Nintendo create first video game that encourages players to LEAVE the house

[wraggster]

Playing computer games used to be a lazy activity before Nintendo's Wii Fit shook up the industry. Now the company who brought simulated tennis and yoga to the masses is sending gamers outside to exercise.
The Japanese electronics giant are launching the game 'Walk With Me!' for DS consoles guaranteed to put a spring in your step.

Instead of slouching in front of the TV, players are encouraged to create a personal walking regime and compete against friends, family and even their pets.

The software comes with two pedometers called 'Activity Meters', which monitor how much activity you do during the day. The data is collected and stored on the pedometer for seven days and is transferred by an infra red signal to a Nintendo DS.

Users can set daily walking targets and compare their activity to up to three other users.

There are also a number of motivating mini-games, with collected steps used to unlock trivia, create images and find out how much electrical energy walking has generated.
Computer users can also compete with players from around the world to become the planet's top-ranked walkers and combine their steps together to plot a virtual walk through the solar system.

Walk with me! launches across Europe on 20th February.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1094900/Nintendo-create-video-game-encourages-players-LEAVE-house.html

[mcdougall57]

"Nintendo create first video game that encourages players to LEAVE the house"

There's been enough shovelware already created that has achieved the same effect.

[Aryn]

""Nintendo create first video game that encourages players to LEAVE the house"

There's been enough shovelware already created that has achieved the same effect."


I fully agree. Games that encouraged people to get outside include Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (which utilizes detection of wifi networks to unlock troops that you can use in the game), Boktai 2 (which requires actual sunlight to hit the UV sensor for many areas and lack of sunlight for some others, and has a couple of interesting perks for playing at night as well, encouraging people to move around), and the Gamecube party games actually encouraged people to take their game system to people's houses or invite people over in order to fully enjoy them...

However, a game that encourages people to do more walking and gives them rewards for doing so is always welcome and unique. We need more games like this.

[smero]

so basicly,
we're going to pay £30 for a pedometer that you could get for £1 and a few mini games.