Swim with Michael Phelps in new Kinect title

In case anyone didn't think Michael Phelps had really "made it," he's getting his own videogame - the true sign of a world-respected athlete. His new Kinect title can't recreate the feeling of being submerged in water, but it can recreate his six-pack abs in digital form!

It won't be called "Michael Phelps Swimming" or something generic like that - It's Push the Limit, and it's the first dedicated swimming title to use Microsoft's button-free motion controlling camera (can you believe it?). Simply move your arms about in a swimming motion - albeit in an upright position - and you'll make your virtual character swim. The aim of the game is to beat Olympic medal-winning Phelps.

"The better stroke technique you have, the faster you go," said Phelps. Although, that remark had nothing to do with his swimming game (cue laughter).

"It's extremely realistic. If you had asked me five years ago if I ever thought I would have a video game coming out with swimming in it, I'm not sure what I would have said. I would never ever have thought it would be like it is. It is cool and fun," he added.

505 Games, which is publishing the game, said it incorporates real-world strokes and swimming acumen to make for the most true-to-life swimming video game to date. Now that we think about it, though, there really isn't that much competition out there. The best example of riveting swimming controls in a video game we can think of is cued by this music.

505 admitted it was tricky to come up with a motion-controlled swimming game when the entire purpose of swimming is that you're submerged in water, but it said in focus groups of the game's controls, "The takeaway was when they actually experience it, it's like, 'Aha, I get it.'"

So it must be one of those you-have-to-experience-it-to-understand-it kind of things. Phelps says he hopes the game encourages players to become interested in actual swimming.

[Source: USA Today]

Feb 2, 2011