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Games Controlled By An Exercise Bike

Posted by Hemos on from the no-more-excues-fat-butt dept.

Fidigit writes "I know that most people reading this won't be _that_ interested in exercise, but given there's tech with it ... What do you think about computer games controlled by an exercise bike in your house? It sounds crazy, but it might just work." Update: 01/14 00:14 GMT by T : An anonymous reader points to another example of the same concept.

126 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. equilibrium by danthedanish · · Score: 2, Funny

    stay lazy playing video games or burn calories? The choice was never more easy than now.

    1. Re:equilibrium by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

      "stay lazy playing video games or burn calories? The choice was never more easy than now."

      Just wait until they come out with an interactive chin-up bar!

    2. Re:equilibrium by frankthechicken · · Score: 2, Funny

      The way I worked around that perennial question was to play a two player game of Quake III on the dreamcast, controlling the first player using Samba di Amigo's maracas, and using the dance pad to control the second player. Generally the game ending in a messy pile of sweat and blubber.

  2. Been there, done that... by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

    Games via the ol excercise bike have been around well over 15 years. Granted, I'm not sure there was ever a mass market product, but it's been done. Nobody cared.

    Know what would work? The 'Dance Revolution' game. (I apologize, the name escapes me...) That's already out and in stores. I think I could stand to exercise that way. Riding a bike, unless I'm actually going somewhere, is not fun.

    1. Re:Been there, done that... by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "And playing a game that requires you to barely lift your feet (more like shuffling), is not exercise."

      Um, it's a little more than just 'barely lifting your feet'. People who get into that game rarely stop without breaking a sweat. It'd certainly do me more good than the exercise bicycle that's covered in a protective layer of dust.

    2. Re:Been there, done that... by L-Train8 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      How about Namco's PropCycle, where you flew this pedal powered ultra-light thing and popped balloons. It came out circa 1995.

      Or Downhill Bikers? I could see a row of these at the gym.

      --

      Don't forget that Friday is Hawaiian shirt day.
    3. Re:Been there, done that... by Majik+Sznak · · Score: 2, Informative

      I can vouch for that. I use DDR as my main form of exercise (of course, before that, I did nothing). An hour of marginally difficult DDR tunes is a great workout. There's lots of motion, balance, and jumping around like a dork involved. I recommend it to anybody who can't stand doing traditional exercise due to boredom.

      As far as the bicycle gaming goes, I believe I saw a special VCR arrangement that would play at a video at a speed proportional to the speed you were pedalling at. This was about 10 years ago. I can't remember where I saw it, but basically, they would play a recording of a camera duct-taped to a bicycle.

      Also, there's an arcade game called Prop Cycle where you are flying around on a winged, propeller-powered bicycle. You not only need to pedal a bicycle to control your speed, but you have to steer, pull up and down, and lean side to side (not sure about that last one, but it happens anyway!).

      I'd take Prop Cycle over an exercycle any day!

      --
      Karma: Chameleon (Mostly affected by the 1980s)
    4. Re:Been there, done that... by Sparr0 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Prop Cycle, which came out under a couple of other names too, was my favorite excercise game. I used to play it a lot at the local arcade. Much more fun than any other excercise I have gotten. By far the best arcade game with serious excercise involved. Too bad it didnt include a multiplayer mode, deathmatch (with little guns on the cycle) would have been amazing fun.

    5. Re:Been there, done that... by MisterFancypants · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Yeah Prop-Cycle kicks ass, as far as such games go. They've recently begun supporting Prop-Cycle in MAME... With a small bit of code, I'm sure one could make it support these bikes...

    6. Re:Been there, done that... by langed · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Yeah. This was something that was done WAAAAY back in 1985, with an old Electronic Project 75-in-1 kit.

      My oldest brother put a car alternator on the back sprocket of an old exercise bike, and connected it to the kit. He connected up the relay in the kit to a couple strands of TV coax-- one to the antenna, one to the TV.

      Net result? To watch TV you had to ride the bike. Stop pedaling, and the TV goes to snow. Start pedaling again and the picture returns. It was a great way of forcing exercise... :)
      As an over-active 6-year-old, though, I was often the one to get all the exercise while Mom watched her daily soaps. I remember trying to pace myself so I wouldn't miss anything when I was watching my nightly Star Trek--but I was usually dead-tired when it was over... To this day (I'm 23 now) I can't wear shorts because of how large and powerful my thighs are. People just won't stop staring!

      And the best part was, this particular experiment didn't even require batteries to power the whole thing! The thing was eventually dismantled, though--mostly because Mom got mad that she couldn't see Days of Our Lives while I was at school! But, theoretically, that switch in the relay would wear out--but relays are pretty cheap anyways...

    7. Re:Been there, done that... by rppp01 · · Score: 2

      I went to a Q gym a few years ago, and they had these exercise bikes that had a choice of either an interactive race/tour on a tropical island, the same on a ski resort, or a game of soccer (on bikes).
      I remember when I used them, that the tension increased or decreased depending on whether I was going uphill, or downhill. It even adjusted when I hit water or ice.
      I spent easily 45 minutes on these bikes whenever I saw them at a gym. They only worked while pedaling, so no just sitting there. They really were the shit, and I hoped to see more in gyms, and the game/virtual reality/interactive experience made the time on the machines really go by fast. You didn't feel as though you were working out. But at the end, your muscles sure let you know you had just gone through the rigors of a solid exercise program.

      Very nice, I thought. Wonder what happened to them?

      --
      They stuck me in an institution, said it was the only solution, to...protect me from the enemy, myself
    8. Re:Been there, done that... by zapfie · · Score: 2

      Yeah.. uh.. I take it you haven't played much. :P Anyone who's played a decent amount of DDR knows how much of a workout it can be. Hell, I was on the crew team for two years at college and the hardest DDR songs still escaped me. I suppose the lack of exercise involved explains my friend losing 60 pounds playing, too. Just because you don't lift your legs doesn't mean it's not exercise. Stand up and shuffle your legs back and forth as fast as you can... you'll get tired out pretty quickly.

      --
      slashdot!=valid HTML
  3. Paperboy! by Ribo99 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Only if the game is Paperboy.

    --
    I wear pants.
  4. Not news by OldMiner · · Score: 5, Informative

    This has been done several times before. For instance, there is this SNES/Sega/PC/whatever else you want bike which is basically a fancy looking controller and then there's this SNES specific bike, the Life Cycle which I recall being issues in some back issue of Nintendo Power. I think there was even a Pacman-esque game that was supposed to go with it.

