Yourself!Fitness

Yourself!Fitness
Developer(s)	Respondesign
Publisher(s)	Respondesign
Engine	RenderWare
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC
Release date(s)	October 8, 2004 (Xbox) February 2, 2005 (PS2) March 5, 2005 (PC)
Genre(s)	Exergaming
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everybody (E)
Media/distribution	1 x DVD-ROM (PS2/Xbox) 2 x CD-ROM (PC)
System requirements PlayStation 2: Memory card Windows (PC): Windows 2000/Windows XP, 500 mHz CPU, 128 MB RAM, 16 MB video card, 24X CD-ROM drive, 1.1 GB hard drive space

Yourself!Fitness is an exercise program, or exergaming title developed by Portland, Oregon based Respondesign. It was published first for the Xbox, and later for the PlayStation 2 and PC by Respondesign; and in 2008 a port for Wii as My Fitness Coach was released by Ubisoft and alongside a newly-update PC version as PC Fitness. Its intention is to create an atmosphere that will encourage regular game players to use their consoles to promote their own health and engage in regular exercise. It is being followed by a new game for modern consoles and PC tentatively titled Y!F Lifestyle.^[1]

Gameplay

In the program, a digital aerobics instructor named Maya (voiced by Yumi Lee) serves as the player's guide. Maya leads the player through a series of exercises that is specially tailored to the player's current health and specifics. This is achieved by dynamically tracking their progress on an ongoing profile using the hard drive (or the PS2's memory card), setting up a schedule to be followed, and Maya making suggestions to the player using computations being made by the program. Maya leads the exercises in a variety of locations and accompanied by music from several music genres, all of which are selected before the workout by the player, and more of which can be unlocked by keeping to the schedule.

The game includes over 500 types of exercises, although some exercises with multiple directions or emphases are counted as separate in this tally. Furthermore, if the player owns an exercise ball, hand weights, an exercise step, or a heart rate monitor, Maya can incorporate these into the program. Through the workout, Maya will stop to ask how the player is doing; their reply will affect whether the program strengthens, weakens, or leaves the current regimen as it is.

The game was ported to Wii in 2008 by Ubisoft under the title My Fitness Coach. Although the port was likely intended to capitalize on the popularity of Nintendo's Wii Fit, My Fitness Coach did not make use of the Wii Balance Board accessory, and its functionality was essentially the same as the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions.

Development

In a 2006 fitness promotional campaign with the popular fast-food chain McDonald's, purchasers of an "Active Meal" (consisting of a salad and bottled water) could receive one of four Yourself!Fitness DVDs, playable in a standard DVD player, which contains a rigid workout regimen also led by Maya. Each disc is dedicated to a certain theme—Yoga, cardio, strength training, or "core" training—and contains workouts that are 15 minutes in length.

Reception

See also

• EyeToy: Kinetic
• Wii Fit
• exergaming
• My Coach
• My Fitness Coach: Cardio Workout

References

1. ^ http://www.forum.yourselffitness.com/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=10&MessageID=36777 February 14, 2007.

External links

• responDESIGN's official website
• IGN's Xbox review
• PC Fitness UK
• Fan site for Yourself!Fitness