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New Gamepad Designed To Build Muscles?

Posted by simoniker on from the be-strong-and-beautiful dept.

Robmonster writes "The BBC are reporting a story about a product designed to address both exercise and videogaming in one fell swoop. According to the piece: 'A new type of gamepad from a US fitness equipment company aims to turn the couch potato gamer stereotype on its head. The Kilowatt controller by Powergrid Fitness is designed to build up muscle while playing a PlayStation 2, Xbox or PC game." The article explains: "In a racing game like Gran Turismo, the harder you push on the joystick, the faster a car goes, while pulling back slows down the vehicle."

17 of 441 comments (clear)

  1. White House Approved Lifestyle by Eyah....TIMMY · · Score: 4, Funny

    We might need it as the White House recommends we eat junk food (usually the preffered gaming food) as long as we excercise.

    The World Health Organization recommends eating better but they have probably never played video games.

    --

    It is not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well. - Rene Descartes (1637)
  2. not new. by bludstone · · Score: 4, Funny

    Its called a dance dance revolution pad, and those have been around for years.

    (I obviously havnt read the article)

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    no .sig
    1. Re:not new. by FatAlb3rt · · Score: 5, Funny

      [whispering] Tommy, I wouldn't mess with him ... he plays video games!

    2. Re:not new. by micromoog · · Score: 5, Funny

      It's way older than that . . . the NES Power Pad showed up in the 80s. It may have encouraged a bit of exercise at first, but kids quickly discovered that if you pushed the pads with your fingers instead of your feet, you could easily make the character run at instant-heart-attack speeds.

  3. I can see it now... by tinrobot · · Score: 4, Funny

    Geeky gamers with Popeye arms...

    1. Re:I can see it now... by tommck · · Score: 4, Funny

      I thought most of them already had Popeye arms from ... well... you know...

      --
      ---- It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. It does this whenever it's told.
    2. Re:I can see it now... by frodo+from+middle+ea · · Score: 4, Funny

      from pressing CTR-ALT-DEL ?

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      for the last time people, I am "frodo from middle eaRTH", not "middle eaST".
    3. Re:I can see it now... by tommck · · Score: 3, Funny

      well, actually I alternate occasionally... it feels like someone else is doing it... :)

      --
      ---- It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. It does this whenever it's told.
  4. This is great by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now I can give up my total reliance on masterbating for exercise!

    1. Re:This is great by greygent · · Score: 4, Funny

      Still, it's always good to include masturbation as a part of your fitness regime, for a couple reasons:

      1.) It builds strong forearm muscles (Make sure to swap hands, occasionally for equal development of both forearms. Hey, it's "like a new lover!").

      2.) Good for the prostrate and related muscles.

  5. If you want a workout by ilsie · · Score: 4, Funny

    try playing Soul Calibur II with a Dance Dance Revolution pad.

  6. Re:This would be more helpful by Nutt · · Score: 4, Funny

    If that existed I'd give it about a day (max) for someone to post on here a way to hook up a v8 engine to turn/power/whatever the device and be able to compile gentoo with every package in ONLY 15 MINUTES!

  7. York has a new fitness game for geeks... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...called 'Gravity Warrior.' Instead of a joystick, it uses a metallic bar as the gaming device. You load a series of 'mass regulators' onto each end of the game controller. It creates a very dramatic simulation of gravity that is much more realistic than some force feedback joystick. I've played Gravity Warrior until my arms could no longer move! Its most safely played with two players. The post-game ritual includes a series of high-fives and mutual butt slapping irregardless of who actually won the game as show of good sportsmanship. Gravity Warrior gamers greet each other with the secret code words 'whatcha bench?' in sign of community brotherhood.

  8. Why buy? by TheConfusedOne · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just go into the local bar and insult the biggest guy in there.

    --
    --- I wish I could hear the soundtrack to my life. That way I'd know when to duck.
  9. Even older... by phorm · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's called pr0n. It's been around for a very long time, and geeks have been exercising their arms with it since near the beginning. Modern versions included usage of such tools as "edonkey" or "newgroups"

  10. Another right handed exercise.. by phelix_da_kat · · Score: 3, Funny
    "In a racing game like Gran Turismo, the harder you push on the joystick, the faster a car goes, while pulling back slows down the vehicle."

    Ok, you get a strong right hand, right arm, right everyting..

    There are other exercises you can do to achieve the same result :-D

    We should stick to Dance Revolution, at least the side effect is that you can pretend to have a fit.

  11. Re:We need a total body workout by Guppy06 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Unless you're one of those mythical female geeks, I do not want to hear about what your legs look like.