Tag: Xbox Kinect

Xbox Will Soon Offer Excercise Tracking with Kinect Play Fit and Joule Heart Rate Monitor

Microsoft’s Kinect was designed to bring a little exercise into the otherwise sedentary world of video games, and for the most part, it’s succeeded at doing just that. Now the Internet is buzzing about a potential new upgrade for the Xbox 360 and Kinect. As reported by The Verge, Microsoft will soon launch a new fitness-based service for the Xbox 360 dashboard called Kinect Play Fit. Accompanying the dashboard upgrade will be a heart rate monitor codenamed Joule. Combined, the service and heart rate monitor will let gamers track their physical activity across multiple Kinect games letting users store metrics, achievements, and badges all in the cloud.

A major component of this new dashboard upgrade will be the Joule heart rate monitor. It will function much like a traditional wireless heart rate monitor encouraging gamers to keep their heart rate within their target goal. The Joule monitor will be compatible with most Kinect games, although it won’t be mandatory for any of the games or services provided by Kinect Fit Play. Continue reading Xbox Will Soon Offer Excercise Tracking with Kinect Play Fit and Joule Heart Rate Monitor

U.K. Survey Finds More Older Adults Using Wii to Exercise

According to a recent survey of people aged 50 and up in the U.K., one in 25 uses a video game to exercise. Of course, we aren’t talking about the latest Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty, but the popular Nintendo Wii and its Wii Fit accessories and games. While the survey specifically targets segments of the U.K. population past middle age, the results mirror similar surveys that have been conducted stateside since the Wii Fit exploded onto the scene; the Wii has been a been a hit with casual gamers thanks to the active movements and low learning curve required. And, Microsoft and Sony have recently entered the scene with their Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move products and fitness-related titles.

As we have pointed out, video games are not a substitute for good-old exercise. However, according to a CNN report, the light intensity is ideal for older adults, particularly with systems that require full-body movements. These movement-based games are also great for those who never engage in any form of exercise. As we have reported in the past, institutions such as schools in Alabama and Iowa are using the Wii as part of their physical education curriculum to get kids active and help fight childhood obesity.

[Via The Huffington Post: More Post 50s Use Video Games To Exercise]