Video-game programmers want to pump you up

“Call of Duty?” More like “Call to Move Your Booty.” Exergaming isn’t a new concept, but it could become a hot segment in the video game market.

Just what are Wii talking about here?

You remember the Wii Fit. It’s only one of the best-selling video games in the US. Those of us who are a little more — ahem, seasoned — might also remember the Power Pad, a floor mat with pressure sensors that worked with the Nintendo Entertainment System. 

Now Nintendo i’s rocking bodies with Ring Fit Adventure, for the Nintendo Switch. A flexible, hoop-shaped controller monitors players’ movements as they squat and jump to defeat on-screen foes. 

One reviewer found 20 minutes of game play burned 132 calories. It won’t replace a HIIT sesh, but it ain’t nothin’.

Console-based systems aren’t the only game in town

Mobile and virtual-reality apps have changed the face of gaming, and there are plenty designed to get people moving.

• Zombies, Run! puts runners through their paces as they run a 5K … and escape the undead. 
• Pokémon GO uses GPS and augmented reality to send players out into the world to capture digital critters.
• Beat Saber challenges players to slice — and sweat — to the beat in virtual reality. 

Slow and steady might win the race

Exergaming represents a small portion of a growing market.

• 73% of Americans play video games in some form.
• Video game sales totaled $35.4B in 2019, up 2% from 2018.
• Fitness games account for 1% of that.

But creating fun-yet-functional games could draw in even more gamers, boosting all of those numbers.