Wii Fit
Encyclopedia
is a video game developed by Nintendo
for the company's home video game console
, Wii
, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game
consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board
peripheral. Wii Fit is currently the third best selling console game in history (among games not packaged with a console) with 22.61 million copies sold as of May 2010.
The game uses a unique platform peripheral called the Wii Balance Board
, on which the player stands during exercise. The game features yoga
, strength training
, aerobics
, and balance
games. Matsunaga described the game as a "way to help get families exercising together". Wii Fit has been used for physiotherapy rehabilitation
and has been adopted by various health club
s around the world. Additionally, the game has been used in nursing homes to improve posture
in the elderly. The game has received generally positive reviews, despite criticism over the lack of intensity in some of its workout activities.
Wii Fit requires the use of the Wii Balance Board
, a unique platform peripheral that the player stands upon during play. Similar to a bathroom scale, the Wii Balance Board is capable of measuring a person's weight
, but is also able to detect the person's center of balance
(COB), a feature heavily utilized in the game. Wii Fit contains more than 40 activities designed to engage the player in physical exercise
, which consist of yoga
poses, strength training
, aerobics
, and balance
games. Most activities generally focus on maintaining COB and improving posture
.
Players register and play in Wii Fit via a user profile
, assigned with the player's date of birth, height, and Mii
character, that keeps track of the player's progress. Physical activities done outside of Wii Fit can be also be logged into the profile. Wii Fit allows up to eight different profiles to be registered.
and strength training
activities in Wii Fit provide the player with an on-screen personal trainer
, who offers direction and evaluation. While standing or otherwise leaning on the Wii Balance Board, the player is instructed to perform the activity by precisely imitating the trainer's actions. In yoga, the player holds a particular pose or series of poses for a duration of time; while in strength training the player performs a set number of repetitions of the exercise selected. During these sessions, the player is shown a visual indication of his or her COB, represented as a red dot. The trainer advises the player to maintain the COB throughout the activity, requesting that it not move outside a particular threshold (usually indicated as a yellow circle). When the activity ends, the player is scored
based on how well the player kept his or her balance during the session: points are deducted if the player's body haphazardly swayed or shook at any point. There are 30 yoga and strength training activities included in Wii Fit.
and Balance
Games, consist of 18 minigame
activities that feature Mii
s as playable characters. Aerobics focus on activities that require more vigorous movement, and are divided into three distinct types: hula hoop
ing, step aerobics
, and jogging
. In Hula Hoop, the player twirls his or her hips in order to spin a series of hoops, and is scored on the number of spins achieved within a period of time. Step aerobics (simply referred to as "Step" in-game) focus on stepping on and off the Wii Balance Board in a rhythmic fashion. In jogging, which does not use the Wii Balance Board, the player runs in place while keeping the connected Wii Remote
in his or her pocket, which acts as a pseudo-pedometer
. The game provides variations of step aerobics and jogging (called "Free Step" and "Free Run" respectively) where the user may exercise at his or her own pace and does not require viewing the game screen; the player is able to watch television or something similar while performing the exercise.
Balance Games consist of nine activities that focus on directly controlling the game using the player's COB. "Soccer Heading," for example, focuses on leaning left or right to control the player's Mii in order to head incoming soccer balls. Another, "Table Tilt," focuses on directing balls into holes by shifting the player's balance to tilt the platform they rest on. Activities based on slalom skiing
, snowboarding
, and tightrope walking
are also available, as well as a Zazen
-based game (called "Lotus Focus") in which the player sits on the Wii Balance Board and remains motionless for a period of time.
(BMI) is calculated and balance
control is tested. Each Body Test determines and updates the player's "Wii Fit Age
", which loosely suggests the player's physical strength
in relation to his or her true age. A standalone application, called "Wii Fit Channel," may be installed to the Wii Menu in order for players to perform Body Tests without needing to load the Wii Fit game disc.
Wii Fit was first revealed as Wii Health Pack by Nintendo's chief game designer Shigeru Miyamoto
, during a conference in mid-September 2006. Then described as a "way to help get families exercising together", the game idea had first been included in Miyamoto's original design document for a core group of games including Wii Sports and Wii Play
, the entirety of which was scribbled onto a sheet of paper.
As with other games designed by Miyamoto such as Nintendogs
, the design of Wii Fit was influenced by activities in his daily life. He states that he and his family had become more health-conscious, going to the gym and tracking their weight. He found that it had become "fun over time to talk about these things", and as weighing oneself "didn't make much of a game", Nintendo decided to build games around the idea to mesh with the concept. The Wii Balance Board
had been worked on for "almost two years", and was inspired by sumo wrestler
s' need to weigh themselves with two scales.
