The Exergame Network (TEN) Blog

Last Chance to Vote in The Exergame Network Awards 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 23:36:00 +0000

The Nominations are in and you have four days letf to vote! The Exergame Network is looking for winners in two categories for "Best Exergame of 2011"

The nominations for Best Home Exergame are;

Just Dance 3
Kinect Sports Season 2
Dance Central 2
Exergamer.com
UFC Personal Trainer
Dance Dance Revolution II

The nominations for Best Commerical Exergame are;

Fruit Ninja for Rehabilitation
Bjong TrezurHunt
Nexersys
Exergame Station
Mobile Adventure Walks

Voting is open to the public until the end of January. To vote go to http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/763252/The-Exergame-Network-Awards-2011

Physical Education Pre Conference Exergame Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:36:00 +0000

Thursday March 1, 2012, 8:30am to
3:30pm

Preconference
Event to the DuPage County PE Institute Day (Naperville, IL) on March 2,
2012

This Professional Development / Exergame Education Workshop
shows you the exciting possibilities of how using technology, combined with
games, and physical activity can enhance and enrich the lives of generations.

Exergame Education Workshop

Date: March 1, 2012

Time: 8:30am to 3:30pm

Location:

Bulls Sox Training Academy
6200 River Bend Dr.
Lisle, IL 60532

Fee: $95.00 / Person for Full Workshop. $45.00 for
Education Students

Registration Form

Purpose: Professional Development / Exergame Education Workshop for
PE teachers, Administrators, Superintendants. School and After-School programs. Non-Profits. Foundations.

Description: This Professional Development / Exergame Education Workshop
shows you the exciting possibilities of how using technology, combined with
games and physical activity, can enhance and enrich the lives of generations.

The workshop will be located at the state-of-the-art Chicago Bulls
Sox Training Academy in Lisle, IL, featuring the best Exergaming / Active Game facility in the world.

Teachers who attend the pre-conference will hear information from
leaders in the field about how ExerGaming can help educators to be even more effective in reaching our youth. Participants will find this full-day
ExerGaming pre-conference fun, educational, and invaluable in helping to
promote high-quality physical education and physical activity to maximize the
educational experience.

Topics include:

· Medical view on how a sedentary lifestyle is impacting our children with life-long disease.

· A successful School and Community Model overview, showing results of improved academics, improved disciplinary incidents, and improved health and fitness scores.

· Implementing Technology and Exergaming in your facility. Putting knowledge into practice.

· How do we prove it is working? Using technology to revolutionize physical education.

· Time in vs. Time Out. Help students with ADHD and other behavior issues decrease impulsivity and improve learning. Explains the physiology of the attention system.

· Quality teaching in a Physical Education setting, which meets the NASP standards and promotes lifelong fitness.

· How to Raise and go after funding for your program!

Presenters Include

· Dan Lawler, Ph. D. - Retired
Principal

· Stephen P. Yang, Ph. D.- SUNY
Cortland College

· Lisa Witherspoon, Ph. D. –
University of South Florida

· Ernie Medina, Jr., Dr. PH, CHFS –
Preventative Medicine Specialist

· George Velarde – California Physical
Educator of the Year

· Sharon Warren – Polar Electro
Education

· Dave Kurland – Chicago Bulls
Director

Please join us for this one of a kind event where you can learn the potential of implementing technology and Exergaming into your facility.

Originally posted at http://www.exergamefitness.com/blog/article.php?show=physical_education_pre_conference_exergame_workshop

Targeting Sedentarianism with exergaming!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:19:00 +0000

1-11-12: Happy New Year! I hope that you have a great holiday break. I'm sure many received some sort of exergame (such as a Wii or Kinect), and are using it to stay active in the new year.

As I look back on the last few years in the field of exergaming, a lot of the attention has been focused on using exergames as a way to increase physical activity (PA) and to be used as a new intervention for an exercise prescription (Exercise Rx).

However, in just the last year, I've noticed a new focus coming up...that of decreasing sedentary behavior. At first glance, this may seem like 2 sides of the same coin or mere semantics, but in fact, evidence is coming out that shows sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor compared to not doing the your exercise Rx.

In other words, someone who is doing their regular exercise Rx of 30 mins, 5x/wk, but then then is totally sedentary the other 23+ hours of the day (sleep, sitting at work, driving, etc.), is almost at the same risk as not doing your Exer. Rx at all!!! In other words, doing your workout does NOT protect you from being a couch potato the other 23 hours of the day!!!

A study that just came out highlights this in youth. Published by the American College of Sports Medicine, you can read more about it here.

What I like about this new focus is that now, instead of seeing which exergames meet the moderate to vigorous levels of intensity to qualify as "exercise", we are just focused on kids (and adults) being less sedentary!!! They talk about the benefits of JUST STANDING while talking on the phone, for example. With this level of physical activity, EVERY SINGLE exergame would qualify as an tool to decrease sedentary behavior!!!

Imagine schools, workplaces, homes, taking "sedentary vaccinations" by playing a game or two of some popular exergame every hour. It would be a nice mental break as well as a physical activity against sedentarianism.

I think we should encourage more research into the viability and effectiveness of exergames to break sedentary behavior. Then maybe, exergames will be more fully accepted by all those in the sports medicine and healthcare fields and promoted as a tool for their patients/client.

What do you think? Feel free to comment here or e-mail me at xrgamer1@gmail.com or post a message on my Facebook wall (Exergaming Interventionist).

