Is The Fitness Video Game A Viable Idea?
Many of you may think of the term 'fitness video game' as an oxymoron. After all, we've all seen the media reports about how the youth in developed countries, and especially the USA, are more likely to be overweight or even clinically obese than they have ever been. This situation is usually attributed to the easy availablility of high-calorie junk food and the penchant of many of today's youth for avoiding any type of exercise. It's a fact that many kids today would rather sit and watch TV, surf the web, or play video games than get up and go outside to play, as would have been the case for previous generations.
While there have been some good efforts to try and integrate some physical movement into the lives of these sedentary children, for the most part they have not been successful. These kids just find the lure of video games too great. That's why some innovators came up with the idea of a fitness video game - if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right? There were some initial attempts that didn't go over too well, but these days there are some products that young gamers actually look forward to playing whenever they can, and some have gotten as addicted to these exercise games as they ever did to World of Warcraft or Grand Theft Auto.
For a number of years, the most popular and most effective example of what's been referred to as the 'exergaming' category was something called Dance Dance Revolution (DDR). DDR is played by following the dance steps that light up on the attached floor mat. It can be played individually or competitively, and the level of difficulty is changeable, as is the type of music used. DDR has proven to be quite addictive to many participants, and has been used in the physical education classes at a number of schools.
There also are a few other exergaming titles that have attained popularity, including Nicktoons Movin', Kilowatt, and Golf Launchpad. One title that has gotten very good reviews from users runs on gaming platforms but is not actually a 'game' - more like an interactive personal trainer - and is called Maya. But the big thing in exergaming software right now seems to be the Wii, from Nintendo. At the time of this writing, more than seven months after the Wii's release in the USA, Nintendo still can't make enought to satisfy demand. The console comes with a software known as Wii Sports, which includes five different games: boxing, bowling, baseball, tennis, and golf. The main reason that the Wii has become so popular is its innovative controller, which is motion sensitive and has an unusual shape, more similar to a tv remote than the typical video game console. That means when a user is playing the tennis game, they're not flipping joysticks as with a traditional video game. They swing the controller through the air to allow their character or avatar (called a mii) to strike the ball at the proper time. Similar idea for baseball and golf. With bowling, the controller is swung and then a button is released when the player wants to let go of the ball. The boxing game requires the use of an additional controller called a 'Nunchuk', which allows the gamer to throw punches with both hands. The rousing success of the Wii and its included Sports package seems to bode well for the future of the fitness video game and the health of the current generation of young people.
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