The Quest for the Perfect ExerGame

Any visionaries out there? What will ExerGaming look like in just over 6 years time? Will it replace conventional sports and physical activity? Will it be everywhere or only in specialist facilities? Will it be predominantly mobile? Will it be any place and any time? Will it be super big machines or small wearable sensors? Will it be augmented reality or even virtual reality?

Personally, I tend to think it might be many of these things. It would be great if a group of people could just get out their mobile phone/personal digital assistant/well-being monitor and play an ExerGame right there in the moment. Perhaps even challenging other groups of people across the globe.

Whatever you dream of how ExerGaming will look like in 2015, drop me a comment or two please. I have an interview tomorrow with a reporter looking to do a feature on ExerGaming with a futuristic outlook.

I first conceived the idea of a “Personal Activity Platform” a few months back when thinking about how a player could move between different ExerGames and take a playing profile with them. In my case it would be something like “right arm is better than left so work him more on the left, pretty fit so crank up the intensity, rhythmic coordination is a bit off so don’t make music games too hard“.

After hearing a presentation which described the development of smart cards for use with arcade games I revisited the idea. Ideally, mobile phones would be the platform of choice. I then began to think how you could also tap into the potential supporting and motivating power of social networks.

What you end up with is some form of multifunction tool that helps motivate and track your daily physical activity and also facilitates the playing of different ExerGames.

I included this idea in my talk to the EU Platform last month and suggested that it ought to be considered alongside physical and social infrastructure initiatives to promote physical activity. Furthermore, it could be achieved in a relatively short period of time and for a lot less money too.

Clearly, the idea needs a lot more development, but I would like to ask for suggestions as to what features and functions you think should go to make up the “Personal Activity Platform“?

Mobile ExerGaming is the obvious next step for ExerGaming and it is something I have been actively exploring for some time now. However, now I am asking for your help to help put Mobile ExerGaming on the map.

Most of what I currently get paid to do is teach students. I am an enthusiastic embracer of educational technology. Last year I was involved in a small proof of concept project to utilize a mobile phone as a platform to deliver audio specific educational information in an accessible format.

The basic idea behind the project was to label objects with 2D barcodes (Quick Response codes) and when recognized by a camera phone, call up a media server to deliver a streaming audio file to the phone.

What has that got to do with ExerGaming? Well, think “Interactive Treasure Hunt” and you will begin to get the idea.

To cut a long story short, the project is a finalist in the 2008 Handheld Learning Awards. It is one of three in the Special Needs – Innovation category. Scroll down to the bottom of the Awards page and click on “In-Class Utility, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh“. (You can check out the other two finalists too).

The winner will be decided by SMS Txt voting. If you want to help boost the profile of Mobile ExerGaming then Vote for In-Class Utility by Txting

INCLASS   to   +447786203140

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Voting closes at midnight (GMT) on Thursday 9 October.

Thank you very much for your support….

If you want more information you can read the full paper here which was an Award Winning paper at ED-MEDIA 2008 World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications in Vienna.

Note:

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On the flight back to Edinburgh last night I spoke to an accountancy alumna from my the institution where I work and who knew one of my former students. We started by discussing the possibility of using points- based incentive schemes to effect behavioral change (hot topic at the moment) since she was after all a bean counter!

We soon moved on to ExerGames, which she latched onto, being an avid “Wii Fitter”. Since she was also a gym regular, I was keen to establish if she had experienced any in a gym setting. “No“, was the answer, but not being a fan of group classes, she was always on the look out for something that “KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED“.

ExerGaming – defn 2. Something that keeps you motivated.

Traveling back to Scotland from the Leisure Industry Conference in Birmingham, England last night I had to check my hold bag through the oversize channel. This was due to it containing a Gamercize Stepper kindly given to me by CEO Richard Coshott.

“Are there any gases, chemicals or electrical items in your luggage, sir?” asked the security man. “Yes“, I replied, “A Stepper“. The security man continued, “And you also have a couple of video games controllers?“. “Ah yes“, I confirmed. “IF YOU DON’T STEP, THE GAME CONTROLLER WON’T WORK!”