The Exergame Network Awards 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:17:00 +0000

The Exergame Network Awards 2011

Survey Software powered by SurveyGizmo

GameDays 2012 and Edutainment 2012

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:49:00 +0000

It is HERE! The GameDays 2012 conference website is now calling all Exergame researchers, developers and users to Darmstadt Germany! Dr Mellecker was in attendance at GameDays 2011 and it was reportibly "AMAZING!"

Looking forward to seeing the The Exergame Network crowd the 2012 event! Here's the link - http://www.edutainment2012.de/index.php?id=164&L=1, and some words from the TEN supporter who scooped the "Best Presentation of the Conference" award;

"I had the pleasure of attending GameDays 2011 and found it to be very well organized. The research and game development content was cutting edge. Teams of researchers, developers, gamers and designers openly shared thoughts and research throughout the conference. The team of organizers keenly assisted visitors and to made everyone feel at home in Germany. The city of Darmstadt has many historical sights and it is extremely efficient. There are plenty of boutique shops for those wishing to fill their suitcases and the food and beverage is abundant! I highly recommend this conference for anyone wishing to share their work with an international audience and/or for those just wanting a great international experience.

Dr. Robin Mellecker"

Here's a little more on the conference itself;

3rd International Conference and 8th Science meets Business Workshop on Serious Games for training, Education, Health and Sports plus 7th International Conference on E-Learning and Games
Multimedia Communication Lab at Technische Universität Darmstadt

The GameDays have been established in 2005 as "Science meets Business" event in the field of Serious Games, taking place on annual basis in Darmstadt, Germany. The principle aim is to bring together academia and industry and to discuss the current trends, grand challenges and potentials of Serious Games for different application domains. Since 2010, the academic part has been emphasized resulting in a first Int'l Conference on Serious Games for Sports and Health with conference proceedings and a special edition with selected papers in the Int'l Journal for Computer Science in Sport. 2011, the GameDays spectrum of topics has been broadened and the different facets, methods, concepts and effects of game-based learning and training are covered as well.

Similar, the Edutainment conference provides an international forum for researchers and practitioners in various disciplines to share and exchange experiences in the emerging research area combining Education and Entertainment. Edutainment 2012 keeps its tradition as an international major conference, which facilitates the international exchange of the-state-of-the-art in academic research and practice. The conference covers all aspects of pedagogical principles, designs and technological issues for Education and Entertainment.

The organizers of the GameDays series highly appreciated the request by the Edutainment initiators to bring the Edutainment 2012 to Europe and to combine it with the GameDays 2012.

Exergaming through the ages – Wii sets ‘em up, Kinect knocks ‘em down

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:45:00 +0000

A specific wave of video games is relegating Billy Blanks, Jane Fonda, and, yes, I admit, Richard Simmons to our media cabinets. Exergaming, the phenomenon that combines exercise and video games is making its way into every facet of our lives. The five-by-eight foot space in front of our television sets is being increasingly taken over by motion control games, those games that are controlled entirely by body movements. With state-of-the-art technology – namely from Nintendo, Sony, and, most recently, Microsoft – we now have a myriad of systems to choose from. VHS, no more! Bring in the video games to whip me into shape.

‘Exergaming’ has been coined as a rather catchy media term to detract critics from the notion that gamers are typically exercise-averse. The word officially entered the English language by appearing in the Collins English Dictionary in 2007. As a field that has been gaining momentum since the 1980s, the field of videogame exercise is poised to only increase followers. From scientific circles to educational organizations and professional sports teams, the games we play in our homes have found a footing in our society’s agenda to improve our overall well being.

My first brush with action-packed video gaming took place at an arcade at a mini-golf/go-cart/batting cage emporium in my suburban, Chicago hometown. A rather astute young man was going at it on a http://www.ddrgame.com/ round for what seemed like hours. Dripping with sweat and oblivious to those around him, Mr. DDR let his Airwalks meet their maker with every step he matched from the screen to the mat.

Konami, the creator of the 1998 DDR game, has certainly capitalized on its early success. With Sony carrying Dance Dance Revolution over from the arcade to its Playstation, consumers were able to have their own dance mats in their living rooms and brush up on their dance skills at home. Other early games that featured an under-foot mat included Nintendo’s Dance Aerobics with the Power Pad and Atari’s Foot Craz. The Power Pad games reached respectable commercial success. The Atari product, eventually, like much of its franchise, did not fare as well.

Exercise machines are also no strangers to the gaming world. Nintendo and Life Fitness released the short-lived Exertainment system, which featured a pedal-driven stationary bicycle. These days, the Gamercize machines are compatible with each of the Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo systems, and Expresso offers a rendition for consumers. Although lackluster in their gaming appeal, they are undoubtedly items that many people are dropping money on to lose pounds.

As who was the most visible contender in the media in the 2000s, Nintendo made a comeback to the fitness video game business in a big way. Not only as an entertainment tool with secondary physical benefits, the Wii become a solid means of getting healthy. In 2007, Nintendo released the WiiFit. From then on out, the Nintendo became a staple for women everywhere to cancel their yoga center memberships and peacefully train on their Wii Balance Boards.

These fitness games are even changing the way the scientific community thinks about treatment for neuromuscular disorders. Take Wii-hab for instance. Parkinson’s Disease patients show some evidence of improving motor control after playing the Wii after a period of time. Some users show how even autism might be seen as less of a disability with the Microsoft Kinect. For autistic children who find traditional video game controllers difficult to master, taking advantage of the gross movements that control the games makes one more activity easier.

