Fitocracy was an online game and social network that aims to use

gamification Gamification is the process of enhancing systems, services, organisations and activities through the integration of game design elements and principles in non-game contexts. The goal is to increase user engagement, motivation, competition and ...

to help users improve their fitness. It has received coverage from mainstream media sources.

History

Fitocracy was founded by Dick Talens and Brian Wang. Both were self-described computer nerds who had succeeded in improving their own fitness and decided that game mechanics could help others to do the same. Fitocracy launched in February 2011, using an invite system to control new user signups. Invite codes were initially distributed through sites such as

Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...

. In November 2011, the site introduced advertising, along with a paid option, known as Fitocracy Hero, which was ad-free and offered additional features. By then, Fitocracy claimed to have 120,000 users and a waiting list of a further 120,000. In January 2012, Fitocracy began a partnership with

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020, and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and ...

in which the site would be used to host the Red Bull Fitness Challenge. By the end of January 2012, Fitocracy claimed a user base of 230,000 registered members. In March 2012, Fitocracy launched an app for

iOS Ios, Io or Nio (, ; ; locally Nios, Νιός) is a Greek island in the Cyclades group in the Aegean Sea. Ios is a hilly island with cliffs down to the sea on most sides. It is situated halfway between Naxos and Santorini. It is about long an ...

devices. In January 2013, Fitocracy launched an app for

Android Android most commonly refers to: *Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), a mobile operating system primarily developed by Google * Android TV, a operating system developed ...

. In March 2013, Fitocracy reached one million users and announced a collaboration with

Arnold Schwarzenegger Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...

, which challenges users to exercise for 15 minutes per day. In August 2014, Fitocracy was listed as one of ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' Best Websites of 2014. Fitocracy was acquired in 2016 by an unnamed buyer. In October 2017 it was announced that Fitocracy had reached 12.5 million active users. As of August 2024, Fitocracy's website was offline.

Game

Fitocracy users log their exercise activity by selecting from a collection of activities such as

weight lifting Weightlifting or weight lifting generally refers to physical exercises and sports in which people lift weights, often in the form of dumbbells, barbells or machines. People engage in weightlifting for a variety of different reasons. These can i ...

running Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...

and entering details such as weight lifted or distance run. Points are awarded based on the estimated fitness benefit of each activity. Users must reach points thresholds in order to '' level up''.

Quests and achievements

The site presents users with ''

quests A quest is a journey toward a specific mission or a goal. It serves as a Plot (narrative), plot device in mythology and fiction: a difficult Travel, journey towards a goal, often symbolic or Allegory, allegorical. Tales of quests figure promine ...

'' to perform for additional points, typically consisting of a set of related activities. Particularly significant fitness milestones are recognized with

achievement Achievement or achieving may refer to: *Achievement (heraldry) *Achievement (horse), a racehorse *Achievement (video games), a meta-goal defined outside of a game's parameters, a digital reward that signifies a player's mastery of a specific task ...

badges.

Social networking

In addition to the game, Fitocracy also provides a

social network A social network is a social structure consisting of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), networks of Dyad (sociology), dyadic ties, and other Social relation, social interactions between actors. The social network per ...

which enables users to follow other users, view and comment on their workouts and join groups for specific interests.

Reception

Fitocracy was initially covered by technology and gaming focused media, such as

TechCrunch TechCrunch is an American global online newspaper focusing on topics regarding high tech, high-tech and Startup company, startup companies. It was founded in June 2005 by Archimedes Ventures, led by partners Michael Arrington and Keith Teare. I ...

, ''

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'', ''

Lifehacker ''Lifehacker'' is a weblog about life hacks and software that launched on 31 January 2005. The site was originally launched by Gawker Media and is owned by Ziff Davis. The blog posts cover a wide range of topics including Microsoft Windows, M ...

'', ''

Kotaku ''Kotaku'' is a video game website and blog that was originally launched in 2004 as part of the Gawker Media network. Notable former contributors to the site include Luke Smith, Cecilia D'Anastasio, Tim Rogers, and Jason Schreier. History ...

'', and ''

Destructoid ''Destructoid'' is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 and sold it to Gamurs Group in 2022. Histor ...

''. As it grew, it was covered by more mainstream media, including ''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (often abbreviated as ''PM'' or ''PopMech'') is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do it yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation an ...

'', ''

The New York Observer ''The New York Observer'' was a weekly newspaper established in 1987. In 2016, it ceased print publication and became the online-only newspaper ''Observer''. The media site focuses on culture, real estate, media, politics and the entertainment ...

'',

CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...

, ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' and ''

The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Newspapers in Canada, Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in Western Canada, western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of more than 6 million in 2024, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on week ...

''.

2012 Shorty Awards

Fitocracy was nominated in the 2012

Shorty Awards The Shorty Awards (also known as "The Shortys") are awards for outstanding and innovative work in digital and social media content by brands, advertising agencies, and creators. The awards, which generally focus on short-term content, honor achiev ...

. Although it received the most votes in its category, Social Fitness, it was not selected as the winner by the judges.

References

External links

* {{Official website, https://www.fitocracy.com/ American social networking websites Gamification