    --
    You like splinters in your crotch? -Jon Caldara
    1. Re:Not news by mojogojo · · Score: 5, Interesting
      I don't think anybody has done it "right" yet. I've been waiting and watching... for some sort of contraption that you could place your own bike on which could vary the resistance based on feedback from game (i.e. if you are going up hill, then it should be harder to pedal, etc). And all the proper controls easily mountable/dismountable from handlebars...

      If someone made a quality piece of equipment that could enhance excercising indoors on a trainer, then that would definately be something - for the off-season.

    2. Re:Not news by yo303 · · Score: 4, Informative
      I wrote part of the SNES software for the LifeCycle when I worked at Radical Entertainment.

      The Exertainment System is the first truly interactive system that combines aerobic exercise and video entertainment. It consists of a Lifecycle 3500 aerobic trainer, one of the world's most popular computerized exercise bikes, and a Super NES, the world's most popular 16-bit video game system.

      While riding on your Lifecycle 3500, you can use the system to monitor your biking activities (rpm, distance, calories, etc.) or set up a long-term fitness program in the "Program Manager". You can also choose to participate in the game "Mountain Bike Rally". Choose from several riders, several terrains, and several different bikes to have a truly interactive experience.

      It didn't sell very well, but mostly because it wasn't marketed properly. You still see the systems in a some fitness clubs (if you do, enter your name as "ronaye" to see an easter egg picture of my girlfriend at the time.)

      The new system in the article is multiplayer, which should make it a little more fun. It didn't seem to have any feedback to make the pedalling harder, however. That is essential to making the exercise interactive.

      I think systems like this will take off, once they're done right. I mean, plain exercise bikes are already a substitute for real biking, and those are accepted now. "Virtual" exercising systems are just trying to be a step closer to reality.

      yo.

    3. Re:Not news by MSBob · · Score: 2

      Why just off-season? I think there is a huge hidden market of those who will excersise if it is more fun but won't be found in a gym or on a beach because they think they're too fat/skinny/ugly/whatever. It's a huge market to tap into, much bigger than the "6 minutes abs" thingies. It just has to be done right, like you say.

      --
      Your pizza just the way you ought to have it.
    4. Re:Not news by Voytek · · Score: 3, Informative

      You haven't heard of computrainer?

      I personnaly use a fluid trainer and spinervals videos.

    5. Re:Not news by ThunderInEye · · Score: 2, Funny

      Would that I could afford a computrainer:( I could take a week and do the Hawaiian Ironman.
      I've been using a minoura and the TV. When the commercials come on I spin up. I'm counting on the networks increasing their advertising to make my sessions tougher:)

    6. Re:Not news by John+Harrison · · Score: 3, Informative
      I actually purchased a LifeCycle and began to reverse engineer it. I figured out the signals coming from the alternator control board but I don't have the EE type knowldge that I need to make a serial port controlled device to send signals to the control board.

      Anyhow, once you have such a device you could do all sorts of things. Making the pedalling harder would be very simple. My initial plan was to hook it up to the open source version of TuxRacer and have it get harder when you go uphill. A simple version of a MarioKart type game could also be fun on multi-player. The interesting think is that if you had a control device it would be very easy to retrofi any existing LifeCycle to work with such a system.

      Imagine a gym in which you can "race" against the person next to you or against a person across the country.

      --
      Lasers Controlled Games!
    7. Re:Not news by WNight · · Score: 2

      I think the obvious answer is to make it fun, then you have to kick people off the bikes and they've burned slightly less calories, but for longer, and are dying to do it again.

      Make it exercise and you've defeated the point.

      But, I assume that was largely your point.

  5. Re:Isn't this old news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Actually, it was for the SNES.

  6. Nothing new... by sjehay · · Score: 5, Informative

    See here for a commercially-available product for interfacing turbo trainers and Playstation (2)s that has been around for a while...

    1. Re:Nothing new... by Black+Perl · · Score: 2

      Except that they don't tell you how it works, and it looks like a controller mounted on the handlebars. This just may be expensive duct tape.

      --
      bp
    2. Re:Nothing new... by greed · · Score: 2

      Looks like they take steering input from a front-wheel rest, but everything else from your hands.

      There doesn't appear to be anything hooking up the rear wheel to the controller.

      "Download manual" goes to a press release about their lights.

    3. Re:Nothing new... by sjehay · · Score: 2
      It says:

      As you ride your indoor trainer, Gamebike reads your speed and steering and gives you a full function handlebar-mounted controller, putting you into your favorite driving game.

      So it picks up your speed from the trainer rollers on the rear wheel, steering is via the front wheel sensor and everything else via buttons on a handlebar-mounted controller. Sounds about right to me - how could this be done better?

  7. Nintendo mats? by the_machine · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Does anyone remember those mats that you could use on Nintendo with games like Track and Field? I had one of those as a child. It seemed like the same good idea that this bike is.... until the second minute of playing the game. Then, it was more work then fun and my friends and I quickly resorted to using our fists instead of our feet. By the second day, the entire mat was stored in the closet never to see the light again.


    I think this Reebok bike will become a clothes hanger just like any other exercise bike... unless they figure out how to require it for GTA Vice City play.

    1. Re:Nintendo mats? by unicron · · Score: 5, Funny

      You aren't a gamer until you've dropped to your knees and pounded the living shit out a of nintendo power pad. We used to quickly stand up and do knee-drops for the log hurdles. Good times.

      --
      Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
    2. Re:Nintendo mats? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

      "You aren't a gamer until you've dropped to your knees and pounded the living shit out a of nintendo power pad. We used to quickly stand up and do knee-drops for the log hurdles. Good times."

      Ever let your friend's little brothers play, then yank it out from under them? Heh.

    3. Re:Nintendo mats? by unicron · · Score: 2

      Heh, you just wish you thought of it first. Another trick we used to do was wait until the race was about to start, then gently yank on the cord when the guy on the mat wasn't looking so that it came ouot of the nes, then tell them they weren't running fast enough for the game to register. People would damn near give themselves a heart attack trying to not lose face. REALLY good times.

      --
      Finally, math books without any of that base 6 crap in them.
    4. Re:Nintendo mats? by madcow_ucsb · · Score: 5, Funny

      lol, I always liked how on the long-jump you could run, then just step off and wait behind the mat till you hopped back on to stick the insane landing...