One only needs to look to two major metropolises to see how more and more children benefit from fitness gaming. In Chicago, children’s athletic training programs have been leveraging virtual fitness for their agenda. It’s all about the children, and they have been getting ample attention in New York public schools. In lieu of a traditional gym class, an elementary school in the Bronx tried out WiiFit on a group of students in 2009.

The exergaming world has had its share of wrong turns, however, but many of today’s games are pretty engaging. EA Sports Active suite of games, The Biggest Loser empire, and WiiFitPlus are all experiences that I am willing to try. My personal favorite right now is Dance Central 2 for the Xbox and Microsoft Kinect. In fact, anything that has to do with Kinect has a certain je ne sais quoi about it. This system has somehow managed to capture the interest of the most unlikely candidates. From girls claiming on their blogs that it is their workout of choice to dogsrunning around robotics conferences with a Kinect camera on their heads, well, it’s held me captive. The new Dance Central 2 is a game that brings me back to those first days of Dance Dance Revolution, when we spent evenings gawking at the professionals at work. I don’t believe that I’ll miss the familiar faces of the old-time fitness gurus on my TV now that I am the one in control.

Originally posted : http://www.thatvideogameblog.com/2011/12/04/exergaming-through-the-ages-wii-sets-em-up-kinect-knocks-em-down/

Playing exergames in the classroom: Pre-service teachers’ motivation, passion, effort, and perspectives (study)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:26:00 +0000

Image by BeFitt via FlickrThis study investigated pre-service teachers’ experience, motivation, passion, effort, and perspectives in playing exergames in the classroom using the self-determination theory as the main theoretical framework. One hundred forty pre-service teachers participated in the study. A mixed method was used. Data included pre-survey and post-survey results and classroom observation notes. Findings indicated that most pre-service teachers had little prior experience in exergames. However, they enjoyed playing exergames in the classroom and considered it beneficial to incorporate exergames in teaching. They also raised concerns, challenges, and the need for resources to effectively incorporate exergames in teaching. Findings also suggested that promoting pre-service teachers’ higher levels of self-determined motivation and harmonious passion may motivate them to be more active in exergames. Details are discussed in the paper.

Journal of Technology and Teacher EducationISSN 1059-7069Volume 19, Issue 3, October 2011Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE) Chesapeake, VA

Click here to explore more of ExerGame Lab's archived posts involving research studies.

Vigorous Physical Activity in Dance Exer-Game (study)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:02:00 +0000

Image via WikipediaHere's a new article invloving adults playing from the ADAM lab on Long Island

Vigorous Energy Expenditure with a Dance Exer-game. JEPonline 2011;14(4):13-28.

Physical inactivity is a risk factor for heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Efforts to increase physical activity can include active video games. While many active video games demonstrate exertion levels commensurate with light to moderate exercise, it is unclear whether these games can meet requirements for vigorous activity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the active videovgame, Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), can provide vigorous exercise vin a wide range of adults. Twelve adults (18 to 53 yrs, BMI 18 to 37) were studied while playing DDR at an advanced level. Metabolic measures were collected during a 30 min game-play protocol at the advanced “Heavy” level of difficulty. Mean values achieved were the following: 8 METs, heart rate 157 beats·min-1, and energy expenditure 9 kcal·min-1. DDR is played similarly to that of interval type exercise where each game-song is followed by a brief rest period. Subjects reported that DDR is fun, and that the competitive nature of playing with others is enjoyable. This study found that DDR is effective in meeting vigorous physical a requirements for improving or maintaining physical fitness.

Click here to explore more of ExerGame Lab's archived posts involving research studies.

Energy Expenditure and Enjoyment during Video Game Play: Differences by Game Type (study)

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 00:16:00 +0000

Image by Awesome Inc. via FlickrElizabeth Lyons newest paper from MSSE. Looking at the abstract it's great to see a comparison against game types in so many adults n=100.

Energy Expenditure and Enjoyment during Video Game Play: Differences by Game Type

Abstract
Purpose: Play of physically active video games may be a way to increase physical activity and/or decrease sedentary behavior, but games are not universally active or enjoyable. Active games may differ from traditional games on important attributes, which may affect frequency and intensity of play. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in energy expenditure and enjoyment across four game types: shooter (played with traditional controllers), band simulation (guitar or drum controller), dance simulation (dance mat controller), and fitness (balance board controller).
Methods: Energy expenditure (METs) and enjoyment were measured across 10 games in 100 young adults age 18-35 yr (50 women).
Results: All games except shooter games significantly increased energy expenditure over rest (P < 0.001). Fitness and dance games increased energy expenditure by 322% (mean ± SD = 3.10 ± 0.89 METs) and 298% (2.91 ± 0.87 METs), which was greater than that produced by band simulation (73%, 1.28 ± 0.28 METs) and shooter games (23%, 0.91 ± 0.16 METs). However, enjoyment was higher in band simulation games than in other types (P < 0.001). Body mass-corrected energy expenditure was greater in normal weight than in overweight participants in the two most active game types (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: Active video games can significantly increase energy expended during screen time, but these games are less enjoyable than other more sedentary games, suggesting that they may be less likely to be played over time. Less active but more enjoyable video games may be a promising method for decreasing sedentary behavior.

Autism & exergaming study!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 23:24:00 +0000

9-16-11: Just came across this study on autism and exergaming. Good stuff! Check it out:

http://www.dovepress.com/autism-and-exergaming-effects-on-repetitive-behaviors-and-cognition-peer-reviewed-article-PRBM

Makoto on ESPN!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:22:00 +0000

9-16-11: Just rec'd the following from a friend...be sure not to miss one of our leading exergaming companies on ESPN!!!!
*****

The new Makoto Arena II is being features on the ESPN Show "Rise UP" on October 4th at 7PM EDT!

