Video Game Hero: Kawashima's Money Madness
How and why did the man behind Brain-training games give all his Nintendo earnings away?
So, you're the name and the mind behind literally millions of video game sales. You're probably sunning yourself on your own personal island right? You'd be mad not too. Not if you're Dr Ryuta Kawashima.
Dr Kawashima is 54 years old and has given away all the money he made from games such as these - that is - personally in terms of his own royalties somewhere in the region of £20,000,000. Why the hell would you do that?
According to The Independent, "The 54-year-old refused to keep the money he made from the brain puzzle series, ploughing much of it into a research centre in Japan’s Tohoku University, attached to the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer.
"Kawashima’s 40-strong team of young scientists spends their days working on ways to train our working memory and stimulate the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that deals with problem-solving and personality.
"Brain exercises have been shown to expand the cortex of healthy young people, he says, “So why not the old?”"
Brilliant! All this comes on the back of a new documentary called "Do You Know What My Name Is?" that is focused on the good doctor's work.
A respected brain specialist making videogames? Madness! Making videogames and giving all that money away? Madness! We love that kind of madness!
Dr Kawashima is 54 years old and has given away all the money he made from games such as these - that is - personally in terms of his own royalties somewhere in the region of £20,000,000. Why the hell would you do that?
According to The Independent, "The 54-year-old refused to keep the money he made from the brain puzzle series, ploughing much of it into a research centre in Japan’s Tohoku University, attached to the Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer.
"Kawashima’s 40-strong team of young scientists spends their days working on ways to train our working memory and stimulate the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that deals with problem-solving and personality.
"Brain exercises have been shown to expand the cortex of healthy young people, he says, “So why not the old?”"
Brilliant! All this comes on the back of a new documentary called "Do You Know What My Name Is?" that is focused on the good doctor's work.
Co-director Shigeru Ota "Do You Know What My Name Is?" from Tri-C Media Arts & Studies on Vimeo.
A respected brain specialist making videogames? Madness! Making videogames and giving all that money away? Madness! We love that kind of madness!
Read More Like This