Video games for kids that are played..outside?
Sometimes innovation comes from completely discarding most everything about an idea that defines it. One of the major complaints about videos games for kids is that they keep kids indoors, staring at a computer screen or television when they could should be outside playing and getting some exercise.
Playing video games makes us forget how fun it is to actually play outdoors with friends – Why not get rid of the television? Why not take the gaming console outside?
A company called at Swinxs BV have applied this idea of abandoning the traditional with their Swinxs (pronounced “swinks”) game console. Swinxs organizes games, defines rules and even recognizes players via an RFID bracelet.
Swinxs encourages children to move about outside instead of staring at a television and brings back the fun and exciting games that we all played as kids such as musical chairs, hide’n’seek and tag. It actually speaks instructions to the kids and identifies players via the included color-coded RFID wristbands.
Here are a couple of videos that show how it works:
Reader Comments
Good one I like it, I also bookmark it so I can check other posts of yours!
Posted by Grady Duppstadt on January 17, 2017
Intresting realy nice thanks for share
Posted by paul on September 24, 2009
Apparently you haven't asked yourself "Why don't children play outside any more?"
The answer is NOT "because they have really cool videogames." I had really cool videogames when I was a kid, but I played outside when it was light out.
The reason don't play outside today is because of parents. Overprotective, overbearing, downright ABUSIVE parents. Parents today will not send their children outside and tell them to come back when it gets dark. No, if their children want to go outside, the parent will go with them, watching them, always watching, scrutinizing every thing and usually interfering with the child and preventing them from doing anything fun.
If the parents won't let the child take a hike into the woods with their friends, they're not going to let their child take this thing into the woods with their friends either. The kids will want to try this, the parents will go along, and will destroy all possible fun. It will then be relegated to the garage and never used again, with the parents getting angry at their kids for not wanting to go outside and being mystified.
Oh, also, when you subtract the video display from "videogame", it becomes simply a "game." There are tens of thousands (probably more) games on the market to be played outside. This device is a great idea, and 30 years ago it would have made millions... but the social climate is not right for it right now.
Perhaps that could be worked around, though. A GPS could be built into the Swinxs with a microphone and maybe even camera. The parents could hop on the PC at home and see where their children are, listen to what they are doing, etc. Warning, though, if you include a method for the parents to actually speak to the children you will destroy the product again. The kids have to be able to get away from the parents and outside the parents extremely damaging "protection" in order to have fun and have experiences that will help them mature. Advertise it as a way for your kids to have fun AND for the parents to keep tabs. Parents want their kids to go out and play, but they want to keep tabs on their children MORE (hence the current dilemma with kids not playing outside). If you can address both concerns at once, that would be a successful product. You might want to cover your butt legally though. The first time a parent gives this thing to their kid and the kid goes out to play and the parent hears one of the children swear and the parent isn't able to get there within 2 seconds to correct the childs 'dangerous' behavior, they will file a lawsuit.
Posted by otakucode on July 10, 2009
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