You can read the full article from the August 2011 edition of InBusiness Magazine.

Click here to read the full article from the June 2011 edition of Develop Magazine >>

THQ and Adidas have today announced a motion control fitness title for release in early 2012. The game, miCoach, is based on an existing Adidas IP, but is being developed by UK studio Lightning Fish. Develop caught up with studio CEO Simon Prytherch to find out how things were going so far.

What exactly is the new Lightning Fish title that has just been announced?

It is called miCoach (pronounced “my coach”). miCoach is a new fitness title being developed by Lightning Fish for Adidas and THQ on Microsoft Kinect and PlayStation Move. This is not really fitness it is training. It trains you to be faster, stronger and better for your sport. For instance be quicker to the ball in football or jump higher in basketball. miCoach also uses sport to make working out fun.
miCoach will allow the player to train alongside their sporting hero. It features six main categories – Football, Tennis, Running, Basketball, American Football and Training. Training is what other fitness titles tried to cover in the past.

miCoach is a complete training system which has elements that are in the living room with your console but also has stuff to do away from your console outside. It is part of a bigger miCoach world with a web site, Adidas hardware and mobile apps. See www.micoach.com for more info.
This is the first fitness title which has significant appeal to a male audience. miCoach will feature a number of well known sports stars including Kaka (Brazilian and Real Madrid footballer), Jessica Ennis (gold medal heptathlete) and Dwight Howard (top US basketball star).

What made Lightning Fish the ideal studio for this project?

Lightning Fish has specialised in developing camera-based motion tracking games since we formed the company in 2008. We have also a lot of experience of including real actors using chromakey film techniques in our games.

The original concept for the title was developed by us and then we approached Adidas. It was great timing, as Adidas were developing their miCoach brand and hardware at the time. The miCoach console title will be become the hub allowing users to connect to the web, mobile and the console experience all in one place.

What were the challenges of working with such a high profile brand?

Adidas have been a great partner. They have been open and supportive from the beginning. It has opened so many doors. The access to all of their sponsored athletes has been amazing. It takes two very long days per athlete to shoot all the footage and record all the audio for inclusion in the game.

What about the game do you think will make it a success?
Three things -

1. The real athletes. They are not avatars and you can really relate to your sporting hero.
2. The game puts the player alongside the athlete. Each star is your coach and your training buddy.
3. When you do well. You get rewarded with masterclasses from the stars. Top tips on their sport.

What opportunities did the project afford you to push your technological abilities/showcase cutting edge techniques?

It has allowed us to take our motion tracking technology to the next level. We have also developed new rendering tech for the player. Finally we have also developed some first person 3D tech which we cannot talk about now, but we will reveal this later in the year.

Was there anything else you wanted to say about the project or Lightning Fish?

It has been an amazing experience making this game. No avatars or 3D characters are used, so we work with the real athletes and put the player alongside them. This makes for a much more personal and approachable feel.

I cannot talk about all the stars that are in the game because today we have only revealed a few of them. Suffice to say, all the athletes are at the top of their sport. You can imagine, it has been a lot of hard work but also a real pleasure making this game.

Read the full interview at Develop »

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany, and AGOURA HILLS, Calif. – June 6, 2011 – Powerhouse international sports brand adidas is collaborating with worldwide video game publisher THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) to bring the popular miCoach interactive athletic training system to video game consoles, the two companies announced today.

Scheduled for release in early calendar 2012, the completely connected interactive experience will feature many of the world’s most well-known adidas athletes, including Dwight Howard, Kaká, Tyson Gay, Jessica Ennis, Ana Ivanović and Eric Berry, who will guide users through a wide selection of sport-specific personalized training programs. Users will also receive real-time feedback on their actual in-game performance during their workouts when wearing a miCoach heart rate monitor (or any ANT+ compatible monitor).

For an even more connected gaming experience, the miCoach hardware interacts with THQ’s new video game title, allowing users to wirelessly synchronize a miCoach Pacer and miCoach mobile app to Kinect™ for Xbox 360® or PlayStation® Move, incorporating workout data gathered while away from the game.

“We’re taking our successful miCoach line and broadening its reach to an even larger audience, who we hope will find motivation and inspiration from adidas and our roster of star athletes,” said Simon Drabble, Director of miCoach BU for adidas. “In simple words, this combination of console technology and training for sports supports everybody to become better athletes, regardless of their fitness level.”

Utilizing advanced video game console technology, users will be able to create profiles, set fitness goals and get instant analyses of workout regimens. They will choose from several sports, such as running, tennis, football (soccer), American football and basketball, as well as the athletes who guide them through hours of on-screen training and motivating game experiences.

“adidas and THQ are creating a remarkable fitness solution that can be with you before, during and after your training workouts,” said Martin Good, THQ’s Executive Vice President of Kids, Family & Casual Games. “miCoach transcends the definition of ‘video game’ and brings a truly innovative experience to game consoles.”

The miCoach interactive training system is scheduled to be released on Kinect for Xbox 360 and PlayStation Move in early calendar 2012. For more information on miCoach training systems, please visit www.micoach.com.

You can see how miCoach was made by watching the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5i8Stz45tE

Varese, 27th April 2011 – Leading publisher Black Bean Games proudly introduces the track list of the new videogame “LET’S DANCE with Mel B” starring Mel B, the former Spice Girl.

The selection includes a wide variety of dance styles such as Urban, Pop, R&B, Latin, Club, Evergreen and Party Classics. This amazing track list will make you and your friends move at the rhythm that best suits you, following the choreographies of real professional dancers.