“I see…Thank you sir and have a nice flight.”

So there you have it, part 1 of my series on the definition of ExerGaming. In case you missed it:

ExerGaming – defn 1. If you don’t step, the video game controller won’t work.  

Yesterday I gave a presentation to the European Union (EU) Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health under the auspices of the Director General for Health and Consumer Protection at the EU Commission in Brussels. It was a great honour to be invited and a growing recognition of the significance of my research.

Fifteen minutes is not long to give an overview of ExerGaming/Active Video Games, summarize my Research Data and suggest Future Directions. Furthermore it was a very varied and disparit audience representing 34 member European level organisations ranging from the food industry to consumer protection groups and NGOs. In addition there were a number of observers drawn from WHO, EU Presidency, Member States, EFSA and the European Parliament.

I was not quite sure what to expect as I arrived at the meeting venue. In fact it was very much like I had seen in the media, rows of seats with microphones and headphones and booths for translators around the perimeter of the room. The support staff were friendly and helpful and I started to feel a bit more relaxed. It wasn’t long before the meeting started. The chairman started proceedings in english with no sign of any translators. The opening exchanges were fairly relaxed and I began to sit somewhat easier in my chair.

Given that my presentation was the last item before lunch, my teaser by way of introduction was well received and got a bit of a laugh! I then set about trying to convey the idea that ExerGaming offers the possibility of a new way of doing things before “reminding” the audience of the massive size of video games industry. I then gave an illustrated overview of various ExerGames before moving onto my describing the range of laboratory measures including oxygen consumption involved in my work. I then gave a brief summary of my results – all games are not equal – maximize active muscle mass in rapid fire movements.

In order to get people thinking about how ExerGaming to promote physical activity - I outlined my list of list of actual and possible “persuasive technology” features developed by applying Fogg’s principles to ExerGaming. Looking to the future, I outlined the current ExerGame sensor technologies before moving on to GPS enabled mobile phones, a Garmin heart rate and gps sports watch and the Nike+ iPod system. I then described some of the immense range of possibilities when you add Web 2.0 social networking to the mix. I had a map of Brussels from the Nokia Sports Tracker System showing routes people had uploaded including a close-up of one person’s rollerblading route around the European Quarter close the location of the meeting! I made a particular point of emphasizing the advanced nature of the European mobile phone network and suggested that Mobile ExerGaming was an area in which Europe could lead the way.

Bringing things towards a close, I suggested that there is a paradigm shift from a Persuasive Message to a Persuasive Interactive Experience. At this point I tried to provoke a bit of a response by suggesting that video game industry initiatives such as Nintendo’s Touch! Generations (e.g. DS Cooking Guide and Wii Fit) could start to set the the diet and physical activity agenda. My closing slide indicated that it is vital to Maximize the Opportunity presented by ExerGaming and create a Sustainable Future.

Phew! It was over! A few questions later and we were breaking for lunch. Despite the call for sustenance, several people spoke to me immediately, excited about the possibilities for ExerGaming. I was then taken for lunch and sampled some of the local cuisine in cafe-restaurant and continued chatting.

Proceedings commenced in the afternoon with the main business being a debate on future actions concerning Physical Activity. As I was in no rush to catch a plane, I continued several conversations after the meeting finished.

Overall, it was an amazing experience and I trust that I have managed to raise awareness of ExerGaming/Active Video Games at a European level and prompted some actions. Personally, I have a number of exciting contacts to follow up.

I have been invited to speak at the European Union Platform on Diet, Physical Activity and Health in Brussels, Belgium, next Wednesday. It provides a common forum for all interested “actors” (organizations) in the field at a European level. In 15 minutes I plan to give a whistle-stop overview of the past, present and future of Active Video Games / ExerGaming.

