Recently we discussed Exer-Gaming and the combination of coin-operated arcade style
games being used in gyms and other sectors seeking to keep kids fit. While it is unlikely you’ll see many of these games in a local FEC or arcade they certainly are attracting a lot of attention from a variety of sources, including the mainstream press. The Chicago Tribune has posted an article entitled “Arcade-style machines in gyms help young couch potatoes sweat” that discusses the growing impact of physical gaming and how these new types of games are growing in popularity as people seek ways to fuse entertainment and fitness together, also called Exer-Gaming. Of course there is plenty of fuel coming from the console industry with the Nintendo Wii leading the charge and this is having an impact not only in the sector of creating fitness based exer-games but also any type of game that involves physical movement as part of the control. The Stinger Report suggests that we will be seeing a larger number of games coming to arcades next year that focus more on this style of gameplay but expanded beyond what the Wii can do for gamers. Already Trio-Tech is working on a new golf simulator that combines realistic golf control with Tiger Woods PGA Golf; Sega has already created Manic Panic Ghost; Konami has already created several motion-based a while before the Wii was even known as the Revolution. Physical gaming certainly is here to stay and it should be interesting to see how it develops in the arcade sector over time.
