Fitness Gaming
- Thread starter Shamus Young
- Start date
What the...
Fitness and Gaming, The Original Combination.
All you nay sayers, you are aware there was a time before computer/video games, yes? Fitness being a integral part of gaming is part of the reason that there is a stigma about gaming being for children, just mention the word "tag" and if you don't think of a game that is also full of fitness there is something wrong with you.
All I see Shamus asking for is that pc/video games that have started to come back around again to using more than just our eye-finger coordination for dexterity (does anyone else remember the Nintendo sports pad?) is that the games that involve more fitness be more engaging and rewarding for the use of spare time in a fun hobby.
Could you imagine a virtual game of tag that involves the board and nunchuks of the Wii? That would friggin awesome.
Has no one else noticed how children primarily after playing a FPS will run around the house, diving behind the couch and other sources of cover and concealment, playing "guns"? I may be 29 now, but damn it all, I wouldn't mind doing that again with the help of a Wii to frag the rest of you SoBs.
There are a host of other so called children's recreational games that we could also update to adult versions. Just because we got older doesn't mean that what motivated us then can't still motivate us now, especially with the help of some fun imaginative Augmented Reality.
Fitness and Gaming, The Original Combination.
All you nay sayers, you are aware there was a time before computer/video games, yes? Fitness being a integral part of gaming is part of the reason that there is a stigma about gaming being for children, just mention the word "tag" and if you don't think of a game that is also full of fitness there is something wrong with you.
All I see Shamus asking for is that pc/video games that have started to come back around again to using more than just our eye-finger coordination for dexterity (does anyone else remember the Nintendo sports pad?) is that the games that involve more fitness be more engaging and rewarding for the use of spare time in a fun hobby.
Could you imagine a virtual game of tag that involves the board and nunchuks of the Wii? That would friggin awesome.
Has no one else noticed how children primarily after playing a FPS will run around the house, diving behind the couch and other sources of cover and concealment, playing "guns"? I may be 29 now, but damn it all, I wouldn't mind doing that again with the help of a Wii to frag the rest of you SoBs.
There are a host of other so called children's recreational games that we could also update to adult versions. Just because we got older doesn't mean that what motivated us then can't still motivate us now, especially with the help of some fun imaginative Augmented Reality.
1. I agreeEmperorpeng said:
2. I think something similar to this could be done in NATAL for the 360. I mean your using your whole body, so games could come out where you have to actually walk in place to move your character, or something similar to that.
Actually, the crucial part of the article was that I think we need exercise added to games that are already fun. (I don't think DDR would be much fun if you replaced the dancepad with a simple controller.) The goal is to take games that are already fun and addictive and ADD exercise to them. Action games, RPG's, adventure games, etc.Emperorpeng said:
You know how you can look at the clock and think, "Wow, have I really been playing for two hours?" A game like that, that keeps you moving, would be great for fun and fitness.
The wife and I got EA Sports Active for the Wii. It's very well done. Some glitches, but it passes three tests that Wii Fit fails:
1. It allows you to do all the activities right out of the box. None of this nonsense where you have to jump through hoops to "unlock" the content that you paid for.
2. It allows you to set up, and will set up for you, repeated sets of exercises, which can vary, and increase in impact over time. That's how actual exercise regimens work.
3. It focuses only on calories burned and time spent. Wii Fit's insistence on BMI, a deeply flawed pseudo-statistic, makes it an almost useless tool. EA Sports Active also allows you to record how much sleep you got, how many small, balanced meals you have eaten, and other things that actual scientists will tell you are important for fitness.
So everything I just said belongs in an Amazon review. What I'm really here to say is that I definitely think that it could have been spiced up with some violence. To wit, when I am running around the track and I pass someone moving slower, I like to reach out like I'm smacking them in the head, Road Rash 3D style. My avatar doesn't comply, of course. Lame.
This led us to the same basic idea in this article, that it is the game games, like Grand Theft Auto, that should be incorporating the motion controls for fitness. Beating a guy with a bat? Running away from the po-po? Wrestling the steering wheel of a stolen tractor-trailer? Sign me up.
1. It allows you to do all the activities right out of the box. None of this nonsense where you have to jump through hoops to "unlock" the content that you paid for.
2. It allows you to set up, and will set up for you, repeated sets of exercises, which can vary, and increase in impact over time. That's how actual exercise regimens work.
3. It focuses only on calories burned and time spent. Wii Fit's insistence on BMI, a deeply flawed pseudo-statistic, makes it an almost useless tool. EA Sports Active also allows you to record how much sleep you got, how many small, balanced meals you have eaten, and other things that actual scientists will tell you are important for fitness.
