Kinect: Training (Xbox 360)

Nike+ Kinect Training is an exergame that combines fitness with gaming elements similar to the contemporary adidas miCoach and it requires the Kinect peripheral to play. It is based on the Nike+ brand from the sports equipment manufacturer focusing on personalizing training and providing statistics. Players get to register a Nike+ account on the website in-game and can also link a Facebook profile to it. Through Kinect the player's profile and movements are tracked, and they are shown on-screen as a green avatar. When playing for the first time it starts with a fitness test for a first assessment. Afterwards, two main categories are available from the main menu: personal training and group training. In the single-player personal training players can set up when to work out and join a 4-week program. The game then organizes a calendar with activities showing the total time per session, program history for the type of exercise, and fuel print. Moving on in the program cannot be forced and on days where the player is not supposed to exercise, continuing the program becomes locked. The player's fuel print is based around two numbers for fitness and athleticism. Tests can be broken down into individual exercises through a history option and the personal fuel print can be compared online with the community based on gender and age.

Next to the personal training, a quick workout session can be started outside of the program. They target strength, weight or cardio based on three difficulty levels and a workout length of 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes. There are also quicker 5-minute sessions where one of the four types of exercises is chosen at random for a short period: reaching lunge, split decision, squat, or high knees. Next to regular exercises there are also more varied activities. Split decisions for instance offers a Hole in the Wall-type of game where the player has to move, duck and jump into holes in glass walls to prevent them from breaking when they come to the front of the screen. The challenge drills offer weekly challenges such as the aforementioned split decision, but also hardcore hurdles where you need to jump over a wooden plank, dodge incoming balls and kick back soccer balls in dodgeball, and more straightforward ones such as power push-up, leg matrix, and high knee sprint.

In the options the program can be reset, a choice can be made between two trainers (Alex or Marie) and it is possible to switch the training environment. The game offers a regular gym, a yoga studio, an outdoor grass field and an urban court. The program goal can also be defined as strong, lean, or toned. Multiplayer is supported through an online workout with friends or with an option to take on the world. Players are guided by trainers that comment on progress and motivate. Some basic tutorials and motivational messages from famous athletes are also included. Optionally it is possible to block all statistics from being shared with the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=301wlnaQRrs