jimjim writes...

I think the casual gamers will lap this up.

Without a doubt. Good bundle - Wii sports & Wii Fit.

5falcons writes...

Now fergie doesn't have to go to the gym, to be:
'workin on ma fitness, so delicious....whoop whoop'

During the presentation, Regie had his BMI displayed along with a big red "OVERWEIGHT" notice for the whole conference hall to see.

5falcons writes...

Now fergie doesn't have to go to the gym, to be:
'workin on ma fitness

:D - that was so stupid, yet funny.

Super Roach writes...

I wonder if these pads could be used, DDR style?

Well there is a rhythm type aerobics workout similar to DDR, check out the trailer to see it.

spas writes...

i wonder how much weight that bored can actually support before it snaps.

Knowing Nintendo they probably made it pretty sturdy.

davidw89 writes...

This sounds like a massive rip of to lure non-gamers into purchasing this + the console + 'weight loss' games.

Why is that a rip off? Its an innovative idea and judging by the other responces in the thread it will certainly pay dividends for Nintendo.

Tuyen Pham writes...

that thing looks like a joke. i would not use it.

lol, good for you. Most of the people here at Whirlpool certainly aren't the demographic that Nintendo are targeting with this product. I, and many so-called 'casual gamers', can't wait.

Tuyen Pham writes...

that thing looks like a joke. i would not use it.

if they could find 'must have' uses for it with AAA action games it may become a nice addition. i don't know what would make it must have though, maybe leaning in an FPS, or a snowboarding game or Virtual Tight Rope Extreme!

maverick writes...

maybe leaning in an FPS, or a snowboarding game or Virtual Tight Rope Extreme!

heheh, yea that could be cool... but i am really not looking forward to this... just seems a bit lame to me

mick1681 writes...

I'd like to see the implementation of the balance board into other games as well.

Wii Snowboarding anyone?

SiCKa writes...

we're getting to the stage where the next step is virtual worlds .. :) with hardware like this ..

The pressure pad is nothing compared to this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQw1tsgrJOs&NR=1

davidw89 writes...

Does anyone know when DDR is gonna come out on Wii? (iam assuming it comes with the dance mat)

not sure, i wonder if they will retool the game now to make it compatible with the balance board. hopefully Nintendo provides all the support they require

davidw89 writes...

Does anyone know when DDR is gonna come out on Wii? (iam assuming it comes with the dance mat)

I would prefer a drum game

davidw89 writes...

Does anyone know when DDR is gonna come out on Wii? (iam assuming it comes with the dance mat)

Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party is scheduled for a US 25th September release. It says it'll use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk in addition to the normal dance pad (which will utilise the GameCube Controller connectors).

No news on an Australian release.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Da...n:_Hottest_Party

Nacho the Libre writes...

Wii Snowboarding anyone?

No, No......1080 Snowboarding on Wii with the balance board. Damn I used to love that game on N64. Tony Hawk anyone?

jimjim writes...

I would think the chances of a large portion (pun intended) of people 100-136kg being 'fit' is highly unlikely.

As one who is in that weight category I can confirm my lack of said fitness.

Seriously, 136 kg is pretty big. I'm surprised the Wii fit will hold that much, I thought it'd be max 100kg just like all those cheap camping chairs. For the record, I've broken 3.

Makaveli2006 writes...

What exactly is the point?

Never try to understand a Japanese game maker seek only to avoid him when he finally snaps and looses all touch with the real world.

jimjim writes...

Wii Fit has just been confirmed for a NA release on May 19th.

Euro/Aus still un-announced though.

Just confirmed, Europe will have it on the 25th of April.

KINGLOUSE writes...

25th of April.

Oh hell yeah!

jimjim writes...

the balance board for the PAL release is now equipped to hold up to 150kgs.

lol, tubbies.

I'm still dubious about this game, after all I'd hate for my loungeroom to be filled with even more useless peripherals. Also I think I'll wait for a while after release just incase theres some hardcore bugs in the design/software of the board.

