Wii Fit Message Board

The company that sued Nintendo three years ago has just had their then-disputed patents snatched up by the House of Mario.Read more...

But at the same time, I can't help but sympathize—the Wii Fit Trainer is one nimble bad-ass. A faceless, extremely fit goddess of death, if you will. No wonder the hero of Hidden Block's new music video, "Lovely Wii Fit Trainer," falls in love with her as soon as he sees her in the new Smash Bros. games.Read more...

Smash Bros. got introduced for the Wii U and for the 3DS on Tuesday, during Nintendo's E3 direct and we had the chance to see the Villager from Animal Crossing, the Wii Fit Trainer and Mega Man among others. People liked them a lot and they can't get away without some Internet attention. Especially the Villager got a lot of it, thanks to his emotionless face, which in a brawler game converts him immediaely into a complete sociopath look-alike. He'll get his mail first, then introduce the true face of destruction to Mario & Co. Kirby will also be a playable character, but how would he look like after eating up these new characters? In the broadcasted trailer we had Mega Man as a surprise, special new challenger. But that doesn't mean there won't be others. sources: doodlecrackstar, radcroc, mistoroboto, pyrosammi, bull-heck, phantomdoodler, viridi-ogames, ironicjetpack, datmcguire, batatonia To contact the author of this post, write to gergovas@kotaku.com

Adrian Peterson, star running back for the Minnesota Vikings, suffered a torn ACL in December 2011. As part of Peterson's regiment to rehab his injured knee, he played Wii Fit and other specially-designed games to regain strength and balance.

As seen in a video on the team's site, Peterson uses a leg press machine to guide an on-screen icon through a maze of boxes in one game, and dodge falling balls in another. The exercise machine strengthens his knee while also providing him with something other than agonizing pain to focus on. With the high-powered training programs they're used to, it's interesting to see a pro football player include games like these as part of their recovery methods.

#lawsuit A company like Nintendo faces lawsuits with some regularity. The complexities of the U.S. patent system leave plenty of room for legitimate inventors and patent trolls alike to file infringement suits against whomever they wish. More »

We know you've been unable to sleep restfully since the announcement of InterAction Laboratories' 2010 lawsuit against Nintendo, so you'll be relieved to know the situation is resolved. Nintendo announced this morning that a Maryland judge has summarily dismissed the case, which alleged that Nintendo's Wii Fit games and Balance Board accessory (among pretty much every other Nintendo peripheral) violated patents owned by IA Labs for exergaming devices.

IA Labs' last announced gaming product was the "XR Station," a controller attached to a big lever, that players must exert pressure on -- push, pull, lean -- to operate. It also showed the "Sqweeze" in 2008: a Wiimote peripheral with two rubber grips to squeeze.

Satoru Iwata regularly speaks with investors, and we get a glimpse into the man's overall vision.

There are few executives in business, video game or otherwise, as frank and honest as Nintendo president Satoru Iwata.

Who else would write such a seemingly heartfelt letter to customers feeling burned by an unexpected prie cut?

After announcing the impending 3DS price cut, sluggish sales of the hardware and a loss for the quarter, Iwata spoke with investors about the company's recent moves, thoughts on the future of the business and Nintendo's role in it and what lessons could be learned as Nintendo turns towards Wii U, set for a release in 2012.

I've picked out five key responses from Iwata, but I'd really recommend recommend reading the entire exchange at Nintendo's website.

On the Influence of Smartphones, Rise of Social Networks and Embracing Digital Distribution

Iwata isn't buying into the notion smartphones are outright killing Nintendo's market.

"It has been said very often that Nintendo’s business is not as good as people had expected due to the influence of smartphones. We have repeatedly investigated whether social games, as well as smartphones, are actually affecting our business. We got the same results in our latest research that there are no causal correlations. Therefore, we will not touch on the details today as we have explained them several times before."

"On the other hand, it is the fact that a great variety of games are available at very low prices for smartphones. Naturally, consumers will choose more affordable ones if the video games we provide do not have much more value than those available for smartphones. However, no causal correlations have been confirmed because we think there are consumers who acknowledge that the value of what we offer does not equal to that of those available for smartphones and that what we offer holds unique value."