So everything I just said belongs in an Amazon review. What I'm really here to say is that I definitely think that it could have been spiced up with some violence. To wit, when I am running around the track and I pass someone moving slower, I like to reach out like I'm smacking them in the head, Road Rash 3D style. My avatar doesn't comply, of course. Lame.
This led us to the same basic idea in this article, that it is the game games, like Grand Theft Auto, that should be incorporating the motion controls for fitness. Beating a guy with a bat? Running away from the po-po? Wrestling the steering wheel of a stolen tractor-trailer? Sign me up.
I agree with you, there: if you're going to one thing to lose weight, chances are that changing how you eat is going to be the most effective thing you can do. It'll take a fairly long time to burn 300 calories by exercising, but it takes no time at all to not eat a Snickers bar.Nutcase said:
On the other hand, if you're going to do *two* things, there's no harm in adding a little gentle exercise to your day, and I think Shamus is right in suggesting that using time that you were going to spend gaming anyway might be a sneaky way to encourage people to do that. Having the activity be too vigourous would be a turn-off (and interfere with the gameplay, probably), but something low-intensity like stepping onto a Wii balance board might be possible, and why not? If you burn a few extra calories and help your muscles get a bit stronger by using time you'd otherwise earmarked for sitting on the couch, that's got to be a net positive, right?
Yes, how about that? Nintendo is producing a "PokeWalker" pedometer accessory that trains your Pokemon as you walk. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/92264-Train-Pokemon-While-Walking-In-Gold-Silver-Remakes]Shamus Young said:
Not everyone is so excited [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.123707] about it apparently though.
I watched a video of that nature - some guys hooked up WoW to a treadmill and somehow wired it so that the WoW characters would run as fast as you did (or at least shift from walking to running based on your speed). They calculated that WoW characters all run at 12 mph.samsonguy920 said:
They barely made it out of the starting zone without collapsing from exhaustion.
A [mis]quote from the actual video:
"If we keep this up all throughout the game, we'll either end up super buff, or dead. Probably the latter"
I always got tired watching my toon run around from region to region. Thank goodness for flying.Amarok said:
Nutcase: I couldn't disagree with you more.
Decreasing food intake is one of the hardest things I could imagine doing. I've tried, but the pain in my stomach, the light-headedness, and everything else that comes with eating less than your body thinks it needs feels like suicide. Even just cutting out a small portion of a meal leaves me unsatisfied and itching for more.
On the other hand, exercise (though boring) is easy. I can play softball, bike to work, or walk to the corner store without too much trouble. That's not to say I do it often -- after all, I'm lazy -- but it's a lot easier than trying to starve myself.
Also, I don't think you understood what he meant about motivation. No, you don't need motivation to lose wait -- you just need to burn more than you consume -- but without motivation, you'll have an awful time actually doing any exercise. That's why I don't exercise -- I can't be bothered. Yes, I should. Yes, I wish I would. But the motivation to fit into my clothes and not be so tired isn't as strong as the hatred of wasting an hour, exerting myself, and getting sweaty. It may seem trite, but that's how it works. If I was more motivated (say, I thought I was going to die, or somebody was willing to pay me a lot of money to lose some weight), I would sure as hell get off my ass and workout. Motivation doesn't cause you to lose weight; it causes you to work out, which causes you to lose weight.
Decreasing food intake is one of the hardest things I could imagine doing. I've tried, but the pain in my stomach, the light-headedness, and everything else that comes with eating less than your body thinks it needs feels like suicide. Even just cutting out a small portion of a meal leaves me unsatisfied and itching for more.
On the other hand, exercise (though boring) is easy. I can play softball, bike to work, or walk to the corner store without too much trouble. That's not to say I do it often -- after all, I'm lazy -- but it's a lot easier than trying to starve myself.
Also, I don't think you understood what he meant about motivation. No, you don't need motivation to lose wait -- you just need to burn more than you consume -- but without motivation, you'll have an awful time actually doing any exercise. That's why I don't exercise -- I can't be bothered. Yes, I should. Yes, I wish I would. But the motivation to fit into my clothes and not be so tired isn't as strong as the hatred of wasting an hour, exerting myself, and getting sweaty. It may seem trite, but that's how it works. If I was more motivated (say, I thought I was going to die, or somebody was willing to pay me a lot of money to lose some weight), I would sure as hell get off my ass and workout. Motivation doesn't cause you to lose weight; it causes you to work out, which causes you to lose weight.