Okay, I see what you're saying now.
The screenshots in the article were just as convincing as the info btw. They do look very different from what I've seen kids playing. I think as far as the quote about them walking further down the road we were misunderstanding each other, this sort of thing is exactly what I meant when I made the comment. They're a lot further along than I could have imagined though.
I still feel pretty strongly that these games in the hands of an already off kilter mind are a poor idea. The fact that doing this in real life isn't as easy as their games is one of the concepts that a mentally ill person would have trouble with. I was in nursing for a long while, as well as having a child with mental illness problems, this statement comes from some strong training and experience.
Our head injuries in particular were vulnerable to this. The last thing to heal, and the first thing to be damaged was the ability to realize what was real/practical. We had to have a locked unit because of this, they were all sure they were fine, they could go home. The most persistent patient about this I remember wanted to walk home every night. To his home in Hawaii. From Denver. The distance, and his lack of water walking skills never really managed to change his mind. After he healed to the point that he knew there was a problem he had a good laugh with us about his various escape attempts. It was a long 3 months at the time though.
That being said, I am ready to freely admit that I was wrong about their being practical simulators.