exergaming
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Pediatric journal boasts about benefits of exergaming
Kids-focused health journal Pediatrics recently published a study that would shock those who decry the health benefits of exergames. The study, which was performed by researchers from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, measured young people's energy expenditure while at rest, while playing Dance Dance Revolution at two different skill levels, while walking and running on a treadmill and while boxing and bowling on Wii Sports. That sounds like more physical exertion than we go through in a year.Some of the comparisons between these activities yielded somewhat unsurprising results -- playing the video games burned three times the calories the kids spent at rest, of course. However, the researchers also found that playing these games was a comparable activity to "moderate to intense walking," despite the fact that Wii Sports requires little lower-body movement. It seems that for the first time in recent memory, we've got science on our side. Hooray![Via Kotaku]
Health games big business, experts push for exergaming in schools
Thanks to the success of games such as Wii Fit, EA Sports Active and Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009, the medical community is starting to take games seriously as a means to pump you up keep us healthy. Reuters reports that at this year's fifth annual Games for Health Conference in Boston, a bolstered attendance brought health experts together to talk about these games, and you'd be surprised how much money these titles generated last year. "Healthcare is 18 percent of the GDP of the United States and so games for health is probably the largest sector of activity in the serious games field long-term," said Ben Sawyer, a co-founder of The Games for Health Project. He added, "If you add up the 18 month sales of Wii Fit and the sales of EA Sports Active, Konami's Dance Dance Revolution and other healthy games, the worldwide retail numbers are over $2 billion." That's not a bad slice of the $22 billion pie that gaming lovingly prepared last year, if we may say so. Some experts think the government should look into offering these types of games in schools to help kids learn the importance of exercise, while others think that a public service campaign should be started and backed by the president, Congress, and other federal agencies. We'd comment, but we really only play Wii Fit for the hulahoop game.
Majesco whipping up two more Jillian Michaels fitness games
Apparently, Mrs. Michaels' last Ultimatum wasn't ultimate enough -- a recent Majesco press release dropped an announcement that the Biggest Loser star would be featured in two new games this year: Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2010 and Jillian Michaels' Pocket Trainer 2010. Man, we don't want to be rude or anything, but this couldn't have come at a better time. Our pockets have seriously let themselves go.Both games are set to drop this fall, and will likely each be purchased 500,000 times.
College project combines exercise with Space Invaders
When we think of exercise and gaming (exergaming), we think Wii Fit, much like most of you, we imagine. Thankfully, a trio of gents have come up with a more inspired way to get your sweat on: Space Invaders. As their final EE316 (Computer Engineering) project, Matt, Doug, and Allen combined a Bluetooth heart rate sensor with an Axis network camera (and some code) to make one of the best ways to get your heart pumping this side of running from the police. Check out video of it in action in the source link below.[Via Engadget]
Video: EA Sports Active Balance Board features in detail
You've already seen what comes in the box, now watch what the Balance Board adds to EA Sports Active. Using the fitness-focused peripheral, players can lunge to hit tennis balls, skate on one foot and dance the night away, all in the name of exergaming. Of course, use of the peripheral is optional but this trailer recommends adding it to your daily routine and the game's 30 Day Challenge (aka, the Career Mode) to "broaden" Active's variety. To recap: EA Sports Active makes use of a leg strap, resistance band, the Wii-mote, nunchuck and (optional) Balance Board. We presume EA is looking to break some kind of Guinness World Record for most peripherals used by a player, at once. We can't wait for Active's next add-on to be revealed -- a spandex leotard that measures the player's heart rate and reduces their self-respect. %Gallery-36802%
NYC schools testing Wii Fit for Phys Ed.
Some New York city schools are testing a new program for physical education, one that utilizes Nintendo's popular Wii Fit package. Trading in dodge balls for Balance Boards, several different schools received free bundles from Nintendo, but Lori Rose Benson, head of the Department of Education's Office of Fitness and Health Education, admits she wasn't on board at first. It didn't take her long to get with the program, however, as she realized that "students learn in lots of different ways and that we can engage students in physical activity through gaming and through interactive techniques," which is really what's important. Well, that and making sure you block all of those soccer balls.%Gallery-23865%
See the accessories included in EA Sports Active
Peripheral gaming is in. Exergaming is in. So, EA Sports Active really should rake in the bucks. It'll support (but won't require) the Wii Fit balance board and to make the package even more attractive, it'll include two peripherals in the box. The leg strap (after the cut) will allow you to attach the Wii Remote to your leg. The game will then keep track of your movement, allowing you to run and jump without feeling too tethered down by a physical object. The resistance band (above) will allow you to do other exercises that work out the upper body -- a rarity in the Wii exercise genre. These two peripherals are small, and really do allow for some freeform movement. Will you be picking them up? %Gallery-36802%
Padres player leans on Wii Fit for weight loss
Heath Bell, pitcher for the San Diego Padres, needed to lose weight before the new season. To achieve his goal, he turned to an innovative home-based training program that makes virtual trainers available at all times -- otherwise known as Wii Fit. Bell credited time spent with his children, playing the Balance Board-equipped exergame, with the 25-pound weight loss he accomplished before returning to training camp."It said I was obese," said the professional athlete (seen here judging a cookie contest). "If you're obese, it makes [your character on the screen] obese. I was disappointed that I was that big."While we're happy to see Wii Fit getting some good press (it's a bit of an underdog, and could use the push!), we can't help but wonder if there might have been some kind of outdoor activity that Bell could have used to lose weight. There's bound to be some kind of sport he would like, right? Like cricket or kickball. Something like that.%Gallery-4745%[Thanks, Joaquin A!]
