Posts Tagged ‘Wii’
Written by Enid Burns on 22 July 2010
Even if you’re not as toned as Mark Wahlberg in the movie Invincible, you can still live out your NFL training camp fantasies. EA Sports plans to release EA Sports Active NFL Training Camp for the Wii. This new version of EA Sports Active is a collaboration with NFL strength and conditioning coaches to provide authentic NFL football drills.
The Wii game will use Total Body Tracking, which includes a heart rate monitor and wireless motion tracking to track your every move and progress. Tone up by doing over 70 drills and challenges targeted to improve strength, power and conditioning. EA is also offering an NFL 60 Day Challenge, where users can go into multiplayer mode and go head-to-head doing NFL training camp drills. Those drills include the QB Window Challenge and Field Goal Challenge. NFL Training Camp shows that EA Sports is getting creative about extending its Active brand, and providing new exercises through the Wii and other console systems.
EA Sports Active
Tags: EA Sports Avtive, NFL, NFL training camp, Wii
Posted in Exercise, Video Games | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 08 July 2010
The East Coast heat wave has likely kept families indoors but as things cool down just a bit outside the video game competition will be heating up. Nintendo will be hosting the kickoff event for its Wii Games: Summer 2010 Competition at Liberty State Park in New Jersey on July 16. This will be the start of the first-ever nationwide Wii video game tournament, which encourages participants to get off the couch.
Olympic gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars champion Shawn Johnson will be the first official Wii Games ambassador and he’ll be on had to greet participants. While the first event will be in New Jersey, follow-up competitions will be held all summer at Six Flags theme parks and select shopping malls throughout the United States. The events are open for gamers of all ages, and qualifying winners at these competitions could qualify for a chance to compete in the Wii Games: Summer 2010 national championships, which will be held in Los Angeles in September.
Wii Games: Summer 2010 Official Site
Information on the kickoff event:
Friday, July 16, 2010
11am to 6pm
Liberty State Park
South Lawn
Jersey City, NJ
201-915-3440
Tags: Nintendo, Shawn Johnson, Six Flags, Video Games, Wii, Wii Games: Summer 2010
Posted in Exercise, Video Games | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 18 June 2010
- UFC Trainer will arrive for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii in January
There is no denying that anyone entering the cage to compete in mixed martial arts is ripped and probably works out a lot. And we mean a lot. Video games on the hand tend to work out a little and play games a lot. So what if you could somehow marry the two in a way? THQ is on it with a UFC-inspired fitness game for Microsoft Xbox Live Kinect, Sony PlayStation Move and the Nintendo Wii.
And in an interesting twist, unlike many other fitness games this one is actually going to be targeted primarily at men. UFC Trainer won’t actually make it in time for the holidays however, so gamers will have to find some other way to stay in shape this summer and fall, so we suggest turning off the console for a bit.
But from the official line from THQ’s executive VP of core gaming, it should be worth the wait. “We want this thing tuned to perfection without lag. And I’m not going to ship it until it’s the coolest fighting thing in the world.”
THQ website
Tags: Microsoft, mixed martial arts, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Sony, THQ, UFC, UFC Trainer, Video Games, Wii, Xbox 360
Posted in E3 2010, Exercise, Pro Sports, Video Games | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 18 June 2010
One big problem with some workout games is that you need to be in the mood to work out. That’s why a good alternative can be to dance, and Zumba Fitness will get you moving. The company already has a full line of Latin dance and reggae flavored DVDs, and this year at E3 Majesco announced plans to bring the unique fitness program to the video game world.
In Zumba Fitness players can learn and perfect nine different dance styles, ranging from salsa to hip-hop to rumba and reggaeton. The dance game will be accessible to all ages and feature a “learn to steps” training, plus beginner, intermediate and advanced routines. The game will be compatible with Kinect for the Microsoft Xbox 360 for two player fun, plus a four player version for either the Nintendo Wii or the PlayStation 3 Move. Zumba Fitness will arrive this holidays, so get shaking.
Zumba Fitness website
Majesco Entertainment
Tags: dance, game, Kinect, Microsoft, Move, Nintendo, PlayStation 3, Sony, Video Games, Wii, Xbox 360, Zumba Fitness
Posted in E3 2010, Software, Video Games | 2 Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 17 June 2010
- EA Sports Active 2 is heading to the Xbox 360 and will be compatible with Kinect
The Wii and exercise games have made great companions the past few years. However with Microsoft Kinect on its way, the video game workout may get a whole lot more active. Electronic Arts’ follow up to EA Sports Active is expecting to add more activity to both its Wii and Microsoft Xbox Kinect versions. More activity also means ore sensors and gear however. A demo at EA’s press conference showed wireless activity for EA Sports Active 2, heart rate monitors strapped to the upper arm, and weights and bands added for strength training.
