ProjectProposal-JeffreyRosen
From CS 160 Fall 2008
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Target User Group
The target user group consists of hardcore gamers who get little exercise. Ideally, the user either has a bike, is ok with running, or can participate in any kind of cardiovascular exercise with a measurable output.
Problem Description
This problem covers obesity and less than optimal health caused by a lack of exercise. Video gamers in particular are at high risk because their hobby is sedentary.
Problem Context and Forces
Hardcore gamers have a ton of free time, tend to be younger, and are avid computer users. Products that target this demographic that already exist are Wii Fit, and to an extent, the Nike+iPod device. The Nike+iPod step tracker is only used by people who already run. I don't really see it motivating a hardcore gamer to get exercise as it does little more than chart your runs on your iPod. Wii Fit is anything but a hardcore game and does not attract people who tend to play games very seriously. It also has a high barrier to entry as it requires a Wii console and a large investment, and realistically, how much cardiovascular exercise does it really get you?
Solution Sketch
My solution involves motivating gamers to get exercise by building incentives into the hardcore games that they already play, using low barrier exercises available to them already, for example, biking or jogging. The idea is in the form of a web application, fit-code.com, that interfaces with existing video games as a plugin, interfaces with a small odometer or step tracker to get input, and motivates gamers to exercise by giving them rewards in their favorite games.
Here's how I see it working, in the case of biking: The gamer attaches a fit-code.com compatible odometer to their bike. After biking, the gamer presses the fit-code button and an encrypted code representing the odometer data is displayed on the screen.
The gamer then goes to their fit-code.com page and enters the code, which adds all of the odometer's data to their page.
Fit-code.com will have a public API that allows games to integrate with it. For example, based on the distance that you bike you get a certain amount of points. In the game, you can press F3, for example, which will cause your character to become stronger temporarily, and deducts points from your fit-code account. The gamer is then motivated to bike more so that they can refill their fit-code points.
For the purposes of this class, I propose to
- Build the fit-code.com web application.
- Modify a programmable bike odometer to produce fit-code.com compatible hashes
- Create a plugin for an existing video game that lets you power up your character in some way and debits your fit-code.com account.
