Two decades ago, Nintendo published the first edition of Nintendo Power magazine and their 8-Bit Entertainment System remained the state of the art in the industry. Interaction with games remained limited to a fusillade of finger tapping on a wired controller, which made gaming a largely sedentary activity. As a result, the growth of home gaming led many researchers to link the activity to obesity (see Center for Advanced Health). Fast forward to today and the story couldn't be more different: Nintendo is leading the way in full physical immersion with the Fit series on its Wii console, which allows players to more meaningfully interact with games. No longer constrained by a static feedback between player and game, Nintendo has taken exergaming to an entirely new level and shifted gaming from a passive activity to a full body workout (see BMJ Medical Journal).

Exergaming is simply the extension of video game controllers from static inputs to a full body interaction, which gives the games an exercise element. With advances in feedback controls for the Wii, games can utilize a whole series of interactive controllers to direct in-game movement. Dating back to the 1980s, there have been a number of exergaming devices, starting with the Nintendo Power Pad, which allowed gamers to control in-game movements through a pressure-sensitive exercise mat. Most commonly used in the game World Class Track Meet, the controller had a number of compatible games and laid the groundwork for future releases such as Dance, Dance Revolution (DDR) in 1998. DDR became the first mass-market, exergaming success, selling millions of dance simulation copies world wide and spawning a number of sequels and clones. In the game, players adjust their feet on a motion-sensitive control bad to the rhythm of a given song, requiring players to move rapidly in shifts as quick as 1/32 notes. Requiring coordination and fast-twitch muscle movement, the game even became integrated into school curriculum in West Virginia (see New York Times).

As the design of interactive games has evolved, workouts are shifting to providing a full-body cardiovascular workout. The Gamercize add-on, for example, allows gamers to utilize a complete array of workout machines, ranging from exercise bikes to elliptical machines, to work many major muscle groups while they play. The Yourself Fitness game series for Playstation, Xbox and PC develops games which provide direct exercise instruction and tracking, although the games require an external monitor to provide a full feedback element. With activities ranging from Yoga and Pilates, Yourself Fitness provides a virtual gym.

The recently released Wii Fit game takes the genre to a new level by allowing full-body, direct interaction through the Wii Balance Board controller. Gamers can build up strength through a variety of directed exercises ranging from lower body exercises such as aerobics and balance games to upper body activities such as push ups and strength training. With complete physical activity tracking, Wii Fit has taken exergaming to the next level to provide a complete full-body workout.

About the author
This guest post was written by Maya Richard, who writes about Cell Phones. She can be reached via email at mayarichard at gmail.

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.