By way of introduction, I am planning a little teaser which I will share with you now. It comprises 4 scenarios and you have to select the odd one out. The first is a group of indigenous men out hunting with bows and arrows. The second is a group of women working in a field harvesting a crop by hand. The third is a couple out jogging in the street. The fourth one is a person playing a martial arts-based ExerGame. Suggestions in a Comment as to the odd one out…

Update 1:

I have had a suggestion that the ExerGamer is the odd one out as they are the only one not in a “social” setting. Good point – but that is not the answer I am looking for, so keep the suggestions coming

Update 2:

I have had another suggestion (by email) that the joggers are the odd ones out as the physical exertion is the primary focus of their activity, whereas in all the other cases it is not the primary focus. All I can say is that this is getting pretty close!!!

Update 3: - Solution

The odd one out is indeed the joggers, as in the other three cases, there is a life or death necessity to be physically active. Either to catch (hunters) or harvest (women in field) some food. In the case of the ExerGamer, if they don’t keep active, they will die in the game, but it is not quite such a problem, as you get several lives.

The point I am trying to make with this metaphor is the potential to which active video games can be a highly engaging experience.

Just back from a great holiday in the Black Forest, Germany, which revolved round a family wedding. It is a beautiful landscape with an abundance of trees – so lots of things made of wood about the place. Despite getting away from it all, I managed to fit in some “Eco ExerGaming”…

The dice shown in the pictures below were knocking about a rink designed for French Boules judging by the detailed rules shown on a nearby sign. I had a go a “rolling” a few of the dice, one at a time as they were rather heavy, with a view to an ExerGame of Yahtzee. I soon realized that not only were they a bit on a heavy side, but there was also a design flaw (see if you can spot it in the photos)!

Opting for softwood rather than plastic construction might permit the use of the term “Eco”, but there is at present no sign of any “electronics” that would properly qualify it as an “ExerGame”! However, all is not lost as I had with me a book for holiday reading on how to put small micro-controllers into objects in order to “wire them up”.

So whilst this form of “Eco ExerGaming” is at the present stage a “concept project”, it could be a sign of things to come, so watch this space…

I don’t watch that much TV, but last night I caught an episode of “New Tricks” on BBC1. Basically the show centers around a bunch of semi-retired detectives doing some good old fashioned detective work to solve “cold” cases. In order to strike up a conversation with a potential witness, one of the detectives picks up a Wiimote and joins in a shot ‘em up game. He gets right into the game and actually ends up outplaying the witness. Having earned a degree of respect, the witness is forthcoming with vital new information.

Fast forward to the end of the show when the case is solved and it is time for a small celebration. But where is the said detective? Well now he is giving his all on the arcade version of the game! So there you have it, grey gaming on mainstream TV!

Analogue no more, the digital revolution is supposed to herald a new entertainment era with thousands of music tracks no more than a click away. At least that is what I thought until I heard Margaret Robertson’s very entertaining and informative presentation last Monday at the Edinburgh Interactive Festival. The subject matter was her 10 best games of the previous year, three of which happened to be mobile iPod games.

First up was the Nike+ iPod that becomes a coach, personal trainer and all round training companion. The shoe insert senses motion communicates the movement to your iPod which calculates workout data and can upload it to the web. Margaret was full of praise for the product and how it helps motivate her to exercise.

When I spoke to her afterwards, I said that I was heartened by her enthusiasm and whilst it wasn’t a game, it wasn’t that far removed from an “ExerGame”. She was quick to correct me that as far as she was concerned it was a game, but then I haven’t “played” it. But you will see from her  article ”How gaming is running with sport“ that she considers the online challenge and leader board ranking to be a game/competition. 

takes something I hate (running) and turns it into something I love (gaming)

Second up was “Song Summoner”, an iPod game that customizes the game play characters and their powers according to the tracks you listen to.

The final game was “Phase:” aka Guitar Hero meets iPod. Again the vital ingredient that affects game play are the tracks you listen to.

I think you can begin to see where this is heading…………..

Now here is the iPodder’s Dilemma: The choice of track critically affects the various game plays. So a particularly high scoring track might be one of the “cheesiest / heaviest / smouchiest / funkiest / grooveyist / uncoolest” (delete as appropriate) – or not as the case may be. Suddenly the choice of music itself becomes a game. So herein lies the dilemma. Coming soon to a gym near you…

Note: If you choose to exercise whilst using earphones to listen to music, please be aware of your surroundings.