Wii Fit the Dust Collector

[wraggster]

Nintendo's exercise game Wii Fit is flying off the store shelves, only to collect dust on home shelves. Not many are actually using it after a few weeks.

Brian Crecente, managing editor of the gaming blog Kotaku said, "I don't know a single person who has bought the game who uses it routinely after a month.... Everyone wants to work out, but nobody really wants to put the effort into it."

Wii Fit creator Shigeru Miyamoto has previously gone on record and said that the game is less about people losing weight and more about broadening the videogame market.

The game's balance board, like the Wii remote is intuitive and extremely sensitive. The internal scales detect the slightest shifts in weight. It works with Wii's wireless remote and requires four AA batteries. Weighing less than 9 pounds, it can tolerate up to 330 pounds. The included exercises focus on improving muscle tone and balance; not so much on weight loss..

Nintendo Wii accurately measures your every movement as you step and shift to and fro on the Balance Board. There are 40 different challenges including strength training, yoga, aerobics and balance board games.

Your progress is analysed, along with your BMI. A person weighing 150 pounds, standing at 5' 10" tall will be labeled as "normal," however, this is misleading; the Wii is not able to differentiate between muscle mass and body fat.

Many who were excited to get their Wii Fit home, were soon to be disappointed. Disappointed with having to earn credits to unlock new game options. For example, the tightrope game may be fun, then the yoga pose, but next is the rowing squat. What if you don't like rowing? Oh well, too bad. It is a game of unlockables; a real turn off for many who are attempting this as a workout tool.

The Nintendo Wii will help with balance and strength and beats going to the gym, but you're forced to unlock most of the activities and there is no way to create your own exercise program.

Like with any other exercise equipment, it's fun until the novelty wears off. Nothing beats old-fashioned not-for-fun exercise that you can do even during a power outage.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...collector.html

[mcdougall57]

The same can be said for almost every game. Hardly see any hate articles on dance mats.

[fishears]

"Wii Fit the Dust Collector": This can be said of any home fitness equipment. It is also true that many people pay a year's Gym subscription but only go there one time.
It is not Nintendo's fault that people have a lack of willpower.
I like the fact that you have to unlock things - it's a good incentive to do exercises that I might never have attempted otherwise.
I agree that it would have been nice to have included personal training program options but then can you name many titles about which you wouldn't say "it would have been even better if they'd included...."?