Wiimote weights, because you're a flabby mess of a gamer
At least, that's the thinking we imagine went on in the meeting when the concept of the riiflex was developed. And they surely don't get in the way of the buttons, as these 2- and 5-pound attachments promise "access to all Wii Remote functions." Well then, sign us up! While we're cutting down enemies in Santa Destroy, we can get totally ripped.Then there's the danger of adding pounds to your Wiimote. You know how there's always that person that gets a little too into bowling in Wii Sports? With this they're likely to throw a Wiimote through your TV, past the wall, and right into the neighbor's nice new car. Don't say we didn't warn you.[Via Engadget]
'Would you like a subscription to Cosmo with your Wii Fit today?'
We've all likely been accosted by a Gamestop employee, at one time or another, about a subscription to Game Informer or a strategy guide to go along with the title we were planning to pick up or something. Well, it would seem that Gamestop is perfecting their craft, targeting folks with a need for exergaming with subscriptions to mags such as Cosmo and Redbook.Unlike other solicitations from the retail giant, this is actually free, though, which is a big improvement for them. Upon purchasing select exergaming items of $35 or more (semi-full list of qualifying items can be found past the break), Gamestop will toss in a 12-month subscription to either Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Redbook, Good Housekeeping or O Magazine. Head past the break for the products that were mentioned to be part of this promotion.%Gallery-4745%
In the UK? Get Wii Fit for 50 this Friday
You can file this one in the "almost too good to be true" pile -- in fact, while you read this post, we advise repeatedly pinching yourself. If you're a Brit searching for a copy of Wii Fit in time for Christmas, you'll already know that nowhere has it. As we see it, you have three options: You can buy your loved ones something that isn't Wii Fit and ruin Christmas for everybody like a big jerk. You can fork out obscene amounts of cash for a copy from some eBay scalper who bought the last 25 units at GameStation in November. You can visit BuyItPlayIt this Friday and press F5 a lot. The site has a big old pile of Wii Fits that will be on sale from 1:00pm GMT, with the first fifty going for the unbelievable price of £50 (in probably less than fifty seconds). That's £20 lower than the standard price. We are quite certain that the site could charge twice that and clear its inventory in minutes, but there you go. We've never used BuyItPlayIt ourselves, incidentally, so can't pass comment on its standard of service. Have any readers shopped there before?%Gallery-23454%[Via press release]
Mario Kart, Wii Fit hit sales landmark in UK
Not many games become diamond-sellers -- that is, pass one million sales -- in the United Kingdom. According to ELSPA, only nine titles have managed the feat since it started recording sales in 1999. As of today, a further two have joined that elite group, and both are close to our hearts: Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit.They've taken their sweet time getting there, however. Fellow diamond-seller Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas took just three weeks to break the seven-figure landmark in Britain, while Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit took 32 and 30 weeks, respectively. On the other hand, there's no doubt that both epitomize the "evergreen" appeal of popular Wii titles -- whereas games like San Andreas had a very explosive start and then faded, the Nintendo pair are still in the top five in the latest UK charts.Hit the break for the full list of titles that broke the magic one meeeellion mark.%Gallery-20919%
GameStop repeats itself: Wii shortages likely
Yes, we posted about this before, but as the giant boulder that is the holiday season ominously thunders towards us, we may as well say it again: GameStop will probably have some major Wii shortages in the near future.Chief financial officer David Carlson admitted in a conference call that the hardware "may be well out of stock by the holiday season," echoing another executive's recent claim that the 'Stop's inventory would be empty by the first week of December. He added that both Wii Fit and Guitar Hero: World Tour were "in very, very short supply" and "out of stock in many cases" respectively.Obviously, plenty of other places sell Wiis, but if a major name like GameStop is running out of the things, you can bet they won't be alone. Unless you want to end up like Johnny and Orlando up there, get your skates on.%Gallery-24459%
Everlast boxing gloves: Float like a butterfly, look like a chump
Boxing manufacturer Everlast has revealed that it will be joining the burgeoning Wiimote/Nunchuk add-on market, starting with these $30 synthetic leather boxing gloves. Why? Because it's the end times, that's why.Still, The New York Times seems impressed. "The gloves give you some sense of being in the ring," lies the once-respected newspaper. Obviously, we don't have to tell Wii Fanboy readers that this is tat, but, y'know, inform your relatives/friends or something, before you find yourself wearing these Christmas morning.%Gallery-33381%[Via Go Nintendo]
Rumor: EA working on fitness title, will use its own peripheral
The latest Men's Fitness magazine had an interesting story about fitness and gaming (something we call "exergaming"). Apparently, EA is working on their own Wii Fit knock-off (remember, we heard about this months ago?), complete with their own peripheral. The article states that the new game will fall under the "All-Play" brand, which is the family-friendly label they use for the Wii. This new peripheral will somehow allow players to attach the Wiimote to their body, measuring how instense they run, squat and do a variety of other exercises, says EA's executive producer Dave McCarthy. We're not subscribers to Men's Fitness, to be honest, so we don't have the article to confirm any of this, so we're marking it as a rumor. If anybody wants to send us a pic or a scan, please, feel free. We'll be sure to update the post here.
