Not too long ago, a group of buyers got to check out the Wii Fit program and board from Nintendo. This is a cool item. It was the British version that we got to check out. This is really something you will want. I know I do. 

The device looks like a step class board, but lower. Maybe a digital scale without the intimidating LED readout. You stand on it and it is very sensitive. It can measure your center of gravity, so any leaning forward, backward or sideways is detected. The sensors in the board detect any shifts in positioning and when you think you know about an immersive game experience, you have not seen anything yet. 

The idea is to help us become fit through fun and gaming. Programs include yoga and various fitness programs like aerobic and muscle conditioning as well as balance. What we saw was all done with a British accent to help motivate. Measurements in the games are done in meters and kilograms. Hey, weren’t we supposed to be on the metric system by now? I remember learning that we would all be on this in 1975. We were assured that by 1985, everyone in the US would be on the metric system. The drummed it into our little heads. About the only things in the metric system that we all use today is a 2-liter bottle of Pepsi, 35-millimeter film (and not much of that anymore as we are all digital) and 9-millimeter pistol ammo. Hmm, wonder what slowed the conversion down?  To keep from sounding like a Dennis Miller rant (another guy from Pittsburgh, PA), the American version will not feature this and will be localized. It will feature good old pounds and feet/yards. It calculates a BMI (Body Mass Index) and determines your Wii Fit Age so you can track your progress through various means. It does this surreptitiously. You do not know that you are being weighed while on the board. It is like a stealth scale. 

The yoga was interesting, but not my cup of tea. I watched as our tester, who was in good shape, got winded jogging with his running partner on the screen during an aerobic session. That was interesting. He then fired up ski jumping and I had seen enough. It was my turn to try it. You start at the top of the jump and get into an athletic stance and whoosh! Down the hill I went. At the bottom, I had to stand upright and lean forward to get the distance. Balancing my center of gravity I nailed the landing! This was fun and I was not sitting on the couch. Next up a balancing game where movement helps direct marbles on platforms down the holes. They get progressively harder by adding more marbles and more holes on smaller and oddly shaped platforms. One of our team used the hula-hoop game. She was moving back and forth rhythmically to keep the hula-hoop up on the on screen character. As it got higher, one of the characters tosses another hula-hoop. She leaned to “catch” it and then back to moving back and forth. She was good at this one. Next, we tried blocking soccer balls as a goalie would. Leaning left and right and center to block the oncoming balls while dodging cleats and “panda heads”. We were getting some exercise without realizing it. As you might expect, with this competitive bunch, we were all trying to out score each other. This was addicting. As you complete parts of the program, new ones are unlocked making it more challenging and fun. Who said gaming was not good for you? Not me! 

This new program and accessory combination opens up a whole new series of options for programmers and some have already jumped on the Wii Fit train. Think of what a programmer could do with skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding, soccer, hockey, dancing or other things you can imagine. Nintendo has again added something new and innovative to our living rooms. I cannot disclose a whole lot more, except to say that my wife already wants one based on my experience. If Japan is any indication, these things will sell very fast. Over 1 million units have already been sold in Japan and that happened in just the first few weeks after launch. How do they keep on doing it? Nintendo is right on (ahead of?) trend yet again with this concept. I think this may be a routine that many folks could stick to. It seems that Nintendo has their finger on the pulse of consumers. They actually found a great way to make fitness fun. Hats off to their designers and marketing team for such an achievement. 

I can almost see my Mom when I was a kid. “Are you playing games?” “No Mom, just getting fit!” Wonder if she would have gone along with that. I think she would have.