Ironic Partnership

For decades, videogames and fitness have been each others nemesis. Thankfully, this war of attrition has come to an end as these once enemies have joined forces in a somewhat ironic partnership. The following is both an example of the evolution of videogames and proof that peace does have a chance.

The Game Developers Conference took place in San Francisco, CA last week, and there, Nintendo announced several upcoming product and service introductions, including the much-talked about Wii Fit gaming title. Wii Fit is meant to promote fitness as much as fun game play, showing that the console really is meant for an entirely different gaming market than the “traditional” gaming consoles. Scheduled to officially launch in mid-May, it will come with a Balance Board that can sense one’s weight and motion. Gamers will also be able to log onto a Wii Fit Channel where they can monitor fitness progress through both weight loss and BMI (body mass index). Games that make use of the Wii Fit Balance Board are already in development.

In addition to Wii Fit, Nintendo also plans to launch a downloadable game service called WiiWare on May 12. Here, customers will be able to access games, while developers can gain gaming ideas. Some of the first available games will include Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles; My Life as a King; and LostWids. Both the competing Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 permit downloading games through online portals.

For more information, visit www.wii.com.