Wii bowler beats real bowler in senior videogame tourney

Proving once again that athleticism and real-world experience have little bearing on the outcome of Wii Sports matches, a 79-year-old bowler was defeated by an 84-year-old who'd only recently picked up the game -- virtually -- in their retirement community's latest Nintendo tournament. Obviously a popular pastime among the senior crowd, playing Wii has gotten so big at the 3000-resident Riderwood complex in Montgomery County, Maryland that semi-regular tournies are held in the various events, with underdog Nancy Davies (not pictured) upsetting previous champ Hal Winters (also not pictured) in the most recent excitement-filled Bowling final. When asked to comment on the 202 to 182 stunner, the few other folks who were both awake at the time and able to remember the action agreed that the match was surely one for the record books.

[Via TG Daily]

[JayHawk Phrenzie @ Dec 26th 2007 1:46PM]

Slow news day?

[CT A @ Dec 26th 2007 2:18PM]

Hey thats cool news. Get over it, it's the day after Christmas.

[vcx @ Dec 27th 2007 12:40AM]

Maybe this will make the Wii a little unpopular!!

[kevjohn @ Dec 26th 2007 1:48PM]

That picture is wrong on so many levels. And yet.....

BWAHAHAHAHA!

[Randavance @ Dec 26th 2007 2:14PM]

I agree, if they were younger and in those axact poses then it would be a wonderful subliminal message relating sex and the Wii for an advertizement. But the fact they the're old just makes it creepy.

[roole @ Dec 26th 2007 10:25PM]

Hmmmm. Don't laugh too hard. We should be fortunate to look (and be) that cool a few decades from now.

[ReD-DaWg-OnE @ Dec 26th 2007 2:03PM]

Your lack of respect for the elderly is distasteful.

[Eddie @ Dec 26th 2007 2:50PM]

Your lack of respect for this newfangled comedy thingamajiger is pretty appalling too, grandpa.

[Student Driver @ Dec 26th 2007 2:08PM]

sWiit, now we just need a Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy shootout.

[Randavance @ Dec 26th 2007 2:16PM]

I'm sorry, I had this brief moment as I clicked the neg button where for some reason I though this was a comment board to a blog, and not a shameless self promotion page.

[kjb434 @ Dec 26th 2007 2:48PM]

I think Nintendo was extremely smart when they decided to buck conventional wisdom and not build a console that was the most powerful, but more available.

Instead of making something that could play the typical first person shooter with graphics better than the previous version, Nintendo actually made a console that is fun to play with groups.

Several local bars by me have Wii's available to play at no charge. All they have on it really is the sports games, but it's a lot a fun when drinking.

[Eddie @ Dec 26th 2007 2:54PM]

Must be an expensive drink, when they're having to either replace flat screens every few weeks or hire a bouncer to perform wrist strap checks.

[kjb434 @ Dec 26th 2007 3:01PM]

it's actually works really well. They use a projector (so no flat screen tv to break). The ceiling is 25' high, so the projector won't get hit.

The lesbians are the only ones that get a little competitive, but it never gets ugly.

[Sean @ Dec 26th 2007 2:27PM]

Not only is Randavance right, but who in their right mind would pay that much money for a Wii when you can buy one brand new for $250 at Gamestop via raincheck? (Yes, I clicked your link in your spam comment)

[Derek @ Dec 26th 2007 3:04PM]

That guy's boobs are lower than the woman's.

[heavenlysword @ Dec 26th 2007 3:25PM]

I'm pretty sure I should have laughed, but I didn't.
I wonder why, oh yes.. I know.. it's such a lame joke. Very disrespectful. No wonder I didn't laugh.

Hmm lame..

[Jason @ Dec 26th 2007 3:20PM]

I bet Nintendo is going to lose out on a lot of sales from things like this... I bet they only have a few Wii's at these retirement homes... not one in every room.

I hated the Wii for this very reason... you can play Wii Golf and swing the Wiimote like a baseball bat and hit a perfect shot. I think thats why the Wii is mostly popular with old people, little kids, and drunk folks!

Cheers to Nintendo though... it will be interesting to see how long they can ride this wave... I'm sure MS and Sony will be along with some kind of motion sensing controllers (not the half baked one sony has right now) before too long... then the Wii just isn't as interesting anymore... It kind of makes you wonder why they haven't done something like that already??

[Justin @ Dec 26th 2007 4:06PM]

Really? Video game sports aren't like playing real sports. Is that what you're saying? Wow. Who knew?

[JohnInMableton @ Dec 28th 2007 5:33PM]

Thats a wonderful picture and I think its wonderful they are encouraging the residents to move around and have some fun. If only they would let have relations like normal people can have.

[Halfmad @ Dec 26th 2007 3:41PM]

Good god people it's a game, do you have to be l33t in everything you do. God forbid people actually have fun whilst playing a console and don't jump up and down whilst screaming on their voicecomms how utterly fecking brilliant they are and how pwned you were!