Tune in to see how Makoto helped to transform this inner-city Chicago High school and bring a re-energized sense of excitement and enthusiasm to their athletic program.
******

I had the pleasure of checking the Arena II out just before they started shipping last Nov. on a tour of the Makoto facilities with Marian and Dave. Let's just say they had to clean up the drool from their test unit after I left! LOL!

Kudos to Marian and Dave for getting on ESPN! Hopefully someday, the NAGL Finals will be showcased there. (Put in a good word for us, Dave or Marian!).

When Good Exergaming Research Goes Bad

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:36:00 +0000

Another Exergaming related study deriving inconclusive results based on an incorrect premise: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21353635

The Abstract of the study points out 4 activities, 2 of which require significant aerobic capacity. The conventional aerobic activity was 'running' (verb) on a 'treadmill' (equipment/noun), the other was referred to as an Exergame? What Exergame and what physical activity or activities were required by the Exergame?!

Exergaming is a genre, a methology. Exergames vary as much as any other physical activity. This is akin to saying "I did sport the other day", the immediate response to that is "What sport did you do?". So what was the Exergame, was it chosen completely randomly, was it meant to also replicate running, was it a highly cognitive exergame such as DDR or iDANCE etc etc.

The complete study may well point out the exact nature of the Exergame used, but it is obvious to the researchers that this fact is of little importance in summing up their findings. This is extremely irksome, as they DO stipulate the nature of the conventional aerobic activity! (they also leave out the nature and platform required of the seated videogame).

This is simply inequitable and unfortunately, all to annoying common. Quite obviously the researchers misunderstand 'what is an Exergame'. This is misinformed at best and incompetent at worst. This is further exemplified in their conclusion and significance, "....exergames..may not exert the same benefits..", again which Exergame was used? From this, the conclusion would change to "....XXX Exergame ..may not exert.....". Extrapolating the results of 'one' Exergame does NOT predict an outcome for ALL Exergames!

All Exergames are NOT equal, of course not, why on earth would they be! In the same way as not all sports, video games, fitness equipment etc are 'the same' or 'produce or require the same responses'. This is a gross and insipid generalisation.

The massive cross section of Exergames available today all 'require' different and sometimes unique physical, cognitive, social, emotional, logical, musical etc abilities. Exergames can engage specific, local or compound muscle groups; lower limb movement, limb extremeties, upper limbs only, combinations of both, full body along with running, jumping, twisting, stepping, punching, dancing, and so on......

Please researchers, we encourage you to pour your expertise into this rapidly developing genre. The research potential here is massive, but get your facts straight on Exergaming. For a lesson in Exergaming 101: http://exergaming.pbworks.com/

The Exergame Network (TEN) is a not for profit advocacy resource that is dedicated to getting the best out of exergaming. Resources relevant to this post are TEN's Rating System (TRS) and the Researcher's Resource. Details of both projects can be found on our wiki.

The Researcher's Resource project in particular highlights studies that exhibit either very good or very poor design and/or exergaming understanding from the researcher. The product of this resource will be the Top 10 exergaming studies, to show researchers "What good looks like" and to bring out the best of exergaming implemention to the public eye.

Commerical Exergame Buyer's Guide

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 12:51:00 +0000

The Exergame Network is now collecting submissions from manufacturers to enter their exergames in the Commercial Exergame Buyer's Guide.

Submissions are welcome from manufacturers (or distributors with permission on the manfacturers behalf).

The submission form can be found at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/628832/Exergame-Factsheet

Increased activity stressed for office workers

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:33:00 +0000

Summer vacations are over for most people, so it’s time to head back to the daily grind. But work today doesn’t usually mean breaking a sweat. More of us are spending our 9 to 5 at a desk — and we’re less healthy as a result.

A study published in May by the online journal PLoS One estimates that Americans are burning more than 100 fewer calories per day in the workplace than they did just a few decades ago, when fewer jobs were confined to a desk.

“We’ve had massive changes in the ‘workplace’ environment, and in this case, it’s a loss of physically active jobs,” said lead author Tim Church, an exercise researcher at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

Church and his colleagues found that the number of people in jobs requiring moderate physical activity decreased from 48 percent in 1960 to 20 percent in 2008. The researchers also found a match between the drop in calories burned and increase in average weight during the past five decades.

A few creative types have come up with ideas to increase workplace activity. For example, endocrinologist James Levine of the Mayo Clinic has promoted the treadmill desk, which lets you walk slowly as you work at an attached desktop; factory-made models cost $2,000 and up. There are under-desk step machines such as the $195 Gamercize PC-Sport; if you stop pedaling, your mouse or keyboard stop working.

Toni Yancey, a researcher at the UCLA School of Public Health, has developed and written a book about a 10-minute exercise routine called “Instant Recess.” It includes both strength training and aerobic exercises that can be done within the boundaries of a cubicle.

Whichever approach workers might take, researchers agreed, the most important step is getting up and moving.

“Something’s always better than nothing,” Church said.

Originally posted at http://www.bendbulletin.com/article/20110907/NEWS0107/109070371/

Video games hot in healthcare!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:33:00 +0000

9-8-11: Taken from Mobihealth....good stuff! Ernie

Video games are hot in healthcare right now
Posted By Neil Versel On September 8, 2011

A fringe topic not too long ago, the subject gained a sense of legitimacy in July, when publisher Mary Ann Liebert Inc. introduced a new journal called Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications. The first issue is due out this fall.

