Lauren, by now most people know that there is a lot more to you then just being the beautiful girl who got caught enjoying a workout. Since the video was posted on You Tube in May of 2008 and you started your website (http://laurenbernat.com/), can you talk about some of the things you have been doing?

The website started because I wanted to find a way to be able to document my entire story. My boyfriend, being the “geek” that he is, came up with the brilliant idea that I should start my own blog. So, I did. I have definitely been slacking lately, but that’s another story.

So, what have I been up to. Well, I was a spokesperson for EA Sports Active for a little while. I had heard that they were coming out with a new product that would compete with the Wii Fit and so I contacted them to see how I could get involved. It was such a fun and amazing experience and the people I met were wonderful as well. I was also recently featured on the Jay Leno show for a quick second. It was a segment called “Similar…Yet Completely Different” where they featured my video and another video of a larger guy also doing the hula hoop. The same Wii Fit Hula Hooping, yet completely different. Current TV also recently featured me on a show that counted down the top 50 viral video’s to date. And lastly, and probably the biggest thing I’ve done lately (although I did not know it when I signed on board) was being a guest on the Tosh.0 show.

That’s great! Most people know the original story, but for those who don’t, let’s go back a ways. After you found out what your boyfriend had done and you graciously accepted it and played along… explain the feeling of becoming famous overnight?

The feeling. Hmm, that’s a hard one and I get that question a lot. Well, my initial feeling about the whole thing was anger and disbelief. Then my mom calmed me down and I tried to understand why my boyfriend would do such a thing. He’s a geek and this gave him major “geek cred.” At one point in the beginning, I asked him to take the video down, which he did, but at that point, the hits had gone so out of control, that I realized I secretly wanted to see just how out of control it would go. So, we put it back up.

I think the whole thing really sunk in (as far as how many people had actually seen my video) was when Obama was elected. I mean, up until that point I knew 8 million people was A LOT, but can anyone really picture 8 million people? I remember watching Obama’s inauguration and the sea of people on the lawn and saying to my mom “man look at all those people.” She responded with “and to think that’s how many people have seen you in your underwear.”

Honestly, though, as far as “being famous”, I don’t really feel it. I am still the same person who just has a really crazy story to tell. How many people can say that they’ve taught Mike Myers the Wii Fit ,on live TV, in the middle of times square, with hundreds of screaming fans beneath them, while using the ginormous flat screen tav on the side of the building in front of them!

Ha, not many! For all of those people that might have been excited for you, on the flipside were there a few who were upset about it? Family? Friends?

Yes, I think some of the men in my family were not too thrilled in the beginning. But for the most part, everyone thinks it’s such a cool story.

People to this day must still be seeing it for the first time… Do you have anything to say to those people?

Yeah, how about “how did you stumble upon it now after so long?”

If you search “Wii Fit Girl” now, dozens, if not hundreds of copycat videos come up. There are male versions, plus sized versions, naked versions… You started an internet craze… What do you think of the copycats? Any advice?

I love the copycats. I embrace them. It’s so much fun to see others copying my unintentional video. Advice, that’s funny, I guess to have fun with it.

You had to have helped sell a lot of Wii’s since the video came out. Did Nintendo ever contact you? Did they send any thank you gifts?

HAHA. That’s a big fat: I WISH! No, Nintendo never contacted me. I wish they had, maybe we could have worked something out. But, then again, why would they have, my video was free publicity.

We’ll put a call in for you… that’s not right. There are tons of new workout games out there now, do you keep up with any of them? Do you guys play a lot of video games?

Yes I have because of my relationship with EA SPORTS Active. I was skeptical at first, but really it’s an amazing product. It’s just like having a personal trainer at home guiding you through intense circuit training workouts. I do play video games, but have been really busy lately. I think the last one I played was the new Super Mario Bros for the Wii. It was AWESOME!

Finally, what is next for Lauren Bernat? Anything you want to mention that is on the horizon?

Thinking about a pin up photo shoot for my boyfriend for Valentines Day Not, sure, you never know.

