Wii Fit
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Nintendo: Wii Fit steps into US May 19, WiiWare launches May 12
Update: Nintendo has confirmed these dates with a press release.The Wall Street Journal reports that Nintendo's highly anticipated and equally exhausting balancercise board and game, Wii Fit, will arrive arrive beneath American feet on May 19th. The exercise program and peripheral, a result of designer Shigeru Miyamoto's habitual monitoring of his own weight, has sold over a million units in Japan following its launch in December.The article, which predicts an official announcement from Nintendo later today (see update above), also pins the launch of the WiiWare service to May 12th. WiiWare will be a new download service offering smaller, independent games from developers such as Steel Penny Games and doublesix.[Via Wii Fanboy]
Wii Ware and Wii Fit dated for May [update 3]
digg_url='http://digg.com/nintendo/Wii_Ware_and_Wii_Fit_dated_for_May'; According to the Wall Street Journal, Nintendo will officially announce the U.S. release dates for both Wii Ware and Wii Fit today. Wii Ware, a service by Nintendo offering downloadable games, will be available on American Wiis starting May 12th, while Wii Fit will hit stores a week later on the 19th.Both are huge announcements, but we're definitely more excited for Wii Ware, which already has a lot of (potentially) awesome games in its lineup. The Wii Fit release is also less of a surprise, due to previous rumors.Now that we finally have dates, or lights at the end of the tunnel, are any of you American gamers as excited as we are?Update 1: Wii Fit's European release is confirmed for April 25th (almost a month before the American launch). Join in on the love, Europe! Update 2: The European press release also reveals weight limits for the game. Per Nintendo, the Balance Board can only support up to 150 kg (330 lbs). That's more than the Japanese version (which supports 136 kg), but will the American board hold even more weight? We'll just have to wait and see!Update 3: In case you were skeptical, the Wall Street Journal was right -- Nintendo confirmed the May dates for Wii Ware and Wii Fit.%Gallery-4745%[Via NeoGAF]
Nintendo's Wii Fit and WiiWare on-line game service coming Stateside in May
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Nintendo plans to begin shipping its Wii Fit with weight and motion sensing Balance Board in May. Nintendo will also make good on a new online gaming game distribution service dubbed WiiWare. Right, that homebrew happy service which should result in vast quantities of cheap and innovative content previously only available in Johnny Chung Lee's imagination.Update: Wii Fit on sale in Europe on April 25th, US on May 19th.
Wii Warm Up: What do you want from Nintendo at GDC?
Well, the big thing this week is the Game Developer's Conference in San Francisco, as folks from the gaming industry get together and create pandemonium throughout the intertron by releasing new details on upcoming projects and revealing some for the first time. And we wouldn't have it any other way.So we were wondering what you Nintendo lovers would want to see most from the show. A new game announcement? A release date set in stone for Wii Fit or perhaps Mario Kart? What kind of things regarding this week's show are rattling around in your mind?
Iwata Asks Wii Fit: Volume 3
For those of you who just love the interviewing skills of one Nintendo pres Satoru Iwata, then you should know the next segment in the interviews revolving around Wii Fit has gone live. This time around, Iwata chats with Hiroshi Matsunaga and Tadashi Sugiyama, two folks who oversaw the software development of the game.As you might imagine, the interview not only focuses on the introduction of the title from a developer's standpoint, but also fleshing out Miyamoto's idea to something more than an application for weighing yourself every day. Oh, and did you know that Wii Fit was originally planned as a DS game?
Iwata Asks about the Balance Board
For the second installment of Iwata Asks (the Wii Fit version), Iwata gets the nitty gritty from the developers of the Balance Board. It's pretty interesting to see what the board could have ended up looking like. Take, for example, the crazy octogan-shaped thing about. Also, whenever reading about a development process, it's almost scary to know all the problems and obstacles that the makers run into.Of course, the developers prevailed and the Balance Board was born. From Sumo wrestlers to Miyamoto slamming a table, the interview has some nice insight on what it was like to make the unique peripheral. As per usual, click the picture or the "read" link to check it out for yourselves.
Another Week In Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/4-2/10
We had a nice little surprise on the Japanese sales charts this week, as Family Ski showed that it has some legs. Debuting at spot twelve last week, Namco Bandai's title inched its way up while other new titles fell, claiming eighth place. As for Brawl, the game was predictably unable to maintain its outrageous first week sales, but still sold well and took the first spot convincingly. Some regulars made their return to the top, like Wii Fit and Wii Sports, while others fell off the chart completely, like Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games.The Wii also continues to reign as the top seller in hardware, selling more than triple the amount of PS3s. The PSP, however, is trailing closely at its heels. All in all, we think it was a good week for the Wii, but take a look for yourself after the break.
