5/8/06

“Physicality – Exergaming Venues! Part 1” (#496)

Stinger REPORT Skinny!

(15/06/06) Looking at the implications of amusement technology outside of the arcade market, TSR gathers the details of the fitness entertainment market – described as ‘Exergaming’ (Exercise Game Systems). In this first part, TSR covers the development of fitness venues that deploy amusement style entertainment to help address the building waistbands of the sedentary youth market. Projects such as Xtrainment Zone are reviewed, while the amusement factory’s new division Konami Sports Company, is joined by projects from SEGA, Taito, and Namco – Namco who are also looking at the use of this technology in ‘rehabilitainment’ (preserving the health of the aged).

(For the full story, go to the Main Report online at – www.thestingerreport.com)

Main REPORT:

The need to broaden the application of the gaming sector to offer the widest possible experience is linked to the new market opportunity of the fitness sector. The development of this new genre of product was outlined earlier in the year at the American ‘Games for Health’ conference. The development of sports and fitness-based amusement has ushered the new phases ‘exergym’, ‘exertainment’ and ‘exergaming’ into our lexicon.

The development of the new generation of ‘Mixed-Use-Entertainment’ venues sees the adoption of ‘exergaming’ into the conventional fitness sector has been seen with 24 Hour Fitness gym network turning to Konami Digital Entertainment agreeing to utilize the DDR series in their facilities – the first time that US gyms look to interactive video entertainment.

A number of developer look at the next generation gym concept – part to offer a brand new concept for a changing market, but also to address the obesity issues with a growing group of the populous. One of the new scale of facilities has been seen in the United Kingdom with the SHOKK brand that hopes to establish a large chain of child-centric gyms using the latest interactive technology.

Where the gym industry looks to become more like arcades, the amusement industry is looking at new methodologies to embrace the new audience. One such new development is Xrtainment Zone LLC, which have started a 8,000sq.,ft., facility in Redlands, California, having its grand opening in 2006. The new concept uses consumer games (PlayStation 2 EyeToy and DDR content) in a fitness schedule, along with special climbing wall and unique attractions, including a specialist food serving. The main aim is to offer obese children and concerned parents a venue for fun-and-exercise.

As previously covered in the Stinger HOT TOPIC (Stinger #481), the need for the new venues to embrace healthy eating within their ‘fun-n-food’ menu is doubled for the new exergaming locations. The Xrtainment Zone is the first site to offer the mix of a strong and health conscious menu linked to exergaming systems – though a number of the ‘Eatainment’ venues in the US are now offering a ‘healthy option’ to try and redress the balance.

In the UK the decline of Physical Education (PE) at most schools is another concerning element in the new thinking. Previously a pupil would have expected three hours a day of PE, but a decline in lessons linked to a governmental move to sell off sports grounds. Development to address this decline in educational fitness has lead to the creation of the KidSports program – a specially developed educational scheme that is operated at selected schools to make sports fun and effective for a changing society. The use of exertainment systems to assist this – possibly developing unique facilities is a move being considered.

The diversification of the amusement scene in Asia towards other markets has seen exergaming given a lead. The first major move was the 100-odd fitness facility Nissan Sports Club, acquired by Konami in 2001. The facility chain now represents 209 owned and 67 franchised sites that serve 960,394 members. The Konami Sports Company operation also comprises that of the People Co., Limited operation in Japan with swimming schools and gymnasium business. By 2005 with the diversity into Konami Digital Gaming, the fitness and health operation was consolidated into Konami Sports & Life division. With this came the new ‘Konami Sports Club’ 48 operated sports facilities.

Many initially saw Konami’s efforts in exergaming as just converting amusement machines into exercise machines, but the company has created an extensive selection of conventional sports equipment – that compliment the unique systems such as ‘Martial Beat’ (taking the body sensing technology from the BeMania range). Another element of borrowing from amusement for the exergaming scene is with the ‘e-XAX’; a system that offers the fitness equivalent to the amusement e-AMUSEMENT player tournament platform – but in this case the fitness of the user is monitored, linked to home based account monitoring (the following features charts this importance).

Other amusement manufacturers in Japan have grasped the concept. SEGA have expanded initial investment in fitness facilities and developed the ‘SEGA Sammy Athletic Club’ with the tag line “Sports is Entertainment” – that brings conventional sports products to a younger audience. This pure sports venue has been supported by the ‘SEGA Stadium’ facility range opened in 2004 that offers both sports based video amusement with physical gaming. Some novelty elements have also be included such as an oxygen bar (non-liquid alcohol). Lessons learned from these efforts are shaping the new generation of SEGA facilities with the ‘All Star Parks’ concept bring sports and amusement closer together than ever before.

The GM business is growing in importance for many amusement factories – Taito under their new control from SQE have accelerated their venue business and exergaming has a part to play in this thinking. The company has their ‘Taito Riverside Sports Center’ venue that is the beginning of a strategy to bring ‘amusement training’ to the players. The low birth rate in Japanese has seen the fitness brand targeting the mature user, the as the population ages there are other elements of fitness training that offer an opportunity to interactive exercise.

Taking, as always a different perspective, Namco since 1985 invested into the ‘rehabilitainment’ (RT) sector that represents rehabilitation and entertainment methodology – this has lead to products that the company perceive as falling into the health and fitness genre, presented as ‘Games without Barriers’ allowing older (mature) players to utilize and enjoy. These fitness products also offer a new and socially responsible element, which sees products suitable for application in disability health and physiotherapy. Products such as specially modified ‘Takina Drum RT’, ‘Gate Ball Club RT’, ‘Alligator Panic RT’ and ‘Sweetland RT’ redemption and video altered for the requirements of the rehabilitation and health aspects (including wheelchair usage). Namco developing the ‘Hustle-Club’ franchise venue to offer this specialist care.

In this detailed Stinger report, the second part of the feature will look at the implications for the systems that populate these venues and the extreme hunger for amusement hardware that offers physicality in an exercise configuration – TSR also discusses some of the issues in applying this hardware to a potentially arduous market.