For many years, video games were blamed in the mainstream media for contributing to laziness, apathy, and a downturn in the level of physical activity for those who played video games. When the Wii broke onto the market in 2006, however, gaming became immediately more physical. With the introduction of WiiFit and the Wii Balance Board, the possibilities for more physically demanding games became more far-reaching still.

How does exergaming benefit the people who play these games? The benefits of these games, both physically and educationally, are the focus of this article.

1. Exergaming has a wide appeal. Going to the gym is not for everyone, and neither is going outside to exercise. Exergaming appeals to people of all ages and walks of life, and enables people to exercise on their own time and on their own terms.
2. Exergaming is interactive. For many, the idea of exercise is boring. Exergaming offers an interactive way to stay physically fit and breaks the monotony of exercising alone in a gym. Turning exercise into a game involves people who may not normally have wished to exercise in the first place.
3. Exergaming tracks your progress for you. Rather than maintaining your own records, WiiFit and other games that use the Wii Balance Board save your statistics, making it effortless for the user to track his or her progress. This in turn motivates the user to challenge him or herself to do better, which is the beauty of pairing up exercise and gaming.
4. Exergaming creates interest in other activities. Exergaming is the gateway for many real physical activities. From tennis to skateboarding, players of physically active video games soon develop interests in the real-life versions of the games they play on the Wii. Those who like certain formats also seek out other video games that offer the same interactive physical activity.
5. Exergaming has limitless possibilities. With the popularity of the Wii, WiiFit, and the Wii Balance Board, the possibilities truly are limitless. From more physically demanding games, to educational applications, the integration of physicality into the world of gaming is truly the way of the future for gaming.

About the author
This post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick who writes on the subject of graduate school scholarships. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.

Vertigo is a high-rolling, adrenalin-fuelled combination of futuristic racing, puzzle solving and precision control.

You are a Xorber, a member of most Elite Xorb racing corp. in the galaxy. Roll thunderously across 54 wild and challenging landscapes, through 9 different worlds, each with their own unique treacherous terrain and death defying obstacles.

Upgrade your Xorb, seek hidden shortcuts and collect power ups to help you survive, to become the fastest and most envied Xorber in the Universe!

Featuring Wii Board compatibility use either the Wii Remote or the Wii balance board for an all new gaming experience.

• 54 challenging tracks across 9 different environments
• Three Xorb racing classes to progress through, each offering their own unique control attributes, unlockables and upgrades
• Fully customizable Shell type, Bodywork or Hatch and tune your Xorb for ultimate precision control
• Includes Arcade, Career, Practice and Time Trial modes
• Wii board compatible with unique Wii board gaming mode
• 4 multiplayer gaming modes including Time Trail, Xorb football, Death Match and 10-pin Xorb bowling

The Wii Balance Board lends itself perfectly to skateboarding so it's no surprise to see another skate title. But rather than try to take on EA Skate It, Zoo Games has chosen to go the futuristic action game route with this title. Here's the latest info and some screenshots for the game which is scheduled for release in the US October 28th.

Your best skating buddy has been kidnapped by Virus, your arch-nemesis, and only you can save him! Become a skateboard master as you zip between hover cars, grind on rails, and pull sick trick combos throughout a futuristic metropolis. Hidden bonuses and items will help you impress the evil captor in order to free your friend. Your grappling laser and trusty skateboard are all you need to smack down your nemesis and restore peace to the city!

• Wii Balance Board compatible
• Ride in futuristic environments around the city grinding high on top of skyscrapers, flipping through ultra modern factories, racing between aerial trains and hover cars is just the beginning
• Choose from 6 playable characters -each with their own skills and skating strengths
• Use different combinations and attack moves to get rid of aggressive opponents
• Unique missions and side-games keep the player progressing through the story. Up to 4 players can battle it out in a variety of multiplayer modes.

It's been just over 4 months to the day since we first mentioned RTL's forthcoming balance board compatible titles Biathlon 2009 and WinterSports 2009 (also to be published by Conspiracy as Ski and Shoot and Winter Sports 2). The Conspiracy titles are expected to be released in the middle of November and I've been told by RTL that their release date in Germany/Austria/Switzerland is 27th November 2008. Details on these titles are available on the RTL Games website but it is in German so for those of you who don't sprechen Deutsch, here's what you need to know.

RTL Biathlon 2009 / Ski and Shoot

Thanks to it realistic and detailed gameplay, RTL's Biathlon 2009 is set to be the new benchmark in the popular biathlon genre. This third release of the succesful sports series was redeveloped from the ground up with improved graphics, more effects and sounds and optimised control. With five new courses you can enjoy a true winter atmosphere as you challenge real stars of the sport as virtual opponents. With support for both the Wii Balance Board and Wii Zapper, RTL Biathlon 2009 promises an even more intense gaming experience. Other features include:

• A sophisticated single player career mode with extended character management
• 20 different courses in 15 countries
• Thrilling multi-player modes including 4-player hotseat and 2-player splitscreen

RTL WinterSports 2009 / Winter Sports 2

The highly succesful WinterSports series now has a worthy successor in the form of WinterSports 2009 - The Next Challenge which takes the series to new heights. For added variety, two entirely new sports have now been added in the form of Snowboarding and Biathlon. And now with an expanded career mode and a challenging campaign with over 40 missions, you can compete in 18 disciplines in 10 action sports including Alpine Ski, Ski Jump and Bobsledding.

Those Raving Rabbids are everywhere. Now they're taking over Facebook. If you're signed up to Facebook and think you have what it takes then take the Raving Rabbids Test to see just how wacky you really are.

I only made 74% on my first attempt. Pretty lame really - obviously Friday madness hasn't set in enough yet.

I just read an interesting post by ars technica's Ben Kuchera. He was fortunate enough to get some balance board game time with Skate It at this year’s PAX (Penny Arcade Expo). The bottom line from his point of view – "I'd rather be playing with a standard controller".

Up until now we've seen a lot of positive feedback for Skate It's balance board controls, but as more people get hands-on with this game the more we'll start to see opposing opinions. While I don't see Ben's comments as a major blow for this game, he does make some interesting comments firstly with regards to the steep learning curve. According to the EA rep, "it takes about fifteen minutes to learn to do it okay, and a few hours to really nail the tricks".

This is understandable considering the innovative way in which the balance board is zoned for different tricks but for gamers hoping to just jump on and skate and do tricks without too much effort, this is obviously going to be a negative factor. For balance board fans however, I think it's a small price to pay for the kind of realism that this game promises.

Another interesting comment was this – "The game did feel like an oddly effective workout, however, as the muscles on my lower legs started to burn during my fifteen minute demo". Now there's a real bonus or for some, or a real turn-off for others depending on what you want out of the game.

One comment he made that I don't entirely agree with was "Skate It seems to use the Wiimote and balance board because it can" which seems to imply that balance board support was kind of an afterthought. I really do feel that EA developed this game specifically for the balance board and that they have really gone out of their way to be innovative in its use. Of course time will tell, but despite some negative impressions I think EA Skate It is still set to be one of the top balance board games of 2008.

You can read Ben's full post here.