exergaming
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Wii Fit the new go-to for rehab clinics?
Where in the past Wii Sports has been the ideal Wii-based solution for rehabilitation patients, Nintendo's newest craze, Wii Fit, is now stepping up to show everyone that it has something to offer outside of a really fun hula hoop mini-game. Now, sports trainers are looking to Wii Fit to help rehabilitate injured athletes. "We are looking to incorporate Wii Fit into the athletic training room as far as rehabilitation, for example, on post-operative knees and ankles," said Sue Stanley-Green, professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College. She noted that the success of the console in other rehab scenarios fueled their interest in Wii Fit, stating that "Fitness-oriented video games are also being used more and more in nursing homes for rehabilitation," also adding "Fitness video games have some really good potential to improve fitness in everyone."%Gallery-24459%[Via Engadget]
Wii Move becomes waaaaay more disturbing
If the previous trailer is anything to go by, the upcoming WiiWare "game' Wii Move looks a little on the ... odd side. We're telling you right now -- you ain't seen nothing yet. In fact, the newest video is so completely bonkers, it needs a NSFW rating. Yeah, keep it on the down low.So ... cool. How to be objective about this? The graphics are simple, it will feature online play, and the Balance Board can be used to create your own moves. Moves like ... burning a topless man with candle wax! Arrrgh! This is nuts!Let's cut to the chase. Seems like a big box of fake. More specifically, it seems like a giant crater of awesome. Here's hoping Wii Move turns out to be more messed up than anyone could ever imagine!
Wii Fit tagged with an expensive, undeserved bill
A poll from the UK insurance firm Sheilas' Wheels analyzed the exercise habits of women, and the potential disaster area that has become their homes. Despite the initial "ZOMG Wii Fit destruction!" outcry from the mass media, the details of the poll really don't have much to do with Nintendo at all.The general response criticizes massive damage caused by these women knocking over junk as they worked out on Wii Fit. On average, £6.55 per person was the estimated dollar (that is, pound) value of destruction, or a whopping £20 million worth total. Wii Fit, you've got some 'splaining to do!Or, not. Wii Fit isn't responsible for the damage at all, and the original release from Sheilas' Wheels merely mentions the popularity of Wii Fit and Nintendo in general -- then immediately states the most popular home exercise method is watching an instructional video or DVD. Sure, the Wii has been responsible for some breakages in the past, but tacking the £20 million sum anywhere near the Balance Board is just poor form. Read over the official Sheilas' Wheels news article before subscribing to the Wii Fit Angry Mob newsletter.Finally, the results explain that the survey was conducted to gather home damage estimates over the past year. Wii Fit has only been out in the UK for a month. The math doesn't add up, and a genuine attempt to gather information on home exercise routines has been misrepresented. Besides, if Wii Fit was solely to blame, what have the women been doing to smash up their stuff during the 11 months before it was released? If you guessed cleaning the kitchen, sewing and baking cookies for the men, you would be correct.%Gallery-4745%
Loser leader stepping up to the Balance Board
The losers who didn't make the cut for The Biggest Loser needn't bat an eyelid. Everyone's favorite motivational trainer from the hit TV show is boxercizing her way to the Wii in Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009. The only downside is actually paying her to bark orders a you, rather than competing to win a hefty sum of cash.So what's the ultimatum? Get fit or be forced to eat a dozen Mega Macs? That's a punishment worse than playing Chicken Shoot. If you need a good reason to play, Fitness Ultimatum will utilize the Balance Board for its exercises, which hopefully means your multi-use Wii Fit peripheral might get some future exergaming use.You'll be seeing Jillian on the Wii in Q4 2008, so feel free to sneak some yum-yums in (we will) before her brutal training regime crushes your spirit.[Via GoNintendo]
Wii Fanboy Weekly: June 5 - June 11
Before you question how you're able to read Shigeru Miyamoto's thoughts (let alone visualize them in a speech bubble in clear, easy-to-read text), we would like to ask you about your thoughts on Wii Fit? Do you have it? Want it, but can't find it? The latter story seems to be the one most can identify with right now, so we figured we'd compile a list of some alternatives, which consist of past combinations of gaming and exercise (exergaming, if you will), along with a little bit of our own flair tossed in.Oh, and for those of you who enjoy free stuff, check out our latest Virtually Free giveaway. We're hooking one person up with My Life as a King. Features Wii Fanboy Review: My Pokemon RanchCheck out our review and direct-feed video commentary Born for Wii: Panzer Dragoon OrtaWe reimagine the game for Wii Wii Fanboy Review: Actionloop TwistIs this one worth your time, European gamers? We let you know Can't find Wii Fit? Try these alternatives!Our compiled list of alternatives to the hot new exercise bundle Revolutionary: Balance and OptionsColumnist Mike Sylvester churns out another good one Brawl Stage of the WeekOur weekly highlight of user-created stages for the game Virtually Overlooked: Rex Ronan: Experimental SurgeonWe tell you why it should be on the Virtual Console VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 6/9/08Our direct-feed video and commentary to this week's Virtual Console releases in North America Video Content This might be the best Guitar Hero III player everSeriously Current TV on the Wii Fit phenomenonPretty funny skit about Wii Fit How to snap a neck in Tenchu IVSurprisingly easy! A new habit for nunsEveryone is into Nintendo's latest console News of Note Best Buy replenishes Wii Fit, Karate Kid stockBut when will they clear all those Fast & Furious DVDs out? Korea's Wii controllers are a stealDarn cheap to pick up some hardware in Korea WiiWare developer shares rejection letterThey can't all be winners, can they?
