Atari nearly introduced the world to fitness gaming 30 years ago

Washington

BEFORE the existence of Wii Fit, before the Nintendo Power Pad or Dance Dance Revolution, there was the Puffer. Or rather, there was almost the Puffer.

The Puffer - an exercise bike that lets you control the movement and speed of a game character by pedalling - came this close to hitting stores in 1984, before an industry-wide crash led to Atari's bankruptcy and sale.

Now comes news that the company wants in on the burgeoning wearable fitness market, with a "gamified fitness experience" involving "full-body circuit workouts, runni…