Wii Fit board to fight the "Body by WoW"
by Michael Gray 
Jun 17th 2008 at 10:00AM
There's more than a few of us who have to fight the "Body by WoW." While gamers certainly are not lonely losers, we have to admit several hours of immobile gaming does nothing good for your body. When you check out the above video, jump forward to about the :40 mark. You'll see what these chaps have done for those of us looking to trim some pounds while cruising Azeroth.
As pointed out by Massively, using the Wii Fit board to control your character's motion isn't going to become the new Warcraft SOP. The video demonstrates that you only turn as quickly as a keyboard turner. Still, for solo questing, it's pretty feasible -- if you could hack your Wii hand controls to fire your abilities. Otherwise, good luck face mashing the keyboard. (I'll let you insert your own OP-class jokes here.)
As pointed out by Massively, using the Wii Fit board to control your character's motion isn't going to become the new Warcraft SOP. The video demonstrates that you only turn as quickly as a keyboard turner. Still, for solo questing, it's pretty feasible -- if you could hack your Wii hand controls to fire your abilities. Otherwise, good luck face mashing the keyboard. (I'll let you insert your own OP-class jokes here.)
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Machinima, Fan stuff, News items
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Hugh "Nomad" Hancock Jun 17th 2008 10:11AM
There's already software out there to use the Wii controller to control your mouse cursor, so there's no reason that you couldn't use that combined with this and a couple of button mappings to play WoW. Not necessarily that well, but hey, how else are you going to get fitter playing World of Warcraft?
crsh Jun 17th 2008 10:29AM
Wait, you mean WoW-style face-rolling isn't exercise?
Christian Jun 17th 2008 10:56AM
Would be pretty difficult to chat with anyone though :P
Christian Jun 17th 2008 10:56AM
Unless of course you have a headset and are using voice chat
Alysandir Jun 17th 2008 11:10AM
Recumbant bike +
air table +
gaming laptop +
WoW
=
PROFIT!!!
Tinious Jun 17th 2008 11:17AM
Ironically, I am about to do just that. I already have a gaming laptop - and was about to buy a low-set recumbent bike (i.e., without a digital console that stick up too high so I can get a table over it easily). I also just found the perfect table at Ikea. I'm also thinking of picking up a game pad so that my left arm doesn't have to be centered on the laptop keyboard and can relax a bit more.
I would love to hear if anyone has ever done anything similar.
A few years ago I set myself up with a head-set and voice recognition software so I could play on-line poker while I used my rowing machine. It worked quite well, but the voice activation was only about 95% reliable and therefore I could not really play real money games (although, it did make for the occasional accidental bluf :)
Throatcutter Jun 17th 2008 11:27AM
Oh yeah, leaning a half inch forward and backward while standing on a barely mobile piece of plastic really counts as exercise. I probably lean back and forward with more force and energy expenditure in my desk chair than I would with this waste of money.
Angel Jun 17th 2008 12:05PM
Hey :D its a way to fool the public! Marketing trick! and guess what its selling fast :D!
Do you think they care if you get fit? its in there profit if you dont... So you then buy another item that may work thefore = More profit for them! :D
Anyway this is LOL! I feel like doing it but then again, no point. Great find though!
Bromnir Jun 17th 2008 4:12PM
Granted, but what I would find interesting... I've seen videos showing a Wii Fit game that ditches the board and uses a remote in your pocket as a sort of pedometer to track you running in place. Jury-rigging something like that to WoW might make an interesting replacement for some of the treadmill suggestions on this thread.
jbodar Jun 17th 2008 9:11PM
It's not supposed to be cardio. The act of leaning to move while staying balanced on the board engages the core stabilizers and the entire lower body. Do you stand on your chair at work or something? If no, then you're an idiot.
IIKaeyneII Jun 17th 2008 12:46PM
Perfect for Warlocks
prudychick Jun 17th 2008 12:17PM
Drinking my faux Slimfast shake now. Every evening I look at the stationary bike sitting in my office and think about how exhausted I am, turn around and click my WoW icon. My body isn't the effect of sitting playing WoW. I was like this prior to WoW. And if I didn't play WoW I'd still sit around like I did prior to WoW.
programmerchris Jun 17th 2008 12:52PM
I've always wanted some way to use a treadmill at the same time i played wow. It's an expensive proposition though, seeing as I don't actually own a treadmill now. Would have to do some desk mods and things too, but I can't see that it would be all that difficult to at least WALK while playing WoW. Running for the duration of a 4 hour BT raid may not make much sense, but walking would be perfect.
Naix Jun 17th 2008 4:20PM
Lift wights for 45+minutes (anything you want. Curls, bench, squats...)
Cardio for 15+ minutes
Eat 500 calories less a day.
You will lose 1 or more lbs of fat a week.
acme Jun 17th 2008 4:25PM
For everyone looking for a simple solution just check out pcgamerbike.com - I bought one 6 months ago and really like it. Best part? It plugs into a USB and you control your movement by pedaling fwd or backward - and you can set a "run" threshold so you have to pedal at and maintain a preset speed to keep running...if you slow your pedaling you switch to walking. Granted my wife laughed when I first set it up, but I've dropped 30 pounds (through diet and exercise) and she only giggles now:):)
Anaughtybear Jun 17th 2008 10:20PM
All of the millions of people who buy Wii crap are morons. Nintendo basically brainwashes people into buying worthless crap. They have been selling people the same 5 games for 20 years. The Wii makes you look retarded, since the whole point of video games is to relax and enjoy yourself. I move all day, I don't want to flail around like a tard to relax. I just want to sit and play. They also sell a driving wheel that is exactly the same as the one you can get for toddlers, the only difference is the squeaky red horn in the middle. Now they expect you to buy a doormat they market as a Wii accessory? Fuck Nintendo.
Bunkai Jun 18th 2008 1:53PM
There's only two steps to losing weight. Easy to remember, and even easier to execute.
Step 1.) EAT LESS
Step 2.) MOVE MORE
There ya go. Just send me your 3 easy payments of $39.95 and we'll call this a done deal.
jbodar Jun 18th 2008 5:06PM
I totally agree with you on this, but most people need something FUN to motivate them to "move more". What's the difference if it's a movement-oriented video game -- Mocap Boxing in the arcade is > ALL -- or a sport, or the gym, or pretending that forms have any relevance to fighting? Zing! ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunkai
Bunkai Jun 18th 2008 6:28PM
lol...
Forms are for teaching muscle memory for the proper execution of technique... only indirectly related to "fighting"
+50 DKP for being curious enough to look up the meaning of my screen name.
jbodar Jun 24th 2008 8:32PM
I already knew what bunkai means, actually. The problem I have with your assertion is that bunkai implies that forms ARE a fight: an opponent attacking with a horrible lunge punch that the practitioner deflects with a high block or tan sau and then vanquishes him with a hammer fist or something or some other such traditional BS.