Nike game-pod forces gamers off butts

If Nike has its way, we'll have to start working physically for our in-game rewards, today's issue of G2 from The Guardian reports. The sportswear giant has filed a patent for a "game-pod" that would sit in the shoes of gamers and, via a pedometer, pressure sensors and/or GPS, would measure the amount of exercise they undergo. Then, via a detachable chip, it would communicate that to your console or PC, bumping up character attributes or abilities, or unlocking bonus items as long as you haven't been slobbing around.

According to the patent, the game-pod could be configured to measure heart rate or even blood oxygen content, thereby foiling potential dodges such as driving your trainers around in a car.

At present, the system - whose appearance will be timely, given that "experts" have recently been all over the newspapers asserting that games are contributing to the obesity epidemic - exists only as a patent, and Nike is not yet commenting on any tie-ups with games companies. It did, however, hook up with Sony to create Eye Toy Kinetic. But then again, playing games like Tennis on the Nintendo Wii involves an awful lot more physical activity than anything you can play using a conventional joypad.

That's an interesting idea! It's obviously targeted to America... :o