Wii Fit set to outpace Grand Theft Auto IV -- gamer geeks weep, gnash teeth
Unafraid to incite elitist gamer geek unrest, respected video game industry analyst Michael Pachter has supported a prediction by GigaOM that Wii Fit will outsell Grand Theft Auto IV this year. Yeah, you read right: the latest entry into what is arguably the biggest hardcore video game franchise around is gonna get whooped by an exercise tool -- we're not shocked, we're just laughing. GTA4 was dominating at first, but with time interest has waned while Wii Fit and its included Balance Board peripheral have stayed hot despite supply shortages. Nintendo's hardware-focused strategy seems to be working; the Balance Board install base is approaching 12 million, or roughly 30% of all Wii owners. You can bet it'll be put to good use in future games and other, less mainstream applications even after folks have given up on losing weight and resigned themselves once more to lifelong loneliness.

























Indeed. GTA is about as casual as you can get.
Oh GTA IV is TOTALLY casual, what with the assortment of mini-games like bowling, darts, pool, and those arcade games. Oh wait, then there's also the 40+ hours of gameplay on the average playthrough of just the main storyline, the pigeons (Hidden Packages) to rid the city of, all the stunt jumps, races, achievements/trophies that require you to log on when the developers are playing, and all the side missions...Yeah, sounds totally geared towards that casual audience to me.
There is only one way to describe this.
And that word is "atrocity".
Back in my day Hard-Core was Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde, Ghosts and Gobblins and Summer Carnival Recca 98...
Games that were... HARD!
level 1 would leave you curled up in a ball, in the corner of the room, with the control pad shaking in your hands...
You speak truth. I lost a friend to Gauntlet. RIP, Lil' Pete! "Warroir needs food badly" indeed.
i remember a couple of years ago i mom wanted a dance dance revolution mat because they say it helps you lose wight
that lasted for about two weeks before ending up in a closet till this day
all im saying is this seems to be a very common thing for the wii fit as well
Yeah, interesting article...
But did anyone else get dizzy from looking at the picture?
I just threw up all over my keyboard thanks to your comment. You owe me 50$ ;-)
Mines attached to the ceiling.
One of the reasons I got a Wii was to get the Wii fit. I've been using it regularly, and it has helped me lose weight, at least. It beats paying to go to the gym, which is too far away, or getting a personal trainer. My friends have found it to be very fun, and can't get enough of it. Right now, it's got only three games (Fit, Ski, Music), and it's selling this well. What would happen if it's actually got a great game to take advantage of it?
There are people who say that they stopped using the Wii fit after just a short period. For any kind of exercise tool, it's a fad unless you stick to the regimen, and you'll be unfit/obese anyways. Think of all those ab-shapers and treadmills that gather dust in people's homes. The Wii fit is slightly different in that it provides variety and a record of your progress, and makes exercising more interesting/entertaining. But it still requires you to get off your lazy butt and use it, and if you're chronically lazy, you won't use it. I think Nintendo is doing America a favor by offering an excuse to shape up.
In other words, I'm not surprised that it's sold so well. It's just finding one to buy that's hard.
I'm with you on that. Since I started regularly using Wii Fit about 3 months ago (primarily doing the free run for 20-30 minutes each morning, plus a set of jackknife exercises, up to 50 right now), I've lost 40+ lbs. Yes, part of that is eating better and watching my caloric intake, but Wii Fit has played a motivating part in it all. Just the other day, I finally got it to stop chirping "That's obese!" at me; now it's "That's overweight!". Ultimately, I'm just happy to be below 200 lbs. for the first time in nearly a decade. And I have Nintendo to thank for that.
This makes me want to go out and get gta4 for the ps3.
My wii is collecting dust. Just got a 360...a gamers console, but my game platform of choice is still PC.
Typical gamer feet. Look for wider feet due to heavy mass and giant big toes without trimming due to always wearing low-quality sneakers. The real giveaway is using socks too small for his feet (aimed at young children) just to use the promotional products given to him as a present after booth babes perceived the foul smell of rotten Chettos™ coming from his sweatpants he got just for the event, during the presentation of said product.
Projection based on vgchartz.com numbers. That's right. Enough said.
prolly because driving is so fcking annoying in gta4...
I bought a Wii Fit for the girlfriend for her birthday in September. Since then I've used it twice and she's yet to create a profile for herself. So the buzz alone made her ask for the thing, god know if she'll ever use it. Maybe I can show her the girl hool-a-hooping in her underwear video as motivation.
Can the Wii fit even be considered in the same category as GTA IV. Can it even be considered a game? Ive never used Wii fit, nor will I ever, (I can use a real gym thank you very much) but from what I have seen on commercials it doesn't really seem like a game but more like an interactive Susan Sommers video.
Can GTA4 really be said to be a game? I've never used it, but from what I've seen in video, it doesn't really look like a game but more an interactive 50 Cent song.
;)
I own Wii Fit. I also owned all three GTA games for the PS2. But by the time I played San Andreas, I lost interest.
When I was 25 I thought I'd be playing video games forever, but as I've gotten older, I've put my childish toys away.
Say what you want about the 3 competitors in this generation of gaming consoles, but Nintendo got it right. No super-duper graphics. No hard drives. No online gaming (?). Just innovation, and appealing to a broader audience. How 'bout that.
Not surprising. A product that is even remotely popular with the general public is going to outsell something that is only popular with the niche hardcore gaming crowd. It's apples to oranges people. Even calling Wii Fit a video game is a stretch, so you really can't compare them. If you didn't need a Wii to "play" Wii Fit it would REALLY outsell GTA IV and every other game ever made.
Think about it. It's cheaper than a gym membership and comes on a system that makes a bunch of games your kids can play. Nintendo, sadly enough, has succeeded in their marketing strategy of selling systems and platforms to your mom and grandma.
Why so down on Nintendo? The gaming industry still has their 360s and PS3s for the hardcore gamers. Why should the moms and grandmas be denied modern interactive entertainment just because you have a snooty attitude towards casual gaming. If any other company put out a device like this, it wouldn't be an issue. But because Nintendo, who in the past has been strictly a video game company, decides to change their core focus, everyone gets all worked up about it. Nintendo has expanded their market and is now appealing to a larger audience. They're now an interactive entertainment company, not a video game company. If you don't like it, go back to your 360 and PS3 and be happy, that's what I did.
It's great that the Wii Fit is contributing to people wanting to be fit while playing a video game. But you can also point out to the Wii audience, mainly older boomers and young women, that for the price of a pair of sweats, sneakers and some light dumbbells they can get a superior workout.
Light dumbbells provide a superior workout? NOW who's the being the dumbbell?
Two pages of comments and still no conclusion as to where to buy those socks? I'm disappointed :P