Wii Fit for expensing as fitness equipment
The blogger of the enthusiastically-named "Wii Fit is It" blog (is Coke not it anymore? Wasn't Coke it?) apparently works for a very progressive company. His workplace provides each employee a $150 allowance for exercise equipment or services. Instead of getting a gym membership or a Gazelle Edge (sorry, BallyTotalFitnessFanboy.com and TonyLittleFanboy.com), he got a copy of Wii Fit.Apparently, the person in charge of approving the claims knew all about Wii Fit (possibly from having the television on or any magazine open at some point within the last few months) and was looking for a copy himself. It's nice to see Wii Fit treated like an actual exercise tool in some official capacity!%Gallery-4745%[Via Kotaku]
Current TV on the Wii Fit phenomenon
Current TV's Wii Fit Tech Report does an admirable job of encapsulating the media coverage of Nintendo's hit exercise program. From "will it sell?" right to "oh, look, it sold out!" and from "it called a kid fat!" to "look at that girl doing the Hula Hoop game!" Ben Hoffman's supremely mellow delivery makes this review worth watching even if you already have (or already decided not to get) Wii Fit. In fact, we suggest watching this for lulz rather than a critical overview of the efficacy of Wii Fit. It features some borderline NSFW language -- consider yourself warned if you're at W.
Family Trampoline
Namco Bandai's Family Trainer (or Active Life: Outdoor Challenge here) may not gauge your weight or balance like Wii Fit does, but you can jump for real. Instead of absentmindedly jumping in the middle of the tightrope game and being admonished for it, Family Trainer lets you take off. It's one of the advantages of the low-tech controller. Along with floppiness. Is that an advantage? It sure seems like one.This ability means that Family Trainer can feature a trampoline game like the one in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, with the addition of real jumping. Like the Olympic trampoline event, sequential jumps increase in height, allowing the player to score points with controller motions while airborne. Jumping looks like a lot more fun when you're ... jumping.
CNN talks gaming for health
CNN is all over the Wii Fit thing. First, they had Mario Armstrong come in and demo the package for them, now Dr. Sanjay Gupta is taking time out to discuss the benefits of using games as a health tool, namely in the rehabilitation sector. We've heard stories about places using Wii to help rehabilitate their patients, but it's now gaining more ground, as Dr. Gupta mentions the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is funding 12 different studies that will specifically see if games can be used as a means for making us healthier individuals.If all the serious medical talk bores you, then laugh at the CNN employees doing the hula hoop minigame while one the Balance Board. They really get into it. %Gallery-4745%[Via Go Nintendo]
Can't find Wii Fit? Here are some alternatives!
We here at Wii Fanboy are always looking out for you, fine reader. And, with Wii Fit being the incredibly popular package that it is, we know some of you haven't been able to get your hands on it. Well, what are you to do? We've got a few ideas, some silly and some not-so. Some of the solutions are viable financial alternatives, providing you a similar experience for similar cost. Other ideas are a bit more ... off. You know how we like to do it!So, without further ado, head on in (via the graphic on the bottom-right) and see some of the alternatives to Wii Fit available.