The game was announced under its current title at Nintendo's E3 press conference
on July 11, 2007 and demonstrated by Miyamoto, Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime and other participants. Miyamoto revealed that Wii Fit had been developed with a "full-scale" team for a year at the time, and also stated that there were no plans to integrate WiiConnect24
functionality into the game. He did note, however, the possibility for taking advantage of WiiConnect24 in the future, such as using the service to keep in contact with a doctor to help with rehabilitation, or with a fitness specialist to help with training exercises.
. It was released in Japan on October 1, 2009 and in North America on October 4, 2009. Wii Fit Plus includes approximately 20 new games while still using the same Balance Board and other video game equipment.
. While the playful balance and aerobics minigames have generally been praised as simple fun, criticism for the game is aimed at its limitations in offering a serious workout regime. In 1UP.com
's review, one such limitation was attributed to the lack of structure the game imposes on the player, stating that while having "complete freedom to choose what you want to do, you might find yourself cheating, despite your best intentions." X-Play
also noted that the brief activities are separated by menus, making it difficult for one to keep up a constant heart rate, with Game Revolution
criticizing a serious limitation: "as a stand-alone fitness trainer it suffers greatly by the inability to assemble a full, unbroken workout without the horrible 'fitness interruptus' necessitated by bothersome menu navigation and obtrusive Wii remote usage." Some have also pointed out a lack of Nintendo's usual charm in game design, specifically in the yoga and strength training exercises which take place in a muted setting that one critic referred to as "the world's most lifeless, depressing gym." Despite these limitations, the game's friendly front-end and amount of activities are cited as appealing features to those who are perhaps seeking an introduction to daily exercise. In a review on IGN
, Wii Fit was said to create "an environment in which working out is less daunting and as a result enjoyable -- fun, even."
According to a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, the aerobics portion of Wii Fit was not sufficient to maintain a heart rate of the recommended intensity (known in sports physiology as a target heart rate) for maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness.
A study published by Tokyo's National Institute of Health and Nutrition concluded that only 33% of the exercises (22 of a total of 68) qualified as medium-intensity, with the rest as low-intensity. No exercises qualified as high-intensity. The researchers concluded that only one-third of the exercises qualify towards the exercise guidelines provided by the American College of Sports Medicine
(ACSM) and the American Heart Association
(AHA), and that the exercises offered less benefits "than authentic sports or exercises because playing these active video games involved little horizontal locomotion." However, to reach 30 minutes of moderate activity (5 times a week) as suggested by the ACSM, significantly more time is required, due to the repeated manual navigations of the menus required between each exercise and the inability to program customized exercise routines, repetitions, or time limits (or even personalized intensities—the "trainer" will never modify the speed based on the user's fitness level).
Wii Fit was awarded Best Use of the Balance Board by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. It was also nominated for multiple other awards, including Best New IP and Best Sports Game. Hyper
commends the game for its "effective exercise program, its accessibility and its massive novelty value". However, he criticised it for not being a "gamer's game and no good for long sessions".
Cycling Weekly
reported that Mark Cavendish
, a double Madison World Champion and Commonwealth Games
gold medalist bike racer had to stop his training regime when he injured his left calf's gastrocnemius after falling off the balance board while playing Wii Fit.
There was minor controversy regarding Wii Fit in the UK, where two parents complained after the known limitations of BMI
led to their daughter being labeled as overweight. Nintendo apologized over any offense caused by the terminology used in-game.
Prior to release, consumer reaction was also positive in the United Kingdom
, with some retailers having to stop taking pre-orders due to its increasing popularity. Reports in the United Kingdom state that the Wii Fit launch had seen lines form nationwide. Retailer Woolworths
claimed that the game was also selling at a rate of 90 copies per minute. Nintendo UK have stated it is working hard to ensure that enough stock is available. In its first week of release, Wii Fit was the best-selling video game in the week, topping the all-format chart. Despite the game being sold at a higher price than average (£70, compared to an average of £35-40) it became the UK's sixth fastest selling console title according to Chart-Track
/ELSPA and garnered over £16 million in sales.
During the week beginning the 19 May 2008, Wii Fits sales in the UK fell from second in the all-formats chart to dropping out of the top 40 altogether, believed to be caused by Wii Fit being completely sold out. Subsequently, Nintendo
UK promised to rectify the stock problems plaguing Wii Fit and vowed "We will end Wii Fit stock shortage".
