This Is Exactly Why I Hate Peripherals [Commentary]

They are gaming’s extras. The add-ons. The bits that are outside the core elements. And I hate them. Well, not all of them. Those who have a solid fighting stick or a solid driving wheel, are able to use those peripherals in game after game, experience after experience. These peripherals work best because they are not dedicated to only a handful of titles and they can actual one up the player’s experience. Yes, pictured right up there is the Wii Fit Balance Board. It is the experience. Unlike a fighting game or a driving game or even a light gun game, you must have this peripheral to play. While cleaning out my closet this past weekend, I found it in the back of a closet, wrapped in bubble wrap and covered in dust. I somehow had forgotten that I owned the Balance Board, but there it was, taking up space. Please be aware that I do not hate Wii Fit. It’s a novel, interesting product. What I loathe is that after my Wii Fit experience has ended, and I have moved on to other experiences, I am stuck with a peripheral. Obviously, the Balance Board can be used with a few other games. I, however, do not own those games. I own Wii Fit. We live in an age when everything is getting streamlined. My cell phone has a 5 megapixel camera in it. I can listen to music on it. I can send emails with it. I can watch television, movies and talk to my co-workers through my computer. The number of individual items I own has been steadily decreasing, but I still feel like I’m occasionally getting stuck with peripherals: fake gun looking things, steering wheels, plastic instruments and a myriad of controllers. What irks me the most about these other dedicated peripherals is space. They eat it up. They clutter. They become knick-knacks. The initial experience with these peripherals, but unlike a standard Wii Remote, DualShock 3 or Xbox 360 Controller, these peripherals do not move smoothly between genres and titles. They are a party favor that exists long after the party has ended. They are gaming’s version of a hangover. So console manufacturers! Publishers! Please, please bear in mind our closets are only so big. We want new experiences, but we just don’t want to be overloaded with stuff with those experiences have ended. Project Natal is showing us fewer peripherals — or barely any — is possible. More importantly, the Wii Remote have already showed us that. Nintendo made an extremely versatile controller with the Wii-mote. It’s works for traditional input, driving, shooting. You just can’t stand on it and have it weigh you. Unfortunately. With the successful of recent games like Rock Band, dedicated peripherals won’t be going away anytime in the future. If companies can show that they’re not just selling a game, but a gaming platform forged in plastic, gamers can look forward to cluttered closets for years and years to come.

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This Is Exactly Why I Hate Peripherals [Commentary]

Woman Loses 112 lbs., Thanks Wii Fit [Wii]

A 38-year-old British woman, once so large she was afraid to have sex with her husband, now parades about her home in sexy lingerie after losing 112 pounds, a dramatic change in physique she credits to a Wii Fit regimen. Lara Roberts specifically thanked the Wii for allowing her to work out in her home, because she was very self-conscious about visiting a gym or jogging in public. As a result, she went from 252 to 140 pounds in a year. Note: There absolutely was a dietary component to this change. British tab News of the World says she “ditched the comfort eating,” which had surged to nearly 4,000 calories a day until a friend pointed out her nonstop consumption. “I knew if I didn’t do something, chances are I wouldn’t live to see my girls grow up,” she said. But while this sounds like the textbook definition of “results may vary,” I find it believable. First, it took a full year of getting up at 5 a.m. to work out. That’s not a quick-fix miracle program. Second, she recognized fully how her eating habits required a very disciplined change in behavior. And third, she was motivated by concern for her children and she had the support of her family. Shame or embarrassment are powerful feelings, but they can’t motivate you without a support network, you’ll just give in to defeatism. I also buy the fact Wii Fit appealed to her because it allowed her to work out in private. The benefits? Lara’s become quite the cougar. She says her daughter’s male friends have eyes for her, and an appearance on BBC 3’s “I’m Hotter Than My Daughter” backs it up. I’m a Wii Bit Thinner [News of the World via Go Nintendo. Image by News of the World]

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Woman Loses 112 lbs., Thanks Wii Fit [Wii]

Woman Loses 112 lbs., Thanks Wii Fit [Wii]