Fanswag reminder: Wii Fit giveaway ends tonight
Yup, it's your last chance to enter our Wii Fit giveaway. On top of the Wii Fit bundle, we're also tossing in a Nyko Energy Pak, so you won't have to worry about batteries for your Balance Board. What are you waiting for? Get on over to the original contest post already!%Gallery-4745%
Pachter: Unbalanced Wii Fit shipments due to weak dollar
Superstar game industry analyst Michael Pachter told the LA Times that Nintendo's smaller North American supply of Wii Fit units can be blamed, just like everything else that has anything to do with business, on the value of the dollar. "The shortage demonstrates one consequence of the weak dollar. We're seeing companies ignore their largest market simply because they can make a greater profit elsewhere." Then -- seemingly to make sure blogs quoted him -- Pachter added, "They know that Americans will be just as fat a few months from now." The article states that about 500,000 Wii Fits were shipped to the U.S., versus "as many as 2 million" to Europe. We think that if the disparity is indeed strategic, it has less to do with the decreasing value of the dollar, and more to do with two other trends: Nintendo of Europe's increased friendliness toward nontraditional "expanded audience" games, and European gamers' acceptance of exorbitant game prices. It's not so much that $90 is low for Wii Fit -- it's that they can get away with selling it for $140 in Europe.%Gallery-4745%
Nintendo pledges more Wii Fit stock to UK
Last month's reassurances over UK shortages of Wii Fit did nothing! Far from "coming in all the time on a weekly basis," stock of the fitness title seems to have dwindled down to an all-time low, leaving an entire nation starved of Wii Fitness and the streets awash with angry stay-at-home mums and overturned cars. This week's UK charts tell the whole story -- Wii Fit sank from third spot to outside the Top 40, and to fifteenth in the Wii's own chart. That's below Game Party.Anyway, this dramatic fall from grace has led to Nintendo having to make further reassurances about the situation, with the company promising that supplies will be replenished as quickly as possible. "There are pockets of stock shortages in areas of the UK", a Ninty spokesman remarked to GamesIndustry.biz. By "areas of the UK," we trust he means "the whole damn country."%Gallery-23454%
Finding space for Wii Fit
The balance board is certainly smaller than most exercise equipment, which means it obviously requires less space, right? Not necessarily. Anyone who hasn't yet purchased Wii Fit, but is considering it, needs to sit down and consider a few things before bringing home the balance board. Space, room design, and location of the television can all impact your exergaming experience, so we've put together a quick guide to designing your optimal workout space for Wii Fit. %Gallery-4745%
Mario Armstrong demonstrates Wii Fit for CNN
Just the fact that a major news outlet is covering Nintendo's Wii Fit isn't enough to be featured on this blog. Oh no, you have to present us with something we want. Here, CNN has succeeded, as the linked video showcases the title's hula hoop minigame. Then again, you're not us, so perhaps you could care less about the hula hooping? If that's the case, then know that they tackle the subject of Wii Fit versus a traditional gym membership or workout regimen in the segment. The individual demonstrating the title for CNN, Mario Armstrong, sees this more as a game and less of a substitute for traditional exercise. He does make a valid point, however, in that Wii Fit could be a good motivator to ease people into a healthier lifestyle, as the physical activity in the game would make it easier for individuals to transition into a more intense routine.%Gallery-4745%[Via Go Nintendo]
Counterpoint: Wii Fit rocks
Wii Fit is dumb? Puh-lease. If anything, Wii Fit and the Balance Board easily rank amongst Nintendo's smartest creations yet.For a start, it's simply a breath of fresh air, a title that genuinely alters the way we play videogames. If that sounds a little too close to PR speak for comfort, consider this: whereas once we would operate games through marginal twitches of our thumbs, Wii Fit demands that we use our whole bodies. It's a wildly original concept. Despite their undoubted quality, the steady stream of Mario and Zelda titles from Kyoto actually attracts criticism from some fans, who carp about Nintendo's lack of innovation. Will those same individuals moan about the introduction of Wii Fit to the marketplace? If so, they're hypocrites.Obviously, originality means little if an idea isn't executed well, yet Wii Fit (typically for a Nintendo game) possesses a fine sheen from top to bottom. The Balance Board is a commendably sturdy and stylish piece of kit (unlike another first-party peripheral I could mention), while the in-game presentation is superb, from the implementation of Miis to the more serious visual styles used in the yoga