In the United States, pre-launch sales of Wii Fit were reported to have sold out at retailers Amazon.com
, GameStop
and Wal-Mart
. After the initial release, reports showed stores selling out of Wii Fit nationwide. Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities
, estimated that Nintendo shipped only 500,000 copies of the game in North America as opposed to as many as two million units to Europe. According to Pachter, the Wii Fit units were allocated by Nintendo to maximize profit, by prioritizing Europe over North America, taking advantage of the strong value of the euro
compared to the U.S. dollar
. According to the NPD Group
, Wii Fit sold 690,000 units in the US in May 2008, making it the country's third highest selling title for the month. Wii Fit debuted in the United States at a suggested retail price of $89.99 for the base system unbundled with other accessories. As with the Wii console itself, the demand for Wii Fit has far outstripped the supply. The perceived shortage has created a secondary market for private sellers to purchase Wii Fit at retail outlets and sell the product for inflated prices. In June 2008, Wii Fit was reported to be selling at an average of $175 per unit on Amazon.com
and EBay
.
According to the NPD Group, GfK
Chart-Track, and Enterbrain
, the game has sold 1.433 million copies in the United States, 624,000 in the United Kingdom, and 1.547 million in Japan, respectively, for a total of 3.604 million copies sold from January to July 2008. As of March 31, 2009, Nintendo has sold 18.22 million copies of Wii Fit worldwide. According to the NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track, and Enterbrain, the game has sold 1.283 million copies in the United States, 460,000 in the United Kingdom, and 346,000 in Japan, respectively, for a total of 2.089 million copies sold in the third quarter of 2008 (July–September). Wii Fit was the third best-selling game of December 2008 in the United States, selling in excess of 999,000 copies. It was also the third best-selling game of 2008 in the United States, selling in excess of 4.53 million.
Within 18 months by June 2009, the game helped health games
generate revenues of $2 billion, most of which was grossed by Wii Fit's 18.22 million sales at the time. As of May 2010, the game has sold 22.61 million copies worldwide, and is #2 on the best-selling Wii games list (trailing only Wii Play
).
and has been adopted by various health club
s around the world.
Wii Fit has also been used for the treatment of balance problems in the elderly. In a study, an 86 year old woman was unable to walk without close supervision, even with a walker, due to poor balance and a tendency to fall, after a stroke. She participated in four training sessions along with physical therapy. She was test on the outcome measures of Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Functional Reach and Lateral Reach tests, Timed Up & Go test (TUG), computerized posturography, and the Short Feedback Questionnaire (SFQ). This was done before the first training session and after the last one. From the results and her own feedback, she had improved antero-posterior symmetry of stance. "When released from hospital, she was able to walk with a walker with minimal supervision."
In summer 2009, Finnish Defence Forces
support organisation invested in 384 Wii consoles (including Wii Sports
and Wii Fit) for military bases around the country, in order to inspire soldiers to exercise more in their free time. The feedback from the conscripts and officers has been positive.
Some nursing home
s use Wii Fit as a way to engage in gentle exercise. The system is used to give the residents a yoga workout along with flexibility and balance exercises. The game allows for those who are unable to perform rigorous daily exercise to still increase their heart rate and improve their overall health. Depending on their level of mobility, some can perform the exercises while standing, while others may remain seated.
References
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
for the company's home video game console
Video game console
A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, designed by Hiroshi Matsunaga. It is an exercise game
Exergaming
Exergaming or exer-gaming is a term used for video games that are also a form of exercise. Exergaming relies on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been credited with upending the stereotype of gaming as a sedentary activity, and promoting an active lifestyle...
consisting of activities using the Wii Balance Board
Wii Balance Board
The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...
peripheral. Wii Fit is currently the third best selling console game in history (among games not packaged with a console) with 22.61 million copies sold as of May 2010.
The game uses a unique platform peripheral called the Wii Balance Board
Wii Balance Board
The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...
, on which the player stands during exercise. The game features yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
, strength training
Strength training
Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
, aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
, and balance
Balance (ability)
In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. When exercising the ability to balance, one is said to be balancing....
games. Matsunaga described the game as a "way to help get families exercising together". Wii Fit has been used for physiotherapy rehabilitation
Physical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
and has been adopted by various health club
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
s around the world. Additionally, the game has been used in nursing homes to improve posture
Neutral spine
A neutral spine or good posture refers to the "three natural curves [that] are present in a healthy spine."- Posture :The word "posture" comes from the Latin verb "ponere" which is defined as "to put or place." The general concept of human posture refers to "the carriage of the body as a whole, the...
in the elderly. The game has received generally positive reviews, despite criticism over the lack of intensity in some of its workout activities.
Gameplay
Wii Balance Board
The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...
, a unique platform peripheral that the player stands upon during play. Similar to a bathroom scale, the Wii Balance Board is capable of measuring a person's weight
Weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity. Its magnitude , often denoted by an italic letter W, is the product of the mass m of the object and the magnitude of the local gravitational acceleration g; thus:...
