There truly is something going on here with gaming disrupting fitness. EA Sports Active for the Wii was the best opening for any third party game Wii game ever. Wii Fit keeps selling and almost at the level of another console in various territories.
Let me tell you a quick personal story. There is a woman in my family who, for this post, I will call ‘Dragon Lady’. It is the typical story. She thinks gaming is evil while her husband thinks it is cool. Husband has a Wii and a Xbox 360. Before, I have tried to get ‘Dragon Lady’ to play Wii Sports tennis. “Give it a try!” She refused. She despises video games and everything about them. She thinks it is ‘uncultured’ and juvenile.
The husband one day brings home Wii Fit and somehow gets his wife on it. Now, ‘Dragon Lady’ loves Wii Fit! Since I talk about gaming when we are in person, they had to call me and talk about the glories of Wii Fit. They already knew that Wii Fit Plus was coming out before I said it was. They are definitely going to get it. They play Wii Fit every night.
Husband now appreciates his Wii since it is getting his wife to play video games. He said that unlike other games, the achievements you gain in Wii Fit you actually take with you! (meaning the weight loss and all). He asked how I play my Wii Fit and this brought an awkward answer.
I don’t play my Wii Fit. Of course, I don’t need to. I go to the gym and do free weights. I swim. I am Greek God of physical shape (and this is due mostly to diet. Always eat with real meat). But still, I can appreciate what Wii Fit does. I enjoy mostly the Balance Games on there and the Yoga poses. I’d never do the Yoga poses in the gym! “Uh, hey muscle guy, why are you doing the tree pose in the middle of the gym?” Uhh…. Besides, the real motivating reason I go to the gym is this (NSFW link! You’ve been warned [And before I am emailed, yes, the girls actually do look like that at my gym. (No, I won’t tell you what gym it is, sicko! Lots of money people are there. I suspect the girls there are actually the hunters. It would explain why they put on make up to do cardio!)]) (Removed the link, some friends thought it would be too ‘exciting’ for this site. Just use your imagination).
I’ve been waiting, with baited breath, about any blog posts on the Innosight blog about Sony or Microsoft’s new motion controls. They haven’t had any. Instead, today there is a post with the picture of Wii Fit and gaming disrupting health.
While this is a disruption, I must cast cold water on something. Games are very good at removing boredom. This is why children LOVE video games. This is also why parents love HANDHELD video games as it keeps the kids in the car occupied during the long drive to Grandma.
Fitness is extremely boring to people. Wii Fit attacks that boredom. I suspect the discussion of disruption of fitness will be angled more toward a technological perspective instead of the entertainment perspective. Wii Fit really isn’t that much of a technological showcase. But it is very entertaining! And that is Nintendo’s secret which is known to everybody.
Wii is truly disrupting health and fitness with its games. The question is where will this go? And can other ‘boring’ areas be disrupted? Frankly, I think there is a goldmine in disrupting financial education. Everyone needs to know financial education (of creating assets, of figuring out how to retire early) so why not make it fun? The sharp Nintendo businessmen could come from their holes and lead the software team in making such a game. What better game to sell during a recession?
And if someone says, “But Malstrom! The masses don’t like games about business and all.”
Oh really?
Malstrom's Articles News 