EA Sports Active

Lore & Background

EA Sports Active is an exercise game that uses the Wii Remote and a bundled pouch to strap the Nunchuk to the player's leg for tracking lower body movements. The Wii Balance Board is supported but not required. The game features a virtual personal trainer, 20-minute workout regimens, and a 30 Day Challenge mode that tracks calories burned and sessions completed. Trophies are awarded for milestones such as ten total workout hours, working out with a friend, and completing all 30 Day Challenge exercises. Players can create custom workouts based on favorite exercises, calorie goals, or targeting specific body areas, with a percentage chart showing the balance of upper body, lower body, and cardio. Intensity can be adjusted per exercise or routine.

Development was led by EA Canada, with EA's Peter Moore stating the game focused on a Western philosophy of exercise aimed at weight loss, as opposed to the Eastern approach of Wii Fit. Celebrity personal trainer Bob Greene was involved in development. The game received generally positive reviews, though criticism included the lack of real resistance from the supplied elastic band and the absence of a left-handed mode. EA claimed sales of over 600,000 units between May 19 and June 1, 2009, and 1.8 million units in its quarter, making it EA's best-selling Wii title. An expansion, EA Sports Active: More Workouts, was released on November 17, 2009, adding new workouts.

Reader's Guide

EA Sports Active holds significance as EA's first entry into the fitness game market for the Wii, directly competing with Nintendo's Wii Fit by emphasizing a Western, weight-loss-focused exercise philosophy. Its bundled peripherals—a leg strap for the Nunchuk and a resistance band—set it apart from other motion-controlled fitness titles. The game's commercial success, becoming EA's best-selling Wii title with 1.8 million units sold in its quarter, demonstrated strong market demand for home workout solutions targeting time-constrained or privacy-conscious users. The involvement of celebrity trainer Bob Greene lent credibility to its fitness credentials. However, the game also faced notable criticism: the resistance band was widely considered ineffective, and the lack of a left-handed mode frustrated some users. The release of an expansion pack, More Workouts, and a sequel, EA Sports Active 2, along with an NFL-themed variant, indicates EA's intent to build a franchise around the concept. The game's legacy lies in its attempt to merge structured exercise regimens with video game engagement, using progress tracking and trophies to motivate users.

Did You Know?

• The game ships with a strappable pouch to hold the Nunchuk and a resistance band.
• The game does not include an option to switch to left-handed mode.