A 38-year-old British woman, once so large she was afraid to have sex with her husband, now parades about her home in sexy lingerie after losing 112 pounds, a dramatic change in physique she credits to a Wii Fit regimen. Lara Roberts specifically thanked the Wii for allowing her to work out in her home, because she was very self-conscious about visiting a gym or jogging in public. As a result, she went from 252 to 140 pounds in a year. Note: There absolutely was a dietary component to this change. British tab News of the World says she “ditched the comfort eating,” which had surged to nearly 4,000 calories a day until a friend pointed out her nonstop consumption. “I knew if I didn’t do something, chances are I wouldn’t live to see my girls grow up,” she said. But while this sounds like the textbook definition of “results may vary,” I find it believable. First, it took a full year of getting up at 5 a.m. to work out. That’s not a quick-fix miracle program. Second, she recognized fully how her eating habits required a very disciplined change in behavior. And third, she was motivated by concern for her children and she had the support of her family. Shame or embarrassment are powerful feelings, but they can’t motivate you without a support network, you’ll just give in to defeatism. I also buy the fact Wii Fit appealed to her because it allowed her to work out in private. The benefits? Lara’s become quite the cougar. She says her daughter’s male friends have eyes for her, and an appearance on BBC 3’s “I’m Hotter Than My Daughter” backs it up. I’m a Wii Bit Thinner [News of the World via Go Nintendo. Image by News of the World]

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Woman Loses 112 lbs., Thanks Wii Fit [Wii]

Wii Fitness Shares Store With Dumbbells, Treadmills [Well Played]

David Campisi’s life is all about exercise and sports. As president of Sports Authority , Campisi runs the largest sports good retailer in the country. His wife, Beci Campisi, runs a garage gym based on the grueling fitness methodology of CrossFit which uses medicine balls, weights and nonstop exercise to mold “the quintessential athlete.” But when he first heard of Nintendo’s part-game, part-exercise Wii Fit and Balance Board , he knew he had to get one. More importantly, he knew that he had to start selling it in his chain of stores, among the dumbbells, the rowing machines, the treadmills and the basketballs. “When Nintendo first came out with Wii Fit I knew we could sell that product in our stores,” Campisi told Kotaku. “I paid some guy on eBay $180 for a Wii Fit because you couldn’t buy it in stores.” That was in 2008, last week, with the blessing of Nintendo, Campisi launched his campaign to sell Wii Fit and the Wii as exercise equipment in Sports Authority stores nationwide. Sports Authority kicked off the movement to blend gaming and sports good with an event at their Torrance, Calif. store. Fitness guru Jillian Michaels was on hand to lead 100 people through exercise routines on balance board with the help of the Wii in what was believe to be the largest demonstration of Wii Fit in the world. “Although individual retailers might do their own independent promotions from time to time, this is the first time Nintendo has officially partnered with a major sports retailer,” said Marc Fanklink, Nintendo of America’s director of public relations. “Wii Fit has already sold more than 8 million units in the United States, making it one of the best-selling games of this generation, surpassing even some of the industry’s most well-known franchises. Our partnership with The Sports Authority expands on the exergaming trend of Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus . Now we’re reaching out to fitness fans in new ways, showing them that video games can be a part of their everyday fitness routines.” Instead of just dropping Wii consoles and games into their store, Campisi knew that his stores had to treat the game and it’s equipment the same as any other piece of exercise equipment. So he had the stores carrying the equipment set up special Wii Fit areas and train some of their employees to explain and demonstrate the gaming equipment. “They typically train people on weights and treadmills and now they’re showing people how to use the Wii Fit,” he said. Mike Gabriela, manager of the Sports Authority in Littleton, Colorado, said news that the retailer would be carrying the video games was a “welcome surprise.” The equipment for the Wii Experience landed in their store on a Friday and they had it up and running that Saturday morning. Gabriela says they trained employees using a Nintendo-provided video and tried out Wii Fit themselves. “It’s absolutely exercise,” he said. “You do a couple of those programs and it is very difficult.” The customers who so far seem most intrigued by the console and it’s fitness games seem to be women who do Yoga and aerobics, he said. “We sold our first (Wii) within 20 minutes of being open,” Gabriela said. While Sports Authority and Campisi seem to be putting a lot of support behind the Wii Fit, it doesn’t mean that they believe it will replace more traditional forms of exercise. “I don’t believe that,” Campisi said. “My wife would kill me if I believe that. I don’t think this is a shift away from traditional exercise, it’s just another way to get fit. “There are a lot of people who don’t want to get off their couch, but this is fun. Everyone is moving at 100 miles an hour, maybe this can get them to slow down.” The Wii Fit and the Wii’s driving concept also seem to connect with Sports Authority on another level. Where Nintendo is using the Wii to expand their audience to more casual gamers, Sports Authority has long used backyard and youth sports to connect with children at a younger age. The two coming together to expand each of their audiences seems like a good idea. Nintendo’s Franklin wasn’t willing to yet say how important the Sports Authority deal would be in helping to expand Nintendo’s reach. “That remains to be seen,” he said. “But we’re always looking for ways to get video games into the hands – or under the feet – of people who have never played them before. Nintendo has the most diverse group of fans of any video game company, and it’s important for us to reach out to where those fans are. “We’re always looking to bring the world of video games to new audiences. I’m sure there are plenty of people who visit The Sports Authority who don’t have an interest in video games. Seeing Wii and Wii Fit Plus in the same context as some of their favorite fitness products will undoubtedly pique some people’s interest and make them consider video games in a whole new light.” And for Sports Authority there’s also a very practical reason to get into the Wii Fit business. Not everyone has the room for the larger exercise equipment the retailer sells. “There are lots of people who can’t afford a treadmill and we have stores in cities like New York where people can’t fit that equipment in their lofts and apartments,” Campisi said. Though, it is still just one of many things the retailer carries, Campisi reminds. “Fitness equipment and sports equipment is what we do,” he said. “In our fitness department we carry a lot of equipment. There are many, many ways to get fit and exercise, this is just one additional opportunity. And for sporting goods its a huge opportunity it’s fun.”