    5. Re:Nintendo mats? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

      Hah!

      I had an accomplice once. I was racing with my friend's little brother. Unfortunately, the house was a bit rickety so occasionally the thumping we caused would knock something over, thus earning the wrath of mom. So while I was racing, my 'accomplice' intentionally knocked over something in the living room. My opponent stopped with an "Oh shit, I'm in trouble look" on his face while I raced to victory.

      Heh. Only worked the first time, though.

    6. Re:Nintendo mats? by jandrese · · Score: 2

      Yeah, I remember the power pad. It could actually be kinda fun, although definatly exausting. Sadly, the closest thing they had to DDR was Dance Aerobics (which was an entirely pointless game that you coudln't lose).

      The problem with the pad was the games. Save Dance Aerobics, they all worked the same. You would get on the pad and run in place like crazy. Your character on the screen would hobble forward a couple of pixels. Sometimes you'd get to an obsticle, where you have to jump off the pad until the guy clears it. After only a couple of rounds of this you would be covered in sweat and willing to let your brother/sister try.

      I still think that a truly fun/imaginative game could have cut down in obesity in America, especially among the doughy Nintendo playing crowd.

      --

      I read the internet for the articles.
  8. exercise and video games by mu51c10rd · · Score: 2, Funny

    So all the overweight types who claim they have no time nor desire for exercise will have a motivational shift? Will the next generation of geeks be in shape and well-desired by women? And I thought this was a sign of the apocalypse...

  9. At You Local Gym by Syris · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I've seen dedicated game/excersize equipment at some upscale gyms for years.

    Even cooler: an excersice bike with an internet terminal. There's nothing like burning calories while reading /.

    1. Re:At You Local Gym by Guysdrinkingbeer · · Score: 2, Funny

      How about this: a bike, stair stepper or tread mill is hooked up to a broadband connection. The amount of bandwidth that you get is in direct proportion to the exercise you put in. The faster you go the faster the download goes. If this had been around during the Napster years, I would weigh about 70 pounds less.

      --
      Great people don't need people to complete them, great people complete other people. -- Matthew Pawlikowski.
    2. Re:At You Local Gym by FFFish · · Score: 2

      It'd only work well if the exercise goal was pud-pulling...

      (...but it'd sell like hotcakes!)

      --

      --
      Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
  10. Re:this is stupid by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

    "this is stupid...go ahead, mod me down. its my honest opinion"

    You won't get modded down for having an honest yet harsh opinion. What will get you modded down is a lack of reasoning as to why you think it's stupid.

    I agree with you, it is stupid. But at least say what about it bugs ya the most.

    *preach preach preach*

  11. Been done before, and it wasn't popular. by syphoon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Back in the Net Bubble, something similar was installed at a gym in my city. Two bikes were rigged up so that you'd have to maintain a speed above a certain threshold. Except it didn't power games, but just a plain old browser. The only problem was that the threshold was too high, and as soon as you were able to get a page, you'd be moving too fast to read or use it at all, and as soon as you slowed to reach for the keyboard and type, the screen would go blank again.

    1. Re:Been done before, and it wasn't popular. by girish · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I went to a gym that had them hooked up to TV's, which I thought was much better, and the threshold was based on what sort of routine you pick. Also, you had a remote right there, and headphones so that no one else would steal the fruits of your biking. I think they had treadmills that were hooked up to the same concept.

  12. It's called DDR... by Tidan · · Score: 3, Informative
    It's calld Dance Dance Revolution or DDR for short. Seems to be a growingly popular thing at college, as there are crazy people that form clubs and hold weekly meetings.

    Read more about it here.

    -Bryan

    --
    free ipod? yeah.
  13. DDR maybe? by Telastyn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Peh, why not play DDR or something similar? Alot more challenging, and alot better workout. Don't like the high impact? Why not try PPP? Like ddr, only with hand waving and arm movements rather than alot of stomping.

    1. Re:DDR maybe? by Xtraneous · · Score: 2

      PPP, what an amazing game.

      The only problem is that:
      1) I strained my back by playing to intensively,
      2) It has easily taken $40 away from me, and
      3) The only PPP machine close to me is in Ann Arbor MI, and is about 1 hr away from where I live.

      PPP is much better than ddr, because you use your arms, and not your feet. (I have no sense of balance, and would fall and lose while playing DDR)

      --
      .noitacidem deen uoy siht daer nac uoy fI
    2. Re:DDR maybe? by Renraku · · Score: 2

      PPP doesn't use only your hands. It uses whatever can break the sensor. So you can use it for like rhythmic weapon mastery, hand waving, gaining balance, rhythm in general, etc. More fun than DDR, and I'm a DDR veteran!

      --
      Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
  14. Bicycling your way through Quake by Space+Coyote · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A guy I used to work with (word up, Glen) put sometihng like this together wihle he was doing a master's in CS here at UNB. He rigged up his exercise bike so that as he pedalled it would move him forward and backwards, and he just has a mouse by the handlebars to take care of any other input (turning, shooting, etc)

    Definitly the best use of an exercise bike I've ever heard of, but I still prefer the kind that you can use as transportation.

    --
    ___
    Cogito cogito, ergo cogito sum.
  15. I wrote one! by rochlin · · Score: 3, Funny

    I wrote a game in 1989 for a Mac 512. A racing game that pitted your bike against Lemond and a grey lobster. The biggest hangup: I measured my speed by attaching my MOUSE to the flywheel on the exercise bike. I have to admit it did reduce my mouse lifespan by a couple years :)

    --
    A beginners' guide to Portland, OR?
  16. This has been around for a while.. by andres32a · · Score: 4, Informative

    I have been using the http://www.exertris.com/>Exertris for over a year know... Its Great. I personally find exercise quite boring but this does help me get through. The problem is that the number of games are limited.
    You can take a tour at the website to see if one is right for you...

    1. Re:This has been around for a while.. by SEWilco · · Score: 2, Interesting
      FitCentric has been making Internet racing products since 1996.

      CSA/ESSCO made an interface device with 5 PC games quite some time ago. It was a simple photoeye/reflector beam device with two button pads to strap to handlebars. It could be used with any equipment by aiming the light beam at any moving part, as the rate of pulses was all that was was needed for controlling the speed.
      Oh, I see there is one on eBay now.

  17. Wow. OLD gym technology brought to your home... by ngoy · · Score: 2

    I do not understand how this is remotely interesting. I had a gym membership (because of my wife, not because I wanted to join) and they had a whole bank of cycling machines with different "games" setup.

