Wii Fit Released In USA - Obesity Experts Unhappy
Wii Fit is due to be released in the USA this week, first in the Nintendo World Store on May 19th before being available everywhere on May 21st. The game, which is already available in Europe and Asia ships with a balance board peripheral which allows gamers to do exercises, and yoga, and even weight themselves using the software.
The game, or lifestyle device as some are more accurately calling it has already divided opinion. Hardcore gamers more in to their first person shooters and RPGs have written it off as not even a game, and the Wii itself as not a true player in this generation’s console war. While others thinks the Wii and games such as Wii Fit are bringing more people in to gaming, and opening up the hobby to a more diverse range of people.
Wal-Mart were even marketing the game as the perfect Mother’s Day gift by offering $10 gift card to anyone who pre-ordered the game by May 10th. A Teacher in Canada even tested the game out as a possible alternative to more traditional forms of exercise, with surprising results.
And now, obesity experts have chimed in with their view on the game, after a 10 year old British girl was labelled fat after inputting her height details and having her weight measured. The girl, at 10, is 4 foot 9 inches tall, and weighs only 6 stone, so is anything but fat.
Obesity experts now fear that if this pattern is repeated in Europe and the USA, it could lead to a whole generation of kids worried about their weight, and could make some become ill through body image disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and a reletively low weight is obviously a good thing, but how young should children be forced to think about their appearance?
The game has sold in huge numbers in both Japan and Europe so far, and America is sure to be no different. This means despite the claims from PS3 and Xbox owners that the Wii isn’t a real gaming machine, it could continue to outsell the two combined every month.
May 18th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
[...] [Technorati] Tag results for xbox360 wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt Wii Fit is due to be released in the USA this week, first in the Nintendo World Store on May 19th before being available everywhere on May 21st. The game, which is already available in Europe and Asia ships with a balance board peripheral which allows gamers to do exercises, and yoga, and even weight themselves using the software. The game, or lifestyle device as some are more accurately calling it has already divided opinion. Hardcore gamers more in to their first person shooters and RPGs [...]
May 19th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Whatever happened to “Go to the expert”. Use the system to have fun and burn a few calories.