Omni Arena

The Omni treadmill is capable of many ratings, because it is a platform that allows players to physically run in multiple games, not a single game experience. How much energy is consumed while playing depends largely on the game itself. We tested one of the games that comes with the Omni called Omni Arena. We also tested the Omni with a number of games that are not specifically designed for it, such as Skyrim, and found the exercise expenditure similar across several games. On average, Omni Arena’s data suggests that it is a brisk Walking Equivalent. While the Omni often does require more vigorous motion than walking, the way the player relies on the harness for support while moving keeps the player from easily achieving a natural gate with full body weight on each step. Additionally, we found that Omni Arena specifically seemed to encourage players to run, then stop and shoot, then move some more. While this is a play style that could easily vary between players, we observed a similar behavior in each of the multiple raters that played the game. These down-times contributed to the average rating of a Walking Equivalent.