Acclaim Entertainment has today announced a partnership with Reebok Fitness that will see the two companies researching and developing gaming concepts that can be played using the Reebok CyberRider. It was also confirmed today that the recently announced street racing game Juiced will be the first to support the CyberRider technology.
The Reebok CyberRider is an interactive exercise bike that can be connected to a PlayStation, a PS2, or a PC. Xbox connectivity will also be available in the near future. The bike uses flywheel sensors to transmit the amount of effort from players directly to the game, so the faster they pedal, the faster they'll be in the game. As their fitness improves, so will their scores. Acclaim and Reebok hope that the CyberRider might go some way to negating the couch-potato perception of gamers in general.
"Partnering with Reebok Fitness opens up a whole new medium for gaming, one that combines staying healthy with entertainment," said Larry Sparks, international vice president of marketing for Acclaim. "We are committed to taking this evolution in the video games industry forward."
"The success of our CyberRider range of equipment demonstrates that there is clearly appeal for people to be playing games whilst exercising, which is often a solo activity," added Chris Hancock, marketing director of Reebok Fitness. "Our initiative with Acclaim Entertainment will help us to improve the whole at-home fitness experience."
Currently scheduled for release in September, Juiced is a street racing game in which players can customize licensed vehicles with authentic aftermarket parts. For more information, check out our previous coverage of the game.