Category: Video Games

EA Sports Active Workout Works Out

EA Sports Active for Nintendo Wii

 Who says that video games can’t be used for real workouts? According to a new study conducted by Dr. John Porcari from the University of Wisconsin The EA Sports Active for the Nintendo Wii passed fitness guidelines for an effective workout put forth by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

According to the findings the game could improve aerobic capacity and actually favorably affect body composition when used on a regular basis. So what’s the catch? Well, the reported added the usual “as part of a healthy, active lifestyle.” In other words, video games do need to actually get out and away from the console to do things like walk, ride a bike or get some other form of exercise, plus go for a diet that includes something green – and not just of the M&M variety. But this is still good news, as it does mean that the EA Sports Active game is actually more than a game.

When used according to ACSM guidelines, which include 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five days per week, or 20 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise three days per week, this could be a game that actually is a good part of the healthy, active lifestyle.

EA Sports Active

Games For Health Gets its Conference On

Boston is hometown to many sports. Beantown is home to the Boston Marathon, Head of the Charles crew boat race and the annual college hockey tournament Bean Pot (hence the name Beantown). This week the city played host to the sixth annual Games for Health Conference. The conference is part of Games Beyond Entertainment. At the show there were demos of exergaming using the Nintendo Wii and other gaming systems, a study for a fitness-themed virtual world, and training for therapeutic disease management.

It looks like there were demos of a few music games such as Guitar Hero, and surprisingly the players (guitarists) sat down to play. Kinetic Shift encourages playing Guitar Hero, Rock Band and other games in the category. However we advocate playing them while standing. Most games on the Wii are difficult to play while comfortably seated by design, and that is true for virtual strumming of the guitar. We hope other game demos set better examples for active gaming.

Got 10 Minutes? Power Up the Wii

Commitment to working out is time consuming in itself. Just suiting up can take 10 or more minutes. That’s where 10 Minute Solution, a workout game for the Wii, really shines. A pair of five-minute, routines lets you squeeze in cardio time, and even a little ab workout to boot. The Wii version takes the popular 10 Minute Solution DVDs with fitness personality Jessica Smith to an interactive level. The start menu lets you select activities such as cardio boxing, step routines, and mixed games to get you into condition. Each program lasts five minutes, and the benefit of the Wii over the DVD version is the routines are anything but. The instructor selects moves dynamically rather than a practiced routine so it doesn’t get old.

Step things up with the Wii Balance Board to get you more active. The peripheral is not required, but gives you a platform to step on. Without the board the 10 Minute Solution doesn’t score on certain woukouts, but you’re in it for the cardio benefits, not a bunch of numbers. The Wii version also contains an ab workout, which is video taken from the DVD series and is talked about as a bonus. 10 Minute Solution for Wii has enough activity to get you in shape. The 10-minute workouts let you squeeze time in around your busy schedule, or between your kid’s game of Mario. Available at the end of May for a budget price of $19.99, a special bundle with one-pound weighted gloves will be available only at Costco in June.

10 Minute Solution for Wii

Wii do Yoga

Strike a pose with supermodel Anja Rubik in Yoga for Wii.

If you’d rather do your salamba sarvangasana, parsvakonasana and sun salute poses at home, we understand. There’s plenty of yoga DVDs on the market. But why not go one step farther with Yoga for the Wii? The interactive version features four levels with a number of yoga rooms and Asian-inspired settings. Model Anja Rubik shares her yoga expertise with tips and videos as she advises you through your progress.

Yoga for the Wii adds the Wii balance board controller as an option, so you can get feedback on how you’re doing on some of your poses. The console version advances at home Yoga by adding interactivity, letting you take your time on your poses and telling the Wii when you’re ready for the next one, and getting coaching and feedback based on your progress.