    Granted, I only tried one (some scenic thing biking around and racing others) but there were a couple others that I am sure were more "interactive".

    This was a year or so after the birth of my daughter, which would make this FIVE YEARS AGO.

    Is the poster of this story trying to stereotype the typical /. user as one who has never seen a gym before???

    --
    --ngoy
  18. Re:And this is new? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Didn't I ride on one of these sort of things at Epcot center a decade ago? It was a recumbent bike with a monitor above my head, showing a
    "tour" of famous cities + Disney parks, the speed of which varied by the speed I was pedaling."

    Yep.

    It was about as exciting as the movie Rollerball.

    I bet these things would have been a hit if they played porn instead. "If I pedal backwards, she becomes a virgin!"

  19. Ring your bel... by InsaneCreator · · Score: 2

    ...to frag that bastard! Unreal biker 2004!

  20. It's been done - LONG AGO! by Tidan · · Score: 2
    I remembered seeing this type of thing at Bush Gardens awhile back in some sort of technology demonstration. This isn't really a new idea.

    Check out this article for an example from 1995. For those of you who don't get out much, that's like 8 years ago.

    I still think the idea is great, and that anything that can potentially better motivate fat americans to get their lazy butts in motion is a positive thing. It's just up to the marketing department to really get these things distributed to the masses.

    -Bryan

    --
    free ipod? yeah.
  21. Current Nintendo research in this area by Samir+Gupta · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'm sure you all know what Dance Dance Revolution is, the game that combines a dance pad with arrows on the screen that you dance to -- it's spread like wildfire, and even though it's only available for a competitor's platforms, I secretly admit to playing it to keep myself in shape. :) Some of you may also remember the old Nintendo Power Pad as well, even.

    Anyhow, Nintendo is taking the integration of physical activity with video games to a whole new level... we're researching motion tracking in 3-D using purely computer vision techniques, and using no sensors worn on the body, like traditional mocap techniques require.

    We've got some interesting preliminary prototypes of this technology, such as Swing Swing Revolution, like DDR, except you have to do swing moves, not merely hit the arrows with your feet, and Kung Fu Master, a remake of the venerable NES game, where you guessed it, need to do real punching and kicking.

    We look forward to commercializing this and making Nintendo the first and foremost choice of overweight geeks everywhere!

    --
    -- Samir Gupta, Ph. D. Head, New Technology Research Group, Nintendo Co. Ltd., Kyoto, Japan.
    1. Re:Current Nintendo research in this area by lbergstr · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yeah. Looks like he's been around for a while, too.

    2. Re:Current Nintendo research in this area by Danse · · Score: 2

      Wow... that kung-fu game would rock :) Love to see Nintendo make this a reality!

      --
      It's not enough to bash in heads, you've got to bash in minds. - Captain Hammer
    3. Re:Current Nintendo research in this area by Samir+Gupta · · Score: 2

      I was working for SEGA until 2001, when they decided to stop their hardware business and eliminated my division. Nintendo soon recruited me afterwards.

      --
      -- Samir Gupta, Ph. D. Head, New Technology Research Group, Nintendo Co. Ltd., Kyoto, Japan.
  22. Recumbent bikes for your computer desk? by $$$$$exyGal · · Score: 2
    I'd love to have a "recumbent" stationary bike that could fit partially under my computer desk. It'd be great to be able to pedal while I browsed the web. I would finally get exercise while playing around on the computer (wouldn't have to jog as much ;-)).

    Are the game bikes recumbent? It doesn't seem like it. I think it would be easier to integrate them into the rest of your gaming environment if they were.

    --naked

    --
    Very popular slashdot journal for adul
  23. Better: Workstation with integrated recumbant bike by rjamestaylor · · Score: 2

    For a long while I've day-dreamed of a workstation with an integrated recubant exercise bike. Not for serious cross-training necessarily, but enough to keep active and burn a few calories while sitting endless hours in front of the computer. It would have to be sturdy enough not to shake with mild exertion. I'm sure it's doable and I'm sure there's more than just me that could benefit from such a device!

    --
    -- @rjamestaylor on Ello
  24. Better idea by lostboy2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    How about a video game controlled by eating donuts?

    Diabelch III, brought to you by Donutech. "Mmmm... Sprinkles..."

  25. Prop Cycle by kisrael · · Score: 3, Informative

    I've always dreamed of a home port of Prop Cycle...kind of like N64 PilotWings that the guy mentioned. I like the idea of exploring, it seems like races are too dependent on wherever the computer decides to handicap you.

    --
    SO YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: The Comic for Dealing with Death
    1. Re:Prop Cycle by Chmarr · · Score: 3, Informative

      Prop Cycle was probably the first 'work hard' video game I ever played. I thought it was great... and I was the only one that played decently in my groupoffriends: I bicycle a lot, and have the stamina for it :)

    2. Re:Prop Cycle by Beautyon · · Score: 2

      There was a wide screen version of PropCycle that had the wheel of the excersise bike connected to a mechanical fan which blew air into your face as you pushed the pedals; this gave you a great feeling of motion when racing around to pop the balloons....awesome!

      --
      ATH0 Bitcoin: 1DnwFLXczVZV8kLJbMYoheUrpqHesjxrSi
  26. Slashdot really needs to cath up... by NanoGator · · Score: 4, Funny

    "What do you think about computer games controlled by an exercise bike in your house? It sounds crazy, but it might just work."

    Wow, exercise bicycles with video games attached to them? I can't wait until Slashdot covers Rob the Video Robot!

    --
    "Derp de derp."
    1. Re:Slashdot really needs to cath up... by Guppy06 · · Score: 3, Funny

      "Wow, exercise bicycles with video games attached to them?"

      How many Slashdotters do you think have seen the inside of a gym in the past decade or so?

    2. Re:Slashdot really needs to cath up... by NanoGator · · Score: 2

      "How many Slashdotters do you think have seen the inside of a gym in the past decade or so? "

      I see them all the time. Search for 'uniform schoolgirls'. Heh.

      --
      "Derp de derp."
  27. Namco's "Prop Cycle" by ewhac · · Score: 3, Informative

    One example of an arcade game employing a stationary bike was Prop Cycle from Namco. You flew a pedal-powered flying bicycle around, running into balloons and flying through hazards to score points.

    I thought it was whimsical and a lot of fun, but it never showed up at many arcades.

