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Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

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Re: Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

#51

Post by m_tweedie »

spanhandler wrote: post #19
grawprog wrote: post #15

So....it's like an over priced version of the wii version Punchout with a built in heart monitor? Why would i get this instead of just buying a used wii or a vr system? No offense, i thought the Peloton was stupid too and their ads were horrible. I was so happy when i stopped getting ads for that thing.

I found Wii Sports gave me nasty RSI in a way I'd never experienced before if I tried to play it "seriously" for any length of time. All that vigorous motion but with no weight or resistance was really, really bad. It also allowed a much faster pace of action than the real sports it mimicked, which probably didn't help—no stopping to fetch the ball or wait for people to get into position in tennis or baseball, for in…

Hi, Martin from Quell here. As someone who shares this exact experience, it's something we have been thinking about from day one when building Quell. If we make something that causes injury or can easily be "tricked" into thinking that the player has done something they haven't, we have failed in our core goal of making a fun, accessible workout that can be enjoyed at all fitness levels.

We're working in consultation with boxers and boxing trainers to ensure that the game teaches users proper form. To break through your enemies defences and succeed in the game, you'll need to perform precise, accurate strikes with good technique. In addition, our wearable prevents you from hyper-extending when throwing straight shots, which can otherwise cause injury.

Re: Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

#52

Post by Sebb767 »

douglaspaul wrote: post #22
mothsonasloth wrote: post #8

No motion tracker for legs cries in Muay Thai

Check out our stretch goals - if we can get past $2m by 27th September then kickboxing mode is coming for you ;)

Can you post a link to those? Maybe it's me, but I cant find them on the kickstarter page.

Re: Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

#53

Post by m_tweedie »

chaostheory wrote: post #34

Any chance for releasing the straps on their own without the quell platform? I would be interested in using them with VR.

Hi there! Martin from Quell here. At this time, we don't currently have a separate release of the wearable planned. Though we're releasing it only as part of the full Quell system at the moment, we love VR and are keen to move into this space as well. Offering the harness as a standalone is definitely one option we've considered, so it's great to hear that people are interested in this! We're also exploring releasing a VR port of the game down the line.

Re: Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

#56

Post by evo_9 »

I guess this might be an effective way to get someone into working out, but ultimately it's just a gimmick similar to those late-night products that generally don't do much.

I'm a bit of a fitness buff, I've been working out pretty my whole life. I guess the things that jump out at me that are off:

1. I wouldn't personally say 'we hate working out'. That to me is the wrong message. Working out is rewarding and worthwhile, for me it's something I look forward to every day. If you want to aim your messaging at people that feel that way, then say it that way - 'If you hate working out, this is for you!'. I'm not wild about that messaging either but at least it's not coming from the founders which to me is a big turnoff.

2. This is not a full body workout. There appears to be no leg resistance and/or emphasis on leg training. I would be careful in how you present this in your messaging.

3. I would position this as an intro to working out and partner with someone (if you can) like AthleanX.com which is are science based / physical trainer designed full body workouts. The reason I would try that is because you will likely have 2 outcomes of your users. Outcome 1 - they'll play it for a while, feel good about themselves and stop, or they'll maybe finish the full game experience, and stop. Outcome 2 is someone that really gets into this, sees some transformation of their upper body and wants to move on to a 'real full body workout' (which sorry this is not). That kind of partnership would be a win-win for both parties because it's a bit tough to jump right into a typical full body workout (esp. the AltheanX stuff which is really aimed at elite athletes), and having something like this as any easy onboarding process could be pretty cool. It would also be beneficial to have the expertise of a high-end, well designed full body workout help guide future workouts for your product. Right now, it really doesn't look like the movements, or punching is all that varied.

4. I also have a VIVE/VR setup and like others, I use that as part of my workout; in my case it's more a post-workout workout. I don't expect it to really develop muscles, or improve my cardio all that much, but it's a nice way to burn some extra calories and get some cool hand-eye coordination / dex training into your workout that is otherwise hard to come by (Space Pirate Trainer, Pistol Whip, Beat Saber for example).

Either way good luck, I do think the future of fitness is in some form of VR, AR + interaction/gaming.

Re: Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

#57

Post by m_tweedie »

worldmerge wrote: post #47

This is really cool! And congratulations on hitting your Kickstarter goal! This reminds me a bit of Wii boxing game that I liked, I really like this product. Your product also might have a market in fitness classes (once those reopen in the future). Would it be possible in the future to virtually box another person adding pvp to the product?

Hi, Martin from Quell here. Thanks for the kind words! Our own experiences with Wii Boxing have definitely been a touchstone for us; although we're developing a game with a completely different setting and style, I can say that I personally really enjoyed Wii Boxing for how it let you just pick it up and fight with your friends. For this reason, we're definitely working on a PvP mode!

We'd also love to see this used in gyms and fitness classes, and have been gathering insights from local gyms around London on how best to do this. Despite dealing with their own difficulties as a result of Covid-19, they provided some great insights that helped us to shape the product into something that we feel is compelling and effective, even to committed fitness folk.

Re: Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

#59

Post by radlad »

the_duke wrote: post #40

Love the idea, and I'd be very much interested in trying this out. Having done a little bit of boxing, it's a pretty good full body workout. It's hard to say how the resistance bands would feel compared to a punching bag though. Also: how do they work for different punches like uppercuts? How would you track blocking? How accurate is the position tracking? The tracking animation notably only measures one dimension (e…

> Including making me "feel" the impact. That means: smooth animations with accurate position tracking, quality audio, ....

Since it's all you do, the punching must be satisfying. In addition to the resistance of the bands, I wonder if there is any sort of haptic feedback on contact? That seems like it could be very satisfying to me.

Re: Launch HN: Quell (YC S20) – Immersive gaming and combat workout

#60

Post by gverrilla »

I like the idea, but the wearable doesn't appeal to me. You say it is like a game, but it really feels like this product is pushing serious fitness work. The problem with that is that people that are serious into fitness go to the gym. Is it even safe to wear those bands for the arms? I don't like the theme of the game too - seems disconnected from target userbase. I want to fight other players, not silly robots.
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