ver since Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that his newest video game Wii Music might in fact not be a game at all, our wheels have been turning. We got to thinking, what constitutes a game? Is Wii Music’s stray from the traditional game formula an isolated incident or part of a growing trend?

It seems that with the changing demographic of people who play games, we are starting to see more “imposters” – titles that claim to be a game but lack essential elements such as explicit goals, a quantifiable outcome and competitive play. But is this a problem? What is wrong with using your favorite gaming platform to help you learn a language, lose some weight or make a meal? Many publishers don’t think there is one. Nintendo and Ubisoft are prime examples, as both are currently the industry leaders when it comes to the above. At E3 2008, Cammie Dunaway, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Nintendo, described possible future applications for the Nintendo DS, including its use as a travel companion for airport terminal location and as a tool to order food while at stadium sporting events.

With all this in mind, we set out to explore the growing trend of non-game games. Turns out we nearly bit off more than we could chew. In order to appropriately approach the issue, we first had to define what a game essentially is.

What is a Game?
To be frank, there is no easy way to answer the proposed question. Dictionaries are virtually useless when looking for a definitive answer. Yet, we all still have a preconceived definition of what a game is and what it is not. We know the general difference between toys, activities, contests and games – or at least we think we do. When it comes to interactive entertainment, specifically video games, the lines blur. For that reason, we turn to the experts for a definition.

Raph Koster is most definitely an expert on games. Drawing from his experience as the Chief Creative Officer for Sony Online Entertainment, he wrote the book A Theory of Fun. In the book he discusses the plethora of game definitions that both industry insiders and outsiders have to offer. Surprisingly, the majority sound nothing alike. The excerpt from his book below will help to give a better idea as to what we mean.

“Those few academics who tried to define ‘game’ have offered up everything from Roger Caillois’s ‘activity which is…voluntary…uncertain, unproductive, governed by rules and make-believe’ to Johan Huizinga’s ‘free activity…outside ordinary life...’ to Jesper Juul’s more contemporary and precise take: ‘A game is a rule-based formal system with  a variable and quantifiable outcome, where different outcomes are assigned different values, the player exerts effort in order to influence the outcome, the player feels attached to the outcome, and the consequences of the activity are optional and negotiable.’”

Conflicting isn’t it? Game designers offer little more in the way of clarity. Sid Meier’s simple definition of a game is “a series of meaningful choices.” While it is a pretty answer, it does little to help our cause.  Funny enough, even though we find clarity through Koster’s own definition, he himself does not believe nitpicking trivialities between toys, games and play is relevant. Still, for our purposes we needed something solid, and settled on several qualifications mentioned in his book. Ultimately, we chose the most important elements and decided that games are formal systems with rules that require choices, are competitive, have explicit goals and quantifiable outcomes. There…that is a little easier to swallow isn’t it?

Who are the ‘Imposters?’
Armed with a fundamental definition of what constitutes a game, we moved onto analyzing the titles that don’t quite make the cut. These “imposters” come in many shapes and sizes. They are both mass market successes and niche releases. They are old and new, and all retain some sort of educational or entertainment value while failing to be games in the traditional sense of the word. After doing a bit of research, we found that many fall into several broad categories, which we have broken down below.

(On a side note, some of these titles include game-like features such as mini-challenges or a light scoring system. However, when looking at the overall execution, we feel that they still don’t quite make the cut as full-fledged games.)

Exergames
Exercise-themed video games are undoubtedly the fastest, and most public, emerging game genre. While some exergames are indisputably games – such as Dance Dance Revolution – others are simply interactive tools to help you achieve a health-related goal. Nintendo especially has recognized the compatibility of many exercise titles with its motion-sensing controllers, Wii Balance Board and portable touch-screen DS. For this reason, its products have been particularly attractive to health-conscious developers. Check out some of the not-quite-games that fall into the exergame category below.

Yourself Fitness (Xbox, PS2, PC)
Yourself Fitness was first published on the Xbox, and was later released for the PlayStation 2 and PC. The program featured a virtual instructor named Maya who led the player through exercises tailored to the user’s specific needs. The user would keep the program up to date by entering their progress into a profile. They would even set a workout schedule, which would allow them to unlock bonuses such as new workout music and environments when kept.

Quick Yoga Training (DS)
Ubisoft’s Quick Yoga Training was created to help both beginner and experienced Yoga fans personalize their workout. A virtual trainer – motion captured by Yoga instructor Mai Hashimoto – would demonstrate over 180 poses, which could be selected with the DS stylus or a hands-free voice recognition system.

My Weight loss Coach (DS)
My Weight Loss Coach is another title by Ubisoft with the user’s health in mind. More of a motivational tool and information resource than a game, the title was targeted at adults attempting to reach their goal weight. My Weight Loss Coach included a personal profile set up with objectives, an input reward system, a DS compatible pedometer, 10 coaching sessions and mini-challenges including trivia questions to help the user learn more about physical activity.

Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 (Wii)
This recently released title stars well known fitness trainer Jillian Michaels. The program allows users to choose between four types of workouts – weight loss, strength training, intervals and hill climb, and modify the intensity and time as needed. Using the Wii remote and the balance board players track their progress and ultimately unlock additional fitness tips from Michaels. The program tracks calories burned and other personal information.

EA Sports Active (Wii)
EA Sports Active – which was announced just yesterday – is being crafted with the help of Oprah’s own personal trainer, Bob Greene. The title, which is aimed specifically at women, represents the beginning of an upcoming line of fitness/sports themed games currently in development by EA. EA Sports Active will include cardio and circuit activities, a real-time calorie tracking system and multiple intensity levels. Included with EA Sports Active will be two special leg straps that attach to the Wii Nunchuck to track lower body movements, and resistance bands for improving strength.

What about Wii Fit?
You are probably wondering where Wii Fit stands in all of this. Truth be told, the majority of us here at GI see Wii Fit as a game. While Wii Fit does include many of the features mentioned above – such as personalized workout profiles – the presentation is more similar to a cohesive collection of small games and challenges than a simple training tool. Wii Fit engages users with over 40 different activities such as pushups and yoga positions, in addition to hosting a slew of minigames intended to play with others.  The multifaceted scoring and rewards system, along with competitive multiplayer keep users engaged all while helping them to achieve their goal. This balance of game elements and educational tools is undoubtedly why Wii Fit has been such a success.