That’s right, there’s now a peer-reviewed, scientific journal specifically examining the role video games can play in advancing individual and population health, the healthcare industry and personal wellness. And this week, Liebert announced a companion newsletter called Games for Health Industry Insider, which starts publication on Sept. 29. I can see both titles being good resources for MobiHealthNews.

If you think this is an anomaly or a journal that’s ahead of its time, may I remind you that the Journal of the American Medical Association published a paper earlier this year that said video games deserve “serious attention” in healthcare.

Adding further weight to the notion that gaming can be an important part of healthcare, the University of Missouri just released news about a study underway at the school that incorporates Microsoft Kinect motion-sensing technology to help prevent falls and spot other potential health problems in seniors. A related study uses motion sensors from widely available security systems.

Researchers from Mizzou’s Sinclair School of Nursing and School of Engineering installed Kinect for Xbox 360 in a Columbia, Mo., nursing home and gave wearable sensors to residents to help measure changes in gait, a key indicator of the likelihood of falls. Additional sensors on beds were used to detect changes in sleeping patterns. Alerts get sent to nursing staff when there is a change that might signify a health issue.

“The potential that we’ve learned for early illness detection could revolutionize what’s happening in the way that we diagnose problems of older adults. We know from the research that we can pick things up 10 days to two weeks before critical health-change events happen,” nursing professor Marilyn Rantz said in a video released by the university.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Microsoft itself joined in. On the Microsoft HealthBlog, Dr. Bill Crounse, the Redmond Empire’s senior director for worldwide health, promoted the latest episode of Microsoft Health Tech Today, the company’s online talk show about how the company’s technology is advancing healthcare.

The subject of the newest video? Kinect.

Gaming in health—particularly mobile gaming—also is the subject of a forthcoming MobiHealthNews report. If you recall, Dr. Leslie Saxon, executive director of the University of Southern California’s Center for Body Computing, said last month that she’d like to take a mobile gaming app like Angry Birds and “diabetize it.”

Yes, we’re hearing a lot lately about gaming in health and healthcare. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. Ever since Nintendo debuted the Wii Fit as a fitness tool in 2008, gaming for health has started to break out of a niche and become mainstream. It seems as if we’re now reaching critical mass.

Article taken from mobihealthnews - http://mobihealthnews.comURL to article: http://mobihealthnews.com/13078/health-gaming-reaches-critical-mass/

Striiv: a new device that makes daily life an exergame!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 18:30:00 +0000

9-1-11: A new product, Striiv, which will come out in Oct., is positioning itself as a device to make daily life an exergame! Read about the full report here.

Stiiv is accepting pre-orders now, though when I tried to place mine, I got an error page so I contacted them and hopefully can get it straightened out.

What's interesting is that other than the $99 initial cost for the device, there are no other subscription fees (so far!), so we'll see what other business models they incorporate.

You can check Stiive out at http://www.striiv.com/.

TEN's Commercial Exergaming Project

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 17:48:00 +0000

The Exergame Network (TEN) has been focusing on off the shelf consumer exergames in it's advocacy of exergaming, until recently. The majority of TEN members and supporters are involved in delivering exergaming to wider audiences, such as schools, gyms and YMCAs. The knowledge exists within the network to provide information for those end users and the network has matured in credibility and impact to the point that it can make this project a success.

The project is to create an Exergaming Encyclopedia/Almanac/Compendium with useful information about exergaming delivered to group or commercial settings. Origins of the project dates back almost 12 months, but the first TEN Skype Call was last week to really get the project moving (so to speak!).

The output of the project is a fact sheet per exergame of all the products available and capable (to varying degrees) of providing an exergaming experience for many users.

TEN Admin kicked off the project with emails to selected TEN members for feedback on what exactly should the "facts" of the factsheet include? On the call the various options were debated, categorised and tweaked into a working document on Google Docs. The current list for the factsheet includes some 14 questions in 5 categories that answer the questions end users ask. The key aspects of the facts are they should represent factual information(!), that is not subjective, not dependant on use or implementation and easily demonstrated or readily evident to the public.

In the factsheet the cost of an exergame was debated, and how to best represent this in a manner that was not commercially sensitive but provided users with the ball park numbers needed. Although it was not possible to align the tiers of cost to the more practical examples of funding (i.e. Can you buy this exergame with a PEP grant?) the nominal brackets appear sufficient for everyone's needs. The commercial input on the call was as vital as the representation from the end user groups.

This debate sparked an addition to the project, an excellent idea to put in the listing of funding sources available for exergaming, and some help in gaining such funding. Although many commercial exergame companies deliver funding applications as a managed service it was felt that the basic information would benefit the output of the project and the industry in general.

The final point of debate was how to collect the information for the fact sheets following the finalisation of the fact questions. It was felt that the best method of doing this would be to put up a survey via surveygizmo.com (that TEN has used before for collecting The Exergame Network Award votes). This survey would be open and accessible to all exergame manufacturers (providing some protection from commercial poetic licence with its in built validation).

It was also decided that the exergame distributors such as Motion Fitness, iTech Fitness and others, would be best placed to engage manufacturers in this process. Exergaming distributors that are active in The Exergame Network display a TEN logo and link on their websites (see http://exergamenetwork.blogspot.com/p/supporters-of-ten.html), and it is with this commercial experience and help the project keeps moves forwards.