That sound you just heard was thousands of men all letting out a Napoleon Dynamite type “Lucky”… Lauren Bernat, thank you so much for your time and good luck in the future! Keep in touch! And for all of you fans out there, here is the special video one more time.

First off, this is a fantastic idea. I can’t tell you how many times I have been sitting around the XBOX playing with friends when someone has brought up how cool it would be to open up a bar where you could sit around with pals and drink your favorite drinks while playing your favorite games… How did this idea come about? When did it go from a conversation like the one I mentioned to an actual “Hey, let’s do this” moment?

Well it came about when I was having drinks and playing games with some mates! It was actually a party I was throwing with about 100 people, live DJ’s and a Wii hooked up to a projector. I realized two important things – one, girls were getting into the games just as much as the guys. With so many pick-up-and-play type games like Wii Sports and Guitar Hero that appeal to everyone, it made it immediately accessible, and – two, it seemed everyone needed to either have a controller or a drink in their hands at any given time. Just a small observation, but it got my brain ticking, and the idea was cemented when I saw a small empty venue down the street where I lived that I thought would be perfect for a gaming bar. From there it was just a case of talking to some good mates (Yahtzee, Pras, Shay) who each brought unique skills to the table, and here we are today!

Now will you guys have all three of the next gen consoles at the customers disposal?

Yup, all three – Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and Wii. Not only that, but we will have the capability to choose which consoles display on which screens at any given point in time. So if we want to promote a PS3 exclusive title, we can have it playable on all the TV’s in the bar.

Do people purchase credits on a card? Is it pay by the hour?

It’s free to enter, and free to play. We thought about systems that are similar to pool tables, but fact is on a busy night we want people to interact with each other and hand the controller round to other people, like you do at your own parties. Last thing we want is small groups having exclusive playtime to a station for a defined period of time.

Australia has seen a great number of problems between the OFLC (Office of Film and Literature Classification) and video games. Did any of that come into play for you guys? Are there things you guys have to worry about?

Thankfully we’re a bar, which means it’s an 18+ venue, so no issues there. It is however a reminder about how stupid the current system in place is, that we don’t have an R18 rating in Australia. I actually hope the bar might be used as an example to how most gamers are grownups.

Do you guys plan on hosting themed nights or game release parties?

Hell yeah!! There are so many awesome opportunities. Imagine this – it’s the launch of Modern Warfare 3, turn up after work and you’re able to play the game on all the TV’s in the bar, prizes and competitions every hour, personal messages from the developers, then come midnight go home happy with a copy of the game! Beats lining up at your standard retailer at midnight. On top of that we’ll be doing everything from gaming trivia (hosted by Yahtzee himself), Guitar Hero competitions, developer/student social events, industry Q&A nights … there’s simply so many awesome ideas!

Are their any video game themed/titled drinks?

Yes … but we’ll reveal those closer to the launch. It’s a surprising amount of fun coming up with gamer titled drink puns that are obvious to gamers, but just sound ‘cool’ to those not in the know.

Did you guys all have backgrounds in video games before opening the Mana Bar?

Well everyone knows Yahtzee from Zero Punctuation of course! Personally I run the gaming website AustralianGamer.com, and am involved in the upcoming (yes, it’s still happening) gaming show GameDamage.net. Pras is the Senior Designer at Sega Creative Assembly, although his background before that is in finance and risk analysis which is supremely handy for this venture. And finally Shay – who isn’t from the gaming industry – but has over 15 years experience running bars everywhere from London to New York and of course Brisbane.

We want to wish you guys the best of luck and will definitely follow your progress! Speaking of following, how can our readers learn more about Mana Bar?

Cheers for the well wishes and support, it really is a unique venture so we’re honestly nervous yet excited to see how it’s going to go! You can follow us on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/themanabar), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/themanabar), or check the website http://www.manabar.com.au!

Guy “Yug” Blomberg from Mana Bar, thank you so much for joining us!

You guys make equipment for all three of the consoles, although the focus seems to be on the Wii. What is the process like when coming up with something new and innovative for the Wii?

