Guitar Hero creators' new fitness game due this year

Blue Goji, a start-up founded by Guitar Hero co-creators Kai and Charles Huang, plans to release its first game this year.

Blue Goji was founded in 2011 but has been kept quietly under wraps. CEO Kai Huang AllThingsD that first news on its initial project will come this week.

The new developer's mission statement is to produce games that are fun to play as you work out, distracting you from the grind of exercising on machines like treadmills and ellipticals. To this end, it's working on mobile peripherals to track physical activity and serve as controllers - a clip-on tracker; twin bands with four buttons each on them which attach to the handlebars of machines; and two batons for runners to attach the bands to. All are powered by bluetooth.

In addition to in-house productions, Blue Goji hopes to open the platform to other developers.

The first bundle of accessories - and, presumably, at least one game to support it - is expected for Android and iOS before the end of the year, but has not been priced.

Gaming is more immersive and habit-forming than other exercise distraction activities like reading, watching TV, or listening to music, Huang said; the idea is to encourage an active lifestyle.

Kai and Charles Huang founded RedOctane, which co-developed the original Guitar Hero with Harmonix, as well as producing several sequels. It was purchased by Activision and closed in 2010.

Thanks, GamePolitics.