Sorry Mr. Miyamoto, but I won't be fooled again.
Sure, you're Nintendo's resident revolutionary. You're responsible for titles like “The Legend of Zelda,” “Super Mario Brothers” and “Donkey Kong.” And as Nintendo's senior marketing director, you also receive the most props for the Wii and its popular packaged-in title, “Wii Sports.”
And what is one of the more commonly cited accomplishments of “Wii Sports?” That it gets gamers active. It's motion-controlled bowling, baseball and boxing require swings and punches, not button-presses.
Like “Dance Dance Revolution,” “Wii Sports” goes a long way toward eroding the stigma of video games as enablers of a sedentary lifestyle. For that, Mr. Miyamoto, you have been once again heralded as the highest of gaming geniuses.
But now you may have gone too far.
At last week's E3, the annual video game demopalooza, you unveiled “WiiFit,” a game you designed with the undisguised goal of improving its players' strength, stamina and flexibility. “WiiFit” will make use of a new balance board to measure a player's BMI (body mass index) and center of gravity.
While standing on that same peripheral device, players will perform Hindu squats, yoga stretches and other exercises. As they play the game, their BMI will decrease, their waistlines will shrink and their general well-being will balloon.
But where's the game?
Although the particulars of “WiiFit” are still unknown, so far it seems that the purpose of the game is simply to exercise. Whether one can compete with friends in a squat-off or any other physical challenge is not yet clear.
Improving your players' health is an admirable idea, Mr. Miyamoto. But I'm afraid the absence of any real game in “WiiFit” may be its ruin.
The brilliant thing about “Wii Sports” and “Dance Dance Revolution” is the way they almost trick you into activity. They're games first and exercise second.
But when presented with a game that straight-up asks players to get physical, what's to stop them from cutting out the middle-man and going to a gym instead? There they'll be exercising with more effective machines and many more ways to work out.
But a gym membership costs more money, you say? There are far less expensive ways to exercise as well. Players can easily perform Hindu squats without your new Wii balance board. And they can practice yoga far more extensively with a $20 DVD than your game, which will likely cost in the neighborhood of $75 when factoring in the equipment.
If “WiiFit” manages to bring the fun as well as the pain of exercise, then I will gladly take back all this naysaying toward your new game, Mr. Miyamoto. But if people don't purchase a dry home fitness program in droves, don't say I didn't warn you.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
And what is one of the more commonly cited accomplishments of “Wii Sports?” That it gets gamers active. It's motion-controlled bowling, baseball and boxing require swings and punches, not button-presses.
Like “Dance Dance Revolution,” “Wii Sports” goes a long way toward eroding the stigma of video games as enablers of a sedentary lifestyle. For that, Mr. Miyamoto, you have been once again heralded as the highest of gaming geniuses.
But now you may have gone too far.
At last week's E3, the annual video game demopalooza, you unveiled “WiiFit,” a game you designed with the undisguised goal of improving its players' strength, stamina and flexibility. “WiiFit” will make use of a new balance board to measure a player's BMI (body mass index) and center of gravity.
While standing on that same peripheral device, players will perform Hindu squats, yoga stretches and other exercises. As they play the game, their BMI will decrease, their waistlines will shrink and their general well-being will balloon.
But where's the game?
Although the particulars of “WiiFit” are still unknown, so far it seems that the purpose of the game is simply to exercise. Whether one can compete with friends in a squat-off or any other physical challenge is not yet clear.
Improving your players' health is an admirable idea, Mr. Miyamoto. But I'm afraid the absence of any real game in “WiiFit” may be its ruin.
The brilliant thing about “Wii Sports” and “Dance Dance Revolution” is the way they almost trick you into activity. They're games first and exercise second.
But when presented with a game that straight-up asks players to get physical, what's to stop them from cutting out the middle-man and going to a gym instead? There they'll be exercising with more effective machines and many more ways to work out.
But a gym membership costs more money, you say? There are far less expensive ways to exercise as well. Players can easily perform Hindu squats without your new Wii balance board. And they can practice yoga far more extensively with a $20 DVD than your game, which will likely cost in the neighborhood of $75 when factoring in the equipment.
If “WiiFit” manages to bring the fun as well as the pain of exercise, then I will gladly take back all this naysaying toward your new game, Mr. Miyamoto. But if people don't purchase a dry home fitness program in droves, don't say I didn't warn you.
Staff writer David Wilcox can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