Enjoy and practice your dancing skills listening to the notes of 28 famous songs from the modern Lady Gaga, Pussy Cat Dolls, Rihanna, Fergie, Mika, David Guetta to the classic Gloria Gaynor, Sarah Vaughan, Rose Royce and Culture Club. With fascinating dancing styles and music genres “LET’S DANCE with Mel B” guarantees the glossy party atmosphere directly at home.

Move your body at the rhythm of ‘Wannabe’ (Spice Girls), jump up and down following ‘Tub Thumping’ (Chumbawumba), feel the night fever with ‘All night long’ (Mousse T), and make a good laugh with your friends dancing and practicing 28 of the best party songs.

Developed by motion tracking specialist Lightning Fish studios, “LET’S DANCE with Mel B”, thanks to an advanced body tracking technology (Kinect™ for Xbox 360® and PlayStation® Move versions only), it’s an accessible and challenging dancing experience that allows to see yourself on screen without using a common avatar. LET’S DANCE with Mel B will be available in May 2011 for Kinect™ for Xbox 360®, controller-free games and entertainment, PlayStation® Eye and PlayStation® Move for PlayStation®3, and Wii™.

The complete track list includes the following songs:

1. Pussy Cat Dolls – Don’t Cha
2. Rihanna – Disturbia
3. Fergie – Quando Quando Quando
4. Spice Girls – Wannabe
5. Cameo – Word Up
6. Spandau Ballet – Gold
7. Noelia – Candela
8. Holly Valance – Kiss Kiss
9. Fatboy Slim – The Rockafeller Skank
10. 50 Cent – In Da Club (clean version)
11. Mousse T – All Night Long
12. David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland – Commander
13. Pixie Lott – Mama Do
14. Just Jack – Starz in their eyes
15. Chumbawumba – Tub Thumping
16. Mika Love – Today
17. Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
18. OMD- Enola Gay
19. Paulina Rubio – Y sigo aqui
20. Rahman Feat Pussycat Dolls – Jai Ho!
21. Maroon 5 – This love
22. Pixie Lott – Boys and girls
23. Ce Ce Peniston – Finally
24. Yolanda Be Cool & DCup – We No Speak Americano
25. Sarah Vaughan – Peter Gunn (remix)
26. Rose Royce – Car Wash
27. Gloria Gaynor – I will survive
28. Lady Gaga – Poker Face

Click here to read the article from the 15th October 2010 edition of MCV Magazine

You can read the full article from the September 2010 edition of MCV Magazine.

You can read the full article from the July 2010 edition of Develop Magazine.

Meet Mel B and “see the difference” at E3, Tuesday 15th at the Black Bean Games booth #6100 Concourse Hall

London, 14th June 2010

Are you ready for an unparalleled interactive fitness software? Take the official license and the knowledge of Fitness First, the world’s largest gym chain, then add a complete and comprehensive nutritional program, 6 types of aerobics disciplines with more than 100 tailored exercises, a brand new proprietary technology and, above all, Mel B, the top worldwide celebrity to train with!

Just shuffle these elements and you’ll have “Get Fit With Mel B”. This is not the umpteenth fitness title, but the ultimate and long-life experience that will entertain your mind and your body. You can view an interview with Mel B here where she talks about the launch of the new Get Fit With Mel B game.

“We were looking to the future of interaction in Family & Lifestyle products, not just as a porting of a dated experience but as a fresh new vision”, says Fabrizio Vagliasindi, Strategic Coorporate Coordinator at Black Bean Games. “Get Fit With Mel B is going into that direction, trying to redesign the feeling of interaction with a trendy approach to a user interface.”

“I have always been passionate about videogames and then when I grew up my preferences moved towards fitness and wellbeing.” says Mel B. “Today I can finally mix together my two big passions, it’s been like a dream. I believe that the upcoming new technologies will definitely deliver more to the people as it is a complete entertainment experience where television show features, videogame mechanics and fitness come into a unique and exciting formula! It is like a new media era, and I want to be a pioneer!”

Get Fit With Mel B is produced by Black Bean Games and developed by the talented and UK based Lightning Fish studios. The videogame is scheduled for release in Q4 2010 for PlayStation® Move, Kinect™ for Xbox 360® and Wii™ and represents a real breakthrough in the fitness genre as it is based on an exclusive proprietary engine that features a sensational full body detection system. Also, it delivers a unique, glamorous and user friendly approach to the whole content package.

In fact, thanks to the camera-based controls, you will be able to train alongside Mel B on the TV screen receiving her real-time feedback. This is definitely a great innovation that makes the Black Bean Games title a must have for every wellness enthusiast.

Mel B, the former Spice Girls member as well as the Official 2010 Fitness First testimonial, is the host of the Oxygen Media second season of hit dance/weight-loss competition series “Dance Your Ass Off”.

In “Get Fit With Mel B”, she will bring you directly into the action, delivering her real-time advices and feedback on several disciplines like dance fit, cardio, step, pump and tone and kickboxing. Furthermore, the game delivers a personal nutritional program (6 meals plans and 140 recipes) totally aligned to your fitness workout. “Get Fit With Mel B” also supports a wide range of fitness accessories such as the fitball, the step and the resistance band.

Mel B will make a special appearance at the Black Bean Games booth #6100 Concourse Hall on Tuesday 15th between 2pm and 4pm.

Come visit us and see the difference!

You can read the full article from the June 2010 edition of MCV Magazine