Based on this conclusion, exergame designers began to market products as solutions to the Western problem of child obesity, taking advantage of the obesity culprit to make exercise a requirement for gaming enjoyment. In a study conducted by Jeff Sinclair and his associates, the relative success and failure of exergame design within the realm of child obesity is analyzed in order to inform future design efforts.

Factors Determining Success and Consumer Attraction

Based on a review of exergaming research, Sinclair worked to isolate the factors that make exergames effective in adhering to aerobic exercise recommendations and in catching and holding consumer attention.

1. In terms of exercise, games should follow basic aerobic session requirements: a warm-up period of 5-10 minutes of low-intensity exercise, a stimulus period of at least 20 minutes at 77%-90% of the maximal heart rate, and a cool-down period of 5 minutes.
2. Sinclair also notes that this should be repeated three days per week in order to successfully emulate an exercise program. One difficult implication of these parameters is that individuals have different levels of fitness, so maximal heart rate varies from one person to the next.
3. Exergames must also hold players’ attention for at least 30 minutes at a time while motivating them to play at least 3 times a week.

These three exergame requirements determine success in terms of effectiveness and attractiveness.

Consumer Attraction and the Gameflow Model

In 2005, research conducted by Sweetser and Wyeth applied the “flow” construct, or nine components determining total engagement in an activity, to video gaming. They found that, in order for players to be totally engaged in video games, they had to experience the following:

• Required and enabled concentration,
• Challenges that are neither too easy nor too difficult,
• Development of individual skills and mastery,
• A sense of control over personal actions within the game,
• Clear goals for succeeding at the game,
• Reception of specific feedback on individual success,
• Effortless immersion within the game, to the exclusion of time awareness, and
• Social interaction opportunities.

The above components determine a typical video game’s attractiveness to consumers and apply to exergames as well.

To maximize the success of an exergame, attractiveness and effectiveness should bridge the gap between the psychological gameplay and physiological exercise components of exergaming. Achieving a balance between skill and challenge, as well as between fitness and intensity, determines the success of an exergame. The difficulty of creating these two perfect balances can help explain the wide variety of successful and unsuccessful exergames in today’s market.

About the author.

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She often can be found blogging about education and scholarships for college. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

According to a recent news release in Amsterdam, a research study presented at the European Congress on Obesity determined that food intake alone explains the increase in American body weight over the last thirty years.  Professor Boyd Swinburn, Director of the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention and Related Research and Chair in Population Health at Deakin University in Australia was quoted saying,

“There have been a lot of assumptions that both reduced physical activity and increased energy intake have been major drivers of the obesity epidemic. Until now, nobody has proposed how to quantify their relative contributions to the rise in obesity since the 1970s. This study demonstrates that the weight gain in the American population seems to be virtually all explained by eating more calories. It appears that changes in physical activity played a minimal role.”

There are many nutrition experts that disagree, citing potential flaws in the study including the interpretation of food supply data used and ignoring the fact that Americans are more likely to keep off weight if they change their diet and physical activity habits.

Will this have an impact on the exergaming industry?

We’ve heard from many individuals how exergames have changed their lives.  But does this study make these people just lucky Wii fans?  What does this mean for non-active games that are designed to change eating behaviors or focus on nutrition?  Tell us your thoughts in the comments section.