The Fat Controller writes...

a very simple sensor with only two sensing locations

As said above, it is a complex sensor which can indicate where you are applying pressure and recognise the slightest of changes in your stance.

it seems like all you do is step/jump on a board

There are various activities, some of which are more traditional exercise method e.g. the yoga and more game-like ones e.g. the soccer goalie or ski jump. The intention is to monitor and improve your fitness and from gaming website previews, it seems to indeed do this.

Unless the board is sensitve enough and can be used for things like skate/snow/wake -boarding etc?

The board is said to be used in at least 10 upcoming games from publishers, the next of which is "We Ski"

rm -rp ./Matt* writes...

The whole board is covered in sensors i believe, as in it can tell what part of your feet is on the board and how much pressure is applied

Ah ok...

jimjim writes...

The board is said to be used in at least 10 upcoming games from publishers, the next of which is "We Ski"

Cool, makes good sense now.

Thanks for that.

There are various activities, some of which are more traditional exercise method e.g. the yoga and more game-like ones e.g. the soccer goalie or ski jump. The intention is to monitor and improve your fitness and from gaming website previews, it seems to indeed do this.

Sounds like WiiFit itself is pretty basic. I'm getting the picture its similar to WiiSports -- a basic showcase of what the product can do... and the follow up "full" games will really get involved and show it off?

dullard writes...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns

haha thats gold!!!

red ring o' death writes...

this will make nintendo even more popular among familys. mums will want this for their kids definatly. especially with the weight issue atm.


And its coming out around Mother's Day.

Do you think the wife will be upset if I make WiiFit her mother's day present?

VikingBrad writes...

Do you think the wife will be upset if I make WiiFit her mother's day present?

Depends. How likely is she to respond with do you think im fat? At that point, you're screwed no matter what your answer is.

VikingBrad writes...

Main way I see it is as a fun set of scales. It still encourages you to do other exercise but tracks changes in your BMI over time.

That seems like a good way to look at it. I'm still very skeptical over how much appeal it might hold for me (and certainly skeptical over how good the peripheral will be for other games), but kudos to Nintendo for thinking outside of the box again.

jimjim writes...

25 hours 31 minutes
Total weight change: -3.5 kg (-7.7 lbs)"

That means roughly 26,500kcal were burnt in 25 hours by standing on and off a board

Im-freaking-possible.

kronz writes...

standing on and off a board

Are you neglecting activities, such as the push-ups and jogging...?

I in no way would consider Wii Fit the solution to weight-loss, but it certainly does promote good health and as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing, particularly if it translates from the game into people's everyday lives.

Yjs writes...

EDIT: I believe JB are doing preorders for $134, which is well below RRP! Great deal.

Anyone know if any shops are doing trade-in pre-orders like EB with Mario Kart?

I will probably pre-order from JB if no deals come out in the mean time.

jimjim writes...

I used a voucher and managed to get it for $85 from Dstore.

How did you get it that cheap? What voucher did you use?

Johnny Rad writes...

Are JB still doing $134 for pre-orders?

Yes.

but god knows how long the wait will be if I don't pre-order

It'll be similar to the GHIII situation.

jimjim writes...

It'll be similar to the GHIII situation.

Yep, that's exactly what I'm worried about. Bugger it, I guess I may as well pre-order. I'm sure it won't be difficult to flog it off on ebay if it's not for me.

Pete182 writes...

i'll see if i can give the wii fit a test drive

Cool! Could you also let us know whether the additional 3rd party accessories for Wii Fit are worth getting? (value wise and practicality). I'm interested in knowing whether things like the Wii Mat (the nice Green mat that Hori makes), anti slip coating and/or silicon Wii fit cover, are worth getting - as i've seen pictures of them selling where Wii Fit is sold.

GreenBlob writes...

for Wii Fit are worth getting? (value wise and practicality). I'm interested in knowing whether things like the Wii Mat (the nice Green mat that Hori makes), anti slip coating and/or silicon Wii fit cover, are worth getting

I hear the green mat is actually quite good for it.

Johnny Rad writes...

