GamesRadar - Wii Fit

Active Video Games Count as Exercise (News)

Nov 18, 2009

The amount of energy adults expend playing active video games may equal that of moderate-intensity exercise, according to a new study.

Japanese researchers measured the metabolic equivalent values (a standard method of estimating energy expenditure) of 12 people ages 25 to 44 as they played Wii sports games and did Wii fitness programs. The study was funded by Nintendo, which makes Wii.

The study found that nine Wii activities had less than two metabolic equivalent values (METs); 23 activities had two to three METs; nine activities had three to four METs; and five activities had more than four METs. The least intense activity was lotus focus (1.3 METs), and the most intense was the single-arm stand (5.6 METs).

Mature games remade for the Wii family (Feature)

Nov 12, 2009

The Wii is the home of clueless casual gamers, housewives and grannies: fact. Ok, so that’s not entirely true, but there’s no doubt the aforementioned groups have helped propel the little white box into the sales stratosphere. But while they’re undoubtedly the backbone of Nintendo’s current business model, there’s only so long they can last on Wii Sports and Wii Fit. That’s why we’ve taken some of ...

Britain's Best Nintendo Gamer Wins a Trip to Nintendo Japan (News)

Nov 5, 2009

After battling it out against hundreds of hopefuls from across the country, today 19 year old Josh Stevens from Berkshire is crowned Britain's Best Nintendo Gamer. The final of the first ever Nintendo tournament saw the Berkshire teenager outstrip the competition to take home the prestigious title of Britain's Best Nintendo Gamer, together with a trip for five to the home of Nintendo in Japan, worth £10,000.

Miyamoto explains his crazy use for Wii Fit (News)

Oct 15, 2009

Nintendo Dpad:
"Miyamoto is known for being one of the biggest video game developers of all time. He has created characters such as Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong, yet it seems he is more odd than we really think."

Wii Fit Muscles Past Grand Theft Auto (News)

Oct 13, 2009

Wii Play America's Best-Selling Title Of The Decade...

Move over Halo and Grand Theft Auto because there may just be a new sales leader in town. It doesn't star a heroic, gun-wielding soldier and it doesn't allow you to run over prostitutes with your virtual car. In fact, by the average definition, it doesn't even qualify as a videogame. But according to data from the NPD Group, which monitors monthly and yearly North American software sales, Nintendo's exercise program, Wii Fit, is on the verge of becoming the second-best-selling 'videogame' in a decade.

Nintendo Searches for Britain's Best Gamer (News)

Sep 25, 2009

Get your Wii Remotes and Nintendo DS stylus' ready and join Britain's Best Nintendo Gamer tournament where, to celebrate the launch of New Super Mario Bros Wii, Nintendo is challenging the nation to fight it out for the prestigious title and the chance to win a trip for five to the home of Nintendo in Japan, worth £10,000.

Ant and Dec Signed for Nintendo TV Campaign (News)

Sep 17, 2009

Ant and Dec today announce a new relationship with Nintendo UK, in what is set to be Nintendo's biggest ever entertainment campaign. Nintendo's ongoing partnership with Ant and Dec will include everything from TV advertising to game development.

12 hot facts about the Golden Joystick Awards (Feature)

Sep 14, 2009

This year marks the 27th Golden Joystick Awards which will be held in London, England on 30 October 2009. For the maths-challenged that means the first GJAs was held way back in 1983.

...

Wii Fit for £50 at Morrisons (News)

Sep 8, 2009

Morrisons has slashed the price of Wii Fit to under £50 in the latest round of supermarket price-cutting.

The activity follows aggressive promotions on hardware at Asda and Sainsbury's last week, when both supermarkets dropped the cost of Wii consoles to under £150.

Morrisons has also cut the cost of Mario Kart Wii to £19.99.

Wii Fit drops to 50GBP in Morrisons (News)

Sep 7, 2009

ConnectedConsoles: Wii FIt is one of the biggest selling titles of the year. Even with the price tag it has. A normal deal for Wii Fit is around £100. Not in Morrisons. The UK Supermarket has slashed it's prices of the highly rated Wii game that comes bundled with the Wii's famous 'Balance Board' to just £49.99. Due to this price cut, Wii Fit has gone straight to the top of Morrisons Wii Selling Chart. You can order your bundle here. Morrisons are also selling off one of the Wii's biggest sellers of the year, Mario Kart Wii for just £19.99. However, both deals only last till Sunday.

Get Wii Fit Plus For $20 on October 4th (News)

Sep 1, 2009

Gamervision reports: "It's a Nintendo-themed night here at GV. Courtesy of our spies deep within the higher ranks of the Gamestop hierarchy comes word that Wii Fit Plus will be shipping on October 4th. Not only that, but the stand-alone game will retail for $19.99, and the game with balance board will cost $99.99. Not sure what makes them think this year's version of the game is worth $10 more than the original, but I bet it has something to do with the fact that they could charge a hozillion dollars, and people would still buy it."

Broadmoor Patients Get "Wii-Fit" (News)

Aug 14, 2009

BeefJack writes: "Patients at high security mental hospitals including Broadmoor and Rampton, are being given access to Wii-Fit to see if it can help improve patients physical health. It has been confirmed that Wii-Fit is already in place at Rampton Hospital and 1 machine has been bought for a trial by Broadmoor, with plans to place them in all communal areas if the trial is successful."

Nintendo Achieves Four Million-Sellers In Fiscal Q3 (News)

Aug 3, 2009

Gamasutra writes:

"Four Nintendo-published titles achieved more than a million units of worldwide sales in its latest fiscal quarter alone, according to the company's third quarter briefing."