    Schwab

    --
    Editor, A1-AAA AmeriCaptions
    1. Re:Namco's "Prop Cycle" by macrom · · Score: 2

      That's because games like this tend to make it into mostly-adult venues where alcohol is sold. Getting piss drunk then hopping on a machine that causes you to exert yourself (possibly more than your alcohol-numbed body can handle) tends to induce vomitting. I know cause I've seen idiots puke on the Prop Cycle. It isn't a pretty sight.

    2. Re:Namco's "Prop Cycle" by ashitaka · · Score: 2

      Propcycle could cause some people to puke just through pure motion sickness caused by the disparity between what's on the screen and what your innner ear is telling you.

      I saw this compounded on the ferry to Vancouver island in stormy weather. Imagine trying to play this on a rocking, rolling boat.

      Hello RRRRRrrrrrrrraaaaallphhhhhhhh....

      --
      If you don't want to repeat the past, stop living in it.
  28. Exercise Video Game by long_john_stewart_mi · · Score: 4, Funny
    They should make an RPG called "Body by Jake". You control Jake as he goes from an overweight pimple-faced kid to an infomercial superstar, just like the real Jake. Along the way, you will have to:
    • Get Results Fast!
    • Listen Up to Muscle Up
    • Map the Muscles to Manhood
    Special features are also included, like charisma, in which you subtly brag about how much you bench, flex your manhood for the ladies, and start your workout WITHOUT ANY WARMUP!! Get "Body by Jake" today!
    --
    ...oOOo..'(_)'..oOOo...
    1. Re:Exercise Video Game by Night+Goat · · Score: 2

      And of course, huge bonuses for making spastic movements and yelling at seemingly random moments. Jake's great, he almost scares you into buying his products! I wonder how long it takes his co-hosts to stop flinching when he yells and waves his hands in their faces.

  29. Advanced Calorie Counter by TarPitt · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Instead of a simple numeric readout of calories, why not allow the victi^H^H^H^Hexercise enthusiast to select the high-calorie food item of their choice, then as they work out, have a proportional piece of the food item consumed. You select a pizza/chocolate cake/french fries/nachos and as you burn up, say, 100 calories, you see 100 calories worth of the item vanish.

    --
    If your children ever found out how lame you are, they'd murder you in your sleep
  30. Why not just buy a bicycle and ride it around? by Cryptnotic · · Score: 2

    Reality is in much higher resolution than any computer game.

    --
    My other first post is car post.
  31. Sounds geat, to a point... by Dread_ed · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was thinking about this the other day while pondering a completely immersive VR environment.

    Applied to a, MMORPG this sort of idea could eventually lead to a skill advancement system based upon physical reaction time and endurance rather than mathematical formulas derived from levels and attributes. It could also enhance the gaming experience immensely!

    Furthermore, if you included exercise benefits, people could ALWAYS find the time to play their favorite game.

    More conservatively, using the human physiological responses to a gaming environment (excitement, endorphins, sustained concentration) could allow for intense exercise and fuel the desire to continue to exercise once the novelty has worn off.

    In other words, I think it is a *good thing*.

    --
    When the only tool you have is a claw hammer every problem starts to look like the back of someone's skull.
    1. Re:Sounds geat, to a point... by ArsonSmith · · Score: 2

      I can see the repetitive motion lawsuites allready being stacked up agenst the first person to release something like tihs.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    2. Re:Sounds geat, to a point... by sean23007 · · Score: 2

      Yeah, but how many geeks would be interested in playing an MMORPG where your ability to advance is based on physical ability and coordination? Isn't the reason so many geeks got into the business their inability to do that?

      --

      Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.
    3. Re:Sounds geat, to a point... by MSBob · · Score: 2

      Speaking of which... why are VR helmets not yet (or perhaps no longer) with us? I had really high hopes for VR in a living room after playing with an SGI based system once in a museum in Chicago. Even though the thing had pretty crude graphics at the time it was still very immersive (at least I found it very immersive). Is VR having some extra strong effects on my brain that noone else experiences? I thought helmet based VR was the best thing since the invention of a video game but for some reason, 12 years on after I first tried it a decent VR helmet for an average gamer is still a pipe dream. Why?

      --
      Your pizza just the way you ought to have it.
    4. Re:Sounds geat, to a point... by jcsehak · · Score: 2

      That's a great idea! I'd think about getting into EQ if the only characters with horses were the people who bought some contraption they could hook up to their exercise bike. And it would be perfect if your horse's speed was directly related to how fast you pedaled!

      --

      c-hack.com |
    5. Re:Sounds geat, to a point... by T.E.D. · · Score: 2
      I was thinking about this the other day while pondering a completely immersive VR environment.

      Yeah...its called life. Go on out. Do what you want. Have a blast.

      Just be careful not to get sent to jail. You'll have to camp for years to get the spawnpoint out of there, and the other campers are a bunch of PK-ing smacktards.
  32. Re:And this is new? by chimpo13 · · Score: 2


    I was thinking of porn as soon as I saw the story. Sort of like Jackass where you have a porn doll pretending to give you head as you peddle.

    Some porn, one of those plastic vaginas, and 1 million geeks will lose weight.

    --
    riding round the world on an old motorcycle
  33. Arcade.. by dimer0 · · Score: 3, Informative

    I know this story says *computer* games, but it appears some of the posters here haven't been to an arcade in a while..

    There is a downhill bike game now, which is way fun. You get done, you're hurting.

    Anyone ever see that two-person rafting game? .. That hurt too.

    The horse-racing game? .. 8 of those horses side by side... Way fun.

    The new motion-cap (I guess this is what you'd call them) games are WILD too -- there's this one that you stand in this one place and hold a gun - and to duck around corners to fire, well, you duck around a corner. If you need to drop to the floor to avoid gunfire, you drop to the floor. I didn't think it would be that much of exercise, but wow.

    At home - I've fallen in love with DDRMax on the PS2. I have two of the hard dance platforms now -- it's the most exercise (aerobic) I've gotten in a long time. When my friends come over - it's turned on automatically - huge party hit. Mix beer with it, it gets really fun.

    Ok - ramble stops now. I just love video games. :)

  34. Re:Better: Workstation with integrated recumbant b by mmol_6453 · · Score: 2

    It would have to be sturdy enough not to shake with mild exertion.

    How'd you know I sha--oh...nevermind.

    --
    What's this Submit thingy do?
  35. Re:And this is new? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

    "Some porn, one of those plastic vaginas, and 1 million geeks will lose weight."