First we need to look at market coverage. Wii was definitely the strongest of the 3 consoles during the early phase of the console war.  Furthermore, their motion controller provides more opportunities for 3^rd party accessories developers to get involved, whereas the gaming accessories for PS3 and Xbox 360 have been pretty sufficiently covered.  To come up with new and innovative products for Wii, we first need to play the games, understand how the games are played and try to look for areas where we can improve the user experience.  We try to produce items that are popular to consumers, and also a few items of our own to target problems or improvements which we believe the market has not properly addressed.

Everyone complains about certain features of a remote… too clunky, too small, etc., The 4 in 1 Control Brothers product is going to make a lot gamers happy. Does it work well for most games or is it specific to a game like Mario Bros?

We initiated this product because we found during our testing of Mario Brawl that the Wii Remote is too small to effectively use as a controller.  When Super Mario comes around, we know that this is going to be a real problem, since Wii classic controllers and old GameCube controllers cannot be used.  The 4 in 1 Control Brothers handle was made specifically to address intensive horizontally controlled titles, such as Mario Brothers or Super Mario Brawl.  It will work for any Wii title that requires you to use the Wii Remote as a control pad, and works incredibly well in intensive action titles.

What is the staff size at a place like Penguin United?

We have 5 team members in the US and 3 in Asia.

For any younger folks that are trying to break into the gaming industry, what sort of schooling background would you suggest to get into a place like Penguin United?

The average age of Penguin United is about 27 years old, so we are a young company.  Personally, I am all for higher education, but I believe personality, practical knowledge, and a drive to make something happen is more important than a diploma.  Product design and graphic design skills are always very important in this industry.  It’s important to make visually pleasing products.  Knowledge of the gaming industry and experience with games are also important.  Most importantly, I believe a can do, aggressive attitude with a strong work ethic is the most important attribute to be successful in this industry.

What is the next project for Penguin United?

We are also planning on showcasing our Mouse/Keyboard Simulator for Playstation 3 exclusively at CES, which maps out PS3’s controller schemes to a standard Mouse/Keyboard for First Person Shooters like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.  It would also allow you to turn on “turbo” mode for the buttons you have mapped.  If you do not connect it to a keyboard and mouse, you can connect it to the original PS3 controller and it would allow turbo for your original PS3 controller as well.

Richard Huang from Penguin United, thank you so much for joining us! We look forward to seeing what your company comes up with in the future to make gaming even more enjoyable and comfortable.

Catherine thank you so much for joining us, how did you guys come up with the idea for the V-Screen?

RealView’s two key optical engineers had done a lot of experimenting with various 3D systems for medical and scientific uses. They found other systems to be bulky, expensive and uncomfortable to use. Being highly creative folks, RealView’s engineers started doing some highly unconventional things to various optical components, and they found a new way to enhance the depth cues that were already present in 2D images. They used a completely different technical approach that was easy to use and that could be produced affordably for a range of high-volume consumer products.

There were quite a few technical challenges to adapt our technology for the PSP. The development process took us longer than expected. (And we were distracted exploring the many things our technology could achieve, such as home cinema projection with enhanced depth.) But since we loved the PSP’s excellent screen quality (high brightness and resolution), and because PSP games have such outstanding graphics with lots of depth cues, we kept at it. The PSP is an excellent match for RealView’s technology.

Because of the range of devices for other applications that are coming soon, RealView decided to release its products with its own branding instead of going through an established game accessory company. We want people to get to know RealView Innovations Ltd. for its creativity in giving an exciting new visual experience, for technical excellence, and for proving unique, affordable products and technology. We’re proud of being an Irish company and for having a product that’s manufactured in Ireland.

What was the development process like? How many people worked on it?

The development process involved coordination between our R&D facilities in Ireland and Scotland. We do a lot of traveling! A lot of work went into the optical specifications for this unique application. Because the V-Screen has the added advantage of a protective case, and because gamers need to access the controls with ease, the screen was raised up above the level of the PSP screen. This presented certain technical challenges so the viewer would get the best depth effect, have the right image size, and have a well-made product that is lightweight, easy-to-use, affordable and unique.

We had to identify the right suppliers for key components—some in Europe, some in USA, some in Asia. In the final development stage we worked closely with our manufacturing partners, Hasbro Ireland Ltd. The assembly process involves special steps that take place in a clean room, and that place special demands on the components.

