Nintendo thinks it could work. The company unveiled a pressure-sensitive, high-tech board Wednesday that will add more physical activity to a notoriously sedentary pastime. It will sit on the floor and work with Nintendo's Wii console to lead people through workouts and provide a new way to control games.
By detecting distribution of weight, for example, the board can tell whether a user's yoga routine is properly following the on-screen instructions. And in a virtual soccer game, the goalie can shift back and forth to block incoming shots.
Another feature: A body mass index tracker that works by weighing a person through the board. Reggie Fils-Aime, the towering president of Redmond-based Nintendo of America, showed that capability on stage after the company announced the product during its media event here at the E3 video-game convention.
"Just remember, muscle is heavier than fat," Fils-Aime said, to laughter from the crowd, when the program showed his body mass index too high.
The wireless board will come with a collection of more than 40 "Wii Fit" activities, in the areas of aerobics, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance games.
Wii Fit continues a trend that began with Nintendo's development of the Wii's motion-sensitive controller, widely credited for making video-gaming more physical. It also reflects efforts by Nintendo and others in the industry to expand the market for video games well beyond teenagers engaged in animated warfare.
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By detecting distribution of weight, for example, the board can tell whether a user's yoga routine is properly following the on-screen instructions. And in a virtual soccer game, the goalie can shift back and forth to block incoming shots.
Another feature: A body mass index tracker that works by weighing a person through the board. Reggie Fils-Aime, the towering president of Redmond-based Nintendo of America, showed that capability on stage after the company announced the product during its media event here at the E3 video-game convention.
"Just remember, muscle is heavier than fat," Fils-Aime said, to laughter from the crowd, when the program showed his body mass index too high.
The wireless board will come with a collection of more than 40 "Wii Fit" activities, in the areas of aerobics, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance games.
Wii Fit continues a trend that began with Nintendo's development of the Wii's motion-sensitive controller, widely credited for making video-gaming more physical. It also reflects efforts by Nintendo and others in the industry to expand the market for video games well beyond teenagers engaged in animated warfare.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
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