Nintendo Owns All Format Top Ten in Australia (News)

Jul 31, 2009

Koku Gamer writes: 'The Wii and the DS are outright winners in Australia this week as they cover the whole of the Australian All Format Full Priced Games for the week ending 26th July.'

Wii rules Australia; 360 lagging (News)

Jul 25, 2009

Koku Gamer writes: 'It was another one-two-three for the Wii in Australia this week as Wii Fit, Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii topped the all-format chart, with Wii Sports Resort yet to come...'

Impressive South African Nintendo sales data revealed (News)

Jul 13, 2009

El33tonline writes:

"During Core Gaming Systems' Wii Sports Resort launch event last week, a presentation by Matthew Grose, General Manager of the group, revealed just how successful sales of Nintendo's consoles and software in South Africa have been since Core Gaming began handling the distribution of Nintendo's products in the country, and launched the Nintendo Wii in October of 2007."

Nintendo challenges South African families to get (inter)active (News)

Jul 10, 2009

El33tonline writes:

"Nintendo of South Africa is challenging local families to compete in a series of game events at Pick 'n Pay Hypermarkets throughout the country, for a chance to win one of two big prizes, namely a family trip for four to Euro Disney, or R100 000 cash."

Sales Figures January-June 2009: UK Loves Nintendo (News)

Jul 6, 2009

The figures, compiled by GfK Chart-Track, show family-oriented and educational games have become the most popular with the UK public. With combined sales volumes of 1.65 million units, Nintendo's Wii Fit, Wii Play and Mario Kart Wii titles equate to 72% of the top five 'best sellers' chart. The period also saw total sales of Nintendo's Dr. Kawashima's Brain Training surpass the three million units mark to become the UK's most popular game ever.

Could Fitness Gaming BeThe Future? (News)

Jul 5, 2009

Instead of incorporating games into exercise, how about incorporating exercise into games?

Active Health won't sync with Wii Fit (News)

Jul 1, 2009

A release issued back in May unveiling 'Countdown To A Healty Body - Active Health With Carol Vorderman' stated that Active Health could sync with Wii Fit. Nintendo's let us know that it won't, it was a mistake.

The original release explained that the DS title will link up with Wii Fit. Turns out, it won't.

Wii Fit Sales Top 20m Worldwide, Revenue Nearing $2 billion (News)

Jun 17, 2009

Wii Fit continues to sell strongly a year after its release in western markets. As a result, the game has topped 20 million units in sell-through worldwide. Only 9 other titles have sold over 20m.

Nintendo's worst-case scenario for E3 2009 (Feature)

May 26, 2009

Don’t get us wrong – we’re big time Nintendo fans. But you have to admit, the past year has been rather trying for longtime followers. Last year’s “surprise” reveal of Wii Music at E3 just about made our heads explode, and the continued domination of Wii Play and Wii Fit have us preemptively bracing for the worst possible outcome at next week’s massive trade show in Los Angeles (which we’ll be updating from every six seconds). ...

More accurate names for your favourite games (Feature)

May 21, 2009

What's in a name? Well, when it comes to video games names, usually a lot of tiresome buzz words, clichéd phrases and way too much use of the letter x. We're tired of titles chosen by marketing men, which are more concerned with selling us an idea than telling us about the actual game. The following games are all guilty of these naming shames, so that's why we've given each a new moniker to more accurately sum up either what each one is about or the legacy each one has left. ...

School Uses WiiFit for Health Education (News)

May 21, 2009

Working with Active Plastics Inc, a home-based supplier of plastic products out of Caledonia, the school utilizes several mock WiiFit boards along with one actual Wii Balance Board, a Wii, and a projected video to get the entire class working together to move the character on screen. While only one student on the Balance Board does the actual wireless work, the other boards/mats are designed to create the semblance of a cooperative effort. The children are staying physical and loving it.

Guru Meditation game blends Amiga, Atari 2600 and Wii on the iPhone (News)

May 18, 2009

If you're an old Amiga gamer, the term 'guru meditation' will bring back memories good and bad. Good, because it reminds you of a wonderful age of gaming focused on the Commodore Amiga, and bad because seeing a guru meditation flash up on the screen meant your awesome Amiga had just crashed.

New iPhone game Guru Meditation revives an Amiga-made peripheral released in 1982 for the Atari 2600 called the Joyboard, which is essentially a more primitive version of the WiiFit. The game involves sitting cross legged on the Joyboard while remaining as motionless as possible. By keeping still, the yogi on screen begins to float - move, and his concentration is broken and he floats back to Earth.

The iPhone version works in the same way; requiring you to sit in motionless meditation to allow the yogi to rise to video game enlightenment.

The UK Games Charts: Another Wii Fit Week (News)

May 11, 2009

SPOnG writes: Another week, another seven days at the top of the All Formats Games Chart for Wii Fit.

There's very little movement in the Top 10 this week, with the only new entry being Nintendo's Rhythm Paradise (reviewed here).

Top 5 Best Selling Nintendo Wii Games in Japan (News)

Apr 24, 2009

The five best-selling Nintendo Wii games in Japan so far, according to Famitsu.

Website editor attempts to lose fat using video games only (News)

Apr 22, 2009

The editor of gaming blog Rewiredmind.com is going to try and lose 67 lBs by October to raise money for charity. The catch, is he's only allowed to use video games.

Wii Accessory 'jOG' On Sale In UK Today (News)

Apr 22, 2009

The motion-sensing video game peripheral 'jOG', compatible with the Nintendo Wii, has gone on sale in the UK today.

