Serious gaming--the development of computer games that achieve serious goals--is becoming an active area of research. Exergames are serious games that promote physical fitness. This study explores some of the design issues involved in the creation of SilverBalance, an exergame for senior citizens.

The authors recruited nine nursing home residents (the average age was 84) to play a version of SilverBalance. The game requires players to move an icon on a screen by repositioning their weight on a balance board input device; it is suitable for both players who can stand and those who are restricted to wheelchairs. The authors observed that the subjects rapidly engaged with the game, and even competed with one another as they played. The study involved a single session; as a result, there is no data on the potential benefits of the game.

It is disappointing that the researchers don’t report any post-gaming interviews with the subjects. Furthermore, though they present promising design criteria early in the paper, the research does not address their effectiveness.

The SilverBalance project appears to be worth following, but I do not recommend this specific paper for either exergame researchers or developers.