, but is also able to detect the person's center of balance
Center of mass
In physics, the center of mass or barycenter of a system is the average location of all of its mass. In the case of a rigid body, the position of the center of mass is fixed in relation to the body...
(COB), a feature heavily utilized in the game. Wii Fit contains more than 40 activities designed to engage the player in physical exercise
Physical exercise
Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of...
, which consist of yoga
Asana
Asana is a body position, typically associated with the practice of Yoga, originally identified as a mastery of sitting still, with the spine as a conduit of biodynamic union...
poses, strength training
Strength training
Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
, aerobics
Aerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
, and balance
Balance (ability)
In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. When exercising the ability to balance, one is said to be balancing....
games. Most activities generally focus on maintaining COB and improving posture
Posture (psychology)
In humans, posture can provide important nonverbal communication. Posture deals with:* how the body is positioned in relation to another person or group of persons and how they are positioned relative to each other various body parts In humans, posture can provide important nonverbal...
.
Players register and play in Wii Fit via a user profile
User profile
A user profile is a collection of personal data associated to a specific user. A profile refers therefore to the explicit digital representation of a person's identity...
, assigned with the player's date of birth, height, and Mii
Mii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
character, that keeps track of the player's progress. Physical activities done outside of Wii Fit can be also be logged into the profile. Wii Fit allows up to eight different profiles to be registered.
Yoga and strength training
The yogaYoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
and strength training
Strength training
Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance, and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of strength training, the most common being the use of gravity or elastic/hydraulic forces to oppose muscle contraction...
activities in Wii Fit provide the player with an on-screen personal trainer
Personal trainer
A personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
, who offers direction and evaluation. While standing or otherwise leaning on the Wii Balance Board, the player is instructed to perform the activity by precisely imitating the trainer's actions. In yoga, the player holds a particular pose or series of poses for a duration of time; while in strength training the player performs a set number of repetitions of the exercise selected. During these sessions, the player is shown a visual indication of his or her COB, represented as a red dot. The trainer advises the player to maintain the COB throughout the activity, requesting that it not move outside a particular threshold (usually indicated as a yellow circle). When the activity ends, the player is scored
Score (gaming)
In games, score refers to an abstract quantity associated with a player or team. Score is usually measured in the abstract unit of points, and events in the game can raise or lower the score of different parties...
based on how well the player kept his or her balance during the session: points are deducted if the player's body haphazardly swayed or shook at any point. There are 30 yoga and strength training activities included in Wii Fit.
| Yoga | Strength Training |
|---|---|
| Deep Breathing Diaphragmatic breathing Diaphragmatic breathing, abdominal breathing, belly breathing or deep breathing is breathing that is done by contracting the diaphragm, a muscle located horizontally between the chest cavity and stomach cavity... |
Single Leg Extension |
| Half-Moon Ardha Candrāsana Ardha Candrāsana or Half Moon Pose is an asana.- Etymology :The name comes from the Sanskrit words Ardha meaning "half", Candra or Chandra meaning "moon" or "luminous, as in the light from the moon", and Asana meaning "posture" or "seat".- Benefits :The moon is symbolic in yoga mythology... |
Push-Up and Side Plank Plank (exercise) The plank is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a difficult position for extended periods of time... |
| Warrior | Torso Twists |
| Tree Vrksasana Vriksasana or tree pose is a asana.- Etymology :The name comes from the Sanskrit words vriksa or vriksha meaning "tree", and asana meaning "posture" or "seat".- Description :... |
Jackknife |
| Sun Salutation Surya Namaskara Surya Namaskara , known in English as Sun Salutation , is a common sequence of Hatha yoga asanas. Its origins lie in a worship of Surya, the Hindu solar deity... |
Lunge Lunge (exercise) The lunge is a strength training exercise that is used to strengthen the quadriceps muscles, gluteal muscles and the muscles comprising the "hamstrings", the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris... |
| Standing Knee | Rowing Squat Squat (exercise) In strength training, the squat is a compound, full body exercise that trains primarily the muscles of the thighs, hips and buttocks, quads , hamstrings, as well as strengthening the bones, ligaments and insertion of the tendons throughout the lower body... |
| Palm Tree | Single Leg Twist |
| Chair Utkaṭāsana Utkatasana , Chair Pose, Fierce Pose, Hazardous Pose, Lightning Bolt Pose, Wild Pose, or, in Bikram Yoga, Awkward Pose, is a asana.-Etymology:... |
Sideways Leg Lift |
| Triangle Trikonasana Trikonasana or triangle pose is an asana. Variations include utthita trikonasana and parivrtta trikonasana .-Etymology:... |
Plank Plank (exercise) The plank is an isometric core strength exercise that involves maintaining a difficult position for extended periods of time... |