"Another trend which has captured people’s great interest today is the power of social networking, or its power to connect different people. The keyword 'social' has rapidly become very popular in these last two years and some say that Nintendo may be behind the social age. They might mean that Nintendo, uninterested in so-called social games from a business standpoint, fails to ride on the boom of social games. However, I have a totally opposite view - Nintendo has been a company attaching a high value to human relationships for a long time. We have our roots in the playthings connecting people as the company’s original business was playing cards. Therefore, we have always been aware of the human connections created by each of our products. It is true that on social networking services through the Internet you can make a relationship with those to which you could not connect with before. On the other hand, I think that there has been no best answer yet to the relationship between a real network and a virtual network. What we would like to realize is neither what the current social networking services provide nor what you can enjoy only with those in front of you, which Nintendo has provided before. The big theme for us is to provide new and fascinating human relationships composed of various networks, a real network with those close to you, a virtual network with those distant from you, and networks beyond description created by your experiences of sharing the same place with someone or of visiting certain places and specifically provided by SpotPass and StreetPass."

"Talking about whether there are other measures we can take other than the ones we are doing now to improve profitability, it is of course the same thing for the Wii U as for the Nintendo 3DS, but we think there are great new possibilities with what we can do in the digital business or, in other words, the digital distribution business. I am not going to go into detail about the business model today, but we have a strong determination to enlarge our digital business. This area is an area in which we have not been able to implement a good mechanism yet, or in which we have not been able to run our business well. We have made several attempts since we first made Wii Shop Channel for the Wii, but because we could not overcome some preconditions, the business hasn't grown to a satisfactory size yet. However, for the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, we are strongly focusing on development of such functions, so I believe we will be able to make new proposals such as 'The ratio of packaged titles and digital titles will be like this in the future' or 'The business for packaged titles and the business for the digital titles can be combined in this way.' I think I will be able to tell more specific stories in the near future, so taking these facts into regard, we would like to make efforts to improve our profitability even more."

How Recent Actions Could Influence Nintendo's Decisions for Wii U

Nintendo's moves into digitally distributed games has seen mixed success on DS and Wii.

"With regard to the influence on the Wii U, what we have to take most seriously is that the price markdown could damage the trust of the consumers who bought the Nintendo 3DS just after the launch. I feel greatly accountable for it. Our decision of the price markdown this time has a side effect that, at the launch of the Wii U, people may feel that the price might drop in the near future if they wait. Nevertheless, we have decided to cut down the price of the Nintendo 3DS as we consider it as a necessary decision now. What we will be able to do to recover the consumers' trust before the launch of the Wii U is very important to us. Since the Wii U we showed you at the E3 show in June was still in the development phase without very specific proposals on the software titles, we are going to announce the release date and the price next year when we are able to explain the specific proposals. Anyway, the biggest influence is on our consumers' trust, I think."

The Challenge of Reproducing Surprise Hits Like Brain Age

Brain Age was an unexpected success, helping to usher in the dominance of the platform.

"Software such as Brain Age and Wii Fit have become such great hits that people often ask questions about the next unexpected big hits like Brain Age or Wii Fit. But even if I said something like, 'We have prepared the next revolutionary stuff like this,' it is usually a type of software that people think, 'How in the world would this sell?' However, the software which compels you to hold such a doubt, when it can become an explosive hit, can become a really great product. Therefore, there is no reality even if we say, 'We are developing something like this and it will sell just as Brain Age did.' It is not a game which looks like Brain Age, but we will be proposing something that consumers did not categorize as a video game in the past. It may be a Nintendo 3DS function, a new packaged software, software sold at the Nintendo eShop, software once sold at the Nintendo eShop then sold as a packaged game (like Art Academy for Nintendo DS) or something else, and out of those proposals we cannot tell exactly which one or ones of them will become big hits, so we are considering multiple proposals. Some of them will come out during this fiscal year and some are planned for next fiscal year. We hope, in the end, you will look back and say, 'that particular software further accelerated the penetration of the Nintendo 3DS.'"

Why Nintendo Could React So Quickly With a 3DS Price Cut

"Maybe the reason we were able to make the markdown decision is our lesson from Nintendo GameCube. Therefore, in that sense, it was slightly a personal decision, meaning that the current executives, who are the ones who make the decisions, all experienced, 'there was a chance for the Nintendo GameCube but we were not able to capitalize on it,' and I think that was a large factor, that the executive all shared this sense, not just myself. One other factor is our financial characteristics. I have repeatedly said, 'Please allow us to hold high liquidity of assets since this business has very high risks. We can have more options if we have high liquidity.' During those days, when the Wii and the Nintendo DS were in a continuous good cycle, we had cases where people asked us, 'Well, won't you be all right even without holding so much cash?' But it must be a factor to our ability to make decisions like these under situation like this, and along with this, proceed with the development of the Wii U and take on its business risks. We will put our best efforts to make this decision a good one."