Chart Track UK Software Sales for week ending 5/04: Wii Fit tops again (News)

Apr 6, 2009

The past six weeks have seen a variety of titles taking the top spot on the All Formats UK's software chart: Street Fighter IV, Killzone 2, Empire: Total War and Resident Evil 5 for the past three weeks. However, the latest Chart Track figures show that Nintendo's Wii Fit has climbed back to the number 1 spot with just a 1% increase in sales. Wii Fit equals Nintendo's own longest serving All Formats number 1 record from 2000 when Pokemon Yellow held the top spot for 10 weeks.

Resident Evil 5 drops to number 2 with a 38% decrease in sales while FIFA 09 moves up three places to number 3 (3% sales increase) and Wheelman climbs seven places to number 4 (41% sales increase) over the games' debut weekend.

The full Top Ten All Formats UK Software Chart follows below:

- Wii Fit (Nintendo)
- Resident Evil 5 (Capcom)
- FIFA 09 (EA)
- Wheelman (Midway/Ubisoft)
- Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard)
- Street Fighter IV (Capcom)
- Professor Layton and the Curious Village (Nintendo)
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision Blizzard)
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Sega)
- Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Rockstar)

Wii Fit for the tech savvy adult (News)

Mar 31, 2009

Examiner:

"Let's face it: your average adult is not working out with the Nintendo Wii. That doesn't mean they couldn't benefit from a more enjoyable exercise experience, but more that they don't take Wii Fit seriously as a legitimate exercise program.

Enter the ProForm 850 with GameFit Technology. What the eff does "GameFit Technology" mean? Well, it means that this elliptical has some sweet games built in that you can play while working out. When I say sweet, of course, I mean totally lame."

Healthy 25-year-old man dies while playing Wii Fit (News)

Mar 30, 2009

A fit and healthy 25-year-old man, collapsed and died in front of his horrified girlfriend and best friend while playing Wii Fit.

Tim Eves was 'jogging' on Wii Fit when he slumped to the floor. Paramedics dashed to the house, and rushed Tim, who had been fit and well, to hospital but it was too late.

A post-mortem has been held, but the cause of death is yet to be determined. The family were told he could have been killed by Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.

Wii Balance Board has almost outsold PS3, says Nintendo (News)

Mar 26, 2009

MCV Writes: GDC 09: Global sales of Wii Fit and peripheral just a few million behind Sony console

Nintendo this morning told attendees to its GDC keynote that the Wii Balance Board has almost outsold the PS3 globally.

Iwata referred to the device as almost a platform in its own right, pointing out that developers now have more options for games development and hardware to target.

"Some developers are already taking advantage of this opportunity," before a Nintendo rep demoed new Wii Ware game Rock 'n' Roll Climber.

MCV Industry Excellence Awards 2009 Finalists Announced (News)

Feb 26, 2009

Taking place on Thursday April 23rd at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London, this year's MCV Industry Excellence Awards will be the most hotly-contested ever, with 17 accolades up for grabs, across a diverse range of categories covering the entire industry.

Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Sega and Activision will battle it out for the Games Publisher Award, whilst individual titles Guitar Hero World Tour, GTA IV, FIFA 09, Fallout 3, Wii Fit and Call of Duty: World At War compete for Game Campaign.

Nintendo Adverts Rated as Best Performers (News)

Feb 20, 2009

The Phoenix AdPi Audit combines brand performance, advertising performance, and copy testing. This latest one measured consumers' reactions to 30 ads that were in-market from October through December 2008. The ads were from top video game publishers such as Activision, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, MTV Games, Nintendo, Sony and Ubisoft.

Padres Pitcher: Wii Fit Helped Me Lose Weight (News)

Feb 17, 2009

Padres Pitcher: Wii Fit Helped Me Lose Weight San Diego Padres pitcher Heath Bell lost 25 pounds in the off-season and who does he credit for his fitness break-through? Well, himself, obviously, but also Wii Fit.

Japanese charts: Tales Of The World holds off Demon's Souls (News)

Feb 12, 2009

David Jenkins on Gamasutra writes:

"This week's slew of new releases in Japan has been unable to energize the charts in the same way as last week. Namco Bandai's Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 on PSP holds onto the number one spot -- although with only 45,000 units sold, as the overall market slumps back to previous mid-January levels.

The highest new entry of the week, at number two, was Sony's Demon's Souls for the PlayStation 3. Developed by From Software, the game is a spiritual sequel to the company's King's Field role-playing game series. It debuted with 40,000 units sold."

Wii Fit tops UK Chart Again (News)

Feb 9, 2009

Wii Fit has claimed the top spot in the the UK software sales chart for a fourth consecutive week, according to data provided by GfK Chart-Track.

Although the balance board title saw sales decline by 2 per cent for the week ended February 7, continuing the drop off after the hugely busy Christmas period, it was the smallest decline in entire top ten.

Saling the world: Halo 3, Call of Duty top U.S. Xbox 360 sales (News)

Feb 6, 2009

Danny Cowan from Gamasutra writes:

"Gamasutra's weekly column, "Saling The World", covers the top five sellers for every available platform in the United States, Japan, and Europe, providing an important update of sales patterns worldwide.

This week's charts, with data taken from February 5th, 2009, find Halo 3 and Call of Duty: World at War at the top of North America's Xbox 360 software sales charts, while Star Ocean: Second Evolution and Mario Kart DS drive sales on portables.