| Downward Facing Dog Adho Mukha Svanasana thumb|right|Downward-Facing DogAdho Mukha Svanasana, Adho Mukha Shvanasana , Downward-Facing Dog Pose, Downward Dog, or Down Dog, is an asana.- Etymology :... |
Triceps Extension Lying triceps extensions Lying triceps extensions, also known as skull crushers and French extensions, are a strength exercise used in many different forms of weight lifting. Lying triceps extensions are one of the most stimulating exercises to the entire triceps muscle group in the upper arm. It works the triceps from... |
| Dance | Arm and Leg Lift |
| Cobra Bhujangasana -Etymology:The name comes from the Sanskrit words bhujanga meaning "snake" or "serpent" and asana meaning "posture" or "seat".-Benefits:... |
Single-Arm Stand |
| Bridge Bridge (exercise) Bridge is an exercise. Many variations of this exercise are employed throughout the world, most commonly the balancing of the body on the head and feet. Hands are occasionally used instead of or along with the head. It is effective in improving lower back strength... |
Push-Up Challenge |
| Spinal Twist | Jackknife Challenge |
| Shoulder Stand Sarvangasana Sarvangasana or Shoulderstand is an āsana.Many variations of the Shoulderstand exist, the likely most common to be taught is Supported Shoulderstand .Sarvangāsana is nicknamed "queen" or "mother" of all the yoga poses.... |
Plank Challenge |
Aerobics and balance games
The other two major categories in Wii Fit, AerobicsAerobics
Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness...
and Balance
Balance (ability)
In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. When exercising the ability to balance, one is said to be balancing....
Games, consist of 18 minigame
Minigame
A minigame is a short video game often contained within another video game. A minigame is always smaller or more simplistic than the game in which it is contained. Minigames are sometimes also offered separately for free to promote the main game...
activities that feature Mii
Mii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
s as playable characters. Aerobics focus on activities that require more vigorous movement, and are divided into three distinct types: hula hoop
Hula hoop
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...
ing, step aerobics
Step aerobics
Step aerobics is distinguished from other forms of aerobic exercise by its use of an elevated platform . The height can be tailored to individual needs by inserting risers under the step...
, and jogging
Jogging
Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running.-Definition:...
. In Hula Hoop, the player twirls his or her hips in order to spin a series of hoops, and is scored on the number of spins achieved within a period of time. Step aerobics (simply referred to as "Step" in-game) focus on stepping on and off the Wii Balance Board in a rhythmic fashion. In jogging, which does not use the Wii Balance Board, the player runs in place while keeping the connected Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
in his or her pocket, which acts as a pseudo-pedometer
Pedometer
A pedometer is a device, usually portable and electronic or electromechanical, that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person's hips...
. The game provides variations of step aerobics and jogging (called "Free Step" and "Free Run" respectively) where the user may exercise at his or her own pace and does not require viewing the game screen; the player is able to watch television or something similar while performing the exercise.
Balance Games consist of nine activities that focus on directly controlling the game using the player's COB. "Soccer Heading," for example, focuses on leaning left or right to control the player's Mii in order to head incoming soccer balls. Another, "Table Tilt," focuses on directing balls into holes by shifting the player's balance to tilt the platform they rest on. Activities based on slalom skiing
Slalom skiing
Slalom is an alpine skiing discipline, involving skiing between poles spaced much closer together than in Giant Slalom, Super-G or Downhill, thereby causing quicker and shorter turns.- Origins :...
, snowboarding
Snowboarding
Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a slope that is covered with snow on a snowboard attached to a rider's feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, sledding, surfing and skiing. It was developed in the U.S.A...
, and tightrope walking
Tightrope walking
Tightrope walking is the art of walking along a thin wire or rope, usually at a great height. One or more artists performs in front of an audience or as a publicity stunt...
are also available, as well as a Zazen
Zazen
In Zen Buddhism, zazen is a meditative discipline practitioners perform to calm the body and the mind, and be able to concentrate enough to experience insight into the nature of existence and thereby gain enlightenment .- Significance :Zazen is considered the heart of Zen Buddhist practice...
-based game (called "Lotus Focus") in which the player sits on the Wii Balance Board and remains motionless for a period of time.
Body Test
Players may undergo "Body Tests," in which the player's body mass indexBody mass index
The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
(BMI) is calculated and balance
Balance (ability)
In biomechanics, balance is an ability to maintain the center of gravity of a body within the base of support with minimal postural sway. When exercising the ability to balance, one is said to be balancing....
control is tested. Each Body Test determines and updates the player's "Wii Fit Age
Ageing
Ageing or aging is the accumulation of changes in a person over time. Ageing in humans refers to a multidimensional process of physical, psychological, and social change. Some dimensions of ageing grow and expand over time, while others decline...