The skinny on Wii Fit is that it won't make you skinny
Once Iwata's Brawl interviews ended, we started having severe "Iwata Asks" withdrawals. Yet, we're glad we waited before turning to heroin, hash, or horse tranquilizers to fill the voids in our hearts.* Our patience was vindicated, and a few days ago Iwata once again started up his Q&A segments, this time questioning Miyamoto about Wii Fit. If you were hoping that Wii Fit would be the answer to your love handles or scrawny limbs, though, think again. Wii Fit isn't a get-thin-quick plan, it's a life lesson. As was clarified by Miyamoto in the interview, "I don't think Wii Fit's purpose is to make you fit; what it's actually aiming to do is make you aware of your body."Since body awareness is part of attaining a healthier lifestyle, don't be too deterred. It's possible that Wii Fit can still get you on the right track to becoming fit, if you let it. Still, at the end of the day it's just a video game, not Richard Simmons.*Seriously -- don't do drugs. [/Public Service Announcement][Via CVG]
Brawl tops one million sales, has already passed Galaxy
Super Smash Bros. Brawl unleashed the mother of all Final Smashes on the Japanese charts last week by selling 820,000 copies in four days. Now, Famitsu publisher Enterbrain says Nintendo's scrapper (released eleven days ago) has topped the one million sales mark, and passed another Wii flagship title in the process: Super Mario Galaxy (released almost three and a half months ago). That's crazy.To be fair to Galaxy, it's far from the only game to be left spluttering in Brawl's dust. Next-gen notes that Wii Fit took seven weeks to pass a million sales, that Wii Sports passed the landmark after eleven weeks, and that Wii Play and Mario Party 8 are the only other Wii titles to top a million units in Japan.
Nintendo's Miyamoto, Iwata discuss Wii Fit origins
In the latest edition of "Iwata Asks," a series of articles in which Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata interviews colleagues about their recent work, Shigeru Miyamoto finds himself discussing the origins of Wii Fit. Much like Pikmin and Nintendogs before it, the popular balancercise board has its roots in Miyamoto's everyday life. After a hectic work schedule heaped pressure and extra pounds onto the renowned designer's body, he swapped smoking for swimming and steadily grew more conscious of his body and his weight. Next came a special diet which required frequent measurement and recording of body weight. "Personally, I quite enjoy doing things that become habitual, as if it was daily routine work," explains Miyamoto. "I put the scale and graph paper in the bathroom, and after continuing the pattern for a month, it became like a ritual before getting into the bath. I wasn't able to relax without doing it!" Transforming the habitual measurement into something fun was the next step, one that preceded months of prototyping and "upending the tea table" -- a reference to Miyamoto's tendency to make last-minute decisions and cause a panic right before a deadline.
Iwata Asks Miyamoto about Wii Fit
The Iwata Asks interviews with Masahiro Sakurai were interesting not just because of the revelations about Smash Bros., but also because they reminded us that Iwata was once just some normal guy who programmed video games for HAL Laboratory. We were pleased to see another Iwata Asks so soon -- and he's interviewing Shigeru Miyamoto this time about his latest project, Wii Fit.As usual, Wii Fit was born of one of Miyamoto's hobbies. Seeking a new, healthier way to relax, Miyamoto quit playing pachinko and took up swimming. He then started graphing his weight daily. This was the basis for the "Wii Health Pack" project, which, at first, didn't have any design specs except measuring weight on a graph. The actual game, then, came from the need to integrate exercise with a device that measured weight. This began with an experiment with balancing on two scales.The old rumor that Nintendo would be designing a new Balance Board for our big American clown feet is also called into question by the fact that Reggie and other large-footed staffers were brought in to test the Japanese board.
