MineBike: Exergaming with Minecraft

Exergaming has drawn attention for years as a health benefactor that can contribute to public health improvement. Studies have shown that it can result in immediate health benefits. However, it has also been shown that current exergames do not have the staying power to bring players back for long-term use - the benefits tend to be short term with players initial excitement waning over time. The obvious conclusion is that current exergames are not designed with long-term challenges as their underlying game design criterion. To address the issue, we looked into adapting an existing popular game, with proven staying power, to an exercise bike. In a preliminary study that we conducted, we showed that children took very well to MineBike, an exergaming experience we developed using the popular game Minecraft. However, we also observed that to encourage the children to pursue a physical activity of consistent intensity we had to incorporate ongoing in-game challenges. In this paper, we specifically address the issue of embedding exergaming experiences in a popular game to enhance the staying power for sustained physical activity. We describe game design elements that can create the immersive exergaming experience that encourages mid- to high-level exercise intensity.