BalanceBoard
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Man uses Wii Balance Board to control robot, takes aim at Segway next
It may never garner quite the same broad appeal among DIYers as the incredibly versatile Wiimote, but it looks like the Wii Balance Board is nonetheless spurring on some hackery of its own, including being used as a navigation device for Google Earth and World of Warcraft. While those hacks are certainly impressive enough, the board has only just recently fully earned its DIY cred by being used to control a robot, which you can see in action after the break. What's more, the man responsible for that hack, Juan González, isn't about to rest on his laurels, with him now promising to create a Segway-like device that's controlled simply using the Wii Balance Board. Needless to say, we'll be keeping an eye out for any progress on that one.Read - Balance Board Blog, "Wii Balance Board used to control robot"Read - Balance Board Blog, "Man developing Wii Balance Board Segway - Robosurfing"
Revolutionary: Balance and Options
Unlike most people, when I brought Wii Fit home for the first time, I didn't head straight to my Wii and slide the disc in to play. Instead, I tore apart the packaging to get at the Balance Board, which I then attempted to "hook up" to my computer. It took a while and a change in my method of operating, but I eventually got the thing connected and working in GlovePIE. It was at that point I started realizing what the Balance Board was really capable of, and this week I'll be sharing with you a few things I've learned about this new peripheral, so that you can start scripting for it and letting your imagination run wild.
Nintendo's Wii Fit gets official, set to launch in just two days
If for some reason you've been so far outside of the natural world that you were unaware of Nintendo's impending Wii Fit firestorm, this should get you back in the swing of things. Today the big N has made the forthcoming release of the exercise / gaming sensation officially official in the States. The device is available exclusively at the Nintendo World store in New York City starting today, but will hit other shelves on May 21st, will run you a thrifty $89.99, and launches with software containing more than 40 activities. Of course, you'll never get to experience any of those activities, as there's already a run on stock, and if you haven't pre-ordered then you're pretty much left to the whim of eBay sellers and their inflated prices. Thanks Nintendo!
U.S. boxart for Wii Fit celebrates diversity
The final package design for Nintendo's Wii Fit bundle (game and the Balance Board) does, in fact, feature diversity through not only the ethnic backgrounds of each individual on the cover, but also through their age, and even down to the different play styles one can enjoy Wii Fit with. It's a celebration of individuality and, also, a smart way to market a product. It just shows people, predominantly displayed as they participate in the activities the bundle offers. Nothing to read, nothing to think about, just a visual representation of what you're in for should you sign up. It's a good way to sell it to the mass-market crowd that the Wii has been such a success with.%Gallery-4745%[Via NeoGAF]
Wii Balance Board might not be one-trick pony
With still no European or exact US release date to speak of, Wii Fit and its accompanying Wii Balance Board have been somewhat forgotten outside of Japan, where sales have been brisk. Nintendo, however, has certainly not neglected its pressure-sensitive peripheral, with tentative plans to take advantage of the Balance Board in future releases.In a recent Famitsu magazine interview, Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that Nintendo may consider developing future software titles that use the Wii Balance Board, depending on how well the Wii Fit package performs overseas. Today, Namco Bandai is releasing Family Ski in Japan, which includes an option to play using the Balance Board. If Nintendo were to go ahead and continue developing for the Balance Board, would we be seeing more fitness titles, sports titles, or perhaps something else altogether?
Japanese Wii Fit trailers show snowboarding, jogging, more
GameTrailers has uncovered a whole buttload of Japanese videos for Wii Fit that show off some previously unknown game modes. A snowboarding game, shown above, has the player turn the board perpendicular to the screen and lean left and right to navigate a simple slalom course. For those less inclined to "X-TREME" sports, the jogging mini-game simulates the, er, thrilling world of jogging, complete with fellow joggers to keep pace with. Interestingly, the beginning of the jogging video shows a Wii remote being placed in a pocket, possibly to detect vertical movement (and setting up a surprising answer to the old query, "Is that a Wii remote in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?")An extended Japanese trailer for the game shows more scenes from the above game modes, as well as some short snippets of a previously unknown tightrope-walking game and some sort of boxing trainer. Check it out after the break..