Data for "Saling The World" comes courtesy of the public sales information on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.co.jp, with sales split out for each platform and territory, and pre-orders disregarded. This results in a true sense of what games are selling worldwide on the real-time updated service, as follows..."

Media Create Sales: 01/19 - 01/25 Software (News)

Jan 29, 2009

01. [WII] Wii Play: Mario Tennis (Nintendo) 31,000 / 88,000
02. [WII] Fragile (Namco Bandai) 26,000 / NEW
03. [WII] Taiko no Tatsujin Wii (Namco Bandai) 25,000 / 316,000
04. [PSP] Zill'O (KOEI) 25,000 / NEW
05. [PSP] Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP the Best) (Capcom) 25,000 / 357,000
06. [NDS] Rhythm Tengoku Gold (Nintendo) 20,000 / 1,614,000
07. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) 19,000 / 3,196,000
08. [PSP] Dissidia Final Fantasy (Square Enix) 18,000 / 866,000
09. [NDS] Devil Survivor (Atlus) 18,000 / NEW
10. [NDS] Wagamama Fashion: Girl's Mode (Nintendo) 17,000 / 684,000

Nintendo Unveils Wii Fit Body Check Channel (News)

Jan 27, 2009

Nintendo announced today the development of Wii Fit Body Check Channel, a new Wii Channel program that will shortly be used by NEC, Panasonic and Hitachi for various health products and services. The channel serves two purposes. In addition to providing a simple interface for users to receive health instruction, it also connects to the internet to send Wii Fit player data to health professionals.

Netherlands Games Software Chart - Week ending 24/01/2009 (News)

Jan 26, 2009

The software chart for week ending 24th January 2009.

The chart for all platforms combined is below.

1 WII FIT (Wii) NINTENDO
2 MARIO KART (Wii) NINTENDO
3 MARIO & SONIC AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES (Wii) SEGA
4 LORD OF THE RINGS/CONQUEST (X-BOX 360) ELECTRONIC ARTS
5 SPORTS ISLAND (Wii) KONAMI
6 LORD OF THE RINGS/CONQUEST (PS3) ELECTRONIC ARTS
7 CALL OF DUTY/WORLD AT WAR (PS3) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
8 MARIO PARTY 8 (Wii) NINTENDO
9 CALL OF DUTY/WORLD AT WAR (X-BOX 360) ACTIVISION BLIZZARD
10 BRAIN TRAINING (DS) NINTENDO

For specific platform (i.e. PS3, Wii, Xbox 360) charts please follow this link.

http://www.dutchcharts.nl/game_charts.asp

Computer game (Wii Fit) helps girl walk again (News)

Jan 21, 2009

Herald writes: "A YOUNG Wexford girl has learned to walk again thanks to her doctors -- and a computer game.

Nicole Cahill (10) from Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, took her first steps in four years years at a New York hospital late last year.

Since returning home on December 14, Nicole has stunned family and friends with her progress and is now expected to walk unaided by the end of the year."

Nintendo: Wii Fit's been stocked weekly since launch (News)

Jan 20, 2009

Nintendo's admitted being "pleased" at seeing Wii Fit get back to the top of the UK charts this week, and has claimed stock for the global smash has been constant since release.

December 2008 NPD: Top 20 Software Rankings (News)

Jan 17, 2009

Top 20 Games of December 2008:
01. [WII] Wii Play (Nintendo) - 1460k
02. [360] Call of Duty: World at War* (Activision Blizzard) - 1330k
03. [WII] Wii Fit (Nintendo) - 999k
04. [WII] Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo) - 878k
05. [WII] Guitar Hero World Tour* (Activision Blizzard) - 859k
06. [360] Gears of War 2* (Microsoft) - 745k
07. [360] Left 4 Dead (Electronic Arts) - 629k
08. [NDS] Mario Kart DS (Nintendo) - 540k
09. [PS3] Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard) - 533k
10. [WII] Animal Crossing: City Folk* (Nintendo) - 497k
11. [WII] Wii Music (Nintendo) - ~480k
12. [NDS] New Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo)
13. [NDS] Personal Trainer: Cooking (Nintendo)
14. [360] Fallout 3* (Bethesda Softworks)
15. [NDS] Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force (Disney Interactive Studios)
16. [WII] Link's Crossbow Training (Nintendo)
17. [PS2] Guitar Hero World Tour* (Activision Blizzard)
18. [360] Madden NFL 09* (Electronic Arts)
19. [WII] Call of Duty: World at War (Activision Blizzard)
20. [WII] Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip (Ubisoft)

Wii Fit could be out of stock this month (News)

Jan 13, 2009

Nintendo is expecting the nation's post-Christmas health push to drive sales of Wii Fit in January – but has told MCV that there may be stock shortages during the month.

The title, which comes with the Wii Balance Board, secured the No. 10 spot in the ChartTrack/ELSPA Christmas top ten chart last month, but slipped to No. 20 in this week's All Formats list. It currently sits at No. 3 in the dedicated UK Wii chart.

Wii Fit and Arduino bring wooden Labyrinth game to robotic life (News)

Jan 13, 2009

Engadget writes: "Ah, yes. Nothing like some robotics to shake all that pesky quaintness out of a well-loved, time-tested game. In this case, some folks from the Cowtown Computer Congress used a couple of servos and the ever so useful Arduino to connect a wooden Labyrinth game to a Wii Fit, which appears to up the difficulty of the game while still requiring as little exertion as possible. At just $60 total (not including the Wii Fit), the project is also relatively inexpensive, and it seems that it's a fairly simple process to swap out the Wii Fit for the controller of your choice."