Seriously, like it or not the Wii is FUN to play and accessable for absolutely anyone. Even if MS and Sony come out with a version of it- you can bet your backside it'll be just as easy to play. There's money in them there pensioners as well as those who don't usually game and those who want it to be easy to play with friends - it's not all about winning, it's about having fun.

Get off your god damn high horse when it comes to gaming and realise that the Wii, whilst not perfect has at least brought people into games that otherwise would be too busy knitting, smelling of mothballs or in the case of my mates at the weekend, too pissed out of their brains to actually manage to play.

The Wii, frankly has rejuvenated the console market and although MS and Sony didn't flog it first, they will benefit from it.

[Zak @ Dec 26th 2007 4:17PM]

I can't rate this post high enough.

[Matthew Hilario @ Dec 26th 2007 5:22PM]

God called, he wants his whilst back.

[Reader @ Dec 26th 2007 5:58PM]

Sorry, I stopped reading your comment after you said whilst...

[Savino @ Dec 26th 2007 4:11PM]

yo g-ma's got her tongue out, michael jordan style

[silvarga @ Dec 26th 2007 4:15PM]

I love that the elderly LOVE the Wii. It's awesome for them to get joy out of something current that also makes them less technology-phobic.

Here's hoping Nintendo will produce Wii games to cater to those in retirement homes. Like those BrainAge games released for the DS but for both mental and physical exercise.

[Matthew Hilario @ Dec 26th 2007 5:26PM]

We have a 67 year old intern over here at my office, and she loves to play Flash Focus and Brain Age on the Nintendo DS. I absolutely love playing games with the elderly, I wish my grandma had a Wii herself.

[{MHWW} DMan @ Dec 26th 2007 5:53PM]

Has anyone noticed that they aren't strapping on their wiimotes tightly?

[Cameron @ Dec 26th 2007 7:04PM]

Slow news day huh?!

[wickedpheonix @ Dec 26th 2007 9:21PM]

Slow news day indeed.

"I wish my grandma had a Wii herself" - LOL this is why Nintendo should've kept the name "Revolution" :P (no disrespect intended)

[aoeu00 @ Dec 26th 2007 7:12PM]

Why does he need to be standing up to play?

[Lemmiwinks @ Dec 27th 2007 2:19PM]

Because he finds it to be more fun that way.

[Ethan @ Dec 26th 2007 7:12PM]

I am slightly perplexed at the sensitivity in Wii Sports. I know 1:1 is pretty impossible, but there's such a little range of speeds I wish I could turn it down for some more accurate putting.

Although the thing I think the Wii needs most is a 'not a novice' switch which could negate all the safety warnings and pressing A+B to make sure you're holding the controller right. Well done to the lady.

[Ed @ Dec 26th 2007 7:43PM]

"the few other folks who were both awake at the time and able to remember the action agreed that the match was surely one for the record books."

Now that's some funny shit.

As for the Grinch's on this blog I second Halfmad's sentiment.

It's a bunch of old people having fun with some pretty new technology that can actually connect with them. Geez.

[Miles @ Dec 26th 2007 8:39PM]

The wii is stupid.
Fucking rip off of Apple's designs if I've ever seen one.
Apple has motion sensing in their laptops for years, as well as bluetooth remotes, shiny white exterior, and small form factor.
Nintendo didn't do anything revolutionary, it was all done before.

[Eugene @ Dec 26th 2007 9:22PM]

Wow.

I'm not sure if your joking or just seriously misguided...

[Armen @ Dec 26th 2007 9:05PM]

That picture is not funny. I'm a young man with more than half a century to get to that age. But shame on whoever chose that picture. It's very disrespectful. And you'll understand this when you looked after your elderly with your own hands kid.

[Jamesology @ Dec 27th 2007 6:33AM]

WOW, this shows that only two groups of ppl can enjoy the Wii longer than a Week the toddlers and elders. Both simple minded.

So far the only game that lasted it's fun factor for me is Mario Galaxy (Amazingly Awesome game). Since I couldn't put it down I beat it in less than two weeks. Now the Wii is useless.

[Lemmiwinks @ Dec 27th 2007 2:21PM]

Then why don't you sell it to someone who would appreciate it and STFU. You don't like it. Fine. Nobody gives a shit.

[Scuba Steve @ Dec 27th 2007 12:11PM]

In all seriousness, I love that the Wii has both broken down barriers of video gaming and also is now providing stimulation and joy for so many senior citizens. Seriously. This is awesome.

[toyotaboy @ Dec 27th 2007 3:13PM]

gee.. i always wondered why my wii bowling score is typically over 200 while my real life bowling score barely cracks 100. It's pretty easy to digitally aim the same way everytime and just keep the controller straight when you swing.