For decades, our population has been suffering from an obesity epidemic. With more people becoming inactive, methods of motivating people to stay active are required more than ever.
Although gaming is normally seen as a way of deterring people from exercising, active videogames can be used to encourage gamers to keep moving.
In this article, we will discuss why active videogames are an important aspect of gaming and what is required for an active videogame to be successful.
The Obesity Epidemic
Obesity is a problem that continues to grow with every passing year. Current statistics suggest that over 50% of UK adults are overweight or obese. In addition, 20% of children in the UK are classed as overweight or obese.
This is a major concern as obesity can lead to a variety of diseases and serious health issues such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and premature death.
There are many factors that have been considered to have increased the rates of obesity. The increasing presence of fast foods and unhealthy food brands is considered the key nutritional factor. But when it comes to activity levels, fingers are often pointed at the development of technology.
Technology is constantly striving to make everyday life easier and more accessible for consumers. However, this often comes with the cost of encouraging less physical activity. Evidence supports this theory as increased screen time has been identified as a determinant for obesity.
However, there is an exception to this rule that can flip the script and use screen time to improve physical activity, active videogames. These games can be used as a strategy for tackling obesity, especially with younger demographics.
But in order for this method to be used correctly, it is important to understand what an active videogame is.
What is an Active Videogame?
Active videogames are games that require body movement in order to play. Traditional button controls are replaced with motion controls, forcing players to move about to complete certain tasks and objectives.
Fitness based software and peripherals have been present in gaming since it’s inception, with the Joyboard for the Atari 2600 and Power Pad for the NES being some of the earliest examples in the early 1980’s. However, these devices were not very popular.
It wasn’t until the early 200’s when active videogames became more popular amongst the general population. Improvements in motion controls meant that it became a huge trend within the gaming community. Accessories like the EyeToy and Dance Mats became a popular way of playing games.
However, the introduction of the Nintendo Wii revolutionised motion controls and active videogames. The Wii was the first console to make motion controls a primary function. As a result, the console was a huge success, with many families and casual gamers buying it for the motion controls.
Motion controls were used in a variety of games, some of which encouraged exercising. Wii Fit and Wii Sports are the best examples of these games, with both promoting light and moderate exercise to users. Motion was also incorporated into Nintendo’s most successful titles such as Mario and Zelda, emphasising the focus on movement mechanics.
Though the motion control craze has died down, Nintendo has still provided motion controls with their latest console, the Nintendo Switch, which has led the way for games such as Ring Fit Adventure to continue the presence of active videogames.
Active videogames are still around in the gaming world, but I believe that these games need to be pushed more. This is because good quality active videogames can be a great method of tackling obesity and could be a very important way of encouraging exercise for many years to come.
Why are Active Videogames Important?
There are a few reasons as to why active videogames can be considered an important aspect for tackling obesity. Moreover, this method can target specific areas in which alternate methods fail to address.
As well as tackling obesity, these games can also be considered beneficial from a technological standpoint by encouraging advancements in technology and shifting the stigmas often associated with gaming.
I have outlined three key reasons as to why active videogames should be considered important in modern day society. These reasons are:
1. Shifting the Perception of Gaming
The general outlook on gaming is that it is a form of entertainment used to distract people from daily life. The perception from those outside of the gaming community is usually negative because they believe that games result in reduced levels of intelligence, productivity, and physical activity.
Some of these points are misconceived and generalised, but the influence on physical activity levels is certainly a concern. Gaming is something that most people will partake in during their free time. Because of this, it makes it difficult for gamers to balance their gaming with exercise, resulting in many disregarding exercise so they can carry on playing games.
However, active videogames can combine these elements together so that gamers can enjoy their games whilst exercising. This creates a solution for those who want to play games but lack to time to exercise as well. By using games to improve physical activity levels, it removes some of the stigma surrounding gaming and convinces others that gaming can have a positive impact on the community.
2. Engaging the Right Demographics
Another aspect that makes gaming a great tool for increasing activity levels is the ability it has to reach a variety of demographics. The main demographics that active videogames can provide a boost to is younger adults and children.
During lockdown in the UK, 93% of children have been playing video games. In addition, 92% of adults in the UK said they have played video games in 2020. These statistics show the potential reach that active videogames could have on the general population.
