One reason Nintendo has done so phenomenally well with the Wii is that they have accepted that their target market isn’t comprised of hardcore gamers. They have embraced the casual gamer and Nintendo is cool with that and so cool in fact that they are taking their strategy strait to the bank.

The light-bulb moment – if you will – happened as I watched a commercial for the Wii Fit Plus. I’ve searched YouTube for the video and can’t find it so you’ll have to make do with my description of it.

The commercial takes a woman through her entire day from the time she gets up in the morning to when she gets home after work and you see how seamlessly the Wii is integrated into the woman’s lifestyle. Her life is hectic and Wii Fit Plus is portrayed as a way for her to get away from the craziness and recoup. Near the end of the commercial, you get a shot of the woman’s kid using the Wii so even her kid is getting in on the Wii fun.

Nintendo has had to accept that the Wii’s core market isn’t a bunch of people who would ever identify themselves as “gamers”. The Wii’s “fan base” is comprised of people who want to have some fun at parties or maybe with their kids. The fact that they’re playing a game is secondary to the whole thing.

Many a gamer has expressed their disdain for casual gaming as it seems to cheapen something that we all love so much. For a lot of people, being a gamer really is an identity and the idea of a 40 year old woman playing table tennis or golfing on a game console shakes that image that some gamers have created of themselves.

I don’t think I’ve yet to read an article that give accolades to the Wii for amazing games for “real” gamers but I’ve read a lot of press about how enjoyable the console is and how much fun people have while playing it.

At the end of the day, your average consumer doesn’t have the time or desire to dedicate days to a game. They want to switch on a game, have a good time and then forget about it.

I don’t know if I will ever get a Wii – though it does seem interesting to me. I’ve always been a one console kind of girl. But, I do know that the Wii is here to stay and this is something that “real” gamers are going to have to embrace or at least accept.

And if you can’t accept that, maybe you can enjoy yourself while you watch the infamous “Hula Hoop” girlfriend.

Image|Amazon

Post from: EveryJoe

My Wii Epiphany

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The game comes out tomorrow and it looks like they’ve looked at games like EA Sports Active for inspiration while staying true to their original formula. Players will be able to set their own customized workout routines (or choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts) and will have access to specialized workout routines that focus on all-around individual personal fitness goals or certain target areas. It’s great because the game will not only suggest activities but players will finally be able to mix and match strength and yoga activities seamlessly so that they don’t have to return to the main screen.  That is going to be a lot more convenient! I’m not 100% about which activities will be included but I do know that they have added Skateboarding and Rhythm Kung Fu which sounds like it could be challenging. Here’s a quick overview of the game from E3 2009.

image: Nintendo

Post from: EveryJoe

“Wii Fit Plus” Out Now

I haven’t gotten it yet since it only became available this week but, from the image, it looks like there is a plastic platform that attaches underneath the Balance Board and adds an extra four inches in height.  That’s a huge difference.

Of course, I worry about the stability of it but I’ll have to wait until I test it out.  Either way, it looks less intimidating than that skateboard mount I wrote about a few days ago.

In addition to the step activities, this could really enhance your efforts if you do any of the strength training levels in Wii Fit as well as the boxing ones in EA Sports Active.

Post from: EveryJoe

Aerobic Step Attachment for Wii

The man, Tim Eves, even had one last conversation with his mother – “We spoke to him on the phone when he was playing on the Wii machine. He told us he had just ordered himself a kebab and was sitting there with a glass of port. But a little while after he had put the phone down, he collapsed for no reason. It was completely out of the blue,” Eves’ mother told the Daily Telegraph.

No official cause of death has been announced but some believe he may have passed away from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (I’ve never heard of that).  Apparently, SADS can cause cardiac arrest in otherwise healthy people.  How scary!

I highly doubt that Wii Fit could be to blame for a death.  It’s not any more rigorous than regular exercise so this could have easily happened after someone ran up a flight of stars or used a treadmill at a gym.  Do you think Wii Fit is potentially dangerous?

Post from: EveryJoe

Man Collapses, Dies After Playing Wii Fit

I don’t believe Giovanny Gutierrez’s claim that this clip of his “girlfriend” playing with a Wii Fit is a “personal video”. He’s Director of Interactive Media at Tinsley Advertising, and he posted the video on a YouTube account named tinsleyadvertising. That “girlfriend” is Tinsley Advertising employee Lauren Bernat.

I don’t know if Lauren is actually Giovanny’s girlfriend, and I don’t care. This is either a paid ad, or a thinly veiled pitch.

Nevertheless, I don’t mind watching Lauren shake her ass. Mr. Gutierrez may not understand the long-term value of authenticity in online video, but he sure knows what gets our attention in the short term.

Post from: EveryJoe

Wii Fit Girlfriend