E3 2014 Ubisoft Conference - Shape Up

Though most of Ubisoft’s conference was uniquely its own, there was one reveal that gave me a “Ghosts of Christmas Past” vibe. That game was Shape Up. What do I mean by that? Namely, it reminded me a LOT of previous demos from yesteryear by Nintendo and the Wii. Which is especially strange, given Ubisoft’s seeming break with Nintendo. Regardless, it was a truly interesting and entertaining looking game, only further accentuated by their brilliant and lovely host, Aisha Tyler.

E3 2014 Ubisoft Conference - Shape Up

E3 2014 Ubisoft Conference - Shape Up

Shape Up, quite simply, looks to make exercise fun for owners of XBox1. It sets you against animated challenges to work out to, such as this demo above of grooving against the tune of Eye of the Tiger DDR style. Players exercise against their own avatars, allowing for personalization and competitive flair. It all seems to stem from the owner’s desire to beat their own high scores, essentially tricking them into losing weight. Which is kind of awesome. After the first demo, Ubisoft invited two gentlemen to compete doing push ups against each other.

E3 2014 Ubisoft Conference - Shape Up

E3 2014 Ubisoft Conference - Shape Up

E3 2014 Ubisoft Conference - Shape Up

If that all sounds a bit goofy and silly, that’s cause it was. But if Nintendo proved anything with the Wii, it’s that players can enjoy games with a productive objective. It remains to be seen whether or not Shape Up will succeed in just that for Microsoft and Ubisoft.

Josh Speer
Josh is a passionate gamer, finding time to clock in around 30-40 hours of gaming a week. He discovered Operation Rainfall while avidly following the localization of the Big 3 Wii RPGs. He enjoys SHMUPS, Platformers, RPGs, Roguelikes and the occasional Fighter. He’s also an unashamedly giant Mega Man fan, having played the series since he was eight. As Head Editor and Review Manager, he spends far too much time editing reviews and random articles. In his limited spare time he devours indies whole and anticipates the release of quirky, unpredictable and innovative games.