Drawing Parallels Between Web 2.0 and Games for Health Biray Alsac, MS Fitness Technologist 5 th Annual Games For Health 2009 Boston, MA www.BeFitWithBiray.com “ Your Guide to Exercising the Web”

Web 2.0 is much more user-generated, user-centric and interactive (instead of information-driven and passive)

Broadband allows for more data exchange, increasing expectations of immediacy, real-time 24 / 7 Chat

Open-source opportunities Promote building, remixing, sharing

Wired-to-Wireless lets people be more mobile and less confined to specific spaces

Community-Driven, Social Networking made easy (Conversations evolve around who you are, not always on what you say)

“ Sitting in front of the PC is taking its toll... I have begun to get a little heavier around the waist… I don't have the luxury of just getting out of the house/office. And being an introvert, I'm not enamored of the idea of exercising in full view of *shudder* people…"

MISUNDERSTOOD IRRELEVANT OVERWHELMING

ONLINE CULTURE REAL-TIME AUDIENCE

ASSESSMENTS

ACTIVITY Add Your Own

TRACKING You can also track an activity you currently engage in and compare with other ‘friends’

“ GAME”

Motivational messages on Profile ‘wall’ when user reaches goals. FEEDBACK (Improve & Stay Motivated) BioFeedback Unlock Exercises Motivational Cues “Good Job” when player reaches certain levels

SESSION OVER! Turn off the Wii-Fit (all data stored in console) Sign Off DailyBurn (all data is stored online) Email when you haven’t logged in for a week. iPhone App to pick up where you left off.

Observations Web 2.0 is accessible, therefore fitness professionals and health educators/promoters are already participating in this space. Do games for health/exergames limit or enhance a professional’s role (beyond simply facilitating and/or encouraging game play)?

Web 2.0 is accessible, therefore fitness professionals and health educators/promoters are already participating in this space.

Do games for health/exergames limit or enhance a professional’s role (beyond simply facilitating and/or encouraging game play)?

Observations What does web 2.0 tell us about our health games? What do games tell us about web 2.0? How do we effectively marry these two cultures together (and go outside of providing a support community/forums for a game, push for mobile technologies)?

What does web 2.0 tell us about our health games?

What do games tell us about web 2.0?

How do we effectively marry these two cultures together (and go outside of providing a support community/forums for a game, push for mobile technologies)?

Observations Web 2.0/online culture tells health/fitness professionals and educators about a newer audience – ‘overfat-thin’ sedentary person (tech-savvy, digital native). More research needed to try to understand this audiences’ motivations and needs when designing games? (Millennials/Gen Y, Gen Alpha)

Web 2.0/online culture tells health/fitness professionals and educators about a newer audience – ‘overfat-thin’ sedentary person (tech-savvy, digital native).

More research needed to try to understand this audiences’ motivations and needs when designing games? (Millennials/Gen Y, Gen Alpha)

Observations More interventions that incorporate the culture or analyze the impact of these tools How do we quantify motivation or qualify health behavior change cross-platforms?

More interventions that incorporate the culture or analyze the impact of these tools

How do we quantify motivation or qualify health behavior change cross-platforms?

Drawing Parallels Between Web 2.0 and Games for Health Biray Alsac, MS Fitness Technologist [email_address] Skype / Twitter: befitt 5 th Annual Games For Health 2009 Boston, MA www.BeFitWithBiray.com “ Your Guide to Exercising the Web”