Plunge in with Michael Phelps to 'Push the Limit': Olympic swimming champion Michael Phelps is taking the plunge into video games.His first, Push the Limit, scheduled to be released in June, uses the Kinect hands-free control sensor for Microsoft's Xbox 360 system in lieu of a pool. Players stand upright and work their arms — no kicking required — in a variety of swimming stroke motions as they advance from introductory swim meets to championships.
"The better stroke technique you have, the faster you go," Phelps says. "It's extremely realistic. If you had asked me five years ago if I ever thought I would have a video game coming out with swimming in it, I'm not sure what I would have said. I would never ever have thought it would be like it is. It is cool and fun."
Phelps' techniques were captured with special high-speed, high-definition cameras for incorporation into the game. "It's all based on moves and actual strokes," he says. "They're trying to pretty much make my stroke look as close as possible in the game as it is in person."
At the beginning of the game (no price or ratings yet), Phelps — who won a record eight gold medals in Beijing in 2008 — teaches proper swimming technique, from diving in to reaching for the wall. "He is breaking down the dive component, the swimming component, the turns, all the key aspects," says Pete Matisse of publisher 505 Games. "Michael is actually mentoring you through that process. ... But the ultimate goal of the game is to swim against Michael and actually beat him.