Major publishers integrating national fitness challenge into games

Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and other major game companies will integrate "Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA+) Challenge" features into their "active" games to promote healthy lifestyles. It's part of an "Active Play" campaign launched by the Entertainment Software Association, the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to highlight how active video games (e.g. Wii Fit, Just Dance) can lead to more active lives. PALA+ is a program that allows children and adults to earn Presidential Active Lifestyle Awards by eating healthy and incorporating physical activity in their daily routines. With the Active Play initiative, participants will be able to log active gaming as part of their physical activity. A number of game companies will include PALA+ features in their active games, such as tools for helping participants monitor the progress of their physical activity and healthy eating goals, tips and information on healthy living from the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, and tools to help different schools and communities compete against each other. The companies that have signed up for the Active Play program include all three major platform holders, Electronic Arts, Konami, Take-Two Interactive Software/2K Play, and Ubisoft.