and aerobics sections.It's certainly not bad for you, either. The actual health benefits of Wii Fit have already been debated over a tiresome number of column inches, and although it's probably not as beneficial as regular gym sessions, the fact that this debate even exists is a good thing. Miyamoto has said that he'd like Wii Fit to make people "aware of their bodies," and his creation has achieved precisely that -- some people are finally leaving the couch. Or, to put it another way: some exercise, or no exercise? Which is dumber?Heck, it even works well as a game. Tried Table Tilt yet? Hella fun. Watching someone else play the Hula Hoop game is frequently hilarious (rubbishing claims that Wii Fit is only worthwhile as a solo experience), while some of the other balance-based games -- Ski jumping and Balance Bubble come to mind -- are excellent distractions in their own right. And then there's the cost. Judging by the sales figures, I wasn't alone in thinking that $90 is an irresistible price point for a game and an accessory as downright sophisticated as the Balance Board (and it won't be suffering from a shortage of software, either).So that's Wii Fit: innovative, clever, involving, and brilliantly executed, all of which are quite the opposite of "dumb." It's set to make Nintendo an absolute stack of cash, and in my opinion it's thoroughly well-deserved. Roll on Wii Fit 2. Wii Fit is dumb Your turn to weigh in %Gallery-23454%
Point/Counterpoint: Wii Fit
Click for larger image With Wii Fit finally hitting store shelves, it's time for us to weigh in with our Point/Counterpoint feature. Within, we tackle the issue at hand both positively and negatively. Sometimes we're serious, sometimes we're silly. Hopefully, you'll find something inside to your liking. Without further ado, let's get this shindig on the road. So, go ahead and click that Wiimote in the bottom right-hand corner to get started. What's the deal, Wii Fit? %Gallery-4745%
Wii Fit: You decide!
Click for larger image There's every chance you'll already have made your mind up on Wii Fit, but hopefully one of our perspectives will have influenced those of you who are undecided. So what's it going to be, folks? You decide!%Poll-14730% Lovin' Wii Fit Back placeholdertextthisis
Point: Wii Fit is dumb
Click for larger image Okay, so I'm immature. Sue me.From a business standpoint, Wii Fit is an obviously excellent decision. For me, though, I wonder about what kind of effect the successful venture will have on the future of the Wii. Sure, Wii Fit follows Nintendo's goal of extracting money from the wallet of every person on the planet, but think about this: what big titles have we seen from Nintendo since the introduction of Wii Fit? Actually, what have we seen period from Nintendo since the unveiling of Wii Fit? Any big first-party titles planned? Reggie hinted, but we honestly have no idea!Aside from that, Wii Fit helps Nintendo distance themselves from the model of actually making games for their games console. Wii Fit is selling like some kind of made-up word, proving to the company that they're less relied on to innovate in the games space and instead should put more focus on expanding the market, luring in non-gamers with a barebones fitness experience and other similar products going forward. This could put a damper on Nintendo dishing out new titles for their longtime fans who actually crave nothing more than installments in the company's key franchises. Sure, we've all played the Super Mario games, but one thing that keeps us coming back, despite the supposed lack of innovation in each installment (as some say) is that each entry does innovate, if only a tad sometimes. We don't keep playing these games out of some nostalgic loyalty to the characters. We play because the games are good.Finally, people, the thing is way too expensive. You're talking about a $90 bundle, which is more than a third the cost of the console (given that you can find one), for nothing more than a plastic board and an introductory fitness application. We're not talking Brain Age here, where Nintendo is offering a mass market experience at a mass market price. We're talking the kind of price you see on a monthly electric bill. Introductions Wii Fit = great %Gallery-23307%
Wii Fanboy Review: Wii Fit
Nintendo has finally accomplished some things they've wanted for a long time: expansion of the gaming market and a few successful peripherals. They've been trying to convince us that add-ons are the way since the beginning. The problem was that the games didn't really hold up their end of the bargain.Now, however, Nintendo has achieved the kind of universal appeal in their simpler games that allows them to expand into all sorts of oddities, and Wii Fit is just one example. Half game, half lifestyle tool, Wii Fit rides on the coattails of the success of both the Wii and the DS (and its popular Brain Age) into living rooms around the world. But once there, how's the experience?%Gallery-4745%
