ExerGaming Project
Caitlyn Kastner, Vanessa Flanders, Sinead McGourty, and Caelan Murphy
Kinesiology Department, SUNY Cortland
EXS 111: Computer Applications
8 December 2023
Abstract
In this project, we all examined different game applications in the style of active games. All of
these apps were designed to get players moving and engage in different physical activities. The
games examined were Pokemon Go, Just Dance, Zombies Run!, and Walkr. These games all
track distance or steps to achieve in-game rewards. We collected different data types including
biometric values: resting and active heart rate, distance achieved, and enjoyment evaluation.
After recording data, we came up with our own idea for our active game-style application. Our
app is Just Play! The purpose of this app is to help athletes improve their performance, allow
coaches to see personal workout performance, work to improve vital movements of specific
sports, and reach an audience of younger athletes.
Table Of Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................4
The Games...................................................................................................................................................4
Derived Values.............................................................................................................................................9
External Data.............................................................................................................................................10
Research Findings......................................................................................................................................10
Summary of Data.......................................................................................................................................10
Our Game Proposal: Just Play....................................................................................................................10
Bibliography...............................................................................................................................................12
Appendix A: Table of Data.........................................................................................................................13
Appendix B: Chart 1...................................................................................................................................14
Appendix C: Chart 2...................................................................................................................................15
Introduction
It’s important to stay active and healthy in life. However, for some, it is difficult to incorporate
daily activity and fitness into everyday life. With the direct reach to technology that we have it
can make incorporating exercise into our daily lives easier. Through activity apps, your device
can track your heart rate, distance achieved, and even calories burned. Combining the fun of an
activity app and the data tracked it can create a fun and easy way to incorporate daily exercise
into a busy schedule.
The Games
We all played 4 different games and tracked our results for 5 days. Each game tracked specific
data such as distance and steps in order to achieve rewards. Pokemon Go had players walking to
catch Pokemon and achieve rewards. Just Dance tracks steps and movements to achieve rewards
(points, stars, and climb leaderboard). Zombies, Run! tracks distance to gain rewards and save
people and towns from zombies. Walkr records steps to gain rewards to build a spaceship to
reach new planets. Each game will be described by the player below.
Pokemon Go
Caitie Kastner
I started playing Pokemon Go for this project and the game was easy to understand and get the
hang of. This game is good for getting someone up and moving and this game got me up and
moving as well. I am not someone who would generally enjoy this game but with the motivation
to catch the Pokemon, I enjoyed it. This game is good for walking around and getting up and
going outside.
History of Pokemon Go
Pokemon Go was released on July 19th, 2016, and developed by the Pokemon Company and
Niantic Labs, which is a former division of Google. Pokemon Go was the first launch of
Nintendo’s first venture into mobile gaming. This game is available on iOS and Android
devices. Pokemon Go generated about 4 billion dollars in lifetime IAP. It involves catching,
training, and battling Pokemon in real-world settings.
Game Mechanics
The game though catches a digital character called Pokemon. The Pokemon are found and
caught near “Poke-Stops”. To catch Pokemon is to throw Pokeballs until you capture them. You
can also take Pokemons called gyms. At gyms, you fight other player's Pokemon or even try to
capture a boss’s Pokemon.
My Review
I did enjoy playing this game. It is easy to understand and fun to play, but it can be difficult to
really understand the many parts of the game. It also provides good physical activity and is a
good way to get players up and moving. Pokemon Go is also free and readily available for all
players. Overall, I really enjoyed playing Pokemon Go and had fun while staying active.
Just Dance
Vanessa Flanders
I downloaded and played Just Dance for the Exergame project. I have played it multiple times
before on a Wii but for this project, I used my phone. This is a good game to get people
exercising and moving, while also having fun. It is great to play with a group of friends to get
active.
History of Just Dance
Just Dance was released in 2009 by Ubisoft Milan and Ubisoft Paris, it was first released only for
use on a Wii but can now be played on any mobile device as long as you download the new app.
This is a hugely profitable game, the Just Dance company has sold over 80 million copies
worldwide with over 140 million players total.
Game Mechanics
To play the game you can play on a Wii with a remote, or by connecting a phone to a computer.
Once connected, there are over 500+ songs to choose from. Once you choose a song, your phone
will track your moves and steps as you dance to the prompted moves. Once your dance is
complete, you can check your stats and see who won the dance out of the group you were
playing with.
My Review
I had a really fun time playing this game. It is a very fun way to incorporate exercise into your
life while also having a good time with friends. I was able to wear my Apple watch while
playing this game which also allowed me to track my steps and heart rate. This is a great free
game to spend your free time with and overall very entertaining.
