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Rumor: Wii Fit priced at $69.99?
Considering that the game won't be released on American shores until early 2008, it's probably much too early to consider any announced price for Wii Fit to be definite. Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime even stated that the company still needs to research the cost of its Balance Board controller before pricing can be accurately determined.Wii Fit's product pages at EB Games and GameStop, however, list a placeholder price which is pretty much in line with what we're expecting -- $69.99. That might seem like highway robbery to those who naively hoped for the usual $50, but when you compare it with the expensive fares people will be paying to play games like Guitar Hero 3 or Rock Band, the bundle's pricing doesn't seem too unreasonable. Our only concern is that $70 might be too much for the casual audience Nintendo is hoping to attract with Wii Fit.%Gallery-4745%[Via Digg]
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?
E307: Mainstream press loves WiiFit, constructs Wii robot as tribute
Though the gaming press's reactions to Nintendo's E3 media briefing have been, for the most part, lukewarm, mainstream publications are very positive about WiiFit's debut. Here are a few headlines that enunciate the differences in perception between the gaming hardcore and the general public: Forbes: "Can The Wii Save Your Life?" Washington Post: "Game On - Nintendo Is Star of E3 Show as Rivals Scramble to Catch Up" San Jose Mercury News: "Wii outplays Sony, Microsoft for now" (requires registration) The Mercury News went so far as to fashion together an automaton (see image above) out of coils and Wii scraps in order to illustrate Nintendo's domination. We'd be too scared to even compete with the company, knowing that this ED-209-esque villain could break into our houses and stamp us out at any moment. Jump past the post break for a better view of its hulking figure.
Joystiq tries out Wii Fit and Wii Balance Board
While we were only able to check out Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board from a distance, our pals at Joystiq found some time to kick off their shoes and see just how much of a workout the game/device combo provides. As far as the peripheral goes, Joystiq found the Balance Board to be "a lot lighter and sturdier" than they had anticipated, and they feel that it should hold up to a lot of force. It also apparently proved to be quite responsive during the three demos they were able to try, which also provided ample opportunity for them to embarrass themselves in front of a crowd. They were slightly less impressed with the Wii Fit game itself though, finding it appealing in a Brain Age sort of way but somewhat lacking as an actual game.
E307: Joystiq goes toe-to-toe with WiiFit
After Wii Fit was revealed at Nintendo's keynote on Wednesday, we found ourselves not only thinking of the non-game itself, but also the possibilities the new peripheral could bring to the console. Before we can get ahead of ourselves thinking about all of the non Wii Fit stuff we can do with it, we should probably focus on Wii Fit itself.Well, thanks to the fine folks at Joystiq, they got their hands on the whole setup during E3 this week and chronicled their impressions for us. Their thoughts on the thing, after trying three of the eleven available demos, were a mixed bag. They didn't feel like the three different gameplay segments they tried were anything incredibly fun or engaging, noting that "maybe we'd get it ourselves, too, but not for the gaming aspect. Like Brain Age, it's likely a title we'll never really love but still play it over a year after its release."One thing we did like to read was that apparently the Wii Fit peripheral is "a lot lighter and sturdier than we had anticipated."
Joystiq toes-on: Wii Fit
You're going to find Wii Fit vaguely familiar. The menu, the fonts, the colorful characters are all reminiscent of Wii Sports, the Wii menu, and Brain Age. The font, of course, possess magical properties that grants people the power to play video games, no matter what demographic. If only Sony and Microsoft knew, they could have copyrighted it and ruled the (video game) world.Wii Fit is, much like its Wii Sports cousin, a collection of games to get your body moving. Only this time, you can't necessarily cheat the system so easily. We tried out three of the eleven available demos on the E3 show floor, which are selected with the Wii remote. Before each one began, we were required to step off the pad and subsequently step on so that the machine would be calibrated for the pressure and foot position. Complications in the calibration process would be interjected with subtle jabs lobbed at the player by the system, such "Hey! Are You Fidgeting?"%Gallery-4815%
Petition: Tell Reggie to lose some weight
The most surprising thing about Nintendo's E3 2007 press conference wasn't the Wii Zapper or the upcoming release dates or even the official announcement of Wii Fit. No, the most surprising moment of the show was when Nintendo of America President and CEO Reggie Fils-Aime's Mii ballooned to an "overweight" body-mass index of 27.51 in front of a crowd of thousands. While the ass-kicker and name-taker claimed that the extra weight came from muscle and not fat, we agree with Shigeru Miyamoto, who said that was simply a "nice excuse."The folks over at WiiHealthy aren't too happy with the public face for their weight-management system of choice. They've started a petition to convince the Regginator that "he has to lose some weight by playing healthy games on the Nintendo Wii!" Sure, there are probably more important issues to sign your name to (like a PS3 price drop, for instance) but we can definitely get behind the idea of continued good health for our favorite Nintendo revolutionary.
Wii Warm Up: Surfin, skatin, potential heartbreakin with the balance board
Yesterday, the air was filled with wanton speculation about potential uses for the Wii Balance Board that will be packaged with Wii Fit. Now we're looking to get all those ideas down in one place -- specifically, here. We've heard some things already, like surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding sims, and maybe for boxing games, but what else can you think of? Feel free to be both outrageous and creative. Also, are you interested in trying out something like surfing with an interface like this?
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%
WiiFit gonna make you sweat
Nintendo wrapped up their E3 press conference with WiiFit, a game that will not only give players activities to get fit, but also a way to monitor their improving health. The game will ship with with the cleverly named Wii Balance Board, which gives a new method of input that can measure both weight and balance.Seen in the video are activities like push ups, step aerobics, goalie defense and dance. Though the system had a couple of hiccups in the demo, Shigeru Miyamoto says he's more excited about this game than any other, and that should frankly be good enough for you. There are more pics after the break.
Wii gets healthy, gets Fit
This is the megaton your mom has been waiting for. Wii Fit is the next kinetic game targeted to the casual games market. The game comes packaged with yet another Wii peripheral, a mysterious white pad that appears to track your center of gravity, or a big touch pad ... for your feet. Various athletic activities will be packaged in the game, and will provide an estimated BMI to make sure you're keeping in line with your athletic goals.When Reggie took the stage to try out Wii Fit, he received a less than ideal BMI. He quipped that muscle weighs more than fat -- a comment to which Miyamoto responded, "Good excuse."
Nintendo Wii Balance Board gets you stepping in upcoming Wii Fit title
Nintendo's Wii Zapper and Wii Wheel are great and all, but what's really going to get those casual gamers flocking is this here Wii Fit game and its accompanying controller. A sort of Wii counterpart to Nintendo's brain-sharpening DS thrust, the Wii Balance Board is a Reebok Step look-alike, with dual sensors that can detect your weight and balance on each side as you exercise to the various on-screen Wii activities in Wii Fit. The board is wireless, and holds the potential of full-body games involving the Wiimote and the Wii Balance Board simultaneously. If you've had enough gaming, you can also have the Balance Board diagnose your body mass index. Or not. No word on when these two will launch, or for how much. Plenty of action shots after the break.