To put the statistics into perspective, 2019 NHS reports state that only 44% of children are reaching the recommended weekly activity levels. This means that active videogames could have the potential to double the number of children reaching the recommended activity levels. Though this is unlikely due to the lack of clarity of how regularly these children play games, it definitely has the potential to provide a significant % increase.
A more surprising demographic that could benefit from active videogames is middle aged adults. Statistics from2020 indicate that 76% of 35-44 year olds and 62% of 45-54 year olds have played video games. These numbers do not mean that they play games regularly but seeing such a high percentage from an audience of people that did not grow up with gaming as a popular form of entertainment is surprising.
What makes these results even more surprising is how they have shot up in recent years. Compared to 2019, the percentage of 35-44 year olds that have played video games increased by 35%. This suggests that older adults are becoming more willing to play videogames.
These demographics showcase the potential audience that active videogames have nowadays. Promoting games that encourage physical activity could result in huge changes to the number of young children and adults reaching the recommended activity levels.
3. Motivation and Distraction
One of the main reasons why some individuals are inactive is because they struggle to exercise without external motivation. There are lots of ways that these individuals can find external motivation, including active videogames.
Furthermore, active videogames are often a cheaper alternative when compared to other methods such as gym classes or personal trainers. Most games only require a one-time purchase that provides customers with all the content and equipment they desire without any further payments. In addition, games are often more accessible as they can be completed at home with minimal equipment.
Credit: Nintendo
Despite the lower prices and lack of equipment, active videogames can provide some extra methods of motivation that other motivators cannot provide. For example, games can provide a story for players to follow whilst they exercise and can use unlockable rewards to motivate players to perform that extra rep.
The main advantage that active videogames possess is the ability to distract individuals from the exercise they are completing. An intricate story or game design can shift the focus of the players away from the exercise and towards the game. Obviously, the player will still know they are doing exercise, but their actions will be less conscious which prevents overthinking and the restrictions that this could cause.
Allowing people, a way of motivating or distracting themselves is an important aspect when it comes to influencing inactive people to start exercising. By making an activity more enjoyable and rewarding, it increases the chances of them continuing.
What Makes an Active Videogame Successful?
After establishing why active videogames are important, knowing what makes these games successful is also vital in understanding how they can influence physical activity levels. If these games fail to provide a good experience, then it is likely to result in less physical activity and a worse reputation for gaming.
Here is a list of some elements of active videogames that can make them successful:
-The Ability to Provide Multiple Levels of Intensity: offering a variation in intensity will increase the reach, allowing more people to get involved and feel good after playing.
-A Story Mode: Providing a story mode motivates players to continue until completion whilst also creating a more authentic gaming experience.
-Data Tracking and Progression Indication: This is vital so that players can see their progression and have clear goals to achieve.
-An Interesting Design: A design can entice players in and keep them interested in a game for a long time.
-Multiple Game Modes and Activities: Giving players options on what activities they can complete day by day increase accessibility and encourage more frequent exercise.
-In-Game Rewards: Incentives provide positive reinforcement and are a great way of retaining players.
-Form and Posture Information: An element that is often forgotten, evaluating player posture is crucial as it makes sure that activities are done correctly and that players benefit as much as possible.
-Smooth and Easy Controls: Bad controls will deter players away from playing, leading to the game not fulfilling it’s purpose.
Conclusion
In conclusion, active videogames have the potential to be a great method of tackling obesity. The ability to reach the majority of multiple demographics, and the unique ways of motivating and distracting players could be used to increase levels of physical activity. In addition, the accessibility and low costs makes this an appealing method for the general population.
However, it is important to note that active videogames alone would not be enough to turn the tides of the fight against obesity. Also, it is important for game developers to understand the elements that a game needs for it to be as successful as possible.
I believe that increasing the presence of high quality active videogames could result in major improvements to activity levels for the general population, leading to a decreased number of people classed as overweight or obese. Moreover, active videogames could shift the negative perceptions about gaming that are still present in modern society.
Your Views
Over on my Instagram, I asked for your views on active videogames.
After asking what active videogames you had played, the most popular responses were unsurprisingly Pokémon Go and Wii Fit.
100% of you found the games you had played enjoyable. Although, 67% disagreed that these games were important for promoting fitness and good health. This was a surprising result, but an opinion I could definitely understand with the games we have seen so far.
Thank you to those who submitted responses! To contribute to future posts, go follow my Instagram!
Links
https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/the-effects-of-active-videogames-on-bmi-among-young-people/137833
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