In a SXSW session called “A Crash Course in Becoming SuperBetter,” McGonigal promised attendees at least 7.5 extra minutes of life with her new online and mobile game, SuperBetter.

In the game, “bad guys” are things like mental blockers, headaches, and pressure. Quests are things to accomplish in the next 24 hours, future boosts are events players indicate they’re looking forward to and power packs are packaged game solutions that help players accomplish certain goals, for a fee. The score of the game is based on resilience, which fluctuates depending on how players are feeling on any given day or how engaged they are in the game.

McGonigal referred to a recent report that came out on the top five regrets dying people have. Things such as “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard,” “I wish I’d stayed in touch with friends” and “I wish I had let myself be happier” topped the list. McGonigal acknowledged that “I wish I’d played more video games” was nowhere on the list — but said she hears the potential for it.

Games, she said, can bring families together, help facilitate social interactions and alleviate depression and stress.

Essentially, McGonigal is looking to eradicate the image of the unproductive, couch-potato videogame player and show how such games can actually be beneficial.

Some 72 percent of American households play computer and video games, according to recent data from the Entertainment Software Association; 68 percent of parents believe that game play provides mental stimulation or education, while 57 percent believe games encourage their family to spend to time together.

McGonigal cited Google’s social goal management platform, a new app called Everest and the Lift project, an “application for unlocking human potential through positive reinforcement” from Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, as evidence that life improvement programs are using game mechanics and taking shape across digital and mobile platforms.

McGonigal also said she doesn’t believe playing virtual games means people aren’t embedded in reality. The opposite of virtual isn’t real, she said; the root of virtual is “virtus, which meant excellence, potency, efficacy.”

McGonigal’s career in the gaming world began in 2009, after she suffered a brain injury that left her feeling suicidal. She developed a game called Jane the Concussion Slayer — playing off the popular TV show “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” — and uploaded a video of the game to YouTube. Shortly afterward, she said she began receiving letters from people who were applying the principals of her recovery game to other challenges, such as depression, PTSD, quitting smoking, knee surgery, and even chemotherapy.

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Since BoomTown constantly called the $15 billion valuation of Facebook “insane” when Microsoft (MSFT) forked over $240 million in 2007 and gave Slide’s Max Levchin a very hard time when his widget company got a $550 million valuation a year ago, it’s only fair that I say something equally appropriate about Twitter.

The hot microblogging service just got its very own $250 million valuation, all without a dime of revenue in sight. (I know, Bijan, it’s coming, it’s coming!)

After all, Facebook and Slide got their funding in boom times and here we are hurtling toward a possible Depression: The Sequel, even as Twitter hauls in $35 million more in investments.

But I am torn.

Should it be “WTF?” given that the current economic meltdown really seems to have little impact on Silicon Valley venture capitalists?

I guess they have to put their money somewhere and that’s probably the best choice out there, due to Twitter’s strong growth and, perhaps more importantly, overhyped media mindshare.

Or maybe: “Don’t Stop Believin’!!? I mean, you almost have to admire the appalling suspension of disbelief for Benchmark Capital and IVP to hand over such a sum.

In fact, they are probably right now down at at Il Fornaio in Palo Alto, telling everyone who will listen that Google (GOOG) was founded in the last tech downturn.

Actually, I think the only thing to say is to reference the search giant: “Let’s hope Google has another YouTube moment and decides it must own the start-up pioneering real-time search and status updates no matter the price.”

That’s kind of long, so I will distill it to this Calgon-inspired thought: “Larry and Sergey, take me away!”

Because while I appreciate that Twitter co-founder Biz–I can’t help it, but I laugh every time time I write his name in relation to a company that makes bupkis–Stone underscored that the company was ready to make some money using the new funding, an acquisition by a big, nervous Internet giant is the only way this is going to end well.

In his post, ironically titled “Opportunity Knocks,” Stone noted, “We are now positioned extremely well to support the accelerating growth of our service, further enable the robust ecosystem sprouting up around Twitter, and yes, to begin building revenue-generating products.”

That would be nice, because right now, there’s no Biz like no biz.

And not to sound like a skunk at this Silicon Valley garden party, but Twitter might want to start doing that sooner than later.

I know, I know, I am such a bummer with all this talk of things not just growing to the sky in a world without end.

But as Facebook–valuation now officially $3.7 billion, although probably more if it were to be sold–has found out, the delta between dreamy funding and revenue reality can be quite huge.

And, by that, I am not saying it can’t be done, I am simply saying: Do it.

Until then, here is a lovely Calgon commercial and also a video of that amazing last scene in the finale of “The Sopranos” with the Journey song playing until it is abruptly cut off (I say Tony was shot in the head by the guy in the bathroom, but please weigh in):

If that proves true–if the economy doesn’t hit bottom until the second quarter of 2009–this recession will have been the longest since the Great Depression. What a horrific thought….