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Wii Fitness Shares Store With Dumbbells, Treadmills [Well Played]

Sports Authority Fitness Retailer Inks Deal to Sell Wii [Wii]

Starting this month, Nintendo’s Wii gets its own section and pitch people at The Sports Authority stores nationwide, part of a movement to help make the country more fit, the fitness chain’s president told Kotaku this morning. Sports Authority president David Campisi says that the Colorado company, which operated about 450 stores, has been working on the deal for about half a year, but that he was interested in selling the fitness-themed games since Wii Fit first hit stores in 2008. “This is about getting the nation fit,” Campisi told Kotaku. “This could be really, really game changing.” The chain started a soft roll-out of the Wii Fit Experience earlier this month with 102 stores selling the Wii, Wii Fit, Wii Fit Plus , accessories and other sports and fitness-themed games, Campisi said. The experience is set up along side the chain’s more traditional exercise equipment like weights and treadmills. “On Saturday I had people from 30 stores sending me pictures of kids on the Wii Fit board all day,” he said. The official announcement of Sports Authority’s deal with Nintendo to sell their console and games will come this Thursday with the help of fitness expert Jillian Michaels , star of The Biggest Loser and her own Wii game Wii Fitness Ultimatum. Campisi says that Thursday’s event at their Torrance, California store will include more than 100 Wii boards and an attempt to host the world’s largest Wii Fit Plus workout. “In our fitness departments we carry a lot of equipment,” Campisi said. “There are many, many ways to get fit and exercise, this is just one additional opportunity.”

