A new video game that really burns calories while you play?
That’s the idea behind a
Carnegie Mellon University graduate research project that combines the best of two highly popular games to get kids burning energy, not just tapping and waving. “Winds of Orbis” is an interactive video game that combines a “Dance Revolution” floorpad and a Wii remote to help children get in shape.
The team of grad students at the
Entertainment Technology Center is working with
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh UPMC to develop and construct a “measurable” workout where the flow of the game combines with cardiovascular exercise and repeated body movements . If the results are as promising as they look, the next step for the grads will be a business plan.
“We wanted to use gaming to help kids get healthy doing something they love,” explains Bard McKinley, ETC game designer and concept artist. “It’s fun, but it has real benefits in the real world.”
The game features a brawny feline that must find its way home through difficult terrain and past enemy challengers. Using the remote in combination with the floorpad, players simulate what they want the hero to do, running, climbing or knocking obstacles out of the way. As the hero advances to higher levels, it passes into a Zen-like landscape and higher planes of enlightenment.
“We wanted to create more of a traditional game where the player is making conscious decisions and creating a story that they’re actually involved in, not just following directions,” says McKinley.
Other grad students on the team include environment artist Nate Morgan, animator Zikun Fan, composer Garth DeAngelis, Seth SIvak an Ryan Hipple.
Writer:
Deb SmitSource: Bard McKinley, Winds of Orbis
Image courtesy Carnegie Mellon University