Nintendo: Walking is a Game Now
We’ve discussed Zyked, and efforts to link workout stats in an online social or gaming environment. Now, Mike Musgrove over at the Washington Post has a nice article on the Nintendo DS title, Personal Trainer: Walking. Seeking to capitalize on the success of such effort inducing products like the Wii Fit, Nintendo essentially tied a pedometer to software that runs on the DS. Players download their pedometer data to the DS and it tracks statistics, compares your daily distances walked with your friends’ records, etc.
Musgrove discovered he walks around 8,000 steps a day. Out of curiosity, he attached the pedometer to his dog one day. The animal recorded 4,000 steps. Alas, the pedometer he gave his son was quickly lost at summer camp.
“Walking is a game now?” one of the lad’s incredulous campmates asked as they waited for the morning bus to arrive one recent weekday. “Nintendo is genius.”
Yes, walking is a game now. And, physical activity continues to be mated with video games in interesting ways.
References:
Musgrove, M. (2009, August 23). Nintendo makes some strides. The Washington Post. [Online]. Available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/21/AR2009082104305.html?nav=emailpage
Tags: Personal Trainer, Walking
DS, Medical Games, Nintendo, Serious Games, Wii | John Rice | 
August 30, 2009 7:36 pm
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By (Best Show)Watch, September 7, 2009 @ 1:40 am
“Hi:
Two things
1) I’d like your permission to (re)print your article on “The Goode Family”
for our website
2) I was hoping we could use your ‘scribing’ talent for our website.
The Best Shows Youre Not Watching (dot) com [all one word]
‘The Clone Wars’ is one of our featured shows. We’re hoping to round up a few people who can occasionally contribute perspective (via an article/blog) on the shows – maybe a recent episode, future direction, plot shortcomings etc.
What’s in it for you?
Primarily a larger audience back channeled to your blog. We don’t pay but the site has a lot of promise and we’re pretty excited about getting it off the ground. Let me know what you think.
Thanks
By John Rice, September 8, 2009 @ 10:30 am
1. Feel free to reprint this blog entry on your website, with a link back to the original entry.
2. I’m stretched thin on writing assignments at the moment, but thanks for the offer. I’ll have to graciously decline at this time.