Give Blood, Win a Wii? (News)

Jan 12, 2009

Blood Assurance, a non-profit, full-service blood center, is trying to tempt potential donors by offering them a chance at taking home a Nintendo Wii with Wii Fit.

Wii Fit reaches 3 millions in Japan (News)

Jan 8, 2009

LiveWii : "Shigeru Miyamoto must surely enjoy his gaming vision. Why? His triptych on the Wii gets at the beginning of this year in unexpected Wii Fit, which now totalizes more than three millions units sold, 3,039,233 to be precise.

And at a time when serious studies tend to demonstrate the effectiveness of such a product, the home bodytrainer joins Wii Sports, another game out of the iconoclastic imagination Miyamoto, a man who has been nominated in a ranking of the most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.

Nevertheless, just admit that it is unusual to see that kind of 'game' dedicated to taking care of his body and especially to lose weight is now in the heavyweight category."

GamesRadar's predictions for gaming in 2009 (Feature)

Jan 8, 2009

Guaranteed 100% accurate unless wrong. ...

Otronicon - Orlando Video Game Tournament in Orlando Jan. 16th - 20th (News)

Jan 7, 2009

The Orlando Science Center is hosting the fourth annual Otronicon event January 16-20, 2009, featuring video games, simulators, art displays, workshops, film festivals, weddings and more.

What: Video Game Competition & Tournaments | Otronicon
When: January 16th to 20th
Where: Orlando Science Center
Website: http://www.otronicon.org

There is more info on the website: http://www.otronicon.org

Gamestop Courts the Female Demographic (News)

Jan 5, 2009

With the Wii ushering in a new era of gaming for people who aren't adolescent and college kids, gamers may be surprised to see a sudden increase of real girls at their local Gamestop. The retailer is teaming up with feminine magazines for its "Sharpen the Mind, Shape the Body" promotion.

Scientists to Determine if Wii Fit Actually Works (News)

Jan 4, 2009

Games Are Evil writes, "This holiday season Wii Fit has been selling like hotcakes. It has been impossible to find them anywhere, as every housewife on the planet longs for the chance to have Mario call them a fat ass. Ironically, though the game is named Wii Fit, there has been little or no scientific evidence to support the Fit portion of the product's name..."

Victoria Beckham gets Wii, plays Wii Fit (News)

Jan 1, 2009

Apparently Victoria Beckham got a Wii from her husband, David Beckham, for Christmas. She sheds pounds with Wii Fit and Boogie Superstar.

God help us all.

Wii Fit Moves Out Of Electronics, Into Women's Clothing Department (News)

Dec 30, 2008

Attention, Wal-Mart shoppers: the mega retailer is currently doing massive reductions on women's self-esteem, moving the Wii Fit advertising kiosks from the electronics department to women's clothing. A diabolical tactic!

Saling The World: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii Top Holiday Demand (News)

Dec 19, 2008

Gamasutra's weekly column, "Saling The World", covers the top five sellers for every available platform in the United States, Japan, and Europe, providing an important update of sales patterns worldwide.

This week's charts, with data taken from December 18th, 2008, find Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit leading multiplatform sales in North America as suppliers struggle to keep up with holiday demand.

Nintendo Wii
North America: 1. Mario Kart Wii (Nintendo), 2. Wii Fit (Nintendo), 3. Wii Music (Nintendo), 4. Active Life Outdoor Challenge (Namco Bandai), 5. Shaun White Snowboarding: Road Trip (Ubisoft).

Xbox 360
North America: 1. Call of Duty: World at War (Activision), 2. Gears of War 2 (Microsoft), 3. Prince of Persia (Ubisoft), 4. Fallout 3 (Bethesda), 5. Left 4 Dead (EA Games).

PlayStation 3
North America: 1. MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (SCEA), 2. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway (Ubisoft), 3. Prince of Persia (Ubisoft), 4. LittleBigPlanet (SCEA), 5. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 (Ubisoft).

Christmas No.1 Contenders Announced (News)

Dec 12, 2008

ELSPA (Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association) today announced the list of videogames vying for the number one spot this Christmas. And leading bookmaker Ladbrokes makes Call of Duty: World at War its 1/3 favourite for the festive accolade...

Videogame Retail Thrives Despite Recession (News)

Dec 12, 2008

Despite a widely-reported slowdown in consumer spending on the High Street, the majority of specialist games retailers are enjoying a more lucrative Christmas than they did last year. This is according to the findings of a new nationwide study – the MCV Retail Survey 2008 – which shows that 58 per cent of UK retailers believe their Christmas takings are up on 2007...

Games Recognized As Media Art Advancements In Japan (News)

Dec 11, 2008

Siliconera: "Without getting into the "games are art" debate too much, each year Japan's Media Arts Festival acknowledges video games that are pioneers in "media arts". Winners of the award are considered to have created something that unifies advances in technology and media. Before we get to the big winner in the video game category let's look at what the jury recommended as excellent in 2008."

Wii Fit, iPhone Among Japan's Top Impulse Buys (News)

Dec 6, 2008

Nintendo's Wii Fit game and Apple's iPhone 3G are among the top 20 products Japanese consumers confessed to buying on impulse in 2008.

Biggest Sellers This Year Were Sequels (News)

Dec 1, 2008

It's not really surprising that game sequels sell better than new intellectual properties. Didn't expect it to be this lopsided, though: seven of the eight best-selling games in the past twelve months have been sequels.

Australian Software Sales Charts Week Ending November 23rd (News)

Nov 28, 2008

dailygamesnews.com - Australia's big enough to warrant its own multiformat charts so here you go. Massively different to the US and UK sales charts with a PS2 game taking the top spot. Mental.

