Pitbull's Big Top wins NHS innovation award
Circus game which helps stroke victims with physical therapy takes prize
A special therapeutic version of Big Top, a game made by Sunderland's Pitbull Studios, has won an NHS innovation award after being adapted to help victims of strokes and hemiplegic cerebral palsy with their recovery.
The title was adapted for Pitbull client Limbs Alive, which specialises in new forms of physical therapy for patients.
By adapting Big Top's motion-sensing gameplay, focused on balancing and exercise through the performance of circus tasks, Pitbull created a physical therapy tool to help patients recover at home in a relaxing way.
At the 2011 Medical Futures Awards earlier this year, Limbs Alive was awarded two prizes for its work, with the overall prize for NHS innovation going to the company for the implementation of Big Top.
"Our winners tonight were chosen by a panel of distinguished experts from thousands of entries and they deserve every success for their creativity, commercial viability, and most importantly potential impact on patients," said Medical First founder Dr Andy Goldberg.
The retail version of Big Top will be published for console, PC and handheld later this year.