How important is Wii Fit to Nintendo’s future?
Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 11:56am by Blake
Confession: I’ve been anticipating the release of Wii Fit since first experimenting with the title at E3 last year, for two reasons: I’m chunky, and the Ski Jump mini game was a blast. I’m hopeful other unannounced games will be just as enjoyable.
The health/mini-game software launched in Japan on Dec. 1 for $75 (including the balance board) and has sold more than 1 million copies to date, easily becoming a hit in its homeland. But is the product, like so many fitness wares before it, a fad? Will Americans buy it? Perhaps more importantly, does it matter to Wii’s continued success?
If Nintendo is expecting Wii Fit to help the majority of people lose weight, it will fail as a product, regardless of what it sells. I personally view Wii Fit as a way to boost my interest in health once again (read: finally get back to running once I see some initial results). In that regard, I believe Wii Fit will be a fad. But I’m also buying the package for being the spiritual successor to Wii Sports, and for the balance board’s future prospects. The second reason validates my love for shallow games, and the third reason clearly makes me a fanboy.
In the end, I suspect Wii Fit will sell as good in America as it does in Japan, but only temporarily. If I’m wrong, sustained sales will make Wii a bigger deal than it already is. If I’m right, the console will continue on its already impressive mainstream path.
But whatever happens with Wii Fit, all that matters to the game console is how frequent Nintendo keeps releasing stellar first party efforts, and how compelling third-party games end up being.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
I an not going to buy this, first, because the currency is more expensive to change, 75 bucks is like 750 exactly in my currency, sadly, is more than that in my country :S
Second, that kind of games are not my type of fun, always the hardware like this board finish inside the closet XD
See what happens to the bongos, 3 games and that’s all.
January 10th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I think it will sell well at first, but then peter out … UNLESS they release more software that uses the device.
If there’s a must have title for the Board, it’ll sell. If not, Wii Fit might not be it (sorry Reggie)!
January 10th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I would agree that there needs to be some other application for the device. It’s like a long line of Nintendo add ons. R.O.B., power glove…even the zapper had limited use. Someone smart should be able to combine this board with the wii remote to create some killer stuff but it takes imagination and willingness to take a risk.
January 10th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Imagine some sort of hoverboard sword battle game. Just imagine!!!
January 10th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
My girlfriend is stoked for it, and (confession) so am I.
January 10th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
I’m pretty much as unexcited as I can get. I don’t have anything against Wii Fit, but it’s way too gimmicky for me and considering the history of support for Nintendo system extras in the past is pretty bad after the initial release, I don’t really see this changing.
January 10th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
I must admit that I am very interested in Wii Fit. I might wait and see what the word is in reviews and hearsay, but if it retails for about $75, I might just have to make that splurge.
My reasons for wanting it are the same as yours. I am not only interested in the game that comes bundled with the balance board (because I still play Wii Sports on occasion, so there’s a high probability that I’ll be playing Fit over a year later, too), but in the potential of the board itself.
Should be interesting!
January 10th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
I think they’re going to make a couple mistakes with the American release of WiiFit.
First, it should have been released January 1. It would have been perfect as some sort of gimmicky health monitor for all those with New Years resolutions of losing weight, and being able to do so in a fun manner, but a no-man’s-land May release date won’t help with that at all.
Second, pricing it higher than initially announced makes it a easy dismissal for all those who were on the fence about it before. I was ‘iffy’ when it was rumored at $60, so for $75 there’s just no way, and I imagine I’m not the only one who feels like this.
January 11th, 2008 at 1:10 am
the important thing about wii fit i think is not so much the game wii fit, which will no doubt sell well, but actually the peripheral the wii fit board. i think that will open up a lot of new gameplay when utilized also with the nunchuk and wiimote. if people think that wii fit is it, and that it will keep the wii sports crowd happy for now, they don’t know anything about video games. watch the next batch of games that come out 6 months after this game comes out. i think that will blow people’s minds, including self proclaimed hardcores.
January 11th, 2008 at 10:57 am
Unlike guitar hero this is something I will shell out the extra dough for. Guitar hero was just a glorified wiimote shell and they charged the same for that as a full 360/ps3 controller on other consoles.
This however I can see being used on many other games, I especially can’t wait to see what Squenix are gonna do with it. Done right (which with some developers, I’m sure it will be) this is gonna bring some pretty amazing things to gaming. I mean, who could really argue with playing games like wii sports, they’re amazingly fun and at the same time you can feel the pounds dropping off. not like at the gym where it’s laborious jogging on the spot, going nowhere waiting for your session to end.
Wii sports with the added functionality of the balance board. *drools*
January 12th, 2008 at 1:49 am
it will definitely bring in more consumers, but i think the big Nneeds to stop their Wii (insert any word here) titles. They need to focus on making a new franchise. Are there ever going to be any new, and really good worlds and characters?
January 12th, 2008 at 6:41 am
Not terribly important for gamers, I guess but it will give Nintendo a really good image (y’know non-violent, family-friendly, non-fat-kids, brain trained etc… who’s wouldn’t love that? oh, and makes you addicted…
).
It will be a “hit” game and I believe it will be great, but am not yet sold on itl.