Exercise My Game: Turning Off-The-Shelf Games into Exergames

The Exercise My Game (XMG) framework addresses the limitations of current exergames, which often suffer from repetitive gameplay and limited long-term motivation compared to high-budget commercial titles. By providing a structured design approach, XMG enables the transformation of off-the-shelf, sedentary action games into full-body, motion-based experiences. The primary thesis is that leveraging the high-quality assets, deep storylines, and established engagement mechanics of existing AAA games can significantly improve the appeal and effectiveness of exercise-oriented gaming.

The framework operates through four distinct stages: selecting a suitable game, creating a control overlay, designing a feedback overlay, and adapting workout intensity. The selection process favors first-person action games, as their humanoid avatars and immersive perspectives allow for more intuitive mapping of physical gestures to standard game controls. The control overlay utilizes motion-tracking technology, such as the Microsoft Kinect, to translate physical locomotion and specific exercises into virtual inputs. Simultaneously, the feedback overlay integrates necessary motion-tracking data—such as gesture recognition status and exercise progress—directly into the game’s existing interface without disrupting the user experience.

To demonstrate the framework, the researchers developed Sportal, an adaptation of the popular title Portal 2. This implementation utilized walking-in-place algorithms and specific gymnastics-based movements to control the game, while custom-built levels allowed for the calibration of physical intensity. The study concludes that this methodology successfully bridges the gap between sedentary gaming and physical activity, offering a viable path to increase exercise engagement among both casual and dedicated gamers. Future efforts aim to formalize these design principles into a comprehensive software toolkit to further simplify the conversion of commercial games into active, health-promoting experiences.