Jillian Michaels' Fitness Trailer 2008
Uh, guys? Did your Balance Board come with a set of damn monkey bars? We're starting to feel a little ripped off. Just asking.The first trailer for Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 is out, and while it's full of promised butt-kicking, there's also a fair amount of game footage, as well as some discussion of the title's features. Verdict: the graphics look a little less than good, but does something like this need to look great? It's already one-up on Wii Fit: part of the title's philosophy is simultaneous multiplayer. Does that mean two Balance Boards? From the footage in the trailer, it's impossible to tell whether those games are Wiimote and Nunchuk only, or if they require boards.
So apparently this Wii thing is popular?
Pow! Blam! Thwack! That's the sound of the Wii's biggest software performers in 2008 so far. The likes of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wii Fit, and Mario Kart Wii have taken some of the the top places in a new Top Global Markets Report, as calculated by chart specialists Enterbrain (Japan), NPD (the U.S.) and Gfk Chart-Track (the UK).Although top spot goes to Grand Theft Auto IV (6.29 million copies sold in 2008 so far), the next four places feature Wii games, three of which are exclusives. Brawl (5.4 million) was runner-up, while Mario Kart Wii (4.6 million) and Wii Fit (3.6 million) reached third and fourth respectively. Guitar Hero III (just under 3.4 million) was fifth; obviously, the Wii also had a hand in that.What does this prove? Well, little that we didn't already know: that Nintendo's console and games are obscenely popular -- even when said games cost way more than regular titles. With four months of the year still to go, we wouldn't rule out one or more of those Nintendo exclusives overhauling that insolent Russian Niko. Commence yaaaaying.
Wii jOG the stuff of our nightmares, just might work though
Are you tired of using videogames to relax? Do you wish you could come home after a hard day's slog at work and wear yourself out some more, before collapsing in a breathless, sweating heap? Then UK-based studio New Concept Gaming has the product for you! People, say "hello" to the Wii jOG. Essentially a pedometer that plugs in to the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, using the Wii jOG means that your in-game character can only move when you -- yes, you -- jog on the spot. So, if you want to avoid having Leon's neck chomped by a possessed Spanish villager, or wish to sprint across the Gerudo Desert, you're going to have to get your own legs moving. The device is apparently available now on the PlayStation 2, but will be heading Wiiwards later this year -- Play.com has the Wii edition listed for release on October 31st, along with a price tag of £34.99. That's fairly pricey if you ask us, but hey: this probably isn't the worst idea ever. In the two videos after the break, the developers explain how their device could stave off obesity in kids, which is at least an admirable aim. While you watch those, we're off to recline in our La-Z-Boys and munch some Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheeseburgers.
There's only one way to Feel Great Britain
If British accents annoy you, do not click this link. This one. Right here. It will take you to the Feel Great Britain website, where group after group of chortling, crumpet-eating British lads and lasses have a go at Wii Fit. The site is designed to complement to upcoming Feel Great Britain tour, running through July and August.Nintendo aren't just sitting back and letting Wii Fit sell itself (which it does quite nicely, thanks). It's good to see they understand that exercising is an ongoing activity, and they are willing to actively support the product during the months ahead. If you happen to be British and haven't balanced your way to fitness yet, check out the website for official tour dates.%Gallery-4745%
Let's Pilates cheaply, thanks to Amazon (and more!)
If Let's Pilates is as good as Let's Yoga, then it's a real steal at Amazon today at under $15. Looking for something a little less active? No problem -- tons of games are on sale, and accessories, too. We're not guaranteeing they're all great, but they do have one thing in common: they're cheap as hell. Let's Pilates -- $14.28 Magical Starsign -- $14.18 Warhammer 40k: Squad Command -- $9.45 Avatar: Burning Earth -- $9.45 Brain Boost: Gamma Wave -- $9.45 The Golden Compass -- $9.45 Interactive Storybook DS -- $9.45 Elements of Destruction -- $9.45
