Fitness games have truly taken off over the last year, due in no small part to the success of Wii Fit.
Nintendo’s self-improvement title has proved in its first year of release that such software can achieve impressive sales throughout the year, unconstrained by the traditional Christmas-centric sales trends of more traditional games.
Ubisoft went on to prove this further with My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape back in January.
Released to capitalise on the post-Christmas fitness fad that seizes the UK every year, the game performed well at retail and prompted the published to expand on the new brand with an upcoming sequel this summer.
My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout arrives in time for the summer holidays and has been designed to continue the work started by Get In Shape.
WITNESS THE FITNESS
Introducing new exercises that not only work as a standalone routine but also complement those of the first game, Ubisoft is confident Cardio Workout will stand out in a competitive market.
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“My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout follows up on the success of My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape, which has sold 200,000 units to date in the UK,” says Ubisoft’s brand manager Ombeline Wallon.
“There is obviously more competition now with the recent releases of EA Sports Active and Jillian Michael’s Fitness Ultimatum, but thanks to our early start in January, we believe My Fitness Coach as a brand now stands out in consumers’ minds.”
While Get In Shape offered a general workout, built to improve the body’s overall fitness, Ubisoft has chosen to specialise with the sequel. Focusing on a different and crucial area health, Cardio Workout lives up to its namesake with carefully chosen exercises.
“My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout specifically focuses on cardio training,” says Wallon. “All the exercises are inspired by boxing, so you will find yourself punching mitts, doing squats on the Wii Balance Board, skipping or learning punch routines. Boxing exercises are a great way to improve fitness and have been used in gyms for a while now with Boxercise routines.”
Making the package as accessible as possible, the developers have included five varieties of lesson programmes catering for fitness fans at different levels, from beginner to advanced. There are also ten different types of routines prepared, ensuring that users will find both variety and replay value.
FEEL THE BURN
The game tracks data from each workout, allowing players to browse through their results in various graphs and charts, with a calendar displaying how often they have used Cardio Workout.
Data can be assigned to a customisable avatar, which can be kitted out with clothing and fitness accessories unlocked by performing well in the workouts.
Given the success of the original game, Ubisoft is confident that an audience for Cardio Workout has already been established.
As well as the users who benefited from Get In Shape and those looking for an alternative to Wii Fit, the publisher has been working hard to introduce the brand to a larger audience.
“My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape has been a good steady seller since launch and we can expect My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout to follow a similar trend. There is more competition now but the Fitness Coach brand now resonates with consumers and the positive word of mouth on My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape will strengthen the position of Cardio Workout.
“My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout releases in July, right at the end of our ‘Step Into Summer’ campaign, which heavily featured My Fitness Coach: Get In Shape. The brand is now in consumers’ minds, which is great
for the launch of My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout.”
