There’s no question that the EA Sports Active fitness programs (they’re more than just “games”) did big business on the Wii platform. The company indicated that it made $125 million from those two releases alone. So obviously it was more than enough reason for the company to take it to the next level with multiplatform releases for the follow-up, EA Sports Active 2. Once November rolls around, your workout program will change for the better.
All the equipment you’ll need for the game. Pretty cool.
EA Sports Active 2
The gear
First off, EA is ditching the gear that came with the original Active. No longer will you need to worry about cutting off circulation with the leg strap or worrying if the cheap resistance band that came packaged with the original release will snap in half (like it did for us). EA Sports Active 2 will utilize a new wireless readout system, with sensors that attack to your arms and legs to read your motions. This will do away with the need for useless equipment, in favor of something more high-tech that reads with better accuracy. Furthermore, Kinect and PlayStation Eye owners will also have the benefit of physical motion readouts for even further accuracy. So if you scratch, yeah, the game will read it (though we doubt it will chew you out for scratching).
A heart monitor
In addition, Active 2 will also comes with a heart monitor, so it can read just how intense the workouts are going for you. Say, for example, you’re in the middle of a hurdle exercise and it’s not quite getting the heart rate up and running. So you can bump up the intensity and see if it does better for you. It also doesn’t push you too hard, so if something’s a little too tense for you, you can always dial it down.
Now, this does come at a slight cost, as EA Sports Active 2 comes with a $99.99 price tag. That might be a problem for those of you who were used to paying the $59.99 it originally sold at. However, the equipment looks to be top-notch, so there’s no real problem there. Plus, it’ll come with dozens of exercises, in which you can format your workout. Auto-programmed workouts will be available as well, so if you don’t know the first thing about fitness, don’t sweat the details.) (Ha! We made a funny!)
Various modes will be available, but the chief one that fitness freaks will want to take notice of is the new nine-week, three-phase program, which is accompanying the previous 30-day program. Here, you’ll work through a pre-set fitness regimen, slowly but surely working your way to a better you. We saw some glimpses of this in action, and it’s truly remarkable – as long as you have the devotion to carry it through. Nobody likes a couch potato that gives minimal effort. (Well, okay, maybe their mothers.)
Anyone can get into Active 2.0…as long as you can handle exercise, anyway.
Online integration
The biggest factor, however, will be the new online integration. Using your console of choice, you’ll be able to download new workouts as they become available, along with extra virtual trainers to choose from. You’ll also gain access to an online hub that will allow you to upload and share data with other users, to compare how your workout is going alongside others. Fitness tips and a messaging system will also be available, along with access to EA Sports Active forums, so you can share tips and what-not. This is definitely a step in the right direction for the series, as long as EA can block out the users who are just looking to call people “fatties”. (We hate those bastards.)
EA Sports Active 2 will break a sweat across all platforms this November. Look for more information soon, as well as the inevitable review.
