Play Pattern of Seated Video Game and Active “Exergame” Alternatives

The purpose of the study was to compare the play pattern of “exergames” and seated internet-based video games between boys and girls. Seventy-nine participants (40 boys, 39 girls) aged 9 to 12 years (M = 10.85 ± 0.9) were involved in two 1-hour video game sessions. Play pattern in terms of frequency, duration and intensity were assessed from observation, accelerometry and heart rate monitoring. Results indicated that children spent half of the available time playing the activity-promoting exergames (XaviX bowling 47.6 ± 14.9%; XaviX J-Mat 48.8 ± 12.8%). No differences between the boys and girls were apparent for total time played, number of play bouts or duration per bout (p ≥ 0.05). Boys however played both exergames more actively than the girls (XaviX bowling RT3 counts.s−1: boys 10.47 ± 4.71, girls 6.34 ± 2.76; XaviX J-Mat RT3 counts·s−1: boys 66.37 ± 13.84, girls 51.94 ± 17.83). This study concludes that both boys and girls choose to play exergames for similar periods of time, but play style during the XaviX bowling was often inactive in the girls and during the XaviX J-Mat less active in the girls than the boys. Reasons underlying choice of play was similar between the girls and boys. Active video games appear to be suitable for longer-term physical activity interventions in children, but attention will need to be given to the intensity of game play in girls.