", which loosely suggests the player's physical strength
Physical strength
Physical strength is the ability of a person or animal to exert force on physical objects using muscles. Increasing physical strength is the goal of strength training.-Overview:...
in relation to his or her true age. A standalone application, called "Wii Fit Channel," may be installed to the Wii Menu in order for players to perform Body Tests without needing to load the Wii Fit game disc.
Development
Shigeru Miyamoto
is a Japanese video game designer and producer. Miyamoto was born and raised in Kyoto Prefecture; the natural surroundings of Kyoto inspired much of Miyamoto's later work....
, during a conference in mid-September 2006. Then described as a "way to help get families exercising together", the game idea had first been included in Miyamoto's original design document for a core group of games including Wii Sports and Wii Play
Wii Play
Wii Play, released as in Japan, is a party video game for the Wii console. It is a counterpart to the games Wii Sports, Wii Music and Wii Fit. It features minigames that use characters from the Mii Channel. Several of the games featured are from E3 2006 demos such as the Duck Hunt-styled shooting...
, the entirety of which was scribbled onto a sheet of paper.
As with other games designed by Miyamoto such as Nintendogs
Nintendogs
is a real-time pet simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was first released in Japan, and was later released in North America, Australia, Europe, and other regions. It was originally released in three different versions:...
, the design of Wii Fit was influenced by activities in his daily life. He states that he and his family had become more health-conscious, going to the gym and tracking their weight. He found that it had become "fun over time to talk about these things", and as weighing oneself "didn't make much of a game", Nintendo decided to build games around the idea to mesh with the concept. The Wii Balance Board
Wii Balance Board
The Wii Balance Board is a balance board accessory for the Nintendo Wii video game console. Along with Wii Fit, it was introduced on July 11, 2007 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo...
had been worked on for "almost two years", and was inspired by sumo wrestler
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
s' need to weigh themselves with two scales.
The game was announced under its current title at Nintendo's E3 press conference
News conference
A news conference or press conference is a media event in which newsmakers invite journalists to hear them speak and, most often, ask questions. A joint press conference instead is held between two or more talking sides.-Practice:...
on July 11, 2007 and demonstrated by Miyamoto, Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aime and other participants. Miyamoto revealed that Wii Fit had been developed with a "full-scale" team for a year at the time, and also stated that there were no plans to integrate WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24 is a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii console. It was first announced at E3 2006 by Nintendo. It enables the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console is on standby...
functionality into the game. He did note, however, the possibility for taking advantage of WiiConnect24 in the future, such as using the service to keep in contact with a doctor to help with rehabilitation, or with a fitness specialist to help with training exercises.
Follow-up
A follow-up to Wii Fit, entitled Wii Fit Plus, was confirmed by Japanese newspaper Nikkei ShimbunNihon Keizai Shimbun
is one of the largest media corporations in Japan. Nikkei specializes in publishing financial, business and industry news. Its main news publications include:* Nihon Keizai Shimbun , a leading economic newspaper....
. It was released in Japan on October 1, 2009 and in North America on October 4, 2009. Wii Fit Plus includes approximately 20 new games while still using the same Balance Board and other video game equipment.
Reception
Wii Fit was well received by video game critics. It currently holds an 80% score on Game Rankings, aggregated from the scores of 52 media outlets, and got an average score of 81 on MobyGamesMobyGames
-Platforms not yet included:- Further reading :* Rusel DeMaria, Johnny L. Wilson, High Score!: The Illustrated History of Electronic Games, McGraw-Hill/Osborne Media; 2 edition , ISBN 0-07-223172-6...
. While the playful balance and aerobics minigames have generally been praised as simple fun, criticism for the game is aimed at its limitations in offering a serious workout regime. In 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's review, one such limitation was attributed to the lack of structure the game imposes on the player, stating that while having "complete freedom to choose what you want to do, you might find yourself cheating, despite your best intentions." X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
also noted that the brief activities are separated by menus, making it difficult for one to keep up a constant heart rate, with Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
criticizing a serious limitation: "as a stand-alone fitness trainer it suffers greatly by the inability to assemble a full, unbroken workout without the horrible 'fitness interruptus' necessitated by bothersome menu navigation and obtrusive Wii remote usage." Some have also pointed out a lack of Nintendo's usual charm in game design, specifically in the yoga and strength training exercises which take place in a muted setting that one critic referred to as "the world's most lifeless, depressing gym." Despite these limitations, the game's friendly front-end and amount of activities are cited as appealing features to those who are perhaps seeking an introduction to daily exercise. In a review on IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, Wii Fit was said to create "an environment in which working out is less daunting and as a result enjoyable -- fun, even."
