The University of Quebec study found that off-the-shelf video games like Half-Life and Unreal Tournament created a suitable simulation for various phobia scenarios (arachnophobia, acrophobia), while maintaining a safe environment that produced the mid-range levels of anxiety that are most useful in therapy.

Regular, off-the-shelf computer video games are an effective method of treating people's fears, using a style of therapy that exposes people to what scares them in a controlled setting, according to a new study released on Friday. -- full article