Zombies! Run!
Sinead McGourty
I downloaded and started playing Zombies Run for the Exergame project. I had never played it
before so I had to play with it a bit before finally getting the hang of it. Once I got the hang of it
it was very simple and easy to use. I downloaded this app on my phone and was able to use it
while walking to classes. It is a good way to make the long boring walks entertaining.
History of Zombies Run
Zombies Run was first released in 2012 by British Studio Six. Then Naomi Alderman launched it
on IOS and Android platforms. This game is only able to be played on a smartphone. The app
has had a great number of users as they average £25 revenue per user. With 300,000 monthly
active users 50,000 of whom have a subscription to the app, Zombies Run is very popular
amongst people.
Game Mechanics
To play Zombies Run players are challenged to outrun/walk zombies. The app tracks your pace
as you are moving. In the background, there is someone telling a story of the town and the
struggle they have with zombies. The further you travel the more items you collect which you
can use to then save the town. Once you finish your walk/run the game will tell you what you
collected.
My Review
Overall this is a very interesting game. I was intrigued by playing it but I don’t know if I would
play it every day. I feel like males might enjoy it better just because of the story and the
background. Although it did make me walk more which is the point of the app I would say it
does do its job. This app is also free which is another bonus because most exercise apps require
you to purchase them.
Walkr
Caelan Murphy
I downloaded the walkr app on my phone for the exergame project. I had never played it before
using it for this project, so it was completely new to me. The game is pretty simple and didn’t
take too long to figure out. It was a good way to keep track of my movement and exercise. It
tracked everything for me without me actually having to go onto the app at all.
History of Walkr
The Walkr app was realeased in 2014. The Fourdesire co, LTD created it. It is a mobile app that
was created to encourage people to walk and run more to keep them active. The app is
downloadable on android and IOS devices. The app is used by many and was successful in
accomplishing their goal of motivating people to move more. Walkr is reported to have over
500,000 users enjoying it. To make profits, subscribers pay $1.99 a month to keep their
subscriptions.
Game Mechanics
To play the walkr game, all the player must do is walk! The app tracks and records your steps
daily using a built-in pedometer that is working even when the user is not actively on the app. As
the app tracks your steps the steps allow you to power your spaceship. As your spaceship goes
farther you are able to unlock new planets, this encourages you to stay active. The more you
walk the more rewards you can get. The app also calculates calories burned and can be played
with friends as well.
My review
I enjoyed using the walkr app. It was simple to use and easy to play. I liked that it kept track of
all my steps, how many calories I burned, as well as my rewards even when I wasn’t in the app. I
don’t know of many apps like this that have the space theme. Without using the app, I would not
have tracked any of my steps or how many calories I burned. The app motivated me to be more
active to continue getting rewards as well which was a good motivator!
Our Research
Measured Statistics
For 5 days we used a variety of apps that encourage people to exercise. The data collected by
these apps was not sufficient for some, so we had to use outside resources to measure some data.
For example, a smartwatch and a health app. Some data we found that was common amongst
apps were steps taken, distance, and location. Then with these statistics measured, we derived
values.
Derived Values
One common derived value was points. This was done to make the player continue playing the
game. The more points you collect the better outcome you have therefore it keeps the player
engaged for longer. Most apps had a geographic location in which the outside world was
technically a part of the game. Where you traveled depended on what items or points were
collected. This also goes for the distance you traveled. The farther you go the more you earn
making the player not want to stop playing. Just Dance includes a leaderboard that judges your
movements and tells you if you're doing good or bad. This forces the player to strongly focus and
engage with the game.
External Data
All of us have the health app on our phones which automatically detects heart rate and steps. We
used this to our advantage and took note of this data as we played our games. We also all had a
smart watch which helped us get accurate heart rates.
Research Findings
We found that the more interactive games were more enjoyed such as Just Dance and Pokemon
Go. We used this conclusion to come up with our own idea, making sure the users would be
actively engaged with our app. We also found that smartwatches helped collect a lot of data
while using all of the apps so we decided to include it in ours. All of the apps we used had
similar mechanics. Just Dance was the most enjoyable but had the least mechanics, outside
equipment was needed to measure data.
Summary of Data
There were no visible trends in our data. Just Dance had the highest heart rate but it was the most
interactive so that makes sense. All the other apps had a similar heart rate because they were
walking games. Zombies Run had the second highest heart rate but it was the least enjoyed.
