Pete_LeGrant November 13, 2008 Entertainment, Wii 6 views Comments Print This Post  Email This Post

Who says video games are for couch potatoes? EA Sports wants you to use your Wii even more to stay in shape. It looks like the game is going to involve strapping some Wii Nunchuks to your legs. I think you can get the general idea from these pics:

Do you find there are too few hours in the day to run a household,
hold down a job and fit in a workout? Or, are you just getting bored of
the same old fitness routine? EA SPORTS™, a label of Electronic Arts
Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), today announced the development of EA SPORTS™
Active, an innovative new customizable and personalized fitness product
that will get you motivated to move in the comfort of your home. EA
SPORTS Active will launch exclusively for the Wii™ worldwide next
spring.Developed in collaboration with fitness experts,
including Bob Greene – renowned exercise physiologist, author and
Oprah’s personal trainer – EA SPORTS Active is perfect for the whole
family, though designed specifically for women seeking a simple, fun
and cost-effective way to achieve a healthy lifestyle. The product will
be the first in a new line of EA SPORTS fitness and sports performance
products in development to improve the well-being of people of all ages.

“EA
SPORTS Active and our entrance into the fitness space is an exciting
and groundbreaking milestone for EA SPORTS,” said Peter Moore,
president, EA SPORTS. “As we continue to expand our brand, we have a
real opportunity to redefine the home fitness experience with a more
Western cardiovascular approach and exercises that will appeal to a
diverse audience, getting people off the couch and into shape while
interacting with our products in a way never before possible. EA SPORTS
Active costs less than a gym membership, it provides a variety of
exercises unlike a one dimensional in-home fitness contraption, and it
delivers an interactive experience that you don’t get from a DVD – this
is a true fitness revolution and a space in which we intend to be
leaders.”

EA SPORTS Active features a wide variety of interactive
activities combined into a circuit that target both the upper and lower
body as well as cardio, and supports two players to allow family or
friends to get fit together. EA SPORTS Active provides a new level of
motivation with on-screen, real-time feedback on your workout such as
calories burned, while also allowing you to adjust intensity levels. EA
SPORTS Active will include two specially-designed leg straps that hold
the Wii’s Nunchuk controller to track lower body movements, as well as
a resistance band to support a number of upper body strength training
exercises.

“One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how
to get fit at home – especially from busy mums. EA SPORTS Active
provides a fun and effective workout that targets your upper body,
lower body, and gets your heart pumping in just 20 minutes a day,” said
Greene. “It’s a great way to get moving when you can’t get outside or
you only have a short amount of time at home. In addition, I like the
variety of exercises that it provides – one of the many reasons it has
earned the Best Life seal of approval.”

EA SPORTS Active
features a “30 Day Challenge,” a fitness road map for players to reach
their fitness goals with the guidance of a virtual trainer. The
Challenge provides a new, 20-minute workout every time a player
exercises, including clear instruction, feedback on technique and
positive encouragement throughout the workout. Each circuit will feel
different and increase in intensity as fitness levels improve to help
you work up a sweat and work toward your fitness goals. Users can also
create their own custom workouts that vary in activity, duration and
intensity, and the Wii Balance Board will add functionality to many
exercises.

EA SPORTS Active is in development at EA Canada in Vancouver. It has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI; visit www.esrb.org for updated rating information. Media can find photos and a trailer of the game at www.electronicarts.co.uk/press. For more information, please visit www.easportsactive.com.

Well, this kind of game isn’t new, but it looks like EA Sports is tweaking the concept of workout games and is taking it to new levels.

-Pete LeGrant