ideas that are not an extension of conventional technology.

Goal 9 aims to "realize a mentally rich and vibrant society by increasing mental peace and vitality by 2050." The "Maemuki" project, led by PM Yamada, which aims to "realize a society where people can live positively even in adversity," is advancing research into understanding brain and biological mechanisms for maintaining mental peace and vitality and living positively even under adversity and stress loads, and developing non-invasive support and training technologies.

・Moonshot Research and Development Program: https://www.jst.go.jp/moonshot/index.html ・"Maemuki" Project Special Site: https://maemuki.org/

About the Mental Gym Concept

In this joint project, we will combine the scientific knowledge held by the PM Yamada project with Sega XD's experience design capabilities utilizing entertainment, and proceed with verification for the social implementation of "Mental Gym," a mental training space that adjusts and enhances mental states based on scientific evidence.

Although the mental wellness market*2 is expanding globally, much of it remains self-management services such as applications and individual programs. On the other hand, the reason why the culture of physical training has become established in society is not merely the provision of knowledge, but the existence of places that promote continuous experience design and habit formation.

In this joint project, in addition to adjusting the mind, we aim to root mental training as a daily habit in society by incorporating mechanisms that make people want to continue.

< Mental Gym Concept >

Training-type well-being facility that adjusts and enhances the brain and mind. Feedback based on scientific data. Continuous design utilizing gamification. Mental training as daily well-being support and ability enhancement support, not medical treatment.

*2 Mental Wellness: An active process that not only aims for a state free from illness (mental health) but also pursues a better quality of life (QOL) by maintaining and improving mental health positively through daily self-care and actions.

Background of the Mental Gym Concept

Globally, over 1 billion people suffer from mental health issues*3, and productivity losses due to depression and anxiety disorders amount to approximately 1 trillion dollars annually. Furthermore, with the advancement of knowledge work and digitalization, cognitive and emotional functions such as attention control, creativity, and stress response are attracting attention as important factors related not only to individual well-being but also to the sustainable development of companies and society.

In this trend, the mental domain is expanding beyond "treatment" to "prevention," "self-care," and "support for performance enhancement." According to the Global Wellness Institute, the mental wellness market...