Nintendo create video game that encourages players to LEAVE the house



Computer games and the great outdoors don't normally go hand in hand. But Nintendo has come up a new generation of fitness gadget that actually gets gamers off the sofa and out the front door.

Walk With Me, which launches next month, uses an electronic pedometer to measure players' steps and the makers are hoping this will finally get the nation walking.



At the start of the day users pop the Activity Meter in their pocket or bag and go about their daily routine.



At the end the day players can upload the data onto a handheld console and see just how active they are.

Players can compare their activity to other users and set walking targets

Makers Nintendo found success with the hugely popular Wii Fit, which has seen people of all ages getting into exercise in the comfort of their own homes.



Players using Walk With Me earn points depending on how far they walk and targets can also be set for the day - the basic setting is 3,000 steps in 24 hours.

For those struggling for motivation, walking unlocks mini games and trivia.



Collected steps can also be used to create images and find out how much electrical energy a day's worth of walking would have created.



If that is not enough motivation, then maybe thought of losing out to the family pet in a walking race is enough to keep players moving.



Nintendo say that users can compare their activity with family, friends or even your dog.

The walking record is currently held by a dog in Japan.



Robert Saunders of Nintendo said: 'We hope that, like the Wii, this will appeal to people from nine to 95.'



The Activity Meter uses infra-red technology to transfer all the data onto a Nintendo DS console, which is also needed to play the game.



The company's Wi-Fi internet connection can also be used to measure your walking with the rest of the world.



Players can post step data to combine it with users in other countries to plot a virtual walk across the solar system.



For those with a strong competitive streak, walking rankings for all users will be updated on a global scale once a week, giving players the chance to see if we really are a nation of couch potatoes.



The game will be launched in Europe next month. In the UK the company have sold eight million of the £100 portable DS consoles used to play the game.

Sales has hit 100 million worldwide.

A Walk with me! game continues two activity meters that act like pedometers

Director of the National Obesity Forum Dr David Haslam said he has 'misgivings' about fitness computer games.



He said: 'The risk is that you're still inside playing on your computer game, but if they're promoted and used properly they're OK. As long as they're not taking away natural outdoor play.



'Nintendo put the wrong software in some of their consoles and so slim youngsters were being told they were fat. The software must be child appropriate and the activities have to be child appropriate if they are used for children.'

But a number of Mail Online readers were enthusiastic about the product, saying they intended to buy one.

'My partner and I being hardcore gamers would love this type of thing as it would encourage us to do more exercise,' Emma from Torquay commented.

Nintendo's brain training games recently came under criticism from researchers who claimed they not improve mental agility.



Researchers found no evidence to support claims that the Nintendo DS console and Dr Kawashima's bestselling Brain Training game were any better than a simple game of Scrabble tradition pencil-and-paper puzzles.



Alain Lieury, professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Rennes, who tested the consoles on a group of ten-year-olds, says helping children with their homework, watching documentaries, reading and playing games is just as effective, if not better than brain training.

Mark Prigg review...

Rating:

The success of Nintendo's Wii has shown that turning exercise into a game really can work, and walk with me is an excellent evolution of that idea.



It's simple to set up, and then it's just a case of putting the activity meter in your pocket and forgetting about it.



At the end of the day, it's quite exciting to see how far you've gone, and anyone with a competitive edge will soon be hooked, particularly if you're playing against family members.



However, the included games are a little disappointing, and it's unlikely you'll return to them after an initial play.



That said, the tracking element of the game alone is more than enough to keep you coming back. For a parent trying to convince their child to exercise, or anyone who feels they should be doing more, walk with me is an excellent way to make exercise a little more fun.

