What if you could turn video games, criticized for everything from their obsessive hold on users to their purported role in childhood obesity to their misogynist elements, into something, well, healthy? That’s the idea behind “exergaming”: physically interactive video games, controllers, and systems that aim to get your heart rate up without making you feel like you’re doing penance. This…
WOLLONGONG, NSW: A young entrepreneur’s daring and adventurous spirit drove him to a new town and a new business. Stuart Joyce, 20, recently launched the adrenalin pumping Red Baron Laser Skirmish so thrill seekers can experience the excitement of live gaming either in their own backyard or in a bush land setting. Originally from Goulburn, Stuart saw many of his…
Monday, 19 May 2008 Humana Inc. recently launched a new website with the focus on games for health. The website, www.humanagames.com, is part of an initiative created to encourage customers to have better fitness through game technology. The new website launched in conjunction with the fourth annual national Games for Health Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland.“We’re pleased to be moving…
NPR RADIO – by Allison Aubrey Listen Now [4 min 39 sec] add to playlist Are those mail-order kickboxing tapes gathering dust on top of your VCR? Before you pop them in, consider some of the advantages and disadvantages of sweating in the privacy of your own home. The Pros of Home Workouts It’s Cheap Many exercises can be done…
Baltimore’s Games For Health conference saw exergaming crop up as a recurring theme, from game designer and Gamasutra/Game Developer contributor Noah Falstein’s previously reported review of its history, to XRtainment Zone co-founder and CEO Ernie Medina, Jr., DrPH, CHFI presenting his experiences launching a company dedicated to bringing exergaming to the masses. Medina – who claimed his parents wouldn’t let…
Humana has announced the launch of its Web site. The Web site will help guide customers through its latest concept, Games for Health. Humana has also partnered with schools in Kentucky and Florida for pilot programs in the area of fitness and games technology for students. Streaming audio from the conference: http://www.hastingsgroupmedia.com/GolinHarris/050808GamesforHealth.wma “We’re pleased to be moving forward in this…
Games For Health: Noah Falstein On Exergaming History In an intriguing presentation delivered at the 2008 Games For Health conference in Baltimore, longtime game designer and frequent Gamasutra/Game Developer contributor Noah Falstein (pictured) related the history of “exergaming,” which has recently come into greater public awareness with high-profile titles such as Wii Fit. Falstein pointed out that the concept of…
Story Updated: May 8, 2008 BALTIMORE and WASHINGTON — Four major emerging trends — exergaming kicks into high gear, video games go to rehab and therapy, major health care providers arrive on the scene, and the rise of video games for first responders and medical professionals — were highlighted during a telenews event conducted by organizers of the Games for…
The latest “gaming for health” trends — including “exergaming,” health elements in popular commercial games (e.g., a “disease” being unleashed inadvertently on the population in “World of Warcraft”) and sophisticated, new videogames used to train emergency medical personnel — will be outlined during a live, two-way phone-based blogger/online news event at 1 p.m. EDT Thursday (May 8, 2008). The special…
TWall® – Discover the unique concept of optimizing movement, fitness and reaction . . . TWall. The rules for Twall are simple but challenging: on a wall with numerous touch surfaces, red signals light up in sequence of varying positions and speeds. Your task: deactivate the light as soon as it appears by quick touch (T=touch). Act and react as…
April 28, 2008 The Games for Health Conference has announced full details on the line-up for its 2008 conference, to be held May 8th and 9th, 2008, at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, MD. USA Exergaming distributors Exergame Fitness and Motion Kids will be attending the Games 4 Health conference and showcasing one of the most exciting products in…
The Problem Childhood obesity is one of the most urgent public health threats facing our country. Today, more than one-third of all children and adolescents in the United States—approximately 25 million kids—are overweight or obese. The epidemic already is affecting our kids’ health and quality of life in ways we’ve never seen before. Children are being diagnosed with conditions previously…