Wii Massage Feet
Wii Fit can be hard on your feet. So why not give them a nice massage? And by "give them a nice massage," we mean "make them stand on some plastic nubs." Japan Trust Technology hopes that the nubs on their Silicone Fit Cover Tsubu Tsubu (tsubu tsubu refers to something grainy or pebbly) will be just the thing to put them at the top of the burgeoning Wii Fit board cover market. In addition to feeling neat, the nubs help players keep their feet positioned properly and prevent slippage. JTT is selling this item online -- in blue only -- for 2480 yen ($23). We make fun of stuff like this, but we can certainly see the appeal of getting a nice cover for something that we have our feet on for hours.[Via GAME Watch]%Gallery-4745%
Another Week In Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/28-2/3
As we informed you yesterday (and predicted last week), Super Smash Bros. Brawl ripped up the Japanese sales charts. Selling an incredible 820,000 copies in a mere four days, that's not a game to be messed with.Some other Nintendo titles didn't fare as well, however. Super Mario Galaxy nearly fell out of the top thirty this week. Brawl, it seems, is starting to cannibalize Galaxy's sales. Wii Fit's streak as the number one game also ended with Brawl's success. Not only that, but Wii Fit was pushed to number five by the plethora of new games released last week. Most of the other Wii games got knocked down, too, like Wii Sports, Wii Play, Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games, and Mario Party.Family Ski represented the top third-party Wii game this week, ending up at number twelve. That's not too shabby, especially considering that the game was rumored to have poor first-day sales. Oh, and did we mention that the Wii was the top seller in hardware, for the second week in a row? We wonder how long Brawl will be able to keep it at the top.The full hardware and software numbers are listed after the break, as usual.
Wii Fit for weight loss?
4cr's Vinnk is conducting a bold experiment: attempting to lose weight with Wii Fit. Nintendo's latest flagship product is designed as an exercise tool, but we admit skepticism in the efficacy of leaning as exercise. We're hoping that Vinnk will see definitive results of some kind or another, for science.While he's not going for a strict scientific approach, the methodology should be informative and representative of most users' experience. He says that he doesn't plan to make any other lifestyle changes in order to lose weight (though "with any fitness program there will be the desire to eat healthier and possibly less"), so the primary experimental factor will be Wii Fit. He'll report on his results every week.We find journal projects like these fascinating, not just because we are fat and curious about Wii Fit, but because there's something quite cool about statistical tracking of someone's video game experience.%Gallery-4745%
Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 1/21-1/27
Let's face it: the Japanese sales numbers for the week of 1/21 are just foreplay. What we really want to know is how Super Smash Bros. Brawl did, although rumors are coming in that the game sold a whopping 500,000 copies in its first day. All this hype even catapulted the Wii above the DS in hardware sales last week, according to the numbers released by Famitsu. We think the Wii will hold the top spot in Japan for at least another few weeks, while it basks in Brawl's glory. The Wii may have made a stir in the hardware charts, but all's boring on the software front. Wii Fit shows us its well-toned legs by remaining at the number one spot, and Super Mario Galaxy has fallen out of the top ten once again. Wii Play also slipped a bit, losing some of its former dominance. To see the Japanese hardware and software figures for last week, look no further than after the break.
Wii Fit #1 seller in Japan for last four weeks
There's just something about a pressure-sensitive balance board that's turning the Japanese on. Nintendo's Wii Fit game exercise device balancercise board has stayed at the top of the Japanese sales chart for the last four weeks and sold 1,283,000 units since Dec. 1. The device that made gameplay out of a scale reached the million mark in the middle of last month and looks to keep stepping its way to the top spot for a bit.With Miyamoto saying Wii Fit isn't just a one trick pony, there'll hopefully be some software announcements following its US premiere. We're sure the mainstream media already has its prerequisite old folks home and "Wii Fit helping obese children" stories all planned out.
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?
Wii Warm Up: LOLCAPTIONS
HAY GUYZ, we've got this terrific image of a cat resting his tired head on a Wii Fit board, but our LOL caption has been kidnapped by ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to come up with a replacement caption?The commenter with the funniest bit of accompanying text will win ... nothing. You might earn the admiration of Kamezo here, maybe. You can't really guarantee anything when it comes to cats.
Wii Warm Up: Mario Kart vs. Wii Fit
If all the recent rumors are to be believed, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit will be releasing awfully close to one another. Of course, that alone is reason to think that at least one of those dates will change (and our money's on Mario Kart), but in the event that they come out within a few weeks of one another, will you just suffer and be broke ... or will you choose? If you must choose, which one wins?
Wii Fit dated for North America, PAL regions
Since it was picked up by more than a million consumers in Japan, we have been impatiently waiting for news on Wii Fit's release Everywhere Else. Our dumbbells, caked in dust after our last workout in 1999, have been brought out of retirement, and the leotard has just arrived back from the cleaners. We are ready to become fine, chiselled specimens.Except ... we'll have to wait a bit first. Until either April (if you're in North America) or June (for those in a PAL region), to be precise. An April release date in North America is actually quite a pleasant surprise. Not only does it mean we can continue living our gluttonous lifestyles for at least another couple of months, but it's also a little sooner than we initially expected.
