Unfit gamers fight the flab
by Angela Norton
Fighting obesity with video games? Sure, why not?
Starting in the late 90s, the dance mat craze had gamers using a floor input pad and busting moves to match on-screen instructions.
In 2003, Sony went a step further with the motion/colour/sound-detecting EyeToy which paved the way for their Kinetic games - collaborations with Nike providing real fitness routines and virtual personal trainers.
Now Nintendo are doing their bit to ensure gamers have less flab with Wii Fit, an exercise game due for release in 2008.
It will have over 40 activities including aerobic exercise, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance games, and will be capable of tracking exercise progress.
In pursuit of interactivity, the new focus for game development companies is getting players to break a sweat over touch and motion sensor gaming - a living room workout that some players have dubbed ‘gamercising’.
What was previously a couch potato activity can now involve full body movement.
Some people swear by gamercising to get their regular dose of exercise. There are even online communities dedicated to getting fit through video games.
The founder of the Fitness Gaming Community on LiveJournal, whose username is Skylark, said in a blog interview she had heard of people losing up to 32 kgs through gamercising.
“If you’re a gamer like myself who finds it difficult to shift those extra few pounds, who can’t afford to go to a gym (and who really doesn’t want to) then a gaming workout is definitely something you should consider.”
The Wii is already an interactive console, with most of its games using one or two wireless handheld controllers that essentially use motion sensors to control on-screen actions.
Auckland student Jenna Wilson, 23, has tried out the Wii console. She says you can get a reasonable amount of cardio exercise out of it, depending on what game you’re playing.
“There’s a boxing game which would give you a good workout,” she says.
“Some of the games are really hard out.”
Wii Fit will add another piece of hardware into the mix with a pressure-sensitive balance board that will give gamers’ legs a workout.
Players will be able to choose from a range of screen sports, including hula-hooping, skiing and heading soccer balls.