Yoga for Wii from JoWooD and DreamCatcher Games

Adidas Gets in on the Game

If you’re caught playing with a phone or a video game in class, chances are it could end up in the teacher’s drawer. So does this mean that some kids might be going home barefoot? Could be as Adidas has released a line of shoes called the “Originals,” sneakers, which include the Superstar, Stan Smith, Forum, Nizza and Samba. Each of these has a barcode in the tongue of the shoe (no tongue and cheek here), which can be read by a Webcam to open the world of the 3D Adidas Originals neighborhood.

 The shoes in turn become the controller, and shoeless Joes can play in a series of interactive games in this world, including a laser blaster game, a skateboard game, a Star Wars themed game and a music-based game. Let’s hope that each player has to use their shoes/controllers and that these don’t get that nasty shoe smell. That might be one reality no one needs!

The Perfect Swing Through Motion-Sensing

If you’re looking to get the perfect swing you can spend more time on the driving range, video tape yourself to watch your form and get a golf pro to help you. Or you can fly over to Las Vegas or Dubai and hit the Butch Harmon School of Golf, where this golf expert is using technology from the Titleist Performance Institute.

The heart of this technology is TPI 3D, technology that has been long used in the video game industry and for movie animation. Now its being strapped onto golfers, where it can be used to study the biomechanics of a golf swing, and instead of just having the couch eyeball you, or going to a video tape, every intricate detail of a golf swing can be quickly examined and studied.

So while it might not turn you into a Tiger Woods (which given his “problems” is probably a good thing), but this technology might help you out on the course.

Via The National

The Butch Harmon School of Golf, Las Vegas
The Butch Harmon School of Golf, Dubai

Titleist Performance Institute: TPI 3D

Virtually Climbing Your Way to the Top

HardGrip from Human Soft, a virtual rock climbing challenge for the Wii.

Most games played on the Nintendo Wii require the user to stand and move around. This is likely to be true for the upcoming HardGrip from Human Soft. HardGrip is an extreme rock climbing game for the motion-based system. Using the Wii MotionPlus grip players will grab on, take a foothold, and rock faces in exotic locales. The game is expected to include competition with play against other opponents, and include races and scores for technical climbs. HardGrip will first be released for the Wii, but the game developer said Human Soft is working on versions of the game for additional, upcoming motion-based game systems.

Developer: Human Soft

Take Flight While Working Out

Remember that very early episode of The Flintstones where Barney invented the gyro-chopter that he had to pedal to get off the ground (and for those who care, Fred had to flap his arms)? Well that’s sort of what the iTech Fitness Flight Simulator brings to mind, except of course you can pedal without ever actually taking flight (and no one needs to flap his or her arms).

But if you’re looking to get a workout with your games, the company offers a line of products built around the concept of adding fitness to gaming. In the case of the iTech Fitness Flight Simulator players can dogfight against others, fly a variety of aircraft and even get a bit lighter in the process.

Happy flying and gaming!

iTech Fitness Web Page

Sony PlayStation 3 Gets Motion

A prototype of the PlayStation 3 Motion Controller.
Due out this fall, Sony PlayStation 3 Motion Controller.

Since before its release, the Nintendo Wii has been heralded as a “fitness” console. The fact that games are played better standing up with arms swinging does well to argue the point. Rival Sony Computer Entertainment today announced plans to release a motion controller of its own. It will become the de facto controller for the PlayStation 3 platform along with the DualShock controller. The Motion Controller does require an additional PlayStation Eye camera accessory to pick up a user’s movements. Before you protest, remember the Nintendo Wii has a motion sensor you have to place within a line of site of the controller to pick up movement.

Sony says the name Motion Controller is a working name and is subject to change. The Motion Controller is due to be released worldwide in fall 2010. The controller looks like a flashlight with a glowing bulb at the end. There will be games available at the time of release from both Sony and third party developers. Ape Escape, Motion Party, Resident Evil 5: Alternative Edition, and Under Siege are among the titles listed in development that support Motion Controller. Additional games include LittleBigPlanet, Pain, Flower, and EyePet. As with the Nintendo Wii controller, some games will take advantage of the motion and get gamers moving. Others games will use smaller motions that don’t offer the calorie burning benefits, and might even allow players to sit on the couch.