If you're finding Wii Fit to a less strenuous workout than the one required to help you shed your flab, perhaps the prospect of training with fitness guru Jillian Michaels will help. Majesco is publishing Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009 which—surprise!—uses the Wii Balance Board to integrate "a tiered fitness regimen, expert advice and exercise techniques from the charismatic Jillian Michaels, the game delivers a focused workout that will help players reach their own personal fitness goals."
The star of NBC's reality show The Biggest Loser says she's "a huge gamer" and hopes (via press release) that the Wii game will accomplish something just shy of saving the world. Michaels is corporately quoted as saying "I truly think this type of product will be instrumental in revolutionizing the fitness industry and will help combat the childhood obesity epidemic in this country today."
See? Nintendo totally should've stuck with "Revolution." Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter predicts big things for Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2009, and not just amongst the chubby crowd.
"That thing is going to sell," said Pachter. Not all consumers might be aware of what Wii Fit is, but most weight-conscious women, he said, know Jillian Michaels as a brand. "She's branded as a fit person who helps people lose weight," he said, and that brand affinity could help more people see the Balance Board as less of a video game gizmo and more of a health product.
It certainly sounds like more of a workout than managing a trio of hula hoops, as the game is pitched as having Weight Loss, Strength Training, Intervals and Hill Climb modes, each with three difficulty tiers and workout times up to 60 minutes. It features more traditional exercise options like crossing monkey bars to climbing ladders and rowing. The best part? Gamers can unlock "lifestyle and fitness video tips" featuring Ms. Michaels. Rowrr!
We expect to see nothing but six-pack abs and ripped shoulders in close proximity to Wiis by this time next year.