Nintendo's Resistance to Microtransactions and Downloadable Content

"To the question, 'What will Nintendo do in the future regarding micro-transactions?' or 'How will Nintendo prepare micro-transactions for its platforms?' we are preparing a system for micro-transactions and so-called add-on content for both the Nintendo 3DS and the Wii U, and for the Nintendo 3DS we are targeting to release something this calendar year. This means that we will be able to give flexible options to software developers on our platform, but 'what to do with Nintendo's policy as a software developer' is a separate issue.

Nintendo has not shown must interest in DLC, but that may be changing with future games.

This is a good opportunity, so I would like to talk about what Nintendo is thinking as a software developer. Generally, it may be thought that Nintendo is reluctant toward micro-transactions, meaning that Nintendo is not interested in gaining profit through add-on content or micro-transactions. I have been discussing this topic with Mr. Miyamoto for a fairly long time. For example, let's say there is an occasion where a user says, 'I'm done playing this game but I would play it more if there were additional stages,' and we were able to focus the right amount of energy to develop additional stages and that way, by distributing the additional stages, we were able to extend the life-span of the game or stimulate social topics, or increase sales. Then, we would discuss whether we could sell the add-on content at a price where both Nintendo and consumers would be satisfied.

For example, in the future, I think it will be all right to have a situation where we prepare an additional stage and say to consumers, 'Can you pay some more to play this?' On the other hand, and I'd like to emphasize that this is only me talking from Nintendo's point of view of what we want Nintendo to do, and we do not intend to comment on whether another company is right or wrong, and I would like to avoid any misunderstandings on this point, but, I would also like to mention that, under Nintendo's set of values "charging money just for changing the parameters to unlock something or to allow some large advantage," is a totally different earnings structure that is not compensation for creative work and, while pursuing this may create short-term profits, Mr. Miyamoto and I discussed that we should not use this type of billing system since we think that we will not be able to make long-term relationships with our consumers."

Again, for more insightful comments, read the five-page question-and-answer on Nintendo's website.

#metroid In 2007, Brooklyn's Michelle Perl was struck with tragedy. Her mother, sick with cancer, passed away. But in her mourning, Perl decided to do something. She decided to change. More »

#rip Jack LaLanne, who appeared in a fitness video game long before Nintendo and EA made millions off the genre, has sadly passed away over the weekend at the age of 96. More »

#wiifit A British mother of two says she began to figure out she was suffering from Parkinson's disease only after stepping on a Wii Balance Board. More »

#wiifit Eighteen months ago, Jo Collinge was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, which attacks the nervous system. Collinge had difficulty walking. And then, she started playing Wii Fit. More »

Amazon's ramping up for the one-two thrift punch of Black Friday and Cyber Monday with a fairly handsome deal of its own -- buy any one of the many, many games on this list, get another for 40 percent off. Or, buy a new Wii and Balance Board, get a $50 Amazon gift card on the free.

#wiifitplus Those babies might be fat, but this Wii Fit Plus campaign isn't for them. It's for their moms. More »

#wiihab Researchers at the University of Maryland and Ohio State University are examining Wii Fit's suitability as "an effective concussion management instrument," in football, where the injury is increasingly a concern. More »

Did you know that a football player's vocation requires them to hurtle their head at other football players' heads with little regard for the safety of either? Did you know that this type of reckless cranial colliding can cause concussions and other serious, long-term head injuries? It's true -- but according to the Washington Post, athletic trainers at the University of Maryland and Ohio State University have found a tool to help diagnose and monitor players' dome-piece health: Wii Fit.

Trainers at the two universities now require players to use the Wii Balance Board to get a baseline reading of their -- what else? -- balance. When a player suffers a fairly nasty blow to the head region, they can take another Wii Fit test to see if their balance has deteriorated -- one of the telltale signs of a concussion. Man, combine this test with the Vitality Sensor, and the Wii will become a one-stop-shop for sports-related injury diagnoses!

#clips Getting in shape is hard. Some people need motivation. Others need motivation. More »

#clips Are video games too hard for you? College Humor imagines a world where all games have a super-easy mode, just for you. Check out the super-easy versions of The Legend of Zelda, Wii Fit, Battletoads, Sonic, and more. More »

#appledgamingtechnology How can the Wii Balance Board make life better for the pilots of international passenger aircraft? Graduate student Nicoline van der Vaart suggests they sit on it and spin. More »

Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket effectively scared an entire generation away from boot camp. However, a new tactic being considered by the US Navy may completely change our perception of boot camp: video games. In the latest issue of Navy Times, Navy Surgeon General Vice Admiral Adam Robinson (he does sound important) suggested that games like Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution could help "newcomers to the military service build up the endurance they need to get in shape safely."