Mario Kart and Wii Fit Hit Over 1M in UK (News)

Nov 27, 2008

Edge writes: "Nintendo's Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit have each sold over one million units in the UK, according to ELSPA, putting both titles in the company of a select group of games which have achieved the milestone.

Mario Kart Wii and Wii Fit join a handful of other UK 'diamond-sellers' such as Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, Brain Training, The Simpsons Hit and Run, as well as Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Nintendo has now published four Wii games (and three DS games) which have sold over a million units alone."

Wii Fastest Selling Console In Australian History (News)

Nov 25, 2008

Independent market research organization GfK Australia has confirmed that the Wii has reached the milestone of 750,000 units sell through in 102 weeks, making Wii the fastest selling console to hit that mark in Australian history.

Target Contradicts Reggie, GameStop CEO, Promises Wii This Holiday (News)

Nov 22, 2008

Contradicting earlier reports from Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime and GameStop CEO Dan DeMatteo about an expected Holiday Wii shortage, Target says starting this Sunday they will have plenty of Wii and Wii Fit balance boards in stock--with no intentions of running out.

Nintendo Christmas Tour (News)

Nov 8, 2008

Be puzzled by mind bending brain teasers as you aim to uncover the mystery of Professor Layton and the Curious Village at all NintendoDS locations, see live demonstrations of the highly anticipated Wii Music and take a trip to the city in the all new Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City , both at selected Wii locations...

DS outsells GBA, Wii outsells N64 (News)

Nov 2, 2008

The GBA, the popular successor to the GBC, sold 81million units in its lifetime. Nintendo released sales figures which revealed record sales, and that the Nintendo Ds has finally outsold the GBA in terms of total units sold...

The best-selling videogames on Spain last September (News)

Oct 22, 2008

Top Ten:

1 Wii Fit + Wii Balance Board (Wii)
2 Wii Play + WiiRemote (Wii)
3 Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (PlayStation 3)
4 Mario Kart + Wii Wheel (Wii)
5 The Sims 2: Roommates (PC)
6 Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning (PC)
7 Coock with me!: What we made today? (Nintendo DS)
8 Spore (PC)
9 Mercenaries 2: World in Flames (PlayStation 3)
10 Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii)

Press the link for the list on each platform.

An Interview With Tony Hart, Founder Of WiiCompare.com (News)

Oct 21, 2008

dailygamesnews.com - We recently featured an article about a new site on the market that compared retail bundles in real time providing shoppers with the very best deal money could buy on Nintendo Wii. Seeing as Nintendo Wii's are an ideal platform for high street retailers to sting unsuspecting customers we thought it was a fantastic idea and wanted to know more. We got in touch with Tony Hart, founder of wiicompare.com and him asked a few questions...

Wii Fit Girl Pays Back Boyfriend (News)

Sep 21, 2008

The YouTube phenomenon that is Giovanny Gutierrez's "Why every guy should buy his girlfriend a Wii Fit" continues to move it's panty-clad hips, having been viewed more that 6.5 million times since being posted in late May.

The much-adored Wii Fit girl (aka Lauren Bernat) who appears in the video, claimed she was furious that her boyfriend surreptitiously taped and posted the workout, so Bernat recently brought Gutierrez on the "Tyra Banks Show" to get even.

Nintendo News: Nickelodeon Puts Wii Fit Family Challenge Finalists in Prime Time (News)

Sep 16, 2008

"With gold medal fever still fresh in American viewers' minds, Nintendo and Nickelodeon are giving fitness fans another heart-pumping event to cheer about. Olympic skating champion Kristi Yamaguchi will host the finals of the first-ever Wii Fit Family Challenge, a fun-packed competition in which three families will compete for the title of Wii Fit Fittest Family by proving their prowess at Nintendo's innovative Wii Fit. Highlights from the Challenge will air on Oct. 9 on Nick at Nite, interspersed between its prime time programming."

...

Wii Fit helps boost Toys R Us results (News)

Sep 11, 2008

GamesIndustry.Biz writes: "Nintendo's Wii Fit has helped boost profits for Toys R Us during the company's second quarter.

The retailer recorded a USD 13 million profit for the three months ended August 2, up from a loss of USD 42 million for the same period last year. Revenues for the period were up 6.3 per cent to USD 2.7 billion.

"The entertainment category was primarily affected by the successful launch of Nintendo Wii Fit, which drove strong demand for videogame software and related accessories," stated the retailer."

Nintendo to Release Wii Fit Music on CD, Skips Everything Good (News)

Sep 5, 2008

That's right. No soundtrack album for the orchestrated Zelda: Twilight Princess. No soundtrack for the quirky Super Paper Mario, or the amazing ambient score for Metroid Prime 3. Nintendo is giving all of us exactly what we want, which is music from Wii Fit and other non-game titles from Nintendo! Check out the translated track list for details on which games are covered.

Nintendo To Frustrated 'Wii Fit' Seekers: 'Regular Supply' Coming (News)

Aug 27, 2008

MTV's Stephen Totilo writes:

"The challenge of finding a Wii console, even more than 18 months since the system's launch has been well-chronicled. But who yet weeps for the consumer struggling to find a copy of "Wii Fit"?

Nintendo's exercise game appears to be in very short supply.

What could the folks at Nintendo tell me about this shortage, why it exists and when shoppers can expect to find it in stores again?"

