Kotaku
Many of us already suspected that Wii Fit couldn't make us fit, but now you can add Nintendo as a name on that list of skeptics. Because during a recent interview on Nintendo's own site, Miyamoto spilled the beans that, no, Wii Fit is not a recommended replacement to your triathlon training...or even a walk around the block:
I don't think Wii Fit's purpose is to make you fit; what it's actually aiming to do is make you aware of your body.He continues:
That's why we wanted people to talk with their families about Wii Fit, and become aware of these things together as a group. If you're standing still, and it tells you 'Your body is swaying', you can see on the training results screen that your body has been shaking. But I think you'd never realize that your body is shaking in day-to-day life. I think becoming aware of things like this about yourself is quite interesting.Wow, all of this rationale sounds quite fair, Nintendo. And now we understand why you called the game Wii Become More Aware of Your Body and not something that could have been misconstrued by the public who's just looking for a fun way to lose some weight.
Iwata Asks: Wii Fit [Nintendo via CVG]
Comments
Wait, so he wants families to become aware of each others' bodies?
That's kinda sick, man.
At least they don't have the "Touching Is Good" slogan anymore.
*shudder*
Tricky tricky
Know what else can make you aware of your body?
A mirror...and I think I'll stick with that
@badasscat:
so he wants families to become aware of each other's health?
sick...
@badasscat: Or kinda hot, depending on your perspective.
He says it AFTER it's sold 5 zillion units.
You idiots just ate it up and Nintendo is laughing at you all the way to the bank.
I think anyone could have told you that after the E3 trailers...
@Chromeo: damnit...i was gonna say something like that.
@NeoNess: I have a guitar that I plastered a bunch of stickers on to cover up the nicked and chipping paint, and one of the most prominent and visible is the "Touching is Good" portion of a large Nintendo sticker I had. I just cut off the Nintendo part, because I thought the Touching is Good part was suitable enough in and of itself. I enjoy!
"Wow, all of this rationale sounds quite fair, Nintendo. And now we understand why you called the game Wii Become More Aware of Your Body and not something that could have been misconstrued by the public who's just looking for a fun way to lose some weight." - Best qoute ever.
"My body is shaking... but I didn't notice until I played Wii Fit"
I don't think anyone really believed standing around on a board would be a good ticket to weight loss.
Bring on the Snow/Skateboarding games!
@KingDavid73: My body is shaking I never noticed untill I started taking cocaine!
I was about as stoked as the family in the image was until I heard this.
If I wanted to be aware of my body I would of taken Health class again.
@Deadeyereborn:
Cocaine! now that'll make you loose weight.
@DimensionWarped: Mario Party, featuring the Wii Fit board. It's going to happen...
@Deadeyereborn:
maybe you have parkinson's, get that checked out.
It never stated that it was going to magically make you fit... did it? And from the design that was pretty obvious. No matter which way you look at it, it will do more thatn Wii sports does, and you have to admit that is knackering especially boxing - surely knackering = exercise?
@AntiZERO: ...and that's sad :(
Hey America don't fall for this. Let this crap tank. And force Nin-tendo to make great games again. The product doesn't even live up to it's namesake. Or I'd say buy into it when they make a 1080 or a SSX for it. And by 1080 I mean a GOOD 1080 Nintendo!
Why not call it Wii body aware instead of wii fit. I think they mislead the public there. Of course any idiot would know that standing on a board in one place and moving your body doesn't result in weight loss. Or did you think that when you bought it?....oops sorry.
is that a sexuality lesson?
I think Nintendo has to say that by default. I have played the game, though. I was probably the biggest skeptic but after playing my opinion changed completely. By using the balance board it forces the player to perform exercises with perfect posture. Sure, anybody can do basic exercise, but doing them in perfect form is extremely hard. I have a friend who is a personal trainer and he has always stressed how important it is to perform exercise properly, both for safety and to maximize effectiveness. WiiFit does a good job of encouraging that.
@futurebiblehero: hahah.... you people disgust me :)
haha =) oh christ, good times.
so yeah it's just another in a very long line of Nintendo gimmicks
Of course it wont make you fit, it will only make you look stupid standing on a piece of plastic and feeling stupid for paying for a piece of plastic to stand on.
@PwnySlaystation: you know what they say, it prints money!
I became aware of my body when I was thirteen. And I haven't gone blind yet!
@ortegar: Greatest poster eva
I'm pretty sure my mirror tells me everything that I need to know.
the only thing that would make you fit while standing still is hormones, look at Roger Clements Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire.
Still, the game is awesome and if you believed it was going to make a stud, you need to first get up and throw away the cheetos and go get yourself a reality check.
Lame. I thought this might actually be effective and fun. Guess I'll skip on it.
Heh, I knew from the start Wiifit wouldn't be a good substitute for normal exercise, it could be added as part of the routine I figured.