This project is one of many the The Exergame Network is engaged in, for a full list see the wiki at http://exergaming.pbworks.com/

Reflection on Video Games and a 10K

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 19:56:00 +0000

This is a blog post from the ECA Loosing Gamer, after completing a 10k road race following six solid months of exergaming. JM tells it like it is, an inspiration for members of TEN!

When I embarked on this exergaming campaign at the end of 2010, I had two goals

1) To find out if a person (me) actually could lose weight by using video games; and

2) To lose weight.

As I’ve discussed, I really did have quite a bit of skepticism that one could actually, really, honest to goodness lose weight using video games. It didn’t equate for me at all. I honestly thought it was a bunch of marketing phooey. Since then, I’ve learned better.

I now know that video games make working out a lot of fun, and that one (me) can lose weight by using them. Thus far, I’ve lost 25+ pounds, with my next weight goal coming up in the next couple of weeks. As we hear through the ECA’s Gamers for Health initiative, video games help hundreds of thousands of you lose weight too. They’re that good of a catalyst.

As I’ve discussed, exergames also act as a gateway for many of us, getting us to try other activities, like running as I did. Each season offers a different set of challenges and opportunities for active play inside and outside one’s house.

As the year has progressed, and I’ve gotten thinner, lighter and more fit, the number and breadth of my goals has multiplied. Each week seems to bring a new goal, and each few weeks seem to open up more goals being achieved.

In the last seven days alone I ran a 6.2 mile race – yes, that’s how long a 10K is – and fit into a size smaller jeans. Earlier this year it would not have been possible. Simply *not* *possible*. Before last week, 6.2 miles was for crazy-insane DISTANCE RUNNER people to run (in my lay person’s estimation); it was not a distance that a *normal* jogger would do (when I did jog, as I considered myself). Now I’m looking forward to running other 10K races THIS FALL and wondering how long it will take me to scale up to run a half marathon. Um, yes. I *did* just write that.

As I just mentioned, I also fit into a size smaller Leavis 501s. Now, for me, this particular size jeans is important, because it was the size I used to steal from boyfriends in college, my 20s, my 30s and now from my husband. They may be a bit snug, but I can fit into them and button them all the way up. A few weeks ago, I couldn’t pull them up one leg all the way. So Dear Husband better either buy more jeans or watch out, as they’re going to start migrating over to me. Perhaps I’ll simply buy a couple of pairs for myself. Hm. We’ll see.

So would any of this be possible without exergames, as a friend recently asked? My early August assessment is, probably not. I still get up off the bed, couch, chair or floor to Zumba and step, which make up the bulk of my weekly workouts. All of the other fitness and goal achievement flows from it.

How is your workout routine going in this steamy month?

Active Gaming in PE - See it for yourself!

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 07:43:00 +0000

Researchers at the University of South Florida have been conducting studies to better learn how active gaming fits in the physical education classroom as well as the academic classroom. This is an educational video of active gaming and how it relates to the academic and physical education classroom - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBv1LBpHGIM

This video is fun and easy to follow to understand how active gaming can affect a quality physical education curriculum. Notice the students in the video smiling while exercising as well as the teacher's positive comments about how active gaming has motivated her students to enjoy being active.

Originally posted at http://pecactivegaming.blogspot.com/2011/08/active-gaming-in-pe-see-it-for-yourself.html

The Exergame Network's Google+ Hangout Test

noreply@blogger.com (gamercize @) — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:36:00 +0000

The Exergame Network (TEN) is a non-profit, non-affiliated exergaming advocacy that's very forward thinking. Not only are we on the cutting edge of exergaming technology, research and implementation, we're on the cutting edge of open and free collaboration.

On the regular TEN Skype call this week I wanted to push these boundaries again. Some things we try don't work so well and some things we try work so well they are adopted by the group going forwards. The technology I wanted to try out is the Google+ Hangout. Many people have seen Google+ as a Facebook competitor, but the more astute see it as a competition for Skype.

Think about how Google allows free and open collaboration, with email, Google docs, Google Calendar, Google Voice and not to forget YouTube itself. It makes sense that these technologies are offered in one place, and that place is Google+.

The Hangout feature is multi-way video calling, with the added aspects of YouTube sharing and text chat. TEN tried out all of these capabilities with members as far apart as Australia, UK, Hong Kong and the United States. We started the conference call on Skype, as usual, but broke out to Google in the last half hour. The mechanics of getting onto a Google+ Hangout were a little challenging, as most people had never seen this technology before. I had the advantage of using this earlier with great help from Stephen Yang. Here's what you need to do:

1. Get a Google account (goto www.google.com and signup!)

2. Be invited to Google+ (ask us on info@exergamingnetwork.org and we'll add you, or ask me directly if you have my email address for a quicker response!!)

3. Add TEN's Google+ profile to your circles; Don't forget to log into G+ first ;) http://bit.ly/TENplus1

4. Check out the profile stream and you'll see (when a call is on) a big green button to "Join this hangout".

5. Equally you can be invited personally, in which case the option to join will come over the notifications stream.

6. The first time you use Hangout you'll need to download and install the Google voice /video / chat add-in. This works for any OS and browser. (We had PC and Mac users with Mozilla, Chrome and Safari all communicating together.

That's about it! So how did the call go? Here's what we found; It all works! The video streaming was sometimes a little jumpy but the product is still only in beta. On the whole the quality was excellent, and I've noticed an improvement from earlier one to one tests with Stephen.

The chat option was, as one would expect, functional and useful, although there did not seem to be an option to save the transcript as you can refer back in Skype. Equally you couldn't add people into the conversation "to catch up later". You have to be on it to be in it.

