There's a new fitness game in town and it's ready to work you out and make you sweat. Your Shape ($69), a new Wii game by Ubisoft, makes Jenny McCarthy your workout coach and training buddy so you don't have to sweat it out alone.
The game comes with a camera that you perch on your TV; it captures your image and plays it on your TV so you move with a reflection of yourself, like looking in a mirror. The camera also monitors your movements, and if you slack off, Jenny will let you know — she also gives you praise when you make a correction. Who couldn't use an ego boost mid-workout?
To learn more about the game, continue reading.
Aside from exercising next to the perky animated McCarthy, the game tailors workouts to you in type, length, and difficulty level. The game includes 400 exercises, so your workouts are never the same, which keeps you on your toes and busts the boredom common to home workouts. You can select to focus on cardio, strength training, or toning exercises, and focus on a specific body part. I selected a 15-minute burn, aka cardio, focusing on my backside. After a five-minute warmup, I did many lunges and kicks peppered with some old-school aerobics moves. When my grapevine turned sloppy, Jenny chimed in, "Please follow me." When I corrected my footwork she gave a "Fantastic!" You can also have the game add in exercises with equipment you already own, like an exercise ball, hand weights, or an aerobic step. Unlike many Wii Fit games, Your Shape creates a continuous workout and you can sweat it out for 45 minutes nonstop.
You begin playing the game with a fitness test, and every nine workouts you take the test again to assess your improvement. You can compete with other users registered to your game — up to four. The game drops Nov. 24, and will be available at Amazon, Target, Walmart, and other large retailers. If you're more of a mobile game player (or your kids hog the TV or the Wii), a PC version of the game, also $69, will be available for purchase in early December. This version comes with the camera as well so you can work out with Jenny anywhere.
Check out more images of the game.
Skechers
Fendi
Rocha.John Rocha
This sounds neat. Was there any time delay between your actual movements and the video image of yourself?
1this looks pretty cool.
i notice on the picture it shows the calorie burn of the workout. how does the game know? do you have to wear a special attachment or does your own heart rate monitor sync with the game?
2I would caution people here from buying this. Wii is notorious for junkware, and celebrity exercise games have been the worst offenders lately.
What do you think is more likely - that the company developing this spent the money to make the camera interpret gestures correctly, something Microsoft's multi-million dollar project Natal MIGHT accomplish in a few years? Or that it's just a cheap piece of software with Jenny's name on it and a camera that doesn't work?
I love Jenny, but unless the reviews are stellar, it's safe to assume this game sucks.
3I disagree that it's junkware. I don't think this is the ONLY workout regime anyone should have- and in general with these games you have to know good form- but it's better than sitting on the couch and playing games, which is still what most people do.
I'm not sure I'd be buying this game. It sounds fun, but I hate that every game that comes out come with some attachment that you have to pay extra $$ for. The games are expensive enough as is for $50. Maybe I'll consider after the price drops. It seems sort of similar to EA sports active in terms of giving you a good workout...
4EA Sports was an awesome aberration, though the bands that came with it were garbage.
I'm not saying definitively that it's junkware, I'm saying it's probably junkware. I think we'll have to read some reviews to know for sure. Still - the industry tends to poo on any game that's female friendly. What a shocker since the reviewers are almost always men.
I'm willing to withhold judgement - but if the camera works well, I'll eat my hat.
5Yogaforlife,
6There wasn't a delay in the imaging. The calorie count on the screen is an estimate of calories burned based on your weight. The game is not compatible with heart rate monitors.
ok, i have purchased this game and it is 1000% safe to say its a piece of junk. waste of my money. it is nothing like the commercial. its exactly like my wieght coach, just with the camera.
7I am a fan of ea sport active with the Wii but it has its drawbacks-mainly the clumsiness of the remotes as you are trying to keep proper form through each movement. I was hoping Your Shape would solve these issues. It is not at all what I was hoping for! It is a piece of junk! Jenny decides your work-out and there is no way to delete an exercise you don't like. It is so frustrating. The camera will not read me no matter how much my clothing is in contrast to the background. If you are looking for something to make you throw your hands up in the air and vow to be a couch potato for the rest of your life this game can get you there! I will personally stick to Wii fit and Ea sport active and more work-outs to help stay motivated.
8It doesn't read me at all. I use to work out in a gym 5 days a week. I know my moves. It says I'm doing them wrong all the time. I have to stand really far to get my feet and lower legs in view. I really wished I had have gotten something else.
9I purchased this game the other day and i'm really enjoying it. I am a gym junkie and this game makes me sweat as much as any gym class.
10I have had no problem with the camera reading me with no time delay. It can tell when i get a bit lazy eg with my arms- it really makes sure you are performing the exercises to get the best results.
This game is far better than Wii Fit, because you can work non-stop for an extended period of time, unlike the Wii Fit which only allows one exercise at a time for a few short minutes. The other benefit is you are remote free while doing the exercise.
Every time i have exercised it works out how well i did and changes the workout for next time- i have noticed if i perform well it will make it harder for next time.
I am not sure the calorie counter is very accurate though- i'd probably half the amount it says that you have burned. I just finished a 30min workout and it said i burnt 616 calories, but i think i only burnt about 300, because i know that if i jog non-stop for 30min on a treadmill i only burn approx 350 calories according to the treadmill.
Anyone who doesnt like this game- isnt serious about exercise.
THE GAME COMES WITH THE CAMERA- You DO NOT have to purchase one separately!!!
11First of all. This game is NOT like it is advertised.
1) The gameplay screen shown in the game trailer is different than the one that is actually used in the game.
2) The camera is average, nothing better than an average webcam, and you need pretty good lighting in your room
3) While it says you can use weights, a step-up stair(or whatever the hell that is), or a stability ball.......I can't seem to get one damn workout to incorporate these. Even when Jenny asks, what kind of equipment are you using today, and i select the stability ball, the entire workout = NOT ONE DAMN stability ball exercise. It's all bullsh*t side-stepping and what not. So how the hell do i incorporate extra equipment? FAIL
4) The calories burnt is only derived based on your height and weight. There is no additional means to establish a target heart rate, or anything outside of the game just running a "calories burned" counter that runs like a stopwatch as the workout begins. FAIL
5) However, the positive part about this game is that it requires you be a little more concentrated with the form of the moves and exercises in order to ensure accuracy, therefore you can't just "go through the motions" like a lot of people end up doing in a real aerobics room with 20 other people. You are given a % of how accurate your moves are and that is a good motivator to keep strict form, therefore putting a longer duration of stress on your muscles throughout the movement of each exercise. Which gives a good burn.
Conclusion: 4/10. There are just too many things about this game that piss me off. You kind of have to "humor" the game, and "get used" to its faults so that you can actually get a good workout. It isn't AT ALL as smooth or easy to execute as it shows in the game trailer.
12This game is great. There is hardly any time delay and you do not need any special equipment. It is a reasonable price and well worth buying it. It evaluates your body shape and fitness level so your workouts are challenging but achievable and to my amazment I managed to burn 200 cals in a 15 minute workout, so very good if you are streched for time.
13Post New Comment
Please share your opinion with our community, but make sure it is on topic and follows our Community Rules. We moderate comments and prohibit personal attacks, threats, spam, lewd images, or the promotion of your personal website.