The YMCA in Alexandria, Va., is piloting an "I-gym" — a workout room filled with about a dozen pieces of equipment that marry video games and fitness. Think of it as Nintendo’s Wii on steroids.
In Silver Spring, Md., Woodlin Elementary School has tried out a NEOS, a giant orange play structure with flashing lights, colors and "whoop whoop" sounds.
"Kids are going to exercise if they want to and have fun doing it," said Janice Williams, senior vice president for special projects at the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington. "So many kids are tech savvy, and video games are a draw to them, so why not have them use a video game that requires them to use movement?"
Wii-habilitation" — using Nintendo’s Wii video game system in rehabilitation therapy — continues to be popular with health care workers looking to help patients get through what some see as the pain and torture of physical therapy. Now two engineers in APL’s National Security Technology Department have cranked that concept up a notch. Bobby Armiger and Jacob Vogelstein have rewired Nintendo’s Guitar Hero III : Legends of Rock game to allow amputees to rock out and get valuable training with prosthetic prototypes at the same time.
Their gaming is part of the APL-led Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009 effort, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, to develop a prosthetic arm that will be controlled and also feel, look and perform like a natural limb. So far the project has produced two prototypes and has leveraged a surgical technique, developed at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago by Todd Kuiken, that reroutes the nerves that once controlled an amputee’s arm to remaining muscles. These "re- innervated" muscles naturally amplify the nerve signals so that electrodes placed against the skin can detect activity and control the prosthetic arm.
Skateboard Activision is a publisher that knows, and has come to love, peripherals. After all, they’ve helped drive the "Guitar Hero" franchise to well over $1 billion in revenue. (Unlike MTV, Activision typically makes money on its music hardware, though it did have some hiccups with "World Tour" drums over the holidays.)
Which is why it makes some sense it’s going that route with the next "Tony Hawk" skateboarding game, coming this fall. Rumors that the as-yet-untitled game would use some kind of peripheral started last summer. But two sources who have seen the game first hand have confirmed that it will indeed eschew controllers and rely on a board-like peripheral. I’m told it won’t be about precise balance (if you want to do that, just get a real skateboard). Instead it’ll be about grabbing and manipulating the board to pull of all the tricks for which "Tony Hawk" games are known. Because the peripheral does a lot more than just measure where players are standing, I’m told it’ll be available for the Wii version as well — it won’t just rely on the board that came with "Wii Fit," as EA’s "Skate It" did.
A self-proclaimed fitness expert is preparing to file a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, claiming the popular gaming console’s Wii and Wii Fit are causing serious physical injuries due to a lack of proper warnings on their products.
Michael Torchia, the host of the radio talk show “Shape Up America,” says he wants Nintendo to pull their Wii games off the shelves until they make important changes to their products.
…
Torchia claims that widespread usage of the Wii Fit and Wii Balance Board is creating a “new phenomenon” of injuries to the knees, back and wrists of game players as a result of overuse and improper warm up.
The sounds of video games can be heard in most households, but the Nintendo Wii is being played almost on a regular basis at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific.
"Oh no!" said patient Arthur King as he looks intensely at the television screen with game controller in hand.
He hangs his head in disbelief as the words "You Lose" flash on the screen.
"I’ll be playing games all day trying not to lose," said Arthur.
72-year-old King is not addicted, he is recovering from a stroke, using the Wii as part of his physical therapy.
"It makes me work. I want to move both hands," said King.
The YMCA in Alexandria, Va., is piloting an "I-gym" — a workout room filled with about a dozen pieces of equipment that marry video games and fitness. Think of it as Nintendo’s Wii on steroids.
Wii-habilitation" — using Nintendo’s Wii video game system in rehabilitation therapy — continues to be popular with health care workers looking to help patients get through what some see as the pain and torture of physical therapy. Now two engineers in APL’s National Security Technology Department have cranked that concept up a notch. Bobby Armiger and Jacob Vogelstein have rewired Nintendo’s 
: Legends of Rock game to allow amputees to rock out and get valuable training with prosthetic prototypes at the same time. 
Skateboard Activision is a publisher that knows, and has come to love, peripherals. After all, they’ve helped drive the "
" franchise to well over $1 billion in revenue. (Unlike MTV, Activision typically makes money on its music hardware, though it did have some hiccups with "World Tour" drums over the holidays.) 
" did.
A self-proclaimed fitness expert is preparing to file a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, claiming the popular gaming console’s Wii and Wii Fit are causing serious physical injuries due to a lack of proper warnings on their products. 
The sounds of video games can be heard in most households, but the Nintendo Wii is being played almost on a regular basis at the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific. 