We also had to protect our Intellectual Property by filing patent applications. (We’ve already got patents approved in Ireland and Japan, and a European patent is also due to be issued shortly. We’ve also got application on file for USA, Korea and China. Our 2 principal optical engineers were assisted by 4 other RealView staff members who played an active role in the product development. We also got some focus group feedback in USA, UK and Japan, which helped us to further improve the optical depth effect.

Does it work for all models of the PSP?

The V-Screen works for the PSP 1000, 2000 and 3000 and “Slim” series (everything before the PSP Go). All the important functions are easily accessible. The V-Screen comes with a specially-designed silicone cushion that ensures the right fit for the 2000, 3000 and slim models. We’ll make a special accessory for the PSP Go later this year.

How does it work?

The V-Screen uses several special optical components. Their function is altered during the assembly process that takes place in Waterford, Ireland. As a result lots more depth cues are presented to the user’s eyes and brain than they would otherwise pick up. Therefore they get a lot more “depth” out of the visual cues that are in the 2D/3D graphics in their existing games or videos. RealView uses optics to get more information to the brain.

Some of us feel that our own depth perception capability has improved from using this technology, and some people in the medical area have said that this has potential benefits.

What is the next project for RealView?

We’re developing two large accessory screens to fit 22″ and 42″ TVs or displays, and we’ll have these “Deep Screens” on show at our CES booth in Las Vegas in January. They attach flush to the display, and provide the same exciting enhanced-depth experience for watching games, sports, movies or TV programs. We’re hoping to launch them in time for the soccer World Cup in South Africa in June.

In the games area we’re looking closely at developing accessories for the Nintendo DSiXL and the Sony PSP Go. Some recent technical breakthroughs mean that we’ll also be talking to some major technology companies about integrating our enhanced-depth technology into notebook computers, cell phones, and other devices.

The great thing about RealView’s breakthrough technology is that you get such great results using your existing content. You get more from games, music videos, DVDs and TV programs that you already have, and you don’t need a special tv or monitor. There’s no special software, electronics or configuration. You slip the Deep Screen onto your monitor or TV (or you pop your PSP into your V-Screen) and you’re ready to go!

Catherine Ansbro, thank you so much for joining us. Good luck with the V-Screen and all future products. We can’t wait to see what’s  next from RealView Innovations!

Thanks for joining us Matt, can you compare the process of working on a game like Madden NFL Arcade to that of a regular Madden release?

As you might imagine, Madden NFL Arcade’s team size and production schedule were much shorter than a typical Madden release. The overall process remained pretty much intact just compressed to a accommodate the shorter production cycle. Like every team here at Tiburon, our team was comprised of very talented and passionate development members.

It’s got to be great coming up with the “perks” or Game Changers as they are called in this game. How did you decide on the final 13.

Designing the Game Changers was a blast and the process to reach the final 13 was riddled with tons of great feedback and suggestions. If I remember correctly, we started with around 20 Game Changers and implemented majority of them. We held internal and external playtests to help refine and tweak their implementation and design. After the first couple of playtest rounds, we decided to cut some of the Game Changers and add new ones that weren’t in the original design. Those new ones were spawned by studio and playtest feedback after asking the simple question, “What Game Changer would you add?” In the end, we are very happy with the final 13 because each ones has its own unique personality and adds a layer of depth to the experience.

Can you explain how your team’s “entourage” will work?

Entourage is one of my personal favorite Game Changers. You can earn this one either on offense or defense and when activated brings the rest of your offensive/defensive line in for the play. So if you’re on defense and want to add a TON of extra pressure just activate Entourage and watch your opponent panic. That great thing about this Game Changer is that you don’t have to activate it before the snap. At any point during the play, you can materialize your line onto the field and catch your opponent of guard. It always gets a great reaction.

I’ve always been curious what it is like to select what a games achievements or trophies will be. How hard is it to whittle down the list?