    Damn I wanna be a beta tester.

  36. why not just go ride the bike by selectspec · · Score: 2

    I think most people would enjoy just taking a regular bike and riding it outside more than some video game.

    --

    Someone you trust is one of us.

  37. Competition at the Gym by Enonu · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How about networking a series of exercise bikes to add the competition element to exercise? It'd be fun to have such a setup at my local gym/health spa. I know you're probably asking, "Well, why not simply race on real bicycles instead?" The answer is simple, convenience. The people and equipment are already setup, and I don't have to maintain a $1K+ street bicycle.

    Anybody know of anything similar setup around where they live?

    1. Re:Competition at the Gym by Enonu · · Score: 2

      I also thought of that problem since the people who go to the gym range from elderly women trying to keep muscle tone to elite body builders.

      It's solved by introducing a handycap. The first time a user steps on a machine, it derives a handycap score for your cardiovascular system, endurance, and pure strength. That way, the races or matches would be even, and it'd be whoever went past or improved on their own limit that would win.

  38. Re:Nothing beats a REAL Bike! by angst_ridden_hipster · · Score: 2

    Yes, but at least a virtual bike doesn't make you as vulnerable to being run over by an automobile.

    I live in LA. I've been hit by cars twice: once on a bicycle, the other time on a Honda scooter. Both times, it was someone who didn't see me, and was coming too fast for me to take evasive action. Both times I was following traffic laws, had right-of-way, was wearing red and reflectors, and was driving defensively (i.e., not trusting the cars to see me).

    After the second time, when I was sitting in Emergency, waiting for them to clean up the road rash and put in some stitches, the medics were all busy with a guy on the next cot. He'd been hit on his motorcycle. The whole time I was waiting (probably only an hour, but seemed like several), I heard them give up on saving the guy's leg, and then his other leg, and then an arm ...

    You don't know how chilling it is to be bruised and bloody, and listen to EMTs walk in to the neighboring area, and say things like "Good God, what happened to him?" and "Think there's anything salvageable here?"

    I'll never ride a 2-wheel vehicle on an LA street again.

    --
    Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?
    www.fogbound.net
  39. Re:this is stupid by cuyler · · Score: 2

    I can't help noticing that you also don't mention why you think it's stupid. That's funny.

  40. Games & excercise by Isldeur · · Score: 2

    This morning I spent some time on this "Liferower" at the local gym (dive) I go to. I rowed an awful lot in college to am used to real rowing machines (not this one). But this one, while it has no resistance, has a little (circa 1982) EGA-esk computer screen where I row against this "olympic" opponent. And every time you pull on the handle, the red of the monitor aligns and then disaligns. Crazy little thing. But I don't think these things are that new, in the end.

    Still, I'd trade it for a Concept 2 any day.

  41. saw a really old one at a hotel in Arizona by adpowers · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When I was staying in Phoenix (I believe), the hotel we were staying at had a fitness center. We checked it aout and they had two stationary bikes with TVs in front of them. You could use the bikes to explore the different maps. The graphics were very, very low quality (it was an old system), but it was 3D. It took me a while to realize it, but both were networked, so my brother and I raced. Another cool feature was that it had two fans built into the cabinet that would change speed depending on how fast you pedeled and would blow air on you to simulate wind. I thought it was very impressive and would be really cool if was updated. The fans were a great addition in my opinion.

  42. Why use computer vision? by GuyMannDude · · Score: 2

    we're researching motion tracking in 3-D using purely computer vision techniques, and using no sensors worn on the body, like traditional mocap techniques require.

    I am curious why you are spending time trying to develop motion tracking without using motion-capture sensors. I would guess that trying to develop a computer vision algorithm that can determine what the hell a fast-moving gamer is doing in real time and then converting that into inputs would be a mighty challenging problem. Is there some drawback to using traditional motion-capture approaches? I would think your research dollars would be more wisely spent by leverging off existing technology. Is the computer vision approach going to get confused if the gamer plays in a "noisy" environment like complex wallpaper and lots of furnature? Would the gamer be allowed to wear all black or would that also confuse the computer vision? I would think that requiring gamers to wear a few sensors wouldn't be that big of a problem. Or are the games going to be frantic that there's a danger of the sensors actually falling (or flying) off the gamer when s/he performs a fast move?

    Just curious. Sounds interesting but it also sounds like it might take many years before it comes to market.

    GMD

    --
    watch this
  43. Re:And this is new? by angst_ridden_hipster · · Score: 5, Funny

    Beta tester? That's the *last* thing you want to be.

    Bug Report 1821: Evidently problem with voltage regulator. Went into high gear, and received 3rd degree burns.

    Bug Report 1822: Need to improve quality control at molding department. Metal support wire occasionally pokes through soft rubber parts.

    Bug Report 1823: When movie-controller BSODs, evidently the pressure system gets locked on "Maximum". ...

    --
    Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachtani?
    www.fogbound.net
  44. Seen It Years Ago by Superfreaker · · Score: 2

    While staying in Las Vegas (1998), in one of the hotel excersise rooms, the excercise bikes were linked in a race. Even had nintendo style joypads that allowed you to punch the rider next to you.

  45. This has been around for a long time by autopr0n · · Score: 2

    I remember reading about a unit that connected to the NES in Nintendo Power back in the day.

    --
    autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
  46. Re:this is stupid by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

    "I can't help noticing that you also don't mention why you think it's stupid. That's funny."

    Sorry, don't see why it's funny. I was responding to his post.

    Since you're going to troll, though, I suggest you look here at this post I made. You'll notice it's on of the early comments:

    http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=50556&cid=50 76 695

    I guess I could have been redundant and covered that in this post too just to save you from finding it funny. If my comment displayed sort of fault, I might.

  47. Fit geeks by ehiris · · Score: 2

    All geeks are going to turn into very fit health freaks.
    Being boring and dumb won't be synonym to being fit anymore.

  48. Jesus... by mlknowle · · Score: 2

    FOR CHRIST'S SAKE: GO OUTSIDE

    First, we invent the video game system, so you can get the thrill of sports without moving. Then, we pair it with an exercise machine... and you have a very expensive, not as good version of a bicycle... whatever.

  49. Re:And this is new? by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

    "Bug Report 1823: When movie-controller BSODs, evidently the pressure system gets locked on "Maximum". ..."