Nintendo's Wii Fit December 1st for $75 (in Japan)
Wii Fit, out in December. Great news huh? Thing is, the ¥8,800 (about $75) Wii Fit is only announced for Japan so far. The kit features the Wii Balance Board which enables gamers to interactively head soccer balls and ski jump while partaking in other activities like yoga and aerobics typically thought to be cigarette-free. But you're at home moms, so feel free to sneak a few while pulling into a Downward-Facing Dog, we won't tell.[Via Joystiq]
Wii Warm Up: Zapper, board, or wheel?
We don't much discuss the Zapper, balance board, and steering wheel accessories coming down the pipe by themselves -- usually, we discuss them in relation to various games. However, considering them on their own, how do you feel about these accessories? Is there one you find yourself more interested in than the others? Personally, we like the balance board, despite the hefty price tag (in comparison), and think it seems to have interesting potential. But we're only one voice. How do you feel?
Revolutionary: Progress Wiiport, Part 2
Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities. When I first tested my balance board, I was in a bit of a hurry to find a suitable game with which to demonstrate it. I found a demo for a snowboarding game called Stoked Rider, but in my haste, I failed to realize that this was the long-outdated original version, and there had since been a sequel entitled Stoked Rider: Alaska Alien. Sporting far better graphics, and a more advanced gameplay engine which encorporates detailed physics, it seemed like it could give me reason enough to dust off the balance board and see what more could be done with it.
DIY Wii Balance Board
Every week, sister-site Wii Fanboy's weekly REVOLUTIONARY feature takes on the exciting task of exploring the possibilities of the Wii. This week, they made up their own Wii Balance Board using nothing more than some tennis balls, some blue, some plastic trays, some foam strips, grip tape, and of course, a Wiimote.All that's left is to find a PC game to test it out with – snowboarding sim Stoked Rider does the trick nicely – and whip up a script in GlovePIE to convert the Wiimote actions into input. Throw everything together and, voila, you can be balancing like a pro. Now, let's try to play Resident Evil 4 with it ...
CVG tries on Wii Fit
Lacking access to our customized equipment, CVG had to settle for testing Wii Fit and Nintendo's version of the Balance Board.They actually had some problems with the soccer-heading game seen in the E3 demo: pushing off with the opposing foot, of course, caused the on-screen avatar to lean in the direction opposite of that intended. In the end, they were advised to lean only slightly in either direction, which "completely ruins the illusion that you're heading the ball," causing them to liken the experience to "standing on a giant D-pad."They enjoyed other minigames much more, like a ski-jumping game and a Monkey Ball-like game in which shifting on the Balance Board tilts an onscreen board, with the goal of rolling balls into holes.Overall, CVG had a very positive experience with Wii Fit, going so far as to say "we're certain this is going to be the next Wii Sports - a fantastic party game and one that will have everyone jumping in for a go." Check out their full post and their video, and decide for yourself if you think standing will be the new waggling.
Revolutionary: Balance Boarder
Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities. var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/DIY_Wii_balance_board_used_to_play_snowboarding_game'; Inspired by Nintendo's own design, the work of another DIYer, and Alisha's challenge, I ventured to design and build my own "balance board." For a little more than $20 in materials, I've conceived an oversized Wiimote shell to translate exaggerated body movements into game commands through GlovePIE. I'm going to show you how I made it, and how it plays.
Wii Exercise tries to outwit Wii Fit
If it weren't so funny, we'd be more interested in this one. Rocket Company, a Japanese publisher/developer, is looking to beat Nintendo at their own game -- literally -- with their planned release of Wii Exercise. It's not exactly like Wii Fit; there's no balance board, and it seems there's a lack of minigames. Instead, Wii Exercise focuses on a nutrition program and a set of boxing moves to help gamers get fit. So, balance board or nutrition program? It's hard to argue with Nintendo on their own turf, but both titles may be worth looking at for those really interested in using their consoles to get into shape. [Thanks, hvnlysoldr!]