According to a study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, the aerobics portion of Wii Fit was not sufficient to maintain a heart rate of the recommended intensity (known in sports physiology as a target heart rate) for maintaining cardiorespiratory fitness.
A study published by Tokyo's National Institute of Health and Nutrition concluded that only 33% of the exercises (22 of a total of 68) qualified as medium-intensity, with the rest as low-intensity. No exercises qualified as high-intensity. The researchers concluded that only one-third of the exercises qualify towards the exercise guidelines provided by the American College of Sports Medicine
American College of Sports Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine is the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world. More than 40,000 international, national and regional members and certified professionals are dedicated to advancing and integrating scientific research to provide educational and...
(ACSM) and the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
(AHA), and that the exercises offered less benefits "than authentic sports or exercises because playing these active video games involved little horizontal locomotion." However, to reach 30 minutes of moderate activity (5 times a week) as suggested by the ACSM, significantly more time is required, due to the repeated manual navigations of the menus required between each exercise and the inability to program customized exercise routines, repetitions, or time limits (or even personalized intensities—the "trainer" will never modify the speed based on the user's fitness level).
Wii Fit was awarded Best Use of the Balance Board by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. It was also nominated for multiple other awards, including Best New IP and Best Sports Game. Hyper
Hyper (magazine)
Hyper is a multi-platform Australian video game magazine. Australia's longest running gaming magazine, it has been in publication since 1993, and was released the same month as the better known UK magazine Edge...
commends the game for its "effective exercise program, its accessibility and its massive novelty value". However, he criticised it for not being a "gamer's game and no good for long sessions".
Cycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly
Cycling Weekly is a British cycling magazine. It is published by IPC Media and is devoted to the sport and past-time of cycling. It is affectionately referred to by British club cyclists as "The Comic".-History:...
reported that Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish
Mark Cavendish MBE is a Manx professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI ProTeam until the end of this season when the team is dissolved. He will join Team Sky at the start of the 2012 season...
, a double Madison World Champion and Commonwealth Games
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
gold medalist bike racer had to stop his training regime when he injured his left calf's gastrocnemius after falling off the balance board while playing Wii Fit.
There was minor controversy regarding Wii Fit in the UK, where two parents complained after the known limitations of BMI
Body mass index
The body mass index , or Quetelet index, is a heuristic proxy for human body fat based on an individual's weight and height. BMI does not actually measure the percentage of body fat. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing...
led to their daughter being labeled as overweight. Nintendo apologized over any offense caused by the terminology used in-game.
Sales
Wii Fit sold over a quarter of a million copies in its first week, and despite not being released outside Japan, Wii Fit reached the one million unit sales milestone by January 6, 2008, after being released on December 1, 2007. As of January 4, 2009, it has sold 3,125,000 copies in Japan. It is the also the third best-selling game of Japan in 2008, as well as the best-selling Wii game in Japan of that year, selling 2,149,131 in that year.Prior to release, consumer reaction was also positive in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, with some retailers having to stop taking pre-orders due to its increasing popularity. Reports in the United Kingdom state that the Wii Fit launch had seen lines form nationwide. Retailer Woolworths
Woolworths Group
Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...
claimed that the game was also selling at a rate of 90 copies per minute. Nintendo UK have stated it is working hard to ensure that enough stock is available. In its first week of release, Wii Fit was the best-selling video game in the week, topping the all-format chart. Despite the game being sold at a higher price than average (£70, compared to an average of £35-40) it became the UK's sixth fastest selling console title according to Chart-Track
Chart-Track
Chart-Track is a market research company that monitors music, videos and software sales in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark and was formed in 1996. In July 2008 GfK took a majority stake in the company....
/ELSPA and garnered over £16 million in sales.
During the week beginning the 19 May 2008, Wii Fits sales in the UK fell from second in the all-formats chart to dropping out of the top 40 altogether, believed to be caused by Wii Fit being completely sold out. Subsequently, Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
UK promised to rectify the stock problems plaguing Wii Fit and vowed "We will end Wii Fit stock shortage".
In the United States, pre-launch sales of Wii Fit were reported to have sold out at retailers Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
, GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
and Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
. After the initial release, reports showed stores selling out of Wii Fit nationwide. Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Securities
Wedbush Securities
Wedbush Securities Inc. is a privately-held financial services and investment firm that provides private and institutional brokerage, investment banking, equity research, fixed income, public finance, correspondent clearing, and asset management to individual, institutional and issuing clients...