    Bug Report 1824: Somebody hacked in and is now sending pictures of AnonV Jr. around the net with a mustache painted on it.

  50. A Better Idea by m1a1 · · Score: 2

    A better idea would be have the bike hooked to a generator instead of a wall outlet. Now you have to pay for your time playing by riding a bike. The more power your game consumes, the longer you'll have to ride to earn those precious moments. This will create a whole new generation of athletic nerds, the likes of which has never been known to man.

  51. Power Pad by yerricde · · Score: 2

    Does anyone remember those mats that you could use on Nintendo with games like Track and Field?

    Called the Power Pad.

    I really ought to figure out how to work with NES hardware and the Power Pad so I can port DDR to the NES.

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  52. I'll Tell You Why by Greyfox · · Score: 2

    Those real SUVs that don't really want to share the road with you are WAAAY too high resolution. Seems like every day in the summer here some bike-riding hippie runs into some cell-phone-yacking soccer mom in a Maibatsu Monstrosity. The hippie inevitably loses...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:I'll Tell You Why by Captain+Large+Face · · Score: 2

      Two words: go offroad.

  53. Real old news (almost ten years old...) by jorlando · · Score: 2, Interesting

    in the early 80`s Atari had plans for a "exercise-bike". Look at a picture:

    http://www.atarihq.com/othersec/puffer/puff521.j pg

    that was fora 5200 videogame, but Atari intended to make models from the VCS to the 400 and 800 computers.

    More info at http://www.atarihq.com/othersec/puffer/

  54. Bring back the Power Pad! by yerricde · · Score: 2

    I'm sure you all know what Dance Dance Revolution is

    Yeah. It's that knockoff of Nintendo's own Dance Aerobics for the NES.

    All Nintendo needs to do to compete with Konami's DDR for Sony's hardware is re-introduce the Power Pad, adapt it to the GCN's joybus, rotate it 90 degrees anticlockwise, and publish "Mario Dance Party".

    --
    Will I retire or break 10K?
  55. I'll wait... by Jace+of+Fuse! · · Score: 2

    I'll wait until they have one that has an auto-pedal feature.

    --

    "Everything you know is wrong. (And stupid.)"

    Moderation Totals: Wrong=2, Stupid=3, Total=5.
  56. Re:this is stupid by Anonvmous+Coward · · Score: 2

    Yeah... you're right. Now that I think about it, I should have at least pointed out my previous post in that reply. Heh.

    Oh well. Cheers!

  57. Already did that by EvlPenguin · · Score: 3, Insightful

    It's too damn cold to run outside (being it is winter, and I live in frigid New York), so a few months ago I picked up a 1up Trainer which attaches to the rear wheel of my bike, in effect turning it into a stationary bike. However, it has the advantage of feeling like you're riding a real bike and not a stationary bike (which I never quite jived with).

    While it doesn't "control" a video game, it allows me to be right in front of my PS2 while pedaling. Hence, I can now play all those 100-hour RPGs and countless hours of Vice City while biking. The latter is especially fun, as you tend to pedal faster when there's a lot of tension going on in the game -- it gets the adrenaline pumping. I guess this is how I got to level 132 in Vigilante mode (the car flipped over and there was not another to be found... damnit!), and managed to pedal over 50 miles while doing it. Fun.

    --

    --
    #nohup cat /dev/dsp > /dev/hda & killall -9 getty
  58. Wow, pre-nintendo bike powered cam by Kaz+Riprock · · Score: 2


    The Maryland Science Center had (may still even have) a bike that powered a generator which lit a few lightbulbs. There was a really simple closed circuit cam too. As you pedalled harder and faster, you lit the lights and the camera was able to discern more and more of your face.

    The idea was to teach you about power and electricity. Pretty cool when you're only 5-10 years old.

    --
    Mordor...a magical, mythical land where women are more rare than dragons--but where every man would rather find a dragon
  59. Jaw just dropped... by krs-one · · Score: 2

    Wow, this is incredible. My fathers company, epicsoftware.com actually had an idea similar to this back in 1994 (or 95) when Doom I was at the height of its popularity. My fathers company is located in Houston, TX, which is about 4 hours away from where iD software is located (Mesquite, TX). Thus, my dad and his lead programmer went up to iD, spoke with Jay Wilbur and John Carmack about the idea. If I remember correctly, they thought it was a cool idea too. In their prototype, instead of a bike, they used a treadmill in which walking on the treadmill would move you through the Doom level. A prototype was developed and semi worked, but iD soon gave up on the idea (I believe, it might have been epic). Nevertheless, it was really cool.

    Also, this was when I was 9 or 10 (8 or 9 years ago), so I don't recall everything, but it was cool.

    -Vic

  60. I've seen these before. by An+Onerous+Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Winter of 1997, I spent a lot of time in the gym at Ft. Carson, Colorado. They had these cycles hooked up to displays, and you could pedal around this little game world. You steered by shifting your weight left and right. It was sadly non-violent, but you could race or just explore. You could even go underwater, but it was a lot harder to pedal.

    I don't remember the brand of the cycles, but they were pretty cool.

    --

    You want the truthiness? You can't handle the truthiness!

  61. Will somebody get this right? by Animats · · Score: 2
    I've been disappointed that my gym (Fitness 101, in Silicon Valley) doesn't have anything like this. I want a flight simulator that you pedal. We have exercise machines with TVs, but that's boring. For a while, we had track machines where you could surf the Internet while working out, but that vendor went out of business.

    PropCycle was fun, but as a coin-op, it's not a useful exercise device. It was a lousy flight sim, too.

    1. Re:Will somebody get this right? by Apotsy · · Score: 3, Interesting
      PropCycle was more than just fun, it was brilliant! I would hog that game for at least 15-20 minutes every time I went to Dave and Buster's until they took it out. It was really immersive, too. The last level gave me a bit of vertigo the first time I got to it.

      I don't understand why there hasn't been a sequel. That was one of the most ingenious arcade games ever made. I'd love to have a home version of it.

      --
      Free Hans!
  62. Pedal your way through a game of Joust... by 4ginandtonics · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ok to follow the theme. Pedaling to the oldies:

    Joust would lend itself quite well to the pedal-for-your-life concept.

    Now, if somebody would just brew up an easy interface for MAME, we'd be set!

    1. Re:Pedal your way through a game of Joust... by gl4ss · · Score: 2

      given the amount of mame cabs.. somebody just might have done this.

      it's not that big deal to wire the custom buttons you already have to be actuated by some pedals..

      hmm... damn i wish i would get enough free time(money&a place to do woodworks nearby) to build up my long delayed cab project..