Expect more variation in workouts. The demo included an intense cycling sequence, weight lifting and boxing. The Kinect version measures movement of the entire body versus the Wii version, which measures arms and legs through holding the controller and leg straps.
An online log on EA.com is an added component. Workout data is stored so you can evaluate your progress and fitness goals. You can also share your results and compare progress of others.
EA Sports Fitness 2
Tags: EA Sports Active, EA Sports Active 2, Fitness, Microsoft, Nintendo, Video Games, Wii, Xbox 360
Posted in E3 2010, Equipment, Video Games | 1 Comment »
Written by Enid Burns on 14 June 2010
The Wii might be the kid’s gaming machine of the house, but most of the exercise games out there target adults, more specifically, women. Kids can take back their Wii with their own exercise game, and maybe get the whole family involved. Nickelodeon and 2K Games partnered to produce Nickelodeon Fit. Kids can keep fit with their favorite characters including Dora, Diego, Kai-lan and The Backyardigans. Nickelodeon says the game has a youthful emphasis on heart health, cardio, strength building and endurance.
With increasing reports of childhood obesity, Nickelodeon Fit is a welcome addition to the game console. Not only can kids get excited about exercise and develop a lifelong behavior of working out and staying fit, it might just get parents and kids playing and working out together.
Take2 Games
Tags: exercise children, kids exercise, Nickelodeon, Take2 Games, video game workout, Wii
Posted in E3 2010, Exercise, Video Games | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 11 June 2010
Working out with the Wii (iStockphoto)
Ever since the Nintendo Wii debuted in December of 2006, there has been an increase in more “active” games, such as Nintendo’s own Wii-Fit. As the video game companies prepare to showcase the next generation of fitness games at next week’s E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo) in Los Angeles, an interesting question was brought up this week by The Boston Globe: can you get hurt by playing the games?
As we’ve noted this week, there have been findings that games are being used more and more as a form of exercise, but this needs to be done as part of an “active” lifestyle. So in other words, just sitting on the couch doesn’t do it. But now the other half of the equation is being presented, and that is whether you can actually over do it by playing games.
There are obviously the repetitive stress disorder type injuries such as mashing away with too much Rock Band, or mouse wrist from shooting all those zombies in Left 4 Dead. But could this lead to other injuries. The Boston Globe reports that a pilot study is “being conducted at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston this summer,” and “may be the first to address the injury problem directly, by looking into the biomechanics of Wii gaming.”
This no doubt comes as bad news to anyone who thought that gaming alone would be the ticket to better fitness. So maybe its time to take the advice offered earlier this week from the University of Essex researchers, and use fitness games as a way to cross train instead.
Via The Boston Globe: Healthy games offer risks, too
Tags: E3, Fit, games, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Video Games, Wii
Posted in Exercise, Research, Video Games | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 07 June 2010
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
Tags: ACSM, American College of Sports Medicine, Dr. John Porcari, EA Sports Active, Nintendo, University of Wisconsin, Wii
Posted in Exercise, Video Games | No Comments »
Written by Peter Suciu on 25 May 2010
- FitbyFun.com
If you don’t have a Nintendo Wii but want the same basic coaching with your workout, power up the PC (chances are if you’re reading this it is already on), and go to FitByFun.com. The site offers the same Mii styled characters that you’d get on the Wii, and this game offers motions that you can copy.
There is no controller to track your movements however, so it is more a monkey see and monkey do thing, much like the old video workouts. But an online fitness instructor will give you directions, and based on the workout you choose the game’s display will tell you how many calories you’ve burned. This is again more game that true workout routine, but as a game it feels a lot less like a “routine.” And unlike many other games this one can keep track of your workout, so you can actually review your progress over time.
What makes this website workout really work checking out is that it is web-based (obviously), and as such can be done via a laptop – so this is good for those road warriors who can’t take along a Wii. And since it is designed like a class, it is a bit like hitting the gym, even when your’e traveling.
It won’t replace other workouts and as it is interactive you’re only going to get as much out of it as you put in. But if you’re looking to get started, and like to spend time in front of the computer, this one does offer some fun to your fitness.
FitByFun.com
Tags: computer, Fitbyfun.com, Gym, Mii, Nintendo, website workout, Wii
Posted in Exercise, Gym, Software | No Comments »
Written by Enid Burns on 28 April 2010
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
Tags: 10 Minute Solution, cardio, cardio boxing, Wii, workouts
Posted in Exercise, Video Games | No Comments »