, estimated that Nintendo shipped only 500,000 copies of the game in North America as opposed to as many as two million units to Europe. According to Pachter, the Wii Fit units were allocated by Nintendo to maximize profit, by prioritizing Europe over North America, taking advantage of the strong value of the euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
compared to the U.S. dollar
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
. According to the NPD Group
NPD Group
The NPD Group, Inc. is a leading North American market research company. The NPD Group consistently ranks among the top 25 market research companies in the independent Honomichl Top 50 report, which the media and the research industry acknowledge as a credible source of information on the market...
, Wii Fit sold 690,000 units in the US in May 2008, making it the country's third highest selling title for the month. Wii Fit debuted in the United States at a suggested retail price of $89.99 for the base system unbundled with other accessories. As with the Wii console itself, the demand for Wii Fit has far outstripped the supply. The perceived shortage has created a secondary market for private sellers to purchase Wii Fit at retail outlets and sell the product for inflated prices. In June 2008, Wii Fit was reported to be selling at an average of $175 per unit on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and EBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
.
According to the NPD Group, GfK
GfK
The GfK Group, established in 1934 as Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung is Germany's largest market research institute, and the fourth largest market research organisation in the world, after Nielsen Company, Kantar Group, and IMS Health...
Chart-Track, and Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
, the game has sold 1.433 million copies in the United States, 624,000 in the United Kingdom, and 1.547 million in Japan, respectively, for a total of 3.604 million copies sold from January to July 2008. As of March 31, 2009, Nintendo has sold 18.22 million copies of Wii Fit worldwide. According to the NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track, and Enterbrain, the game has sold 1.283 million copies in the United States, 460,000 in the United Kingdom, and 346,000 in Japan, respectively, for a total of 2.089 million copies sold in the third quarter of 2008 (July–September). Wii Fit was the third best-selling game of December 2008 in the United States, selling in excess of 999,000 copies. It was also the third best-selling game of 2008 in the United States, selling in excess of 4.53 million.
Within 18 months by June 2009, the game helped health games
Exergaming
Exergaming or exer-gaming is a term used for video games that are also a form of exercise. Exergaming relies on technology that tracks body movement or reaction. The genre has been credited with upending the stereotype of gaming as a sedentary activity, and promoting an active lifestyle...
generate revenues of $2 billion, most of which was grossed by Wii Fit's 18.22 million sales at the time. As of May 2010, the game has sold 22.61 million copies worldwide, and is #2 on the best-selling Wii games list (trailing only Wii Play
Wii Play
Wii Play, released as in Japan, is a party video game for the Wii console. It is a counterpart to the games Wii Sports, Wii Music and Wii Fit. It features minigames that use characters from the Mii Channel. Several of the games featured are from E3 2006 demos such as the Duck Hunt-styled shooting...
).
Other uses
Wii Fit has been used for physiotherapy rehabilitationPhysical therapy
Physical therapy , often abbreviated PT, is a health care profession. Physical therapy is concerned with identifying and maximizing quality of life and movement potential within the spheres of promotion, prevention, diagnosis, treatment/intervention,and rehabilitation...
and has been adopted by various health club
Health club
A health club is a place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.-Main workout area:...
s around the world.
Wii Fit has also been used for the treatment of balance problems in the elderly. In a study, an 86 year old woman was unable to walk without close supervision, even with a walker, due to poor balance and a tendency to fall, after a stroke. She participated in four training sessions along with physical therapy. She was test on the outcome measures of Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Functional Reach and Lateral Reach tests, Timed Up & Go test (TUG), computerized posturography, and the Short Feedback Questionnaire (SFQ). This was done before the first training session and after the last one. From the results and her own feedback, she had improved antero-posterior symmetry of stance. "When released from hospital, she was able to walk with a walker with minimal supervision."
In summer 2009, Finnish Defence Forces
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces are responsible for the defence of Finland. It is a cadre army of 15,000, of which 8,900 are professional soldiers , extended with conscripts and reservists such that the standard readiness strength is 34,700 people in uniform...
support organisation invested in 384 Wii consoles (including Wii Sports
Wii Sports
is a sports game developed and published by Nintendo as a launch title for the Wii video game console , and part of the Touch! Generations. The game was first released in North America along with the Wii on November 19, 2006, and was released in Japan, Australia, and Europe the following month...
and Wii Fit) for military bases around the country, in order to inspire soldiers to exercise more in their free time. The feedback from the conscripts and officers has been positive.
Some nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
s use Wii Fit as a way to engage in gentle exercise. The system is used to give the residents a yoga workout along with flexibility and balance exercises. The game allows for those who are unable to perform rigorous daily exercise to still increase their heart rate and improve their overall health. Depending on their level of mobility, some can perform the exercises while standing, while others may remain seated.
Footnotes
NotesReferences
External links
- Official site
- Official Nintendo site
- Wii.com site
- Creation of Wii Fit — Interview with Shigeru Miyamoto and Satoru Iwata
- Press Room File from E3