WiiFit came out in Japan over the weekend and was easily another big seller for Nintendo. CheapyD got his hands on the bundle and filmed the unboxing for all of the Internets to see. Cheapy will have some feet-on (HAHA! GET IT?!) report on what he thinks of WiiFit on his CAGcast this Wednesday.
I have mixed feelings about WiiFit. It seems pretty stupid but I can't past judgment until I get my feet on this. I'm really interested in seeing how Nintendo keeps this alive and not let it die out or go to waste like the Virtual Boy, Super GameBoy, eReader, etc. I can see this being really good for say a boxing game. Maybe even a ... kayaking game. There's plenty of sports application for this actually but I'm curious if maybe an FPS game could be built around this. Any of you have a good idea for a game that could utilize both the Wiimote and the WiiFit board?
[Via wardrox's C-Blog that I almost completely forgot about until I just saw Kotaku's post about it. Damn day job. Also, Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox 360 is on sale for $39.99 this week. Thanks CheapyD. Your head is so shiny and smooth!]
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They could make a version of Skate for the Wii and have it use the WiiFit board, you'd stand on it like a real skateboard then you'd just have to lean different direction to do different trick. I'm not sure how it would work out, but it'd definitely be interesting.
I guess when you shift your weight back the skater will crouch down some and then lean forward fast to have him Ollie. Eh, it'd probably be to complicated.
I for one am pumped to try this thing out. Even if a lot of the Wii Fit games look a bit dull, the applications for the balance board are endless. Beyond just dancing games and skateboarding gamers, the blaance board could relolutionize platformers, FPS's. every traditonal game genre.
Or is could suck. Time will tell. But the potential is thee fro sure.
I see a lot of hard core gamers hating on this just because their long acquired coordination with the "joy pad" is being threatened. Because they wont be able to carry over their "joy pad" jockeying techniques over to Wii Fit, they will suck at it at first. And perhaps they will never get any better.
Well, in ten years they can have their Halo 8, headsets and fat bellies. I'll be over here with the hot chicks on the balance board.
Calling the Balance board "a glorified bathroom scale" is like calling a dual shock "a strangely shaped piece of plastic covered in buttons".
You guys are being too concrete. The dual shock sucks on it's own. Pressing the buttons gets old after a while, and as a boomerang it's pretty sub standard. But combine it with a game console running a game, to use the buttons and joysticks to control the events on screen, well that can be a real hoot. Well, as long as you're not playing Lair.
Same goes for balance board. If good games are actually developed for the thing, it could turn out to be an extremely fun control method (as opposed to Eye Toy, which is an extremely confusing control method).
It's too bad that those good balance board games aren't being released in place of Wii Fit, which admitted appears pretty shallow.
I made the mistake of buying the Wii after launch. I'm not going to make the same mistake and buy this before there are at least 3 good games/applications for it.
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"I'm really interested in seeing how Nintendo keeps this alive and not let it die out or go to waste like the Virtual Boy, Super GameBoy, eReader, etc."
Or like the Super Scope or the NES Zapper or the Power Pad or whatever? You see, this is a problem I feel Nintendo has to fix quickly with the Wii. They come out with peripherals for every single one of their systems and no more than ten games use each one. If this trend doesn't turn around with the Wii they could face serious problems in the long run, especially since they will no doubt come out with more peripherals for the Wii than any other system before it.
Wow... why do hardcore gamers STILL think this is aimed at them. It's time for hardcore gamers to grow up and realize that we comprise only a small part of the market...
The WiiFit was MADE FOR YOUR PARENTS. This is aimed at the middle aged person who bought a Wii for WiiSports (or for a kid) and wants an interactive exercise program.
One of the hardest parts of regular exercise is the actual motivation to do it, and with very good stat tracking and interactive exercises, this will be the perfect motivation. These are the same people who spend $80+ on a plastic ball and some DVDs to exercise with, now that's a waste of money.
When I showed the E3 video of WiiFit to my mother, she immediately decided buy one as soon as they come out here in the US. So I decided to show it off at my mother's work (school teacher). I asked her to show her friends and see what they thought about it, and they were all impressed. Most of her friends (middle aged women) already had Wiis in the house for children, and will pick the WiiFit up.
"Paid about $70 for a scale with some motion sensors..."
If you go out and buy a good digital scale with BMI and weight tracking, you'll spend $50+ easy. How is a good digital scale, WITH motion sensing, AND software, not worth $70 for someone who will use it? Go search Google for "digital scale with BMI" and scan some prices...
Just remember, WiiFit isn't for you, was never for you, and is going to sell like crazy. The "Casual Revolution" has come to gaming, and it's not going anywhere. Either accept that, or stop gaming...
Nintendo should know that there's still a market for it over here in the US. I mean, come on, fat people lost weight on DDR.
