wraggster
February 10th, 2009, 18:11
Wii Fit has been an exercise in smart marketing by Nintendo. Doesn't matter whether it actually makes you fit or not, you call it Wii Fit, it'll sell! Oh, and it'll also attract lawsuits.
Slightly nutty fitness "guru" Michael Torchia has looked at Wii Fit, and as a slightly nutty fitness "guru", does not like what he sees. He reckons that, via "slick advertising campaigns", people are under the impression Wii Fit actually makes you fit, and are forgoing more effective methods of exercise in favour of Nintendo's product.
Nintendo is contributing to the epidemic of obesity. Young and old are putting away their gym clothes and shying away from going outdoors to play sports, because the addictive appeal to the Wii game products. Just as the tobacco companies created such a false image of their products and hid the potential dangers, so is Nintendo.
In an attempt to stick it to Nintendo - and, of course, safeguard his own livelihood - Torchia is preparing to launch a class action lawsuit against the company.
Sure, he's doing this for self-serving reasons. After all, he's got a vested interest in more "traditional" forms of making money off the overweight. But he still has a point! Wii Fit's actual fitness benefits are questionable at best, and if this ever actually makes it to court, comments from creator Shigeru Miyamoto conceding the point probably won't help Nintendo's cause.
http://kotaku.com/5150171/wii-fit-target-of-class-action-lawsuit
Slightly nutty fitness "guru" Michael Torchia has looked at Wii Fit, and as a slightly nutty fitness "guru", does not like what he sees. He reckons that, via "slick advertising campaigns", people are under the impression Wii Fit actually makes you fit, and are forgoing more effective methods of exercise in favour of Nintendo's product.
Nintendo is contributing to the epidemic of obesity. Young and old are putting away their gym clothes and shying away from going outdoors to play sports, because the addictive appeal to the Wii game products. Just as the tobacco companies created such a false image of their products and hid the potential dangers, so is Nintendo.
In an attempt to stick it to Nintendo - and, of course, safeguard his own livelihood - Torchia is preparing to launch a class action lawsuit against the company.
Sure, he's doing this for self-serving reasons. After all, he's got a vested interest in more "traditional" forms of making money off the overweight. But he still has a point! Wii Fit's actual fitness benefits are questionable at best, and if this ever actually makes it to court, comments from creator Shigeru Miyamoto conceding the point probably won't help Nintendo's cause.
http://kotaku.com/5150171/wii-fit-target-of-class-action-lawsuit