Wednesday, September 17, 2008 8:10 PM CDT
Wii game system getting players active, has a way to go for total fitness
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — Prior to the introduction of the Nintendo Wii, only “Dance Dance Revolution” and its sequels offered any semblance of a videogame workout. Otherwise, the physical effects from gamers’ exertions were limited to tired thumbs and sore wrists.
The Wii changed that. Well, sort of.
The accelerometer-based, movement detection videogame console is already legendary for its ability to induce a quick pulse, heavy breathing and sheens of sweat, to say nothing of rotator cuff damage and “Wii elbow.” But the Wii has yet to replace the gym or the rec center — so far.
Experts say the issues holding back the Wii’s application to health and fitness include a shortage of exercise-friendly yet fun software, as well as a lack of adequate space in which to play the more active games. These appear especially problematic for college students looking to avoid or shave off the “Freshman Fifteen.”
However, if such dilemmas can be rectified, experts also believe the Wii and successor products could initiate a new age of healthy living — or at least a new excuse for complaining about cramped muscles.
“When I first bought my Wii, my right shoulder was sore, since that was the arm I used most often while playing,” said Jenna Nystrom, a senior at EIU who bought a Wii over the summer.
It’s her first game console since her childhood Nintendo 64. So why venture back into gaming now?
“Rather than sitting on the couch like (with) most game consoles, I can be up and moving,” she said.
Nystrom also goes running on the rare occasions that she has time. The Wii, meanwhile, “can be a good source” of exercise, she said, but “I would not use it as my sole source of exercise, since many games don’t require the player to use all parts of the body.”
She estimated that four or five of her college friends also own a Wii; however, they all live in apartments off-campus. And the cozy confines of residence halls are not always conducive to Wii-ing.
“You need more room than the average dorm allows for a group of kids to play Wii,” said Mikki Meadows, associate professor in the EIU School of Family and Consumer Sciences, whose specialties include videogames and their role in human development.
After conducting an unscientific survey of students, Meadows concluded the Wii is not exactly at the height of popularity on campus.
“It seems that the role playing (and first-person shooter) games are still the norm for university students,” she said. They “seem to enjoy the higher-level thinking of strategy games; the Wii is more physical.”
That said, the Wii is still “absolutely a good activity,” according to Meadows. “Anything that raises the heart rate is definitely good. Anything that keeps the heart rate up a long time is great. Kids will play for hours, so they are getting exercise — even when taking turns.”
Scott Rhine, who teaches videogame development at Lake Land College, predicted the Wii — despite its must-have status last holiday season — will not become as mainstream as the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 until it evolves as a platform for more role-playing and shooter games.
And the few RPG and shooters that are playable on the Wii don’t do much to promote physical activity, Rhine added. By and large, you still “sit on the couch and move your thumb,” he said.
But this likely will change, and Rhine has some pretty cool toys to prove it.
At Lake Land’s game development lab, they have converted a Wii Remote into a headset, and “we can write software that allows you to duck and dodge,” said Rhine.
In the near future, movement detection probably will not be limited to Nintendo, either.
Rhine has adapted a stationary bicycle to simulate walking, and applied this to the landmark RPG Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, in which players can traverse nearly every inch of its epic world. But instead of moving forward or backward with the push or pull of a thumbstick, Rhine’s device requires you to pedal in order to walk.
That means Lance Armstrong might be challenged to complete an entire Oblivion campaign and all the side-quests.
Rhine and his students also have programmed a version of Tetris that uses the DDR dance pad. “You play for 10 minutes and then you’ve got to sit down and take a break, because it wears you out,” he said.
For now, though, these are just prototype technologies, as the Wii remains in its long infancy.
Meadows said her son, a freshman at the University of Illinois, is not aware of a single Wii owner on his residence hall floor. Instead, consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 are most prevalent, while games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band are more likely to be played in groups — which Meadows encourages because of the social interaction.
In fact, she is as much a fan of Guitar Hero and Rock Band because they include “the classic rock that parents also enjoy, making them family games,” she said. “Wii seems to be more female-friendly.”
And “mom friendly.”
“It is much more non-violent, involves exercise and has cute cartoon people that females find palatable,” Meadows said.
But to the average college gamer who can’t wait for Gears of War II, what fun is that?
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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