FXB: Fun Xercise Bike

[Updated 04/01/2017]

The Wii spawned yet another peripheral that for a low cost ($99 + S/H) will change the way in which you play your favorite games.  Unlike the Gamercize products, which their company quotes, the FXB  is not a Movement Mediated ExerGaming device (MMEG), rather it is just a lightweight bike that has a place to attach a Mario Cart Steering Wii Wheel and a simple cycle mechanism (un-attached to the game system). It is in a category of devices called Non-Meidiated ExerGaming (NMEG)  It says it can hold up to 250lbs but it looks kind of small.  Only one way to tell, let's see if they want to send one to the ExerGame Lab for some testing.



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Muscle March Crashes Through Walls

Almost too funny to be true, but this WiiWare game Muscle March is part comedy part Japanese game show.  It revolves around muscular male cartoons running through walls; however, you are playing a character that is following the lead muscle-head and you must position your arms (via Wii Motes) in that same position once you approach the wall.  If you don't do it properly and in time, you smash into the wall.

Wouldn't It Be Cool (WIBC) if...
..you had to use 4 controllers and attach the other two to your legs and now you've got full-bodied interaction.  It's almost like the WiiWare game Helix except not a rhythm game.

[Via Kotaku]

Here are more clips of Muscle March in action.

FriiBoard is not Free

Have you ever lost your balance while playing Wii Balace Board games?  I have, and a new peripheral called the FriiBoard for the Balance Board will soon make those occurrences more frequent. Now I'll really have to clear the space around the TV to make sure I don't smash into something after losing my balance. Company owners Gail & Tom Stewart said:

"What was lacking was realistic sport-specific ‘movement’ off the screen to go with the action on the screen. We developed FriiBoard™ to bring the realistic movement of your favorite sports indoors to your favorite Wii™ games."

We'd love to test out the FriiBoard here in the ExerGame Lab  to see if it lives up to its claim to provide a more "real" gaming experience.  It would obviously help one's proprioception in terms of balance and stability tasks, however is the rocking mechanism too great and how does the bubble distribute one's center of pressure and affect excursions.  I guess we'll just have to wait until later this month once it starts shipping.

MRSP $50 will get you off-center or if you're looking to improve your golf swing try the company's Swing Stick which places the Wii mote at the end of a shortend club shaft.  I wonder how the weight of the club feels while swinging.  I still have cheap plastic attachments for the Wii, XaviX Golf, and GameTrak Real World Golf here in the ExerGame Lab, so I'm interested to see how the sensors (especially Motion Plus works with the the Swing Stick especially since it's supposed to be 1:1 motion recognition.

Urban Defender Conquers City

What have you done in the past 12 days?  Well this group in Zurich at the Zurich University of Arts, Departement of Interaction Design, created the Urban Defender as part of the Embodied Interaction Advanced HS 2009 in just 12 days.  The team members (Karmen Franinovic, Max Rheiner, Dondup Shelkar, Philipp Läubli, & Nino Cometti) lay out in great detail how they conceptualized the game, interaction, and physical components.  The goal of the game is simple: "try to conquer as many quarters as possible, reinforce these quarters and defend them against other players."

In the concept video (below), I like how the computer interface changes as the players race around the playing area and tag their zones.  It's quite possibly one of the first physically interactive, ubiquitous computing, applications  I've seen.  We have seen many mobile-based ubiquitous computing applications, but most of those have been location based and location recognition.  Using a ball to interact with the physical environment in a public space is pure brilliance.  In some ways it reminds me of the Japanese group that created Shoot-ball (anyone remember that?)  I would love to try this one out on our campus or in town.  Anyone up for a little UD?

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WiiWaa(nt) Stuffed Animals

Sweedish game company Zoink Games posted a video for a puppet enhanced Wii game called WiiWaa.  Although it is uncertain when or if this game/peripheral/wiiware will come out, it looks to use a stuffed animal/puppet with a Wiimote placed inside of it. Then the child would shake and twist the animal to interact with the game features.  Interestingly, pulling on its' ears simulated a boomerang-type action - I'm not sure how the Wiimote would recognize that action.  I'm also curious to see the purpose of those little pins that the boy puts on to the front of his WiiWaa (and if the game recognizes them).

[Via Kotaku]

Skate & Shred in your living room

Instead of paying $100+ bucks for The Ride, or $500 for the iJoy board, why not try this $30 Wii peripheral to get active with all your older Shaun White, Tony Hawk and maybe even Whirl Tour. [Via Ubergizmo]