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Sports Authority Fitness Retailer Inks Deal to Sell Wii [Wii]

Study Finds Wii Fit Produces "Underwhelming Results" [Nintendo]

Anyone who does proper exercise could have pointed this out, but it’s always nice to have it in writing; the American Council on Exercise have claimed that Nintendo’s Wii Fit produces “underwhelming results”. The group has released a report on the super-popular home fitness program, drawing on research performed by the University of Wisconsin. And this report has found that even Wii Fit’s most physically taxing workouts can’t hold a candle to actual exercise. Wii Fit’s boxing, for example, burns only 1/3 the calories of actual boxing, while the other four most intensive modes – Free Island Run, Super Hula Hoop, Advanced Step, and Free Step – only burned between 100 and 160 calories every 30 minutes of exercise. Considering a cheeseburger has around 300 calories, you’ll be on Wii Fit all day if you want to really burn some fat. Perhaps most damning/hilarious, however, is the report’s finding that while Wii Fit burns more calories than a regular game – where you’re doing nothing – it’s not as good for you as a session on Nintendo’s own Wii Sports. Ah, the power of marketing. American Council on Exercise Charts ‘Underwhelming’ Wii Fit Health Benefits [Gamasutra]

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Study Finds Wii Fit Produces "Underwhelming Results" [Nintendo]

So, Shigeru Miyamoto Got A Cat [Nintencats]

Remember when Shigeru Miyamoto started weighing himself everyday? We got Wii Fit . And before that, he had a dog. We got Nintendogs. And even before that, he took up gardening. We got Pikmin. Now, Miyamoto has a cat. At a Nintendo meeting today, Kotaku has learned that it was announced that, yes, Shigeru Miyamoto has a cat. Nintendo typically keeps Miyamoto’s hobbies secret because they sometimes end up as the inspiration for new games. Currently, Miyamoto is working on the new Zelda Wii title, which will sport swordplay with the MotionPlus feature. He is also working on a “DS game to play at home” and is interested in how the DS can be used in “public spaces”. Nintendo mentioned that the company was not against HD, and Miyamoto pointed out that a title like Wii Fit would not benefit greatly from HD, but the Nintendo creator added that a game like, say, Pikmin would.

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So, Shigeru Miyamoto Got A Cat [Nintencats]

So, Shigeru Miyamoto Got A Cat [Nintencats]

Remember when Shigeru Miyamoto started weighing himself everyday? We got Wii Fit . And before that, he had a dog. We got Nintendogs. And even before that, he took up gardening. We got Pikmin. Now, Miyamoto has a cat. At a Nintendo meeting today, Kotaku has learned that it was announced that, yes, Shigeru Miyamoto has a cat. Nintendo typically keeps Miyamoto’s hobbies secret because they sometimes end up as the inspiration for new games. Currently, Miyamoto is working on the new Zelda Wii title, which will sport swordplay with the MotionPlus feature. He is also working on a “DS game to play at home” and is interested in how the DS can be used in “public spaces”. Nintendo mentioned that the company was not against HD, and Miyamoto pointed out that a title like Wii Fit would not benefit greatly from HD, but the Nintendo creator added that a game like, say, Pikmin would.

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So, Shigeru Miyamoto Got A Cat [Nintencats]

Beyonce Would Like To Make A Fitness Game [Beyonce]

After trying her hand at fashion design and acting, songstress Beyonce has expressed interest in making a fitness video game. “I’d like to get involved in video games, since I really love Wii Fit ,” the diva recently said. “I think it would be a great idea to incorporate choreography, because, for me, my workout is way more fun when it involves dancing, as opposed to running on a boring treadmill.” So what kind of game would Beyonce like to make? “So I would love to do some kind of fitness game but incorporate dance and performance into it. I think a lot of women would enjoy that.” Earlier this year, Beyonce became a spokesperson for the Nintendo DS . If you are looking for someone to blame for any future Beyonce games, blame Nintendo? Beyonce eyeing fitness video game [Spicezee via GameCulture ]

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Beyonce Would Like To Make A Fitness Game [Beyonce]

The First Four Letters Say it All [Wtf]

Dumbbells – two pound dumbbells, to be exact. Your Wiimote is waiting to pump (clap) you up with this $20 “peripheral” available from Everlast, said to be compatible with a slew of exergaming titles. The listing says the weights don’t interfere with the IR capability so, hell, why not hook it up to Dead Space: Extraction or Madworld for a real workout? Wii Weights (2lb Dumbbells) [Everlast, thanks fusioncam]

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The First Four Letters Say it All [Wtf]