I look forward to coming up with the Achievements and Trophies on every project I’m on. It just lets you think about the game a little differently and create unique challenges for the player. We start by brainstorming a bunch of different situations for the achievements/trophies and then pick out the ones that sound like the most fun. Now that list doesn’t always end up in the game. Like everything else, we run the achievements/trophies through extensive playtesting to determine if they are fun and challenging. Once we get the final list, we move on to the naming stage. This is where things can get crazy, we open this up to the entire team and get a ton of different suggestions for every achievement/trophy. Some are absolutely insane and others even crazier. We whittle the list down to our favorite names and put it in the game. Needless to say, it is a very fun and interesting process.

I remember playing games like NBA Jams in the arcade and wondering how they picked which guys you could choose from. Aside from picking the obvious big names, how did you guys go about selecting the remaining players on a team?

You would think identifying the top players from every team was a relatively easy task to accomplish. Most teams have very recognizable and standout performers that any team’s fan can easily list out. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as easy as we thought. With only five slots available, we quickly ran out of depth without exhausting the stable of talent that most teams have. Luckily, we had the Madden community to help us out when the starting job didn’t have a clear winner. We turned to twitter and asked the fans who they would start. The responses came in and quickly resolved all the interoffice debate. Every time we would start arguing over a starter, we just asked the fans and they always seem to have the right answer.

Will Madden NFL Arcade play and/or feel at all like playing a regular Madden game or is it a complete 180?

Madden NFL Arcade provides a fast-paced experience deeply rooted in twitch gameplay. We wanted the game to feel like an arcade game so we retooled pretty much every aspect of Madden to satisfy our goal. You will instantly notice the game favors twitch more than realism.

Have any NFL Players tried it out and if so, what did they think?

Not that I know of but I can’t wait to hear what they think.

Thank you so much for joining us, good luck with the release, we are excited to check it out!

The game in question is the Nintendo World Championships Gold (he also owns the Grey version). There were only 26 made back in 1990 and they were handed out to the winners and runners up of the Competition. The game holds just over six minutes of play and features three games. Let’s begin the interview.

- Thanks for joining me. Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into collecting?
- My name is JJ Hendricks. I’m 28 years old. I am not a very big game collector compared to many game collectors. I own a few of the really rare games but not that many of the regular games. I got into game collecting through game selling. I started JJGames.com when I was in college and started selling a bunch of out of print retro games. People kept asking for really hard to find games so I would look into them and talk with people on message boards about them.

- What was your first system? First game that got you hooked?
- My first game system was the Nintendo NES. I have many fond memories of the NES games like Contra, Punch-Out, A Boy and His Blob, etc. The first one that I vividly remember playing and who I was with and all the details around it was Super Mario Bros 3. One of my friends got it. I couldn’t get it myself but I remember playing that game every day at his house.

- What was your most valuable game before purchasing the Nintendo World Championships Gold Cartridge?
- Right before buying NWC Gold, I also bought the Nintendo World Championships Gray cartridge. I got a bunch of memorabilia from the event too, like a trophy from a winner, a t-shirt, a hat, the official guide, etc. That is the next most valuable game in my collection. After that is Starfox Super Weekend for SNES, which was a special game used by Nintendo for competitions at local Blockbuster stores.

- Out of the 26 made do you know how many are still around?
- I don’t know for sure, but I have talked with some people who are “NWC Experts”, one is writing a book about the event, and he says that there are 12 that are accounted for. I’m sure some of them have been destroyed at some point, but there are probably a few out there. It’s like the “Golden Ticket” in Willy Wonka. At some flea market or in some attic there is a Gold NWC cartridge waiting to be found.

- Do you collect anything else?
- I used to collect coins when I was a kid, but haven’t collected them since I was 10 or 12. Now video games are the only thing I collect, but I have fewer than 40 of them in my personal collection.

- You have a couple of cool websites, tell us about them?
- I own two video game websites. One is JJGames.com, which is a retailer of used video games. We focus on the retro stuff and sell everything from NES to Playstation 2. The other website is called VideoGamePriceCharts.com. That website is a partnership with my brother and it provides daily updated prices from across the internet for nearly 14,000 video games. It is a great source for video game collectors and game shoppers who want to know how much a game is worth.

Awesome, thank you so much JJ! Good luck with your collection.