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  63. I'd hate to smell by syphoon · · Score: 3, Funny

    A lan party of these type of games...

  64. My experience with the Eleton SimCycle by langles · · Score: 2, Informative
    This was an idea that I always wanted to try. The first model I bought was the CycleFX DirectControl for CycleFX ITS (PCs). It connects to your PC via a serial port. You can run the included "bicycling" games, but not any other games - unless you want to write a joystick driver for it. I didn't. The higher end PlayStation2 model looks like it should work nicely.

    The second model I bought was the Eloton SimCycle along with its GameBox accessory. This lets you plug the SimCycle into a gameport as the Y-Axis, shared with another gameport controller. This finally offered the experience I wanted.

    It's a matter of trial and error to find games that let you configure the Y-Axis as your speed or throttle. The reaction of the PC to changes in your pedaling speed is not instantaneous. I'd estimate there to be a .7 seconds delay. So it's best to use it in games where you are usually going forward but you would like to vary the speed. That generally means racing and flight sims. With a FPS like Unreal it's just not precise enough.

    Some of the games I've found to work well are:

    • WWII Fighters
    • Red Baron 3D
    • Falcon 4
    • MS Flight Simulator series
    • Rowan's Battle of Britain
    • Mig Alley
    • Panzer Elite
    • F1 2002
    • Papyrus' NASCAR series
    • Need for Speed series
    • Driver
    • Midtown Madness series
    • MechWarrior 3
    • RalliSport Challenge
    • Superbike 2001

    Most importantly, it works very well with Battlefield 1942, controlling my forward motion whether I'm an infantryman or driving a vehicle. In fact, because Battlefield 1942 is such an addicting game, I've been getting a lot of exercise lately! I like it a lot.

  65. DDR Freaks :-) by Midnight+Ryder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Um, it's a little more than just 'barely lifting your feet'. People who get into that game rarely stop without breaking a sweat. It'd certainly do me more good than the exercise bicycle that's covered in a protective layer of dust.

    DDR is now one of my three forms of exersize. (The other two: A membership to the gym which I use for weightlifting, but can't stand things like the bikes. The other is my wife. *Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink*) It's pretty easy to become a Code Potato, setting there in front of the computer not getting any exersize. Working for a computer related company during the day, and owning a game company at night does bad things for your physique ;-)

    Anyway - it's a hell of a lot of exersize, even when you learn how to dance 'optimally'. When you start out, you're jumpin' all over the place, trying to get the beat, etc. Once you've got it, you tone it down a lot, but, you start moving faster and faster, picking more complicated songs to work with. I own my own home setup (modified some Playstation pads for use on the PC, and grabbed StepMania to use with it) rather than dump tons o' quarters into an arcade machine or buy a PS. Plus, and overweight 31 year old white guy tryin' to DDR is NOT a pretty sight. Luckly, it improves the more time you spend on the pads. (IE - less overweight, a little more coordinated. However, I'm still a 31 year old white guy lookin' like a dork ;-)

    For anyone who's wondered if it works for weightloss, keeping you in shape, etc... I have no real clue. I assume it does. I work up a hell of a sweat, and have a lot of fun doing it. But I've also got a membership to a gym four blocks from here, so, it's hard to tell what makes the most difference.

    But I will say this in general for the idea o' workin' out and how it affects your coding skills - I always feel sharper and can work a lot farther into the night after I've been going to the gym consistently. :-)

    --

    Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr - looking for something to read? Check out my three free novels at MidnightRyder.org

  66. What about simply supplying power? by jcsehak · · Score: 2

    Game interfaces are cool and whatnot, but wouldn't it be cool if I could bike around a city and my laptop got charged as I looked for warchalked areas? Anyone know of any R&D going into that?

    --

    c-hack.com |
  67. Re:We don't see VR because of costs. by MSBob · · Score: 2

    None of this is even close to mainstream. Incidentally I played with some VR helmets that aspired to be 'mainstream' such as i-Glasses and CyberMaxx but they seem to have gone the way of the DoDo. It's too bad because I think they were ahead of their time... but only by a couple of years.

    --
    Your pizza just the way you ought to have it.
  68. Cycle interface contenders. modern. by quiddity · · Score: 2, Informative

    try
    eloton - minimal
    exergame
    fitcentric
    cyclefx
    velotron
    graber

    reality keeps interfering with my plans for world domination.

    looks like we're still an integration of all the required variables away. close though. 1 year maybe. (ignoring that this still includes no tilt sensing, and no force feedback. ahem)
    well, we still don't have pc's capable of playing unreal within the myst world. so...

    --
    .
    . hmmm
  69. i-Magic turbo trainer by doghouse41 · · Score: 2, Informative

    The i-Magic virtual reality cycle turbo trainer has started appearing in the cycling press over the last year or so. Details at:-
    Tacx web site

    This is not aimed at the game player, and rather more at the hard core cyclist who wants to train in the winter, but the principle is the same.

  70. Real-life cycling game! by Anonymous+Codger · · Score: 2

    Get on your real bike, hit the road, and play dodge 'em with all the SUV-driving cell-phone-yakking homicidal maniacs. If you win, you are rewarded with more physical fitness, and if you lose you get a long period of rest and relaxation as you recover from your injuries. Such fun!

    I used to play this game a lot until I had to take the R&R. Now I play a different game - playing dodge 'em with the headphone-listening unleashed-dog-walking oblivious folks on the multi-use trails.

    --
    No sig? Sigh...
  71. And then there's this... by RadioheadKid · · Score: 2

    Slot machine attached to exercise bike.

    --
    "Karma can only be portioned out by the cosmos." -Homer Simpson
  72. Prop Cycle by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 2

    Now THAT was a fun game!

    I wonder if there's a way to make a PC version. :)

    Even better: Multiplayer Combat Prop Cycle. Now THAT would be cool.

    --
    retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
  73. There's a non-DDR version too. by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 2

    It's called step aerobics...

    But DDR would be much more fun. :)

    --
    retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
  74. Multiplayer Prop Cycle by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 2

    Are there any open-source multiplayer combat flight simulators?

    Preferably not using jets.

    --
    retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
  75. Yiiikes... by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 2

    This makes me think of a location in Dark Age of Camelot. (For those that play: The area containing the road near West Downs in Albion). I call it the halfpipe...

    --
    retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?