Report: U.K. Health Campaign Will Tout Benefits of Active Games
Report: U.K. Health Campaign Will Tout Benefits of Active Games
April 24, 2009
Last month's controversy over a British government health agency ad which appeared to link video games to childhood obesity has subsided.
But beyond that, MCV UK reports that today the government's Change4Life organization will launch a campaign touting the benefits of active gaming.
Presumably, that would include the likes of Nintendo's Wii as well as multi-platform titles like Dance Dance Revolution (see screenshot from new ad at left). MCV quotes Minister for Public Health Dawn Primarolo:
Active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving more.
Little bits of activity like this, throughout the day can easily add up to the 60 active minutes kids need. But our survey shows that at the moment our kids just aren’t getting up and about enough.
UPDATE: The new Change4Life ad, which at one point depicts a character playing a DDR -like game, can be seen here.
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Posted 11/21/09 at 09:21am
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magic_taco: ...ok...
Posted 11/21/09 at 08:16am
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ZippyDSMlee: Welcome and goodmorning its zippy in the AM....wat OMG its 8:50AM!!!!
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:42pm
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:17pm
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No thank you I don;t want your cooties...or STDs...
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:01pm
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:59pm
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:49pm
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:46pm
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:44pm
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:42pm
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:33pm
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:25pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:07pm
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:56pm
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:49pm
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
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Comments
UK? Health? Aren't those a bad combination? Their socialized health care sucks.
Worse then U.S. health care?
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
I've no complaints. The NHS was terrific when I had appendicitis, and I don't know what I'd have done without A&E when I was growing up (I was always getting into scrapes)...
Are you speaking from experience?
I's all relative.
The NHS has it's problems, certainly, but considering the price, it's pretty good. In the US, you'd have to be pretty healthy to get the per capita cost of the NHS as your insurance premium, and if you have no money at all, you'll be treated in the UK.
Americans are so pointlessly patriotic, this time trying to criticise a health service available to all, instead of one available only to those that can afford. Anyway don't like have free health care in the UK? Then go private and pay for it.
Would you mind backing that statment up?
Or is it just the "socialized" that means it sucks? Commies.
--
A house is not a home unless it contains food and fire for the mind as well as the body. Benjamin Franklin
Well, at leas they aren't just slamming games as a whole.
Yeah I would love to hear that from them. They smear the image of video game saying it's harmful. There are video game that can help you with excercise and the minds also. I hope somebody can show them like Wii fit, and Brain Challenge. I guess that would show them. I remember seeing this on Kotaku.
kotaku.com/5218088/nintenducation--a-new-take-on-edutainment
Maybe that'll make them change their mind. Unless they think it's all a conspiracy to them.
No, what changed their mind is that Nintendo, immediately after the ads launched, entered talks with the 'Business4Life' side of the organization with a view to donating to the group in the same way McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Pepsi et al were so that they could 'be included in discussions about what the adverts should contain.'
As I said below, it would appear that Nintendos donation cheque has now cleared and they are allowed to have input on what the adverts depict.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Looks like that cheque from Nintendo cleared then.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Like...yeah??? -_-
We have known about the Wii for 3 years now and also DDR for something like almost 10 FREAKING YEARS!!!
Mainstream is so slow to catch up with the facts and sadly, it is only when they generate attention is when they truly get the facts.
Plus with a little bit of donation from Nintendo, Videogames have now got a slightly better image. But it is truly dissapointing that many still hold those old negative steriotypes of Videogames making people fat.
How are we to know that this advert is in direct response to the unjustified criticism that Change4Life originally received, this advert could potentially have been in the planning stages for many months.
I hardly see this as being a U-turn on the campaign of sitting about playing "standard" games being unhealthy, there's a clear difference in physical exertion between playing DDR and Halo for instance, and apparently this advert will clearly show that.
It is interesting to see how quickly the opinion of games by this company is being changed, or at least considered from a different angle. Ever since I was introduced to the Dance Dance Revolution and Pump It Up franchises I have been a rabid fan. I loved the fact that gaming could be fun and even beneficial. When the Wii came out I felt the same way. So when I originally saw the add regarding gaming being "fatal" I had a serious WTF moment. Granted there are some children and even adults that spend insane amounts of time on video games but the same can be said regarding television. I am glad to see that the same company is now giving at least some credit to games like DDR and PUI but I almost get the vibe that they are doing it just to try to save face.
I agree that obesity is an issue in the US but to point fingers at video games solely is kind of unfair. I mean, I know a lot of people who don't play games but eat Mcdonalds every chance they get. Yeah, video games could be part of the problem but lets tackle the whole issue rather than alienate one portion of it. It seems like video games have been getting a bad rap these past few years especially but perhaps that is due to its fast rise to the top and casual games being released that appeal to all types of gamers. The same can be said about the TV when it was originally released. Hopefully we will eventually move on from this and some new hobby will be the target but I feel bad for the group it does target.
Nintendo sent them a cheque. Surprisingly enough, money does indeed improve your health! I mean, video games went from deadly to helpful after enough zeros behind a dollar sign!
Having seen the whole advert on TV the original message has not changed and I see no sign of a u-turn.
The advert depicts a number of unhealthy activities including playing a standard non-active computer game and even reading (something people here said would never be depicted) and then it shows a number of healthy activities including DDR along with bike riding and walking to school and some other physical activities.
There's a link for you to watch the advert. Watch it and then you will understand that there has never been a "smear" campaign solely against games and there is now promotion of all gaming due to a donation from Nintendo.