Nintendo Wii - The Wii Fit system
I recall the old Nintendo games such as Mario Bro’s, Donkey Kong & Zelda, which I really enjoyed. But this Wii has actually changed the gaming industry. You are no longer using joy sticks or controllers, but more a device that that allows you to create an avatar (called Mii) for yourself and it’s movements are controlled with a wireless controller called the Wii remote. This allows Nintendo to target a broader demographic, which include females and adults, who normally do not play video games. It also forces users to get off the couch to play games such as tennis and bowling, which is very different from the gaming world of sitting on the couch or chair for hours.
Ever since the release of Nintendo Wii about 1-1/2 years ago, it seems to have become more and more popular. The latest is this Wii Fit system. It comes with a Wii Balance board (10-lbs) that users stand on. By shifting their weight on this console, they control the in-game characters. This Balance Board can determine your Body Mass Index (BMI) with reasonable accuracy. It also labels your health as “underweight”, “ideal” and “fat”, although not sure how kids/women will react being labeled “fat”. The main point is that Nintendo is trying to put daily activity into their games. The next game I hear will be Wii Music. Which will try to allow the users to create their music, unlike the Guitar Hero game that allows users to copy a list of games that are already in the system. Boy has the gaming world changed since I was playing them. Now I will have to relearn them while playing with my kids.
