Exergames of the future.

HardCORE Swimming is an Exertion Game prototype that combines the use of a Wii Fit balance board, Wii controller and nunchuk to swim through a shark-infested sea while collecting treasure.  In our last healthGAMERS interview we talked Floyd Mueller, an instructor at the University of Melbourne, Australia, who is teaching students the art of computer game design through Exertion Games: games that not only require exercise input but also rely on exercise for game outcomes. Today we talk with one of these innovative student teams.  Kane, Alex, Amber, Dean and Christian have created an exertion game they call HardCORE Swimming, a game that their instructor feels is ready to pitch to Nintendo today.

The interview.

HG: HardCORE Swimming seems to utilize several Wii peripherals.  Can you describe the general gameplay for us?

HCS: The gameplay of HardCORE basically involves the player or players lying on their stomachs in the middle of the Wii balance board and holding the Wii mote and nunchuk in their hands. They lie in the a superman-like pose with their arms outstretched. Basically the player is constantly falling and the only way to stay up is by shaking the Wii mote and nunchuk.

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HG: What makes HardCORE Swimming entertaining?

HCS: At intermittent times a flashing message will appear on the screen saying ‘SHARK INCOMING – LEAN!!!” and a second or so later a shark will rush past the screen. If the player leans to the left on the balance board (basically balancing on their side) then their character will lean and dodge the shark. If they don’t lean to the side they will get eaten. There’s also treasure spawning randomly at the right side of the screen that can be collected to add points to their score.

HG: The ultimate purpose of Exertion Games is to get a great workout while still having fun.  What muscle groups should a player expect to work while playing HardCORE Swimming?

HCS: This game is particularly great for people who want to do abdominal exercises whilst still having fun. Your body’s core is one of the most important things to build when being involved with any physical exercise. In our game, the player is in an existing exercise position called the superman which is designed to work the core. By lying down in a superman pose waggling the remotes out the front and leaning to the side, the player gets quite an abdominal work out.

HG: Is gameplay designed for one player or two?

HCS: There is multi-player mode where two players vie for treasure to stay alive. Two player mode has a slight limitation because each player must haves their own Wii Fit board.  We wanted to figure out a way to make the game more economical and utilize only one balance board, but we need to keep designing.

HG: How did you come up with the concept for HardCORE swimming?  Was there any particular inspiration?

HCS: The concept of HardCORE swimming was originally formed when we were searching for a game idea and one of our team members who is competitive swimmer suggested incorporating something to do with swimming.  The central idea was to get the players to engage in what is actually a very strenuous core body exercise but to distract them using a simple game they could focus on.  Thus hardCORE swimming was created! However, I must stress that we ploughed through many, many ideas before finally settling on this one and as a result we had to rush on the final technical implementation – but it still worked!

HG: Who do you see enjoying this game? Does it appeal to a specific age group?

HCS: HardCORE swimming is a game that is suitable for all ages and gamer skills. It is fun for children whilst teaching them good skills for a balanced lifestyle. It is good for swimming professionals to take time out from real training and enjoy simulated training whilst still having fun.

HG: Studies show that many exergames like Wii Fit are played for two weeks and then never played again. What about your game gives it replayability?

HCS: Our game’s constant replayablility is drawn from the way that it is based on a core exercise. Many people involved in sport or just general fitness already do the superman core exercise, and we have made it more enjoyable to do. The idea that you can beat your existing score or compete against a different opponent also adds to the interest of playing the game over and over.

HG: Your teacher, Mr. Mueller said that he believes this prototype game in particular is ready to market to Nintendo.  What makes your game special compared to other class prototypes?

HCS: We think HardCORE Swimming would appeal to Nintendo because it is a fun game for all people of all ages. It is marketable because it is a simple concept to understand, and the easy interface makes it basically unnecessary for the use of complex instructions. It would be a very suitable game for the Wii console.

Closing remarks.

I think this game has a lot of potential both from an entertainment and physical activity perspective.  I haven’t seen a Wii game that utilizes the core muscle groups, specifically the abs, yet. Perhaps we will see this game or one like it on the market soon.  Congratulations to the HardCORE Swimming team, and best of luck with their prototype!  To see more amazing Exertion Game prototypes from RMIT, Australia, visit their Lecture 2130 website.