Why doesn’t Wii Fit include an estimate of the calories you burn during exercises? That would be really useful. Nintendo seems to agree, at least — it has created a Flash application that does just that.
The Wii Fit Calorie Meter couldn’t be easier to use, unless it were in English! Push the big green button in the middle to start, then enter your weight (in kilograms). You can then click on each exercise you’ve done (or plan to do) and tell the calculator the number of sets you’ve done of each. The app will add up your calories as you go!
The Humana Foundation capitalized on these two key issues to create a video game that encourages kids to exercise – outside. It’s called The Horsepower Challenge. Created to fight obesity, the game involves a pedometer that measures the steps of kids and uploads the count wirelessly to the web, so that the kids can even play outside while participating in the challenge. Several schools can compete with each other for the highest total steps, and each individual can customize his or her horse character with new colors, hairstyles and accessories with money earned by their step count. Also, the race measures participants’ progress along a path of world landmarks, sneaking a little geography into the mix.
Electronic Arts showed off its latest sports games today, with a heavy emphasis on new kinds of games that could appeal to wider audiences.
Among the big titles coming soon is EA Sports Active, a fitness title for the Nintendo Wii that resembles the Nintendo Wii Fit title (which topped 10 million unit sales last year). But EA Sports Active isn’t just a knock-off of the popular balance-board game.
The game has a deep fitness program for people who are serious about losing weight and staying trim. They can use its advice and tools to track their activities and design workouts that let them have fun while they exercise. You can do things like simulate rollerblading jumps by tying the Wii controller to your thigh and jumping up and down. You can use a stretch band to exercise your arms and see how precisely you’re following the instructions by looking at your on-screen avatar. The game isn’t as cutesy as Wii Fit, so it may appeal to people who thought the Nintendo game was a tad silly.
Seek ‘n’ Spell puts the iPhone’s GPS to use, so you and your army of friends (real friends see – not Facebook cronies you sad, sad, tragic loser) can go to the swings where the game will overlay the location with letters scattered about the place.
It’s then a mad dash to collect up as many letters as possible and – Countdown style – come up with the longest word possible to win. Educational, informational, sociable and … exerciseationable.
Seek ‘n’ Spell’s just been submitted for Apple’s approval, and should be with us in the next week or two, so get some new laces for your running shoes, fatso. Check out the official site, while you’re lacing ‘em up.
The fun, educational opportunities awaiting you in virtual worlds isn’t just limited to adults. Parents may be concerned about the safety and security of their children online, so here are 25 safe places for kids to play online. Kid-friendly and kid-only virtual worlds are available in almost every niche, from fashion to pirates to sports. Read on for more of these safe, fun and educational virtual worlds for kids and teens.
Younger kids will enjoy losing themselves in virtual worlds that feature pirate ships, adventure worlds, the Wild West, and more.
1. Tootsville: Customize your little Toot, kind of like an avatar, to make friends, play games, shop and more. 2. Neopets: Neopets is an internationally-used virtual world and game site for kids. The world of Neopia has updates on "world events," features a Neopian pound, and more. 3. Puzzle Pirates: Kids can learn strategy, meet friends, find sunken treasure and do other pirate-y things in this virtual world. Pirate ships are full of other players to work and play with and battle other ships. 4. Bang! Howdy: Bang! Howdy is a "fast-paced tactical strategy" platform that features worlds like Frontier Town and Indian Trading Post for kids to play games, meet friends, and develop critical thinking skills.
Gamasutra revealed it’s Independent Games Festivalwinners in the Student Showcase for its 11th annual awards, with games from three continents spanning ecological, paint-splattering and fantasy exercise games to be shown at GDC this year.
One of the finalists seems particularely interesting, Winds of Orbis.
The Winds of Orbis is the first action-adventure video game to combine the Nintendo Wii Remote and Nunchuk with a Dance Pad to craft a revolutionary new active gaming experience. The project is student-pitched by a group of graduate students from the Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center and has been underway since the spring of 2008.
Step into the shoes of an onscreen hero and battle ferocious enemies, avoid obstacles, climb amongst the floating islands in the sky and rediscover the power of your ancestors. The world is at your feet… can you save it?
Hopefully this game will be picked up by a publisher soon and officially find it’s way to the Wii!
Why doesn’t Wii Fit include an estimate of the calories you burn during exercises? That would be really useful. Nintendo seems to agree, at least — it has created a Flash application that does just that.
The Humana Foundation capitalized on these two key issues to create a video game that encourages kids to exercise – outside. It’s called The Horsepower Challenge. Created to fight obesity, the game involves a pedometer that measures the steps of kids and uploads the count wirelessly to the web, so that the kids can even play outside while participating in the challenge. Several schools can compete with each other for the highest total steps, and each individual can customize his or her horse character with new colors, hairstyles and accessories with money earned by their step count. Also, the race measures participants’ progress along a path of world landmarks, sneaking a little geography into the mix. 
Electronic Arts showed off its latest sports games today, with a heavy emphasis on new kinds of games that could appeal to wider audiences. 
Seek ‘n’ Spell puts the iPhone’s GPS to use, so you and your army of friends (real friends see – not Facebook cronies you sad, sad, tragic loser) can go to the swings where the game will overlay the location with letters scattered about the place. 
The fun, educational opportunities awaiting you in virtual worlds isn’t just limited to adults. Parents may be concerned about the safety and security of their children online, so here are 25 safe places for kids to play online. Kid-friendly and kid-only virtual worlds are available in almost every niche, from fashion to pirates to sports. Read on for more of these safe, fun and educational virtual worlds for kids and teens.
