Exergaming - the fusion of the English terms "exercise" and "gaming" - is increasingly becoming a trend in fitness studios. Exergaming refers to the mixture of computer game and exercise, sometimes the term "fitness game" is also used. What began with game consoles is steadily making its way into the world of fitness studios. Here are the most important facts about exergaming.
1980s
The roots of the entire genre lie in the late 1980s. In 1986, Nintendo released the Power Pad for the NES, followed by Foot Craz for the Atari 2600 in 1987. This was intended to encourage game console users not to merely move their thumbs while seated, but instead to immerse their entire bodies in the computer game.
Virtual reality also got its start in the 1980s, with the term first described in the Oxford English Dictionary in 1987. The original research in the 80s was initiated by NASA , with the Virtual Environment Display System (VIVED) NASA wanted to help astronauts with the elaborate control of the new spacecraft, the Virtual Planetary Exploration Prokect (VPE project) was to help visualize the gigantic amounts of data that the Viking probes from Mars delivered in a suitable way. Very quickly, however, VR technology was also used for games, and Autodesk's HighCycle and Virtual Racquetball appeared.
The HighCycle was basically a home bicycle ergometer that allowed users to cycle through a virtual landscape, while Virtual Racquetball tracked the position and orientation of a physical racquet used to hit a virtual ball in a virtual environment. Two users could even compete against each other over the telephone line.
The term "exergaming" was also used for the first time as early as 1986; the Computrainer from RacerMate Inc. was designed as a training and motivation tool and enabled its users to glide through a virtual landscape on an ergometer. This landscape was created with the help of the Nintendo Entertainment System, and data such as power output and cadence were monitored.
Gamification - games, fun and fitness
1990s
Interest in virtual reality technologies continued to grow, and interest now shifted to high-end fitness equipment. LifeFitness and Nintendo collaborated to develop an exertainment system, Precor focused on an LCD-based cycling product, while Universal focused on CRT-based optical systems - in short, virtual reality and also exergaming made massive inroads into the fitness industry. In 1998, exergaming finally arrived in all living rooms, and Konami 's Dance Dance Revolution game sold millions of copies and still has fans today.
2000s
Right in 2000, British StartUp Exertris introduced an ineractive gaming bike to the fitness market, laying the foundation for the hype surrounding spinning. Group training with the indoor bike continues to enjoy unbroken popularity in 2019, with the combination with virtual reality technologies becoming increasingly popular. Exergaming also found its place in the home sector. In 2005, the EyeToy appeared for the PlayStation 2. With this camera, the player's movements could be captured and implemented in the game. In 2006, Gamercize was introduced, allowing traditional fitness equipment to be combined with game consoles. Also in 2006, the Nintendo Wii was released, a console that was primarily controlled by movements. Released in late 2007, the Wii Fit exergame was released with the Wii Balance Board and hit like a bomb with users: Wii Fit sold over 21 million copies, laying the groundwork for its successors, Wii Fit Plus and Wii Fit U.
2010s years
The Xbox 360 took the motion-controlled game console concept and developed it further. With the help of Kinect , controllerless spatial tracking with a camera became popular in 2010. A multitude of fitness trackers literally flooded the market, these were of course not only used in gaming, but also enriched exergaming. With augmented reality apps for the smartphone like Ingress in 2013, Pokémon Go in 2016 , and Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery in 2018, exergaming practically became something commonplace. Head-mounted displays like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, and Samsung Gear allow for a nearly seamless fusion of exergaming and virtual reality these days. The VR goggles allow for a very large immersion with 360° interactions. Combined with peripheral devices like the Cyberith Virtualizer omnidirectional treadmill, exergaming is created on a whole new level. The user can move through a virtual space, can run, walk, bend over and much more, while not looking at a stationary screen but experiencing virtual reality up close through the head-mounted display. And exergaming is also becoming more interesting again for fitness studios. One of the core problems in fitness training is motivation - by combining an exciting game with a workout, motivation can of course be increased. Thanks to modern technical possibilities, virtual training is becoming more and more important. Movement walls, active floor games and simulators such as the Exercube from Sphery or the iWall are becoming increasingly popular. The proportion of playful elements is also increasing in the area of spinning. It is not uncommon for three large screens to surround the group so that the trainees can drive through exciting landscapes and complete various games and races.
Conclusion
Exergaming began its triumphal procession as early as the 1980s. At first, the world of fitness games comprehensively conquered the home, and the fitness world has always put out feelers in the direction of exergaming, but the trend is only now really hitting gyms in the late 2010s. Today, there are several exergaming and virtual fitness offerings for the gym. People who train are enthusiastic about the playful character, which promotes a high fun factor during training, and gladly accept offers from these areas.
Editors fitnessmarkt.de (DG)
Picture credits: #247524699-only_kim-AdobeStock
Published on: 25 October 2019