I'm sure Nintendo can come up with ways of using this board some more other than standing on it. Not only that, this might also work more on a different market of gamers. This different market would be women. Just look at the box and you'll understand why I think so.
@Tron, it's obviously a glorified bathroom scales. The "balance board" has electronic pressure sensors on each corner and you stand on it. It works exactly the same way as any modern bathroom scales. All of the mini games will work by detecting changes on the sensors and that's it. I have no doubt it will sell. After all, everyone wants to get fit and many will buy any old crap which promises to make you fit for little or no effort.
This is the device that will allow the Wii to deliver a truly killer app: a game that simulates walking your Wii to the garbage can and throwing it away.
As a person who has to maintain weight for my sport, not only would this make my life easier, but this will be the best excuse to continue exercising after my coach runs us ragged (which is actually the absolute best way to loose weight and get into godly shape). If there was an option to make it so Gunny Hartman yells at you if you phuket up, I think I would buy it now and use my shitty knowledge of Japanese to use it, it would be that worth it!
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Contest:
3:24 AM on 12.03.2007
| 
I have the ass-print on my sofa and my girlfriend for that.
Hahahaha. Here comes a class action discrimination lawsuit.
AMERICA SUE!
I guess when you shift your weight back the skater will crouch down some and then lean forward fast to have him Ollie. Eh, it'd probably be to complicated.
WiiFit seems to "abso-fucking-lutely retarded without a shadow of a doubt."
wait till they add Richard Simmons to the mix...
I for one am pumped to try this thing out. Even if a lot of the Wii Fit games look a bit dull, the applications for the balance board are endless. Beyond just dancing games and skateboarding gamers, the blaance board could relolutionize platformers, FPS's. every traditonal game genre.
Or is could suck. Time will tell. But the potential is thee fro sure.
I see a lot of hard core gamers hating on this just because their long acquired coordination with the "joy pad" is being threatened. Because they wont be able to carry over their "joy pad" jockeying techniques over to Wii Fit, they will suck at it at first. And perhaps they will never get any better.
Well, in ten years they can have their Halo 8, headsets and fat bellies. I'll be over here with the hot chicks on the balance board.
WiiFit, You not.
You guys are being too concrete. The dual shock sucks on it's own. Pressing the buttons gets old after a while, and as a boomerang it's pretty sub standard. But combine it with a game console running a game, to use the buttons and joysticks to control the events on screen, well that can be a real hoot. Well, as long as you're not playing Lair.
Same goes for balance board. If good games are actually developed for the thing, it could turn out to be an extremely fun control method (as opposed to Eye Toy, which is an extremely confusing control method).
It's too bad that those good balance board games aren't being released in place of Wii Fit, which admitted appears pretty shallow.
Or like the Super Scope or the NES Zapper or the Power Pad or whatever? You see, this is a problem I feel Nintendo has to fix quickly with the Wii. They come out with peripherals for every single one of their systems and no more than ten games use each one. If this trend doesn't turn around with the Wii they could face serious problems in the long run, especially since they will no doubt come out with more peripherals for the Wii than any other system before it.
You fat Americans!
The WiiFit was MADE FOR YOUR PARENTS. This is aimed at the middle aged person who bought a Wii for WiiSports (or for a kid) and wants an interactive exercise program.
One of the hardest parts of regular exercise is the actual motivation to do it, and with very good stat tracking and interactive exercises, this will be the perfect motivation. These are the same people who spend $80+ on a plastic ball and some DVDs to exercise with, now that's a waste of money.
When I showed the E3 video of WiiFit to my mother, she immediately decided buy one as soon as they come out here in the US. So I decided to show it off at my mother's work (school teacher). I asked her to show her friends and see what they thought about it, and they were all impressed. Most of her friends (middle aged women) already had Wiis in the house for children, and will pick the WiiFit up.
"Paid about $70 for a scale with some motion sensors..."
If you go out and buy a good digital scale with BMI and weight tracking, you'll spend $50+ easy. How is a good digital scale, WITH motion sensing, AND software, not worth $70 for someone who will use it? Go search Google for "digital scale with BMI" and scan some prices...
Just remember, WiiFit isn't for you, was never for you, and is going to sell like crazy. The "Casual Revolution" has come to gaming, and it's not going anywhere. Either accept that, or stop gaming...
I'm sure Nintendo can come up with ways of using this board some more other than standing on it. Not only that, this might also work more on a different market of gamers. This different market would be women. Just look at the box and you'll understand why I think so.
As far as Im concerned, DO NOT WANT Wiifit
To everyone else:
As a person who has to maintain weight for my sport, not only would this make my life easier, but this will be the best excuse to continue exercising after my coach runs us ragged (which is actually the absolute best way to loose weight and get into godly shape). If there was an option to make it so Gunny Hartman yells at you if you phuket up, I think I would buy it now and use my shitty knowledge of Japanese to use it, it would be that worth it!