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Video games more effective than medication for pain?
Wii Fanboy has presented many stories about how the Wii has been able to help those in need. Whether it be soldiers dealing with combat wounds or the local retirement homes' residents stay active, it's a system that has amazed one and all. Now, a Canadian researcher is finding that video games on the whole have become quite the aid for those with chronic pain.The case of the Wii is especially interesting in regards to this study, because it's been shown to be an excellent physical therapy tool. Not only that, but the immersion factor has to be higher than that of the other current-gen systems. Sure, they have more photo-realistic graphics, but what gets you into the game more? Personally, we're pro-Wii, but then you probably knew that typing in the URL to our blog or however else you got here (tapping your heels together?).
Wii Fit gameplay makes us sweat just watching it
Josh from WiiFolder.com took the time show us his large HDTV some Wii Fit games in action, and we have to say, the game looks promising.A few of the games definitely won't help you drop those love handles (at least we don't think so, but since we got A's in gym class so you can pretty much count that as an expert opinion). Nonetheless, they still look fun, and we're glad we won't have to go to the zoo anymore to get our "kicking Panda heads" fix.
Japanese release of Wii Fit met by loooong queues
We may still lack solid numerical data when it comes to Japanese sales of Wii Fit, but all the early signs have been pointing to Nintendo scoring another major non-game hit.The scene to the right, for example, shows a queue of soon-to-be Wii Fit owners, patiently lining up in Akihibara. As the pictures after the jump and at the link below illustrate, this is far from a one-off; Wii Fit is shaping up to be big, in a way that poor old Super Mario Galaxy wasn't.Barring shortages of the Balance Board, or another miraculous performance from Dragon Quest IV (not that that should be completely ruled out), expect Wii Fit to be hogging top spot in Japan next week.
Japan preorders 300,000 Wii Fit, printing of money to surely follow
As we type, the world's crazy time differences mean that Wii Fit has been available in Japan for, ooh, a few hours at least. How will it fare? We don't know for sure, and as our closest friend isn't a De Lorean-owning, wavy-haired scientist, the best we can offer is a guess. That said, the 300,000 preorders reportedly taken by Japanese retailers prior to the game's release tell us that Nintendo has probably just conjured up another mass appeal mega-hit. If all of those preorders are honored, that would also make Wii Fit a bigger opening week success than a certain other title, but we won't dwell on that, as it's proven a touchy subject recently. Check back with us next week for the full lowdown on precisely how many Japanese people are precariously poised on their Balance Boards. [Via The Tanooki]
Friday Video: Wii Fit in demos
GameTrailers has a ridiculous number of Wii Fit trailers and demos up right now. While they're all in Japanese, the videos still offer a great (if sedate) look at the fitness trainer and its different uses. We've put one up here in our weekly video spotlight, but if you have the urge to watch more, you'll have to head over there. We're not kidding when we say there's a lot.%Gallery-4745%
Nintendo robot ladies demo Wii Fit for us
Look at them. Cool, calm, expessionless; the cyborgs models in the latest Wii Fit videos just find the non-game an absolute breeze. To an almost disconcerting degree, in fact.More doughy types such as ourselves won't look quite as graceful while negotiating Nintendo's fitness title -- we doubt anybody but these women could achieve that -- but that doesn't mean we won't enjoy ourselves as we perspire, pant and grimace our way through ski-jumping, heading soccer balls, and spinning hula hoops. Perfect for the post-Christmas weight loss drive.There's another five videos after the break, jam-packed with some very serious Wii Fit action.
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..
Wii Fit boxed, screened, and put in motion
It's been a while since we've seen anything on Wii Fit, but Dengeki Online has an update that includes several screens, a shot of the boxed set, and a video preview of the fitness title. The Japanese release date is getting closer and closer, and we can't wait to gauge public reaction to the title. Critically, of course, the nongame continues to be lauded; Popular Mechanics recently named it one of the top ten "gadgets" of 2007, and it's not even out yet!Jog on past the break to get a peek at the box -- but to see the video, you'll have to head over to the source. %Gallery-4745%
Wii Warm Up: Competition for Wii Fit
Wii Fit may encourage you to exercise, but this bad boy requires that you do it -- for real, none of this leaning crap -- in order to play your game of choice. Gamercize hooks into both the controller and a piece of real exercise equipment and unless you're actively working it, your controller won't function. That's one way to increase the difficulty on something. Metroid Prime 3 too easy? Throw in a little cycling while you're at it and see how many times you miss those jumps. We're not sure just how much the Wii Gamercize system will cost you, however; though they promise to start marketing their setup for the next-gen consoles this month, the site doesn't yet seem to be updated. Apparently Gamercize has been around for a while, but we missed hearing about it. Now that we have, we're honestly not sure if we should just laugh or actually be interested. It could be a neat idea, but there's something about it that inspires giggles. Whatcha think?
Wii Fit set to make your New Year's resolutions easier
When Nintendo said Wii Fit was set for release in early 2008, it looks like they meant it. Online retailer Amazon has the game-and-board bundle listed for January 1, just in time for all those weight loss resolutions. As rumored, it seems you can pick up the happy fun-time fitness aid for $69.99, which is considerably less than most pieces of multi-use workout equipment. At press time, Wii Fit is hanging around at #75 in Amazon's video game rankings, just ahead of the $600 80GB PS3 bundled with Motorstorm.We assume that those of you who believe Wii Fit will singlehandedly kill the gaming industry and deliver its headless corpse to nongamers will be skipping this one, but anyone else interested? This blogger must admit that it seems like a nice supplemental workout tool, especially if extra space is fast becoming a hot commodity (as is the case in our house). [Via NeoGAF]
Jessica Alba jumps on the Wii workout train
Could fit starlet Jessica Alba be maintaining her figure only through use of Wii Sports? It's doubtful; in fact, we're taking this rumor with a whole bucket of salt, as it's probably just another case of celebrity gossip blogs blowing things out of proportion. However, Alba has talked about the Wii in the past as a great way to get people off the couch, so it seems likely she may have joined the legions of folks who've begun to supplement their regular routines with a Wii workout.