Wii games pepper nomination list for E3 awards
The Game Critics Association has released their list of nominations for the best of E3, and Nintendo is all over the place -- particularly with Super Mario Galaxy and Wii Fit. The DS may have been spurned for anything other than the handheld category, but the Wii sure seems to be holding its own against the 360 and PS3. Unfortunately, however, none of the Wii titles made it into the nominations for Best of Show. We'll skip over multiplatform titles like Guitar Hero III, but Wii games showed up in several categories: Best Social/Casual/Puzzle Game (Wii Fit, Zack & Wiki) Best Fighting Game (WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2008) Best Action/Adventure Game (Super Mario Galaxy) Best Action Game (Metroid Prime 3: Corruption) Best Hardware (Balance Board, Zapper) Best Console Game (Super Mario Galaxy) Best Original Game (Wii Fit, de Blob) An interesting mix of games -- some expected, some surprises. The winners will be announced next Tuesday. Think a few Wii games will pull out wins?
Friday Video: Who needs a fancy balance board?
Okay, we (and by we, I'm pretty sure here I only mean me) may be fans of Wii Fit, but we still have to offer up some props to this guy for sliding in a humorous reference to the balance board and the forthcoming fitness title in naming his altered-Pong video and homemade controller. But we still laugh when he falls off. No idea what we're talking about? Then hit the break and check out this week's hilarious featured video! Now we just have to work on convincing our wonderful columnist Mike Sylvester to try out something similar (and film it for our pleasure).
Wii Warm Up: How long before someone cheats at exercise?
Not even one whole day of Power Pad ownership had passed before we were on the floor, drumming on the pad with our fists, flagrantly breaking the implicit rules of World Class Track Meet. Our other favorite move? Extending our long jump by simply stepping off of the pad. Yes, we are overweight now.There's a new Power Pad in town, although it has fewer buttons and a more solid-looking construction. And it's meant more as an exercise tool than a game controller, really. But we're gamers, and we can't help the way we are. Some of us are going to cheat. Do you think you have what it takes to play it straight, or will you take the hands-on approach to Balance Boarding?
Wii Balance Board hands-on, er, feet-on
We got to get on a little, um, feet-on time with Nintendo's new Wii Balance Board. Besides the humbling experience of feeling like an uncoordinated, chubby remnant of your former self, we were surprised with the accuracy by which the device was able to detect even subtle muscle movements that affect balance and position. It definitely felt heavy and sturdy for a pre-production device. Oh, and the weight / balance sensors aren't just left / right, either, some games require you to stand in the middle on one foot. Check out the gallery, it's time to get physical like ONJ. (If you're still left wanting more, hit up Joystiq.)%Gallery-4833%
E307: Get body conscious like the Cho Aniki dudes with Wii Fit
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo_wii/Wii_Fit_an_in_depth_look_and_why_gamers_should_care'; Or maybe not. We're not insinuating anything here, because we love you no matter what. You know what else we love? That's right: Wii Fit. While it's funny to quip that this is a perfect game for moms across America, we recommend that everyone take a closer look at the versatility of Wii Fit. How many of you own a treadmill or other exercise machine? Those things take up space. Maybe you'd like to own something like that, but you live in an apartment, like many Americans, particularly those under thirty who maybe haven't bought a house yet. Then space becomes a real issue, as this blogger well knows from years of apartment-living. But with Wii Fit and the balance board peripheral, suddenly working out with gear can take a lot less space -- and you get the added benefit of monitored results, which we always thought was an excellent feature.Working out with the Wii has already become a popular hobby for many gamers -- the addition of this software just makes it that much easier. Maybe some gamers would have liked to have seen less focus on the title during Nintendo's keynote, but this kind of thing is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of Nintendo's winning strategy, and we all better get used to it. The Wii is to Americans what the DS is to the Japanese, it seems; it's an all-in-one device that can fit anyone's needs, and Wii Fit is a strong part of that.%Gallery-4745%
