Friday, March 19, 2010

Exergamers United at AAHPERD 2010.



Great hands-on workshop and small group break out sessions. Already planning for San Diego 2011. Who's in?

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Aahperd checkin



Getting psyched for the World's Largest Exergame Workshop at AAHPERD. Come and game with the best!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

GDC 2010 arrival and first impressions

Hi Folks,
Just thought I'd send out some pics from the start of GDC 2010. I love the buzz of going to a new conference and in a way it's a lot like being a freshman all over again.  I guess that the benefit of lifelong learning and inner growth.  Right now at my table, there is a game company executive interviewing a prospective young employee, and it's fascinating to "listen" to them talk about monetizing social networking opportunities, GSM network capabilities, scaling-up operations, worldwide distribution rights, real-cash value of online credits.
Enjoy the updates.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

GDC Exergame Session (Serious Games Summit)

Totally pumped to go to my 1st GDC in San Francisco! Our session will be moderated by Ian Bogost and will focus on Exergaming's successful commercial run of late.


Over a Billion Dollars Can't Be Wrong: Is Exergaming Success a Victory for Serious Games?
Speaker: Ian Bogost (Associate Professor, The Georgia Institute of Technology), Barbara Chamberlin (Extension Instructional Design and Educational Media Specialist, New Mexico State University Media Productions), Sheryl Flynn (Founder/CEO, Blue Marble), Ernie Medina (Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, MedPlay Technologies), Stephen Yang (Assistant Professor, SUNY Cortland)
Date/Time: Wednesday (March 10, 2010)   4:15pm — 5:15pm
Location (room): Room 133, North Hall
Experience Level: All
Summit: Serious Games Summit
Format: 60-minute Panel

Session Description
On a global retail basis the sales numbers for exergaming are quite significant. Over a billion dollars has been spent on products including Wii Fit, EA Sports Active, and Gillian Michaels. However, does this represent a stunning victory for game products that offer their audience something specifically beyond entertainment? This panel of leading exergame experts and researchers will assess the success of exergame products, pointing out how unique and powerful they can be. Despite identifying the success the panel will shine a spotlight on how despite the commercial success of exergaming its potential for important health outcomes is lagging. The goal is not to bemoan the differential most exercise products experience between sales and the reality of their use but to instead argue how exergames can succeed at closing their own delta between units shipped and healthy lives supported.

Idea Takeaway
This panel of leading exergame experts and researchers will assess the success of exergame products, pointing out how unique and powerful they can be. Despite identifying the success the panel will shine a spotlight on how despite the commercial success of exergaming its potential for important health outcomes is lagging.


GDC

GDC Overview
Introduction

The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professionals-only game industry event. Presented every spring in San Francisco, it is the essential forum for learning, inspiration, and networking for the creators of computer, console, handheld, mobile, and online games.

The GDC attracts over 17,000 attendees, and is the primary forum where programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers and others involved in the development of interactive games gather to exchange ideas and shape the future of the industry.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

VisionPlay(ers) Dance In My Head

Trendy Entertainment recently released some screenshots and trailers about VisionPlay, a PC camera-based video game peripheral.  It looks and seems to play like Sony PS2's EyeToy Play, Play 2 and other titles. I'm wondering if you're playing on a smaller PC monitor if you need to move as much to play compared to a large screen like in the trailers. Even with Project Natal's apparent 0.1 s, I have to suspect that VisionPlay's will be even longer, no? Will it defeat the Ultimate Camera-based ExerGame....EyeToy Kinetic?





Stemming from years of military-based research by Accelerond, VisionPlay is a revolutionary new video game technology that allows any low-resolution, off-the-shelf webcam and low-end PC to do full-body positioning and motion analysis.

Based on Accelerond’s advanced image processing algorithms, VisionPlay knows where your head, arms, legs, and torso are, their orientation, and distance from the camera. The VisionPlay system feeds these refined calculations to the video game (via an easy-to-use API) in real-time at 30hz, and the game can then use that data for any number of purposes.

Potential game applications may include a character that moves as you do in 3D, driving a car by gripping an invisible steering wheel, or even simply using your finger as a screen pointing device – all without the need for any custom peripherals!

The possibilities are endless, and we will be initially making use of them via a suite of physical casual social games. If you’re interested in finding out more about VisionPlay, the technology behind it, or even our plans for it, please get in touch This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with us!

VisionTennis is our first VisionPlay game, currently in prototype form.
Features will include:
  • Control of your tennis player with your body. They will move as you do, serve as you serve, and swing where you swing! Get a real work-out and improve your basic tennis skills – all while playing a video game!
  • Singles and Doubles matches. Go head-to-head or team up with a partner. For 1 to 4 players.
  • A variety of Racquet-based games, including Tennis, Squash, Badminton, and even ‘brick breaker’.
  • Low system requirements - and any basic webcam will do!
  • Instant, seamless online gameplay within your Web Browser. No installation necessary!
Coming in 2010!

VisionTennis Prototype Shot 1 VisionTennis Prototype Shot 2 VisionTennis Prototype Shot 3 VisionTennis Prototype Shot 4

Enter your email address:

Delivered by TinyLetter