IxD Case study 2 – Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure (2019)

Ring Fit Adventure is a motion sensing game developed by Nintendo. It is released in September 2019, and sold on 18 October 2019.

The biggest feature of the game is the accompanying fitness ring (Ring-Con); the fitness ring is about 30 cm in diameter, made of polyester fiber and nylon, and has elasticity. There is a squeeze sensor in the ring to sense the player's movements. Players need to remove and install the Nintendo Switch controller Joy-Con to the Ring-Con and leg straps respectively, and use the player's own movement in the game.

The main mode of the game is a role-playing game, in which players play the role of a young athlete who encounters a passionate ring, and they join forces to shoot down an evil bodybuilder dragon drag. Players move their characters through the entire world of the game and into various dungeons, where they encounter monsters to fight. Moving in the game world is similar to a railroad shooting game; the player moves along a fixed path by running in a proper position, jumps over obstacles by squeezing and releasing Ring-Con, and can squeeze Ring-Con towards the target Fire projectiles at items. When players encounter monsters, the game uses turn-based combat like most role-playing games. The player attacks the enemy by performing one of about thirty different exercises, and the amount of damage to the enemy based on the efficiency of completing the exercise. When the monster attacks, the player can hold Ring-Con as long as possible during the attack to enter the abdomen for defence. Defeating monsters can gain experience points for player characters, and as the level increases, they can unlock other exercises with greater damage.

Besides adventure mode, the game also includes a regular fitness routine mode which allows people to perform exercises with the help of the game, but there is no gamification element. The game also has several mini games based on certain exercises, which can be used by a single player to challenge themselves, or can be used with multiple players, each player taking turns beating other players.

Nintendo is a company that good at making motion sensing and family interaction game. In previous time, Nintendo also developed a motion sensing game console in 2006, which was Wii. The game console was very successful product as well. Besides, this kind of game also very popular when people cannot go out exercise. For instance, during the covid-19 pandemic most of the countries has entered quarantine area cause the game Ring Fit Adventure lack of stock.

I think that in the future, motion-sensing games will be more and more popular with families, because motion-sensing games can be easily used by people who usually do not play games. In addition, motion sensing can also interact with other people in the game, which is very attractive. Motion sensing can also be used in other types of games, such as sports car games. As long as there is a related device equipped with a motion sensor, it can become a motion-sensing controller. So far I think that somatosensory is very important in the field of games, because it allows people to interact in games in another way.

Official launch trailer: