Wii Fit -- Engadget

wii fit posts

British NHS lauds Wii Fit Plus for flabby bum-busting potential

by Joseph L. Flatley posted Oct 27th 2009 at 2:57PM

You know, we've been pretty skeptical about the whole "fit" part of the "Wii Fit" phenomenon, and for good reason: as studies have shown, the health benefits of gaming, whether you're sitting, standing, or faux-bowling, are minimal at best. Still, for a number of consumers at home and abroad, the game conjures up notions of leading an active lifestyle. So perhaps it is no surprise, as the Telegraph reports, that Britain's National Health Service is using it to promote its Change4Life initiative -- even going so far as to allow the company to append the Change4Life logo on its upcoming Wii Fit Plus release. And how about those who cry foul -- specifically, those who point out that the deal includes Nintendo shelling out money to help promote the NHS-funded program. See how one might get the idea that this is a "pay to play" affair? To the government's credit, it does stress that it's endorsing an exercise, not a video game system. "Active video games, where kids need to jump up and down or dance about as part of the game, are a great way to get kids moving," a spokesperson said. Rob Saunders, the British spokesman for Nintendo, had this to say: "If you are worried about your bingo wings or your flabby bum, the game will give you specific exercises to target those areas." Bingo wings? Flabby bums? Why didn't you say so in the first place?

[Via Yahoo]

Wii Balance Board Power Up Charging Stand from Mad Catz just dares you to revert to AAs

by Paul Miller posted Jun 8th 2009 at 11:28AM

There's just something so defiant about this "Power Up" charging stand from Mad Catz -- it seems specifically designed to take up as much cubic footage as possible, and even the name is domineering. The stand is bizarrely formed in the likeness of a miniature Wii Balance Board, with a replacement battery pack included in the kit with contact charging points to take out all the exertion of flipping the B-Board and swapping out batteries. A foot pedal release mechanism pops the Balance Board out of the stand, and there are a couple of free-spirited USB ports on the thing for charging up whatever other awkwardly-shaped gadgetry you might have around the house.

[Via Unplggd]

Nintendo moves 15 million Wii Fit units in a year, 4 remain in use

by Darren Murph posted Jun 2nd 2009 at 6:59PM

Oh c'mon, just admit it -- you rationalized that Wii Fit purchase like so: "Oh, I can't afford this, but it's totally something to make me exercise! So, I'll buy it!" Fast forward two months later, and you're struggling to find space to hide the case. All kidding aside (sort of...), you can't deny the facts, and the facts are that the Big N managed to ship 15 million Wii Fits units in just 13 months. For comparison, it took right around 2.5 years to move 50 million Wii units, so it seems this here title is well on its way to hitting the same milestone in around the same amount of time. Unfortunately, you can't lose weight by simply handing over wads of cash to Satoru Iwata -- feel free to try, though.

Segway rolls its way into Nintendo's Wii Fit Plus

by Donald Melanson posted Jun 2nd 2009 at 2:08PM

The Wii Fit Plus game may not be bringing any new hardware with it, but it looks like there's a few surprises in the game itself, not the least of which a new Segway mini-game that's been developed in partnership with Segway itself. As you can no doubt guess, that'll make use of the Wii Balance Board and Wii Remote to simulate what it's like to ride on a Segway, with none of the embarrassment or potential pitfalls associated with actually riding one in public. Amazingly, however, they look to have passed up the opportunity for a Segway Polo game and instead opted for a simple balloon-popping game that also involves a "mole-like creature."

EA SPORTS Active for Wii in stores now, taunting us with its toned abs

by Joseph L. Flatley posted May 19th 2009 at 9:57AM

Well, we have to admit a certain principled aversion to any console game that involves jumping, the flailing of the arms, cardio-whatever... anything, really, that Richard Simmons might approve of. It's bad enough that we're being asked to turn in our traditional controllers in for a balance board, but are we really supposed to believe that Electronic Arts -- the company that single-handedly ruined our health during the 1980s as we stayed up for weeks at a time on the quest to save Skara Brae -- could, or should, present the world with a "personal trainer in a box?" Well, if you're one of those people, you'll be happy to know that EA SPORTS Active for Wii is now available in retail stores Stateside, with worldwide release slated for May 22. Video after the break.

Continue reading EA SPORTS Active for Wii in stores now, taunting us with its toned abs

Weight Fat Checker makes no bones about what it's here to do

by Laura June posted Mar 5th 2009 at 5:36PM

Sure, this device is borrowing not a little from the look, feel and color scheme of the Wii Fit, but the Weight Fat Checker is a little more direct in its naming schemes. A handheld body fat meter unearthed somewhere in Japan, we don't know anything about its pricing or availability, but we assume we'll never probably seen one in the flesh. Regardless, we're pretty sure it'd make a fine gift for anyone you want to cross of your faves list a.s.a.p.

[Via Joystiq]

Fitness guru prepares to launch Wii Fit class-action suit, radio show

by Laura June posted Feb 12th 2009 at 2:03PM

Well, this was probably bound to happen. A fitness "expert" named Michael Torchia says he's now preparing a class-action suit against NIntendo which will apparently seek to remove its Wii Fit from the shelves unless they add warnings to the product. The offense? Torchia claims that the Wii Fit actually contributes to obesity, essentially because it claims to be something that it's really not -- namely, a fitness tool -- and discourages people from doing more traditional exercise. He also, however, seems to be concerned that the Wii Fit is dangerous -- mostly because it doesn't stress warming up enough, and users can do the exercises wrong, straining or injuring themselves. Now, we're not going to delve into the validity of his claims (though, how do you explain this dude? Just saying), but we should note that Torchia is apparently getting ready to launch his airwave-rocking AM radio show, "Shape Up, America," and we figure he's looking to drum up some buzz for himself, so we'll be watching to see if he ever actually brings his suit against old Mario and Sons. Step on.

[Via Joystiq]

Wii Check-up Channel will link you to health professionals, Dr. Mario

by Thomas Ricker posted Jan 27th 2009 at 5:12AM

It was inevitable we guess what with everyone plus your grandma using the Wii. Now Nintendo Japan has announced a new Wii "Check-Up" channel that acts as a health guidance system between you and health professionals. Scheduled for an April launch, the system developed in partnership with Hitachi, NEC, Panasonic and a health insurance company is said to provide 2-way communication between users and health leaders who'll provide "healthy guidance" to otherwise Cheeto-stained gamer-types. The service appears to be compatible with both Wii Fit and its Balance Board as well as NEC's mobile phone health platform for checking progress or accessing advice remotely. It also appears to be usable anonymously. We'll update you just as soon as we get all these Japanese press releases translated.

[Via Akihabara News and NeoGAF]

Read -- NEC
Read -- Nintendo

Wii Fit and Arduino bring wooden Labyrinth game to robotic life

by Donald Melanson posted Jan 12th 2009 at 7:56PM

Ah, yes. Nothing like some robotics to shake all that pesky quaintness out of a well-loved, time-tested game. In this case, some folks from the Cowtown Computer Congress used a couple of servos and the ever so useful Arduino to connect a wooden Labyrinth game to a Wii Fit, which appears to up the difficulty of the game while still requiring as little exertion as possible. At just $60 total (not including the Wii Fit), the project is also relatively inexpensive, and it seems that it's a fairly simple process to swap out the Wii Fit for the controller of your choice. Head on past the break for a video of the setup in action, and hit up the link below for the necessary details.

[Thanks, Steve]

Continue reading Wii Fit and Arduino bring wooden Labyrinth game to robotic life

Keepin' it real fake, part CLXXII: Wu Fit -- it's Wii Fit, without the supply chain issues

by Darren Murph posted Dec 16th 2008 at 5:10AM

So far as we can tell, the Wü Fit (see what they did there?) doesn't actually come with the Wii Fit software. But unless we're being badly deceived, the knockoff balance board should operate just fine with the official game (seriously!) -- assuming that you can find it by its lonesome, which you can't. The best (er, "only good") part? It's actually in stock for $92.95, which is more than the Big N can say about its genuine counterpart in much of the world. It's okay, we know you're seriously considering this over that eBay auction -- we promise not to tell.

[Thanks, anonymouse]

SwiitBoard: the sweeter way to get fit on the Wii

by Tim Stevens posted Dec 10th 2008 at 8:28AM

The Wii Fit's slab of a peripheral is called a Balance Board for good reason: it's fine if a little yoga and pilates action is all you need to keep in shape, but, sturdy as it is, jumping up and down is liable to form cracks before toned thighs. If you need some high impact aerobics to be rid of that spare tire you'll have to go custom, like the SwiitBoard from a cardio-loving Wii aficionado called frits. It's just a durable wooden plank propped up by foam blocks on either end and a Wiimote zip tied to the front. The magic happens in the software, converting the up/down impacts of jogging in place into forward motion, with left or right roll turning the avatar in the simple game he worked out (video below). It's perhaps a bit crude, but would you rather have a board that looks good or a bod that looks good? Yeah, we'd pick gadget aesthetics too. If you want your own, frits will sell you the software for €10 -- money that will fund another of his projects: a site that fights global warming via pictures of scantily clad, eco-minded ladies.

[Via Hack A Day]

Continue reading SwiitBoard: the sweeter way to get fit on the Wii

EA SPORTS Active is hardly the Wii Fit slayer we were hoping for

by Paul Miller posted Nov 13th 2008 at 1:21PM

Our exercise-averse bones were certainly shaking at rumors of EA's supposed onslaught on the Wii Fit-dominated "video games don't have to be fun, they can also make you sore and grumpy" market, but we must admit we're a little disappointed in the end product. EA SPORTS Active for the Wii eschews Nintendo's Wii Fit peripheral entirely, instead opting for a leg strap to hold a nunchuck controller and track the movements of your rippling thigh, while an electronics-free resistance band is there to make everything harder. The good news is that Bob Greene, Oprah's personal trainer, was involved in Active's creation and the wide assortment exercises it will subject you to, so you know it's going to turn you into an eternally beautiful and endlessly influential TV talk show host in a few short weeks. Speaking of, did everybody see that 30 Rock episode with Oprah in it? Can we just give Tina Fey all the Emmys right now, or do we have to wait until next year? Video of EA's Active is after the break.

Continue reading EA SPORTS Active is hardly the Wii Fit slayer we were hoping for

EA plans a Wii Fit-slaying exercise game?

by Laura June posted Oct 31st 2008 at 2:33AM

The Wii Fit might have some competition brewing, if Men's Fitness magazine is a publication worthy of the public's trust, that is. The details are vague, to say the very least but, here's what we "know": Dave Kushner, executive producer at EA Sports, told the magazine that the company is planning an 'unnamed fitness game' with a 'new peripheral' which will connect the Wiimote to the player's body, enabling all sorts of newfangled measurements, movements, and exercises barely dreamed of before. Sounds totally awesome, right? Well, if and when it materializes, we'll be sure to rush to the store, buy one, then sadly rue its unused, guilt-inducing existence every day thereafter.

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Nintendo cranking on Wii production for the holidays, still making no promises

by Darren Murph posted Oct 27th 2008 at 3:31PM

Hard to believe, nay, mind-boggling, that two full years after Nintendo launched the Wii in America we're still looking at shortages. In the midst of "economic turmoil," no less. Back in April, Reggie Fils-Aime proclaimed that he was "passionately upset" about the difficulty consumers were having in finding Wii consoles, and now that yet another holiday season is upon us, it's clear that he's made some changes. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times, he admitted that Wii production was up from 1.6 million units per month (during this time last year) to 2.4 million units per month (now), though he wouldn't go so far as to say you'd have an easy time finding one. In fact, he stated that "once you see [a Wii console] on the shelf, you ought to buy it." Also of note, those still scouting a Wii Fit may be in luck, as the Big N could decide to ship more units to America rather than Europe now that the greenback is gaining strength versus the euro. Good luck hunting -- we'd recommend you start looking, um, yesterday.

Update: Looks like Ninty's already turning up the burners -- that's a heretofore-unbelievable shot of Wii stock at reader Roberto's local Best Buy in West Paterson, New Jersey.

[Via GameDaily]

Read - Reggie Fils-Aime interview
Read - Analyst's take Wii Fit shipments

Wii Fit set to outpace Grand Theft Auto IV -- gamer geeks weep, gnash teeth

by Samuel Axon posted Oct 21st 2008 at 10:34PM

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.