Table tennis champion Nikolaus McClellan wiped his brow as he exultantly described his victory over more than 30 competitors at The Grid Lab on Tuesday and the resulting throbbing in his arm after playing four games.
But the tournament did not involve any tables or paddles, and it did not involve any ping-pong balls either.
The only equipment were Nintendo Wii remotes that allowed competitors to simulate real table tennis techniques while trying out Rockstar Games’ debut table tennis game for the Wii and Xbox 360.
Despite a lack of traditional equipment, some gamers and exercise professionals consider interactive sports video games a form of alternate exercise.
While many avid Wii Sports players have documented weight loss online from playing the games, Jill Wagner, an Ohio University physical education professor, is documenting the fitness benefits of exercise video games in an experimental course.
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