Ground-breaking motion-sensing video game peripheral jOG, compatible with Nintendo Wii, today goes on sale across the UK to widespread acclaim, having been recently voted the number one product of Toy Fair 2009 by The Gadget Show, rated ‘Essential Gadget’ by The Sun and featured on Jo Whiley’s gaming spot on BBC Radio 1.
jOG is a unique accessory that works with many existing Wii games – quite simply, to move in the game, you have to jog on the spot. Connected between the Nunchuk and Wiimote, then clipped to the belt of the player, jOG detects when the player takes a step and translates that to game character movement, creating a feedback loop that immerses players deeper into the game play while compelling them to take light exercise. It works with any game that uses the Nunchuk stick for character control, effectively the majority of adventure, shooter, RPG, kids and sports games. jOG requires no special versions of game software to operate: players just plug in and go. What’s more, for games which allow multiple players at the same time, you can connect as many jOGs as the game supports – enabling the whole family to join in the fun.
“We’re absolutely delighted gamers can get their hands on the hottest new accessory for Wii from today – one that’s great value for money and works with their existing games,” said Brendan Ludden, Managing Director, New Concept Gaming. “We really proud that we’ve achieved what we set out to do – to produce a unique accessory that adds to the sense of immersion as you play your favourite games, is enormous fun, and contributes to your daily recommended exercise.”
An independent report from John Moores University in Liverpool revealed that one hour using jOG to play a typical Wii game can involve taking as many as 10,000 steps – that’s the number the government recommends adults take each day to stay healthy. Not only that, using jOG more than tripled energy expenditure and increased heart rate by 40% in the young adults who participated in the tests.
jOG for Wii is available today on the UK High Street from Argos and from online retailers including www.game.co.uk and www.firebox.com, with a RRP of £24.99. For more information about jOG, consumers and editors should point their browser at www.jog2play.com.