The YouTube sharing option was very cool, with an option to watch the video playing. This function I could easily see would make a great platform for presenting, although we has videos of dancing kittens to get us started (Thank for sharing Floyd!!). Thanks also to Robin for some great views over Hong Kong harbor, Scott for being our ab-inito guinea pig, and Brett (for getting dressed!!)

Where do we go from here then? The first thing to do is get a good time and day for the call. To help decide this we've put a couple of polls up on Facebook. First choose the DAY you prefer by voting in the poll, next vote for the best TIME for you.

We didn't just play with new technological toys, on the Google+ and Skype call's we had an excellent update on the Australian Games For Health scene, which sets the arena for the next GFH event; Games for Health Europe. We also discussed the benefits TEN can have for GFH conferences in providing an ongoing collaboration to support exergaming and the conferences themselves. More on this later!

The call was a great success, I think, and once again a testament to the passion and dedication of the people that make The Exergame Network what it is.

New peer-reviewed games for health journal!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dr. Ernie "PA Evangelist" Medina, Jr.) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:58:00 +0000

7-13-11: just rec'd this in my e-mail! Check it out http://tinyurl.com/G4HJournal and be sure to subscribe!!!

ON THE WEB

CONTACT US

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Contact: Vicki Cohn
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
(914) 740-2100, ext. 2156
vcohn@liebertpub.com

Games for Health: Research, Development,
and Clinical Applications; A Groundbreaking New Journal
on the Applications of Digital Games to Human Health

New Rochelle, NY, July 13, 2011–Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. announces the launch of Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications (G4H), a new, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the development, use, and applications of game technology for improving physical and mental health and well-being. The Journal breaks new ground as the first to address this emerging, widely-recognized, and increasingly adopted area of healthcare. Published bi-monthly, Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications will be released in fall 2011.

Games are rapidly becoming an important tool for improving health behaviors ranging from healthy lifestyle habits and behavior modification to self-management of illnesses and chronic conditions to motivating and supporting physical activity. Commonly used applications include mobile phone-delivered games that track daily exercise and “exergames” that require physical exertion in order to play (e.g., on platforms such as the Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation Move, and Xbox Kinect). Games are also increasingly used to train healthcare professionals in methods for diagnosis, medical procedures, patient monitoring, as well as for responding to epidemics and natural disasters.

Billions of dollars and immeasurable hours of research and development are being invested in developing and employing sophisticated software and technologies that deliver tailored, personalized game-based healthcare interventions. Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications will provide a print and online forum for peer-reviewed research articles, new system and game reviews, field news and reports, convention and event announcements, book reviews, and point-counterpoint discussions to support professionals in the field.

“This research journal will be an authoritative and influential resource for decision makers who purchase, use, prescribe, recommend, design, publish, fund, or invest in digital games for health, and it will serve our research field and its related academic disciplines in many valuable ways,” according to Debra Lieberman, PhD, Director of the Health Games Research national program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “The Journal will be a starting point for anyone interested in the research and design of health games that integrate well-tested, evidence-based behavioral health strategies to help improve health behaviors and to support the delivery of care.”

Forthcoming articles for early issues of Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications include research on the effectiveness and design strategies of:

Games intended to develop the social skills of people with conditions such as autism
Exergames aimed at motivating more activity in physical education classes
An alternate realty game designed to increase physical activity
Exergames for young adults and families
Games to help treat eating disorders and habits such as smoking
Games to improve cognitive function in older adults
The use of simulations to help develop the interpersonal skills of family members of veterans suffering from PTSD

“The benefits of games for health—from autism to Alzheimer’s to heart disease and other illnesses and conditions—are demonstrating significant promise for improving the way people manage their health and for the delivery of care both in and out of the hospital setting,” said Mary Ann Liebert, president and CEO of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. “Games for Health: Research, Development, and Clinical Applications is a critical and much-needed forum for this evolving area of healthcare.”

The new journal is under the editorial leadership of Bill Ferguson, PhD with expert input from a diverse editorial board which includes researchers: Debra Lieberman, PhD (University of California, Santa Barbara); Tom Baranowski, PhD (Baylor School of Medicine); Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD (University of Pennsylvania); Adam Gazzaley, MD, PhD (University of California, San Francisco); Peter Bingham, MD (University of Vermont); Barbara Chamberlin, PhD (New Mexico State University); Wei Peng, PhD (Michigan State University); Sam Yohannan PT, MS, (Cornell Medical Center); and many other leaders from the research community. Industry, technology, and other experts on the Editorial Board include Jim Bower, PhD (Whyville), Ron Goldman (Kognito) Benjamin Heckendorn (The Ben Heck Show), Ernie Medina, Dr. P.H. (MedPlay Technologies), Ketan Paranjape BS, MS, MBA (Intel Corporation), Russell Shilling, PhD, Capt. USN (DARPA); and Eric Zuckerman, DO (Pediatric IBD Foundation).

Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking; Telemedicine and e-Health; and Population Health Management. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available at our website.

This email was sent by: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
140 Huguenot Street, 3rd Floor New Rochelle, NY, 10801-5215, USA

Exergaming Research for Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 19:18:00 +0000

Over the past month The Exergame Network has been working on a new concept, to take Exergaming research out of the journals and put it in front of the public. The project has been the subject of two TEN Skype calls so far and work has begun on TEN's Wiki.

The first call started with the brief; Build an evidence base of exergaming research and define studies that are missing

On the first call we had exergame manufacturers and distributors put forward "wish-lists" that they would like to see covered by the research community. The purpose being to give prospective users of exergaming an applicable evidence base of what would work well form them.