According to the report, today's recruit requires much more work to get into "fighting shape" than in the past. With America's youth becoming increasingly sedentary, the US Navy has observed an increasing number of injuries suffered during boot camp. Recruits are "not used to the amount of standing and running that comes in recruit training," the report indicates. Games would theoretically provide a more approachable, familiar solution for physical activity.

However, don't expect games to completely replace current recruit training techniques. The US Navy is simply looking into the possibility of augmenting its current regimen with fitness games. Additionally, there's no timetable in place for when games would be introduced into the military. Still, we're eager to see if the boot camps of the future will look less like the one in Kubrick's war movie and more like ... this.

[Thanks Joseph!]

#oddities For $90, you could buy Wii Fit and the Wii Balance Board and use it forever in your own home. Or you could play it for 55 minutes with a personal trainer at one of Donald Trump's hotels. More »

#wii A state minister from Victoria, Australia has been publicly rebuked after personally campaigning - in parliament - for one of his constituents to be given a Wii. More »

#ohboy Granted, the source of this report is the UK tabloid The Star. However, a woman who blames the Wii Balance Board for her needing sex 10 times a day isn't likely to be profiled in The New Yorker. More »

#nintendo That damn Wii Fit. Always getting itself into trouble. If it's not turning people into sex addicts, it's attracting lawsuits from companies that make interactive fitness equipment. More »

Company alleges Nintendo infringed on two patents.

#wii According to a suspiciously brief newswire report, 24 year-old Briton Amanda Flowers has become a "sex addict" after falling off her Wii Fit board. More »

#motionfighter The game you see here will include a calorie counter. Lose weight by delivering a punch to the gut, followed by a head butt. More »

While the Balance Board is a good tool for controlling cute little monkeys and perhaps creating a career, Australian scientists have found it's also an inexpensive way to measure the balance in stroke patients. University of Melbourne scientist Ross Clark decided to pick one up after reading that some physicians were using Wiimotes to help recuperating soldiers, and found it to be "an extremely impressive strain gauge set-up." That's a very good thing, considering the only alternative is a"force platform" which can set scientists back a hefty £11,000 ($15,700). There aren't any results out of Melbourne yet, but if you're interested in what's under the hood of that little plastic pad you're slowly turning a kind of brownish-black (would it kill you to wear clean socks when using it?), check out this Nintendo Channel video from back in the day. [Via Kotaku and New Scientist]

click to enlarge We're not sure what the tagline will be - Is it first-party? Or is it Memorex? - but the storied consumer electronics company best known for its blank cassette tapes (remember those?) has been busy branching out and a new series of video games accessories targeting Nintendo's various products is its latest endeavor. The company has taken the opportunity at CES to unveil a Wii racing wheel, a Wii wireless sensor bar, some sleeves for everything from your Wiimote to your Wii Fit balance board, a charging kit for your Wiimotes and rechargeable battery pack for Wii Fit, and some DSi goodies as well. Like most of these offerings, there isn't much you'll find exciting here. Check out the full specs in the press release after the break or, if you're a visual learner, flip through the gallery for some eye candy.

The American Council on Exercise recently conducted a study on the effectiveness of Nintendo's Wii Fit, and was "underwhelmed" by the results (PDF link). The study examined what the ACE dubbed to be the "most aerobically challenging activities," including the Free Run, Island Run, Super Hula Hoop, Free Step, Advanced Step and Rhythm Boxing. The study found that Free Run burned the most calories, averaging at 165 calories burned during a thirty-minute session. The next highest was Rhythm Boxing at 114, not exactly the fat-melting miracle one might hope for. Said Dr. John Porcari, "The Wii Fit is a very, very mild workout." The ACE noted that performing the real-life activity -- real boxing, step aerobics, running, etc. -- burns significantly more calories than their Wii Fit counterparts. As an example, the study notes that traditional boxing burns three times as many calories as Rhythm Boxing. That said, the study did note that Wii Fit burns twice as many calories as normal video games, and that's got to count for something. Still, if you're looking to really feel the burn, the study concluded that Wii Sports "is a better option" for gamers looking to find a decent workout. Source - ACEFitness.org -- Wii Fit - Or Just a Wee Bit? (PDF)

The US has invested a healthy amount of money into combating the terrorist threat -- certainly a bit more than $100. According to a CNN report, one of a few experimental methods being used to identify suspicious dudes at the airport uses Nintendo's Wii Balance Board (sans Wii Fit Plus).Scientists part of the Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) program have taken the Wii Fit peripheral and adjusted it to measure how a person shifts their weight. Scientists hope to find "a level of fidgeting that would suggest the need for secondary screening." We're just glad we're not a part of the study, because every time we step on a Balance Board, we can't help but act like we're playing that awesome hula hoop minigame. That's a suspicious amount of fidgeting.[Via Kotaku]