3DS will use built-in pedometer to reward players for staying in shape

Great news for fans of casual exercise and unlockable in-game content! In addition to ushering a new age of 3D portable gaming, the Nintendo 3DS will also use its built-in pedometer to promote active lifestyles by rewarding its mobile users with %26ldquo;Game Coins%26rdquo; that can be used to purchase bonus content for participating 3DS titles.

While it's unclear as to how many steps it'll take to accrue Nintendo's virtual currency, the coins will be tallied using the 3DS' Activity Log program and may possibly be integrated with the system's StreetPass feature which %26ndash; much like the DS systems before it %26ndash; will allow the 3DS to communicate with other nearby 3DS units while not in use.

Above: The Nintendo 3DS's Activity Log (but will it measure apathy?)

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More information as to what the coins will unlock and how the pedometer will fit in to Nintendo's overall portable strategy is expected to be divulged during Nintendo's dedicated 3DS press event on January 19th.

Jan 10, 2011

[Source: Nintendo 3DS Blog]

Matt Bradford wrote news and features here at GamesRadar+ until 2016. Since then he's gone on to work with the Guinness World Records, acting as writer and researcher for the annual Gamer's Edition series of books, and has worked as an editor, technical writer, and voice actor. Matt is now a freelance journalist and editor, generating copy across a multitude of industries.