Our Game Proposal: Just Play
These days almost everyone is playing some type of sport and the world is getting creative with
technology. Just Play is a sporting app that requires a smartwatch or some sort of electronic
device. Which almost everyone has these days. You can connect your watch to the app and
complete different skills that correlate with your sport to improve your performance or simply
just to have fun.
Special Equipment
For our game you will need some kind of smartwatch to track certain statistics such as active
HR, distance, speed, and distance. Other than that all you will need is the app downloaded on
your phone so that you can connect your phone to your smartwatch and allow it to track more
things.
Game Mechanics
To play this game you will have to connect your active watch to your phone/the app and select
the sport you will be playing. You can then select the workout within that sport, if your coach
has assigned you a workout you can select it in that section to do the personal workouts you have
been assigned. You will then complete the workout to see the statistics afterward including
accuracy. If your coach is linked to your account, the workout statistics will be sent to them so
they can see and evaluate your completed workout.
Proposed Issues
Tracking-
Someone asked how we would track the movements of the users. Well, our idea is to have a ball
that connects to your device to show movements. This device would be able to show you the data
and you also have the option of sending it to a coach if you want.
Privacy-
A concern came up about privacy. There are settings that come with the app allowing you to
control who sees your data. You can make it completely private so you are the only one with
access to it or, you can share it with coaches and have them see certain data. But the whole
account is only accessible to you unless you give your login info to someone else.
Workouts-
Will the workouts be the same? No! There are a bunch of different skills to choose from so if
you are not feeling one you can go to the next. The app can also program specific daily or
weekly workouts if you have a certain goal or want to get better at a specific skill.
Purpose of the Application
The purpose of our app is to help athletes (specifically high school and middle school) work and
improve skills outside of practice and games. It will allow coaches to create workouts and see the
statistics of the workout throughout many different sport-specific activities.
Bibliography
Clement, J. “Pokémon GO revenue worldwide.” Statista, 7 August 2023,
https://www.statista.com/statistics/882474/pokemon-go-all-time-player-spending/%E2%80%8B.
Accessed 3 December 2023.
“Home App Data Pokémon Go Revenue and Usage Statistics.” Business of Apps, 9 January
2023, https://www.businessofapps.com/data/pokemon-go-statistics/%E2%80%8B. Accessed 3
December 2023.
“Ubisoft.” Ubisoft Company, https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/company/about-us/our-brands/just-
dance%20%E2%80%8B. Accessed 3 December 2023.
“Ubisoft.” Ubisoft Company, https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/company/about-us/our-brands/just-
dance%E2%80%8B%20%E2%80%8B. Accessed 3 December 2023.
“Walkr - a Gamified Fitness App.” Common Sense Media, Reviewer., 7 January 2018,
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/app-reviews/walkr-a-gamified-fitness-app
%20%E2%80%8B. Accessed 3 December 2023.
“Walkr - Fit with Fun Walking Game | SPARKFUL.” Fourdesire, Inc, https://sparkful.app/walkr.
Accessed 3 December 2023.
“Zombies Run - Company Profile.” Tracxn,
https://tracxn.com/d/companies/zombies-run/__k7l7NBXyFivThUkCXKLFI8VN6wosn_S2bff6
9d6xxEQ%20%E2%80%8B. Accessed 3 December 2023.
“Zombies, Run Dev Six to Start Acquired for $9.5m.” GamesIndustry.biz, 8 March 2021,
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/zombies-run-dev-six-to-start-acquired-for-usd9-5m. Accessed 3
December 2023.
Appendix A: Table of Data
DISTA DISTA DISTA DISTA TOT AVG
STUDE RESTIN NCE 1 ACTIVE NCE 2 ACTIVE NCE 3 ACTIVE NCE 4 ACTIVE DISTA DISTA AVG ENJOY
NT G BPM GAME KM HR KM HR2 KM HR3 KM HR4 NCE NCE HR MENT
Poke
Caitie mon
K. 75 Go 1 86 1.2 87 0.9 86 1.2 88 1.2 1.075 86.75 3
Zombi 111
Sinea 45 es 83bp 101bp 64bp 89.75
d bpm Run! 1.5km m 0.7km bpm 0.8km m 1km m 4km 1km bpm 2
Just
Vanes Dance 108.3
sa 77 Go 1.2km 102 0.9km 114 1.4km 122 0.5km 96 4km 1km 2km 4
caelan
murp 4.56 5.0 7.3 23.26 5.8
hy 78. Walkr 6.4km 87 km 86 km 88 km 85 km km 86.5 3
Appendix B: Chart 1
Appendix C: Chart 2