Tired of list articles yet? (Feature)

Aug 19, 2008

GamesRadar is no stranger to the list article. Hell, we've posted at least one every week for nearly two years. They're fun to write, easy to read and get the job done in a fraction of the time it'd take you to barf all that information out in non-list form.

But some topics demand a more in-depth touch, and the idea-nauts at GR are more than capable of delivering wordy, researched material for those with enough time to digest it. ...

NYC Gym Explains $110 Wii Fit Program (News)

Aug 4, 2008

Ripten writes:

"So I just got done reading that a Manhattan NY gym by the name of Gravity Fitness instituted a Wii Fit program for $110 per hour. Curious to find out exactly what the program would entail, I decided to give them a ring."

School Funds Gaming Gear For Exercise Program (News)

Aug 4, 2008

The Consortium for Public Education in the US has bestowed a Great Idea Grants to local schools with the projects developed including a Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution setup.

The programme running in Brownsville Area High School is called "Wii: Get Up and Move," what they refer to as a "creative solution to the serious battle against obesity and to promote healthy physical activity."

Wii game used as research tool (News)

Jul 27, 2008

The Ohio AP reports: Sweat drips down Renee Mershon-Wollerman's face as she eyes a boxer across the ring.

She ducks left, punches. Her opponent, a Japanese amateur, throws an uppercut. Mershon-Wollerman counters. Jab. Right hook. Her opponent hits the canvas and doesn't get up.

Mershon-Wollerman goes to a neutral corner, but there are no high-fives, no celebration. Just a simple request from her trainer, Kristen Perusek: Pause the video game for a second and rate yourself on an exercise exertion scale.

Perusek and five other Cleveland State University students received a $6,000 grant from the school to conduct research this summer on how technology can help increase physical activity, especially among children. The students recently focused on how a Nintendo Wii boxing video game compares with a boxing bag workout.

Nintendo Wii Fit boards may be sold out by Christmas, shopkeepers fear (News)

Jul 20, 2008

Waiting lists for the toys are reportedly growing by up to 1,000 people every day. Websites which track new shipments of the gadgets are getting up to 30,000 visitors every 24 hours. The Wii Fit game, which includes the board, was launched in April and combines playing a computer game with mild exercise.

Nintendo stay-fit game worries health experts (News)

Jul 20, 2008

Experts warn that the game, which assesses players' fitness levels based on their body mass index, labels them underweight, ideal weight, overweight or obese. They say the game could cause eating disorders and self-esteem issues.

Wii Fit leaps to top of UK chart (News)

Jul 16, 2008

Wii Fit has used replenished stocks to leap to the top of the UK charts.

It beat off competition from LEGO Indiana Jones in two and Super Smash Bros. Brawl in three.

Top Spin 3 climbed slightly this week to take four, and finished just ahead of Battlefield: Bad Company at five.

Wii Fit flops in Japan. Gamers quit after buying (News)

Jul 5, 2008

One of the reasons health clubs stay in business is by signing up people to yearly contracts.
What they know and the general public doesn't know is that a great majority of people who do sign up only attend about 57 days out of the full year while some drop out completely, thus affording more space in the gym for more people to sign up and fail to show.

It seems that Wii Fit, at least in Japan, is taking on similar characteristics in consumer behavior. According to ITMeida of Japan, a poll was taken by a group of 1000 gamers that showed a staggering amount of people not using the Wii Fit game shortly after purchase.

Fittest UK cities buy most copies of Wii Fit (News)

Jul 2, 2008

Cities revealed to be the fittest cities in the UK by Men's Health magazine have bought more copies of Nintendo's Wii Fit than anywhere else, according to an online auction site.

Bristol, London and Southampton racked up the most purchases of the health-orientated game, according to auction site Telebid.

This has also driven sales of Nintendo Wii in these areas with Bristol buying the most Nintendo Wiis compared to other consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with 3 Wiis being won for every one rival console.

Some Wii Fit Incentives (and Insight) From Health & Fitness Experts (News)

Jul 2, 2008

Nintendo of Europe has released a series of videos, from a couple fitness and health experts, looking to give you an incentive to try out Wii Fit. The videos are from Dr. Klaus Pfeifer and Dr. Alfred Rütten from the Institute of Sports Science and Sport at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. They offer some tips and advice on why you should maintain good posture and exercise regularly, although they don't directly reference Wii Fit or the Wii Balance Board.

Nintendo launches Feel Great Britain With Wii Fit (News)

Jul 1, 2008

In order to help promote Wii Fit even further in Britain, Nintendo has launched a brand new website telling the country's residents to Feel Great Britain With Wii Fit.

Wii Fit: Is It Safe for Your Plasma TV? (News)

Jun 17, 2008

Can Wii Fit help you get the body of your dreams?
More importantly is it safe for your Plasma TV?

Wii Fit already carving up bods, finding use in rehabilitation (News)

Jun 16, 2008

From the get-go, Nintendo's latest console was seen as a dream come true for folks who'd love to lose a few pounds, yet would rather log a few hours on the couch rather than the track. Shortly after the Wii Fit's launch, we're already seeing another wave of dedicated users reporting weight loss, and the trend is even bleeding into the medical field. According to Sue Stanley-Green, a professor of athletic training at Florida Southern College, the Wii Fit and other fitness-related games have "great potential for core strengthening and rehabilitation and may boost compliance with rehabilitation exercises." She also noted that these games were "being used more and more in nursing homes," and particularly with youngsters, titles such as Wii Fit are the only ones that stand a chance at getting them active.

Wii Fit causes £20 million damage to UK homes (News)

Jun 16, 2008

Wii Fit is causing unprecedented damage in living rooms across the nation, with nearly a fifth of polled women admitting they have got carried away with it.