Still no way was I going to purchase it, now learning that it can't even function as a supplment makes me laugh even more.
awww crap, pre order canceled!
@sUKi: actually, the best way to know how fit you are is looking at the girl you are banging, if she's hot, you probably are, if she looks like shit, you probably too; and if she looks hot and you don't and still get her laid, you need to check yourself for STDs.
Well to be fair, I don't think Nintendo wants people to be aware that this is not to be the end all or be all for fitness.
Will you burn calories using it? Yes
Will you get those buns of steel in just 10 minutes a day? No
Even if you don't drop 30 lb in a month playing it, its better for you then sitting on your ass playing halo 3 all day. Some exercise is always better then none...
Sorry, don't let me stop the train as people rush to give the 85 lb stick of a man the 411 on weight loss.
Heck, touching myself makes me aware of my body, done gimmie something that I wouldn't even buy from a sexy gal like Susanne Sommers, let alone some fugly dork pushing some Japanese-sized twister game.
Gee lets see who the first is to sue for false advertising. The promoted the crap out of it being a fitness add on and now are saying thats not the purpose.
@VakeroRokero:
xDDD Funny
So why did they call it Wii Fit instead if Wii Body? If someone that does not follow video games and they see something called Wii Fit and they assume that it's a fitness tool. Won't Nintendo be a fault for misleading consumers?
@Mikazukinoyaiba: Did you honostly believe it would make a good substitute for real exersize? Whoever did needs to give themselves a good punch in the head. I mean, sure, it's better than sitting around on your couch or in your computer chair all day, if that's what you do. But if you're looking for real exersize go lift some weights or go out for a jog.
They actually called it "Wii Fit" because it's for fit people. Conversely, their actual upcoming weight-loss game is going to be called "Wii Fatty".
So I guess Wii motion controls aren't about having fun, but about making you aware of your arms.
Really lame - shameful marketing!
Video games are my downtime, damnit. Total laziness is the whole point. I burn more calories having a good ol' fashioned self-abuse session than I do with a controller in my hand.
I'm just not convinced on this Wii. Flapping about and whatnot. I want to be mistaken for either a narcoleptic or a coma victim when I'm playing games, not someone with broken synapses, jumping around in front of the TV.
I can remember seeing that loon from the Red Steel promo commercial, commando-rolling across the floor of his living room. Not my scene, Big N. Plenty of peoples, but not mine.
Seriously, here in the US you can sell anything as a "fun weight loss alternative" and it will sell. This country has an aversion to actual exercise. They always want the easy gimmick alternative. The truth is, weight loss is governed by a simple formula. Calories in < calories out. But noooo, five minutes of dicking around on a Wii board will make you lose weight! Or whatever else the gimmick of the day is.
I'm going to market "Pizza Fit" the only weight loss plan that can help you lose weight by eating pizza for ten minutes a day.
If they didn't develop the software to make it more aerobic, I guess that's their fault, and I could see people getting a bit peeved... but come on. It's not like the 'step' is some new idea. Step aerobics have been all over the place for years, does anyone sit around going 'Jesus Christ, that's not exercise at all!'. Maybe people laugh at them for buying 'steps' when most houses have stairs, but that's something different.
I think the real issue here is that, especially here in the US, we see 'getting fit' as 'shedding 30 pounds'. I have a feeling that's not a common problem in Japan. Or at least, in nearly the same scale as it is in the US and EU. If you thought a small plastic device designed for fun is meant to magically peel those pounds away, well...
Really clever marketing. Everyone assumed it would get you fit, but "aware of your body." So it can't replace my routine at the gym. A lot of people bought this, thinking, yes, I can have fun, and workout. Nintendo should rename it, "Deceitful Fit."
Why didn't they call it Wii: Body Awareness?
Oh that's right, because they knew that if this new family demographic of there's believed that there was a chance that this hunk of plastic would do their exercise for them, they'd buy it based on the name alone. Looks like they were right.
@TitillatedOcelot: family demographic *of theirs...
I need them to release Wii English plzkthxbai
Oh come on people.
It's not going to magically lipo-suct flab out via your feet. What the hell were you expecting?
Any form of movement would be exercise [here's the part where you say, 'so is eating burgers?'...etc, etc]. By flinging your arms around, and balancing on one leg, and leaning form side to side for an hour or two will of course be a suitabled way of getting at least some exercise, as opposed to just sitting and playing.
When the inevitable snow/skateboarding game comes out, it'll surely be great fun too.
I don't see anyone complaining that Super Mario Galaxy didn't ACTUALLY let you explore the nether regions of a nebula far, far away. Wii Fit is better for fitness than Wii StandardGame, so what's the problem?
...and if you cancelled a pre-order based on this, you either don't look at it before pre-ordering, or just love the feeling of letting down Gamestop. (Though I guess the latter may be quite appealing).