Kung fu master

A demonstration of Wii™ game Kung fu funk™

King decided he could effectively use his research and approached innovative Christchurch-based developer Stickmen Studios to develop games incorporating movement science research.

The Nintendo Wii™ console is hugely popular around the world, with over 60 million customers using its motion sensing controls in games that incorporate a wide range of movements.

Kung Fu Funk™ for WiiWare™ is the exciting product of the close relationship that ensued between Industrial Research and Stickmen Studios.

King’s years of research and experience and his thoughts on developing interactive media that incorporates movement science were translated by the game designers into a fun and engaging martial arts-style party game.

Kung Fu Funk™ is a WiiWare™ game for the whole family. Different levels involve varying degrees of movement in activities ranging from gentle regimes to energetic plate breaking and the disco dojo. King says the wide range of movement—from gentle Zen-style patterns through to the more advanced phases of the game—makes it attractive to people capable of different ranges of motion.

With more and more people living into their 80s and beyond, movement and social interaction is becoming increasingly critical in improving quality of life. However, King explains, there are big challenges in creating a product that everyone can enjoy. For example, some games use negative language to describe poor performance, leading people to give up easily.

Many games also require fast reactions for gameplay to continue. Due to this, some people quickly experience failure, finding that games finish too soon and they can become disheartened.

One of the key benefits of a game like Kung Fu Funk™ is that it’s a very enjoyable experience for people of all ages and gaming abilities. People involved in movement research reported that they enjoyed playing with the Wii™ and remained active for longer than usual.

“Gaming and game technology is a great way for people to get active, and the science and technology behind Kung Fu Funk™ means everyone can enjoy the experience,” says King.

“When working with Stickmen on the game, we wanted to incorporate a wide range of movements covering all the joint angles in the upper body and ensure the game was equally enjoyable for people regardless of their age.

As such, the developers tailored the game to automatically become more or less sensitive depending on the user’s abilities.”

Wil McLellan, CEO of Stickmen Studios, says, “A major achievement with Kung Fu Funk™ is that the movement science is hidden within the game, so, to the players, the experience is that of a fun party game.”

The aim was to develop a game that would appeal to a broad cross section of the population, says King.

“By putting our expertise together with Stickmen’s experience of game development we believe we’ve found this balance. You can envisage a scenario where an elderly grandparent is able to enjoy playing the game with their teenage grandchild.”

Stickmen Studios chief operating officer Ben Dellaca says partnering with IRL gives Stickmen a unique profile in the market.

“We want to make games that will be successful and we also want to make games that impact positively on the world. That’s where IRL comes in—we consider IRL as a high-value partner because it helps us achieve this.”

Nintendo trademarks used under licence.
WiiWare™ is available only through the Wii™