The researchers explained some of the difficulties around copyright, non-disclosure and funding to people on the call. They also explained some of the limitations that create the gap between what is required and what is possible at the moment, as well as the skills gap in exergaming experience.

During the call it became obvious that there was not only a need to build an evidence base for exergaming users, but also put together a resource of key exergaming studies that would inform and lead future research projects. It was decided to use the TEN Wiki as the method of collaboration in the first instance.

Projects that TEN undertake are open and transparent, which is an important consideration to give subsequent media releases credibility and satisfy the public's desire for unbiased and uncompromising information. Of course, projects that are open in nature tend to take a little longer, but we think that's worth it!

The Researchers Resource is being built on the Wiki at http://exergaming.pbworks.com/Exergaming-Evidence-Base for everyone to see. The key aspects of the research lists here are to show both good and poor research methods to give not just what's worth building on, but also to show what errors to avoid. At this stage it was noted that the TEN Rating System (TRS) will become a more and more useful resource for researchers in choosing appropriate exergames for the populations being studied.

This list will form the basis of the studies put forwards to the public as keynote research forming evidence for the best practices and best value outcomes. The public list itself was defined with the ais of being simple, clear and unclutter from academic jargon. The list is underway on TEN's Wiki at http://exergaming.pbworks.com/Helena. Clearly this is a working title!

The second skype call on the project focused more on getting some examples into the public list, and deciding on how to put this message across. The call was very much about "doing" rather than "talking" and members of the call started eagerly editing the wiki with ideas and information.

It was clear that the public facing list of exergaming research has some challenges ahead. On the call we talked about how to reference the studies, something very important in the academic world, but not of interest to the vast majority of the readers. We defined the target audience further, being anyone in the public domain that would not get this information from journals. This also includes members of the media, that often misreport research abstracts, typically with inappropriate headlines.

We also talked about referencing the actual exergame used, as this is a key factor in "making it real" for the reader, and for them to be able to take ideas forwards. This concept was universally accepted by commercial people and the academics on the call.

It was not all plain sailing, happy agreement though. The ideas around how to report (in the public list) the energy expenditures was a hot topic. One camp argued for the straight reporting right out of the research publication, while the other camp argued that this information needs to be simplified (as it is in public health promotion). There';s still some ground to cover on this subject!

Lastly, the call failed to conclude on who's studies / who's exergames should be reported in the public list. Of course in an ideal world, no one would be left out, but for an information piece we are trying to be concise while giving all the information relevant. This will be the subject of the next call this Friday, along with many more worked examples into the pubic list and plenty of "active discussion"!

Digital Out-of-Home Interactive Entertainment (DNA) conference features Exergaming

noreply@blogger.com (The Exergame Network) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:26:00 +0000

In the last days before the conference and strong interest as the panellist line-up is revealed for the 'DNA Conference' taking place in the heart of London, on July 14th, 2011 - covering all aspects of the Digital Out-of-Home Interactive Entertainment (DOE) industry. Entering the final count-down and the rush for the remaining places at the conference and evening reception reaches a crescendo.

This ground-breaking one-day event comprises six (6) dedicated sessions that speak directly to the industry and new opportunities - with a leading selection of speakers with direct experience in the sector and its future.

TEN supporter and contributor Duncan Lawson, Managing Director of Instyle Fitness, presents will focus on developments in the Exergaming scene that are driving development.

The event is organised and the session moderated by long standing TEN supporter Kevin Williams, best know for The Stinger Report, owner and director of KWP Ltd. * To benefit from 'Supporters Discount' - email : kwp@thestingerreport.com and to Register Online (and the full list of sessions) go to http://www.thestingerreport.com/dna.html

The event is listed on The Exergame Networks Google calendar here. If you know of any conferences or exhibtions featuring exergaming, let us know!

Exergaming on Facebook

noreply@blogger.com (gamercize @) — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 17:29:00 +0000

The Exergame Network has a brand new upgraded Facebook group! What this means, among other things, is you can choose to post and be notified by email! Add exergaming@groups.facebook.com to your safe list now! You can also choose the level of email and notification interaction by adjusting your settings directly on the group wall. See http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_164931727126

One exciting development you'll notice, and there is a lot going on, is the question asking for TEN's company motto! Check out the options and vote yourself, even add a answer if you have something better. The leading motto as we speak is "TEN: Delivering the Highest Scores in Exergaming", with second place being held by "The Exergame Network - Advocacy in Action". Jump online and add your voice!

Console games bring children necessary exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Yang) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Parents’ restrictions can keep children sedentary

According to a Finnish Think Tank (Demos Helsinki) and they say that the game console can be a source of play and physical activity for kids indoors.
They also had these key points in their article outlining the group's findings from their study:
- Children and young people who spend much time playing computer games may actually be getting more exercise than is generally imagined.
- Strong growth is expected in the games encouraging exercise.
- High-tech games are no longer confined to the indoors.
- According to the report, children need more encouragement in outdoor games, as enthusiasm for fitness is often sparked through playing and games.

I also found a reference to a Finnish fitness tracking social network site HeiaHeia!

A fun way to keep fit! Keep track of all your sporty activities and cheer for your friends.

Other similar sites include Endomondo, Plus 3 Network, and DailyBurn - BurnBot. If you have other social networking sites to track fitness, nutrition, and more, please let us know. Be sure to also follow the work of Ted Vickey on his research on Social Fitness especially as it relates to social networking.

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