Are JB still doing $134 for pre-orders?

My JB (Civic, ACT) have put the RRP on my receipt.

They did my pre-order like a lay-by. Is that correct? I hope I don't miss out and get it on launch....

Joker12 writes...

Do you guys think that there will be so much demand that pre-orders are actually necessary?

I'm guessing yes, but I could be wrong. It probably won't be too hard to pick it up on release withtout a pre-order, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a major shortage and a major wait to get a copy if you miss out on the first batch.

Johnny Rad writes...

but I wouldn't be surprised if there's a major shortage and a major wait to get a copy if you miss out on the first batch.

I agree. It is a distinct possibility. Perhaps I will do a pre-order at my local EB if it is cheap enough.

Joker12 writes...

I've seen a lot of people pre-order games such as GT5P etc and now lots are pre ordering the new GTA.

In recent times, I've never really seen a shortage of games. However the wii system I have seen in shortage but that was the console itself and that was during last xmas.

Like I said above, yes it will be an issue. The difference is in the manufacturing, games like Guitar Hero and Wii Fit (and hardware also) that require a bundled peripheral take longer to manufacture than a disc in a case, thus why you very rarely see standard disc games sold out.

jimjim writes...

that require a bundled peripheral take longer to manufacture than a disc in a case, thus why you very rarely see standard disc games sold out.

Yeah good point. I'll make sure that I pre-order. Thanks.

The_Shadow writes...

Where can i buy just the mat?

Its called the Wii Balance Board and its not sold separately. Although Japan/US hardware models may work with AU Wiis but you'd need the PAL/Freeloader to get WiiFit software to work

Interestly the US WiiFit bundle is US$99 compared to our AU$149 which isn't double the price some things have been lately.

VikingBrad writes...

Its called the Wii Balance Board and its not sold separately. Although Japan/US hardware models may work with AU Wiis but you'd need the PAL/Freeloader to get WiiFit software to work

Interestly the US WiiFit bundle is US$99 compared to our AU$149 which isn't double the price some things have been lately.

He might be referring to the mat that goes underneath the balance board. I'm not sure if it's being sold here on launch or not.

Corvus writes...

Basically, I'm interested because I regularly go for runs at night. Now that it's getting to the colder months i'm wondering if Wii Fit would offer comparable excersize.

I doubt that it would give you anywhere near as good a workout as a run would.

VikingBrad writes...

Its called the Wii Balance Board

But there is a Wii Fit mat...

www.play-asia.com/paOS-1...Fit-70-2jb8.html

Corvus writes...

Can someone tell me if this thing will actually be a serious contender to the common treadmill?

Not likely, but it's good for keeping track of your progress.

jimjim writes...

Not likely, but it's good for keeping track of your progress.

So basically the accuracy of labelling this thing a fitness device is about as misleading as candy that reads '99% fat free'?

Corvus writes...

So basically the accuracy of labelling this thing a fitness device

Not once has Nintendo ever labelled Wii Fit as a fitness device. Only other people have said that.

Wii Sports != sports
WiiFit != fitness device

both=fun and require small - large amounts of exercise, which in turn burns energy; which may help you get fit, lose weight; when taking into account a balanced diet and other factors.

Corvus writes...

So basically the accuracy of labelling this thing a fitness device is about as misleading as candy that reads '99% fat free'?

No, my point was that it's not as beneficial as say traditional exercise like a treadmill, but it is still beneficial. IGN etc. said it does give you quite a workout.

?©L?IM?U? writes...

1) What's the release date?
2) What's the cheapest preorder? (JB HiFi is looking pretty good from here)
3) Are you excited?

a) The release date is 8th May 2008.

b) Cheapest pre-order is D-Store (Page 5)
/forum-replies.cfm?t=780474&p=5#r95

c) Not particularly excited, more intrigued.

suedenyhm writes...

but I do have hopes that we can use the games to help my son improve his balance.

woah, that is not cool. I'd definitely keep track of how it goes via a diary or something and if it's a success let some gp's/media know. Could be really helpful to people.