Flower pots, television sets and even pets have all been affected by the high kicks and hula hoop exercises that are a part of Wii Fit.

In a poll conducted by insurer Sheila's Wheels, women admitted they had caused an average of £6.55 worth of damage in the last year. ...

What you get when you cross Wii Fit with Rocky (News)

Jun 15, 2008

Rocky Balboa might have already hung up his boxing gloves for the last time, but demand for such a classic franchise's return will always remain strong.

Thank goodness for people YouTube stars like this, who have re-imagined what Sly Stallone's return would involve if his training for a deadly bout revolved squarely around Wii Fit. Is that Hollywood Balance Board Blog hears calling?

Librarian: I'm So NOT Wii Fit Girl (News)

Jun 15, 2008

Kotaku writes: "Those naughty librarian eyeglasses might say say yes-yes, but a New York City woman says, no-no, they're not hers. You see, there's Lauren Bernat, aka Wii Fit Girl, who hulaed her way to 2 million YouTube views about three weeks ago, and then vowed it was not a viral marketing scheme. And then there's Lauren Bernat, mild-mannered librarian, who's been deluged with Facebook requests from cretinous pic collectors admirers who'd like to better know Wii Fit Girl. Non-Wii Fit Lauren wants everyone to know she's trying to get a job, and the attention isn't good for that.

Librarian Lauren says she does resemble Wii Fit Girl Lauren, enough that an employer who Googles her might have second thoughts about her temperament for a serious job. "If someone has my business card, and doesn't know what I look like, and they Google me, it looks like it's me, and that's my whole career down the tubes," she said."

Wii Fit Underwear Girl Appearing on TRL on Tuesday (News)

Jun 13, 2008

People have watched Florida's Lauren Bernat do the "Wii Fit" hula in her underwear more than 2.7 million times since May 25. That's when her boyfriend uploaded a clip he says he secretly filmed.

Who knew so many people needed such extra insight to decide whether "Wii Fit" was for them?

Bernat's path to stardom is next taking her to TRL. The world's favorite "Wii Fit girl" will appear on the show Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern/Pacific to talk about her video and, of course, to demo the Wii live.

Wii Fit still AWOL on UK High Street (News)

Jun 9, 2008

MCV: Title misses out on Top 40 chart position for third week in a row

Employee Expenses Wii Fit For Company Fitness (News)

Jun 9, 2008

Suspiciously virally PR looking blog Wii Fit is It recounts the tale of one man who submitted the purchase price of Wii Fit as his yearly company exercise expense, and he got it approved.

CNN Talks Gaming For Health, Focuses On Wii Fit (News)

Jun 7, 2008

Maconsole Write

"CNN recently had a feature on 'gaming for health'. As you might expect, the focus was on the newly released Wii Fit and a doctor discusses some various research which is going on with regardings to gaming and health"

Wii Fit stock shock continues (News)

Jun 6, 2008

MCV: Following Wii Fit's spectacular plummet from the All Formats Chart, Nintendo has told MCV that it is doing everything it can to resolve the game's UK stock shortage.

Busted Cheats: Week 2 - Illinois and global exclusive Huxley cheats (Feature)

Jun 5, 2008

Every week we get hundreds of cheat submissions from our readers to add to CheatPlanet. Only a few of these actually survive the brutal, razor-sharp scrutiny and testing we put them through, and emerge as the fine cheat flavored paste that we put onto CheatPlanet. Most of the leftovers we just throw away, flush them down the internet tube never to be seen again. However, there are a few exceptionally stinky cheats that we feel ...

Wii Fit is a scam meant for 'zombie' consumers (News)

Jun 3, 2008

Despite the success of Wii Fit around the world, it has also faced its fair share of criticism, whether it be the bungled BMI analysis or being a poor excuse for 'real' exercise.

Balance Board Blog writes that one gaming journalist, Ricky Bills, is certainly planet firmly within the negative camp, explaining that Wii Fit is for zombies, and that "disguising a balance board as a substitute for a healthy diet and exercise routine seems a disservice to Wii consumers."

Report: US Wii Fit shortages intentional (News)

Jun 2, 2008

Gamespot writes: Nintendo has been plagued with hardware supply problems for its latest console, the Wii, since it launched in December 2006. The issues continued throughout 2007, with the company unable to meet demand for its latest console in other regions, including both the US and UK.

Wii Fit shortage is a "missed opportunity" warns IDC analyst (News)

Jun 2, 2008

GameIndustry reports:

Billy Pidgeon, analyst for research firm IDC, has warned Nintendo that its success with the Wii console could backfire if it doesn't work on managing consumer expectation.

Shortages of the fitness-based title Wii Fit have been widely reported, but are being felt most keenly in the US, and Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes that Nintendo is shipping four times as many units to Europe to maximise on the profits yielded by the strong Euro.

"The shortage demonstrates one consequence of the weak dollar. We're seeing companies ignore their largest market simply because they can make a greater profit elsewhere," Pachter told the LA Times.

"They know that Americans will be just as fat a few months from now," he added, estimating that only 500,000 copies have been sold in the US, compared to 2 million in Europe.

But Pidgeon expressed his concern over the patience of US gamers waiting for more stock to become available...

Pachter: American Wii Fit shortages due to weak dollar (News)

Jun 1, 2008

Joystiq writes: Americans have been buffeted with news of our nation's pending recession and the devaluation of our dollar for months now, but in a market with such standardized prices, the American video game industry and game consumers haven't really felt the effect of our economic instability