Let's look at Let's Yoga
The graphics for Konami's Let's Yoga aren't anything special, and we don't care. They don't have to be; so long as the menus are readable and the poses discernible, this "game" has everything we need -- and more. Where's the more come in? From the screenshots up at IGN, the title looks very detailed. Now that we can read the menus and understand what's going on (a luxury we didn't enjoy with the Japanese version), Let's Yoga is pretty impressive.So far, there's no firm date for Let's Yoga in the U.S., but IGN has a 2008 release predicted. The title hit last month in Japan, so we hope to have a chance to get bendy by February. Those breathing exercises should be a great way to combat the chill, but if you're on uncarpeted floors, we definitely recommend a mat.
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!]
Third-party Wii Pedometer available for the fitness-oriented gamer
We're sure all our readers out there are gearing up for the forthcoming Wii Fit and the plethora of exercise accessories that are sure to follow. In the spirit of that, you can now purchase a quirky "Wii"-branded pedometer to track your fitness goals in a more traditional way. Although it appears a little light on features, the Sports "Gage" Pedometer for Wii Gamers is as inexpensive as it looks at only $6.98, though why it comes shaped like a dog bone is beyond us. The vendor and producer also seem unable to agree on the proper spelling of the word Gage... or is it Guage? (For the record, it's Gauge) But don't let little details like that discourage you! A word of caution, however: the ever-so-slight alteration of the trademarked Wii logo (and complete absence of the word "Nintendo" from its packaging) likely indicates this to be an unlicensed product without any approval from the big N, so don't be fooled that this is any kind of official companion to Wii Fit's balance board. But for such a low price, it might still be of interest to Wii-oriented gyms out there.
Today's sweatiest video: Wii Fit
With all the fun of balancing combined with the appeal of yoga in front of a TV, Wii Fit isn't aiming for a gamer demographic. But gamers may still have fun getting physical later this year. GameTrailers shows some of the more playful elements: rolling balls into holes, ski jumping, and hula-hooping.Brain Age meets body? Or is Nintendo working its way up to a seven intelligences title? See the latest from Wii Fit after the break.
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%
Communication-enabled exercise equipment in the works
While we've seen a number of individuals turning to Nintendo's Wii to shed a few pounds, the next wave of exercise equipment seems to be filtering in. Just weeks after seeing Motivatrix's MX9 Workout Master, five companies have come together in an effort to "develop a communications protocol to establish a connection between home healthcare devices from different manufacturers so that they can exchange information with one another." Mitsubishi, Citizen, Sharp, Tanita, and Hitachi have jointly designed the standard as part of a Japanese healthcare project, which will be "used when interconnecting healthcare equipment such as blood pressure meters, weight scales, and blood glucose meters with home gateway devices." Notably, the protocol can applied to both wired and wireless configurations, and if all goes as planned, it should be rolled out en masse to manufacturers in the Spring of 2008.[Via DigitalWorldTokyo]
It's fun to Wii at the YMCA
Still trying to find a Wii? Get in touch with your local YMCA. Nintendo recently donated Wii party packs to YMCA chapters around the country for the upcoming Healthy Kids Day. The event celebrates "making fitness fun" and could finally live up to that promise with remote-waggling wackiness.This isn't the first time Wii games have been used to promote exercise. One blogger lost nine pounds in a month on a Wii Sports routine and subsequently appeared on NBC news. Now Wii Sports weight loss needs a mascot. Somebody give John Madden a call. Slim-Fast is so 1985.
Fat-burning members power Hong Kong fitness club
So we've heard of dance clubs powered by fresh moves, but now California Fitness, a Hong Kong-based health club wants to jump on the sustainable people-power wagon too. As a group effort between inventor Lucien Gambarota, Wharton grad and entrepreneur Doug Woodring, and California Fitness, "Powered by YOU" will offer exercisers the chance to use their own energy to power lighting fixtures, with excess energy to be stored in batteries. The 13 step, cycling, and cross-training machines will be soon be rigged to encourage members to reduce CO2 emissions as well as their waistlines. According to California Fitness president Steve Clinefelter, someone running an hour each day on a machine can generate 18.2 kilowatts of electricity and prevent 4,380 liters of CO2 from being released each year. It's hard enough battling the bulge on your own, so we're glad to see that these explorations in alternative energy can provide some extra motivation for living a healthy lifestyle. We, on the other hand, will continue to remain seated for the rest of our lives. [Via Inhabitat]
Shocking study reveals that activity in gaming fights obesity
Providing a mighty blow to both "research studies" and the value of Ph.D degrees everywhere, the latest rubbish information to come flowing from the Mayo Clinic's research lab is as close to an insult to intelligence as you can get. While it may have been somewhat understood that television can act as a painkiller for children, and that wireless headsets actually don't improve driving safety, this obviousness of this one takes the literal cake. The study, which is proclaimed as the "first to scientifically measure the energy spent playing video games," proved that sitting around while gaming burned the same amount of energy as kicking back and watching the tube, but when engaged in a "camera-based activity" (Eye Toy?), the "energy expenditure tripled." It was also shown that walking on a treadmill while gaming it up also tripled the energy burned, but it showed a "fivefold increase for the mildly obese group" of participants. While these results may be miles away from shocking, the most depressing aspect of the entire study was the conclusion that the results were so awe-inspiring that "they warrant further studies in randomized trials." Now, who's paying for this hoopla again?[Thanks, Mike]
