Recent articles
Video games have taken more than their fare share of blame for promoting indolence and the ongoing epidemic that is childhood obesity. Thus it’s all the more unexpected that the very same government department that created TV adverts actively discouraging kids from playing games should now lend its support to one of them.
The game in question is Wii Fit Plus, Nintendo’s newest set of physical jerks and yoga-style stretches for its cleverclogs Balance Board peripheral. We guess it’s as deserving a candidate as any too, in that it requires users to actually get up off the sofa, move around a bit and possibly even break a slight sweat. Nevertheless the Department of Health’s endorsement is still a little surprising. More so since the deal sees Nintendo offering to use its own cash to promote the NHS’ Change4Life initiative – i.e the same campaign that targeted games as being bad for your health in the first place.
The upshot of all this is that Nintendo can use the Change4Life logo in all its marketing for Wii Fit Plus, and maybe even on the product itself from next year. No doubt to the positive benefit of sales too – although there’s a tough target to beat, with the previous game already having sold 2.9 million copies in the UK alone.
But does Wii Fit Plus really deserve such a high profile endorsement? Don’t get us wrong – anything that encourages physical activity has got to be a good thing in these sedentary times. It’s just that the government dept’s support seems to have been bought rather than earned, and many users report a rather short-lived Wii Fit experience, abandoning good intentions and the prescribed exercise routines within weeks of purchase. That said, we did get a little out of breath putting the Balance Board back in its box and the box back in the loft etc.
So what do you think – is the government’s endorsement really justified? Moreover have you managed to stick with the Wii Fit program? If so, will you be jogging to the shops to buy the sequel this Friday?
Comment on this article
Please sign in to add your comments.
User comments
This is complete rubbish!! They should have thought more carefully of what they are actually doing. Would you really want your chubby kids playing on a wii or actually getting outside and playing proper sports or doing proper excercise! It may be an impovement from the games that you sit down to play but it is still a video game not excersise. I am a huge video game player and love my 360 but this is not on, the Govenment has a lot to answer with this one!
Posted by: rock0jest on Mon Oct 26 03:54PM | Report abuseI love my Wii Fit - had it for 4 weeks and have barely had a day where I haven't been on it. I have the Wii Fit Plus on pre-order!
Posted by: joanneh2000 on Mon Oct 26 04:02PM | Report abuseIf anyone has ever played the wii FIT, then they will know that it is really hard work. I am a regualr athlete and fitness instructor and when it is not possible to go to the gym or go outside the wii FIT is great. You trying doing hula hoops for 3 minutes without stopping and then going on to do Lunges and Yoga moves.
Posted by: football_suzie on Mon Oct 26 04:03PM | Report abuseWell i'm a complete convert. Having bought one last christmas bit my wife and I have been using it several times a week and we have both lost over 12kg each. While the Wii fit did not do this it did keep us focused.
Posted by: jeremy.r.hall on Mon Oct 26 04:06PM | Report abuseI think the Wii Fit deserves this kind of NHS recognition for being able to make people 'change for life' as I believe it really works, having seen the results on myself with the Wii Fit (and also Wii's other game 'My Fitness Coach') done regularly, along with a sensible diet. The reason some users abondon it is probably more to do with will power, and self control of their diet. If you don't 'make a commitment to yourself' (as Wii's 'My Fitness Coach' says in the introduction) to push yourself to return for exercise, and watch what you eat, then you will give up on the game (and most importantly, yourself). I haven't seen the new Wii Fit Plus but I think if it's anything like the first then it shall be splendid. With the nintendo Wii there's no excuse not to exercise, as all the usual excuses aren't applicable as it's in your home, plugged into the TV your watching and 'vegging out' with, not miles away in a gym with people staring at 'the unfit guy' trying to do something about it. It's completely private, and a system when done properly actually works. So much so that it brings it down to the real question of "what's stopping you now?"
Posted by: thkyawle on Mon Oct 26 04:06PM | Report abusei think its a great idea my partner plays the wii-fit every night as she thought she would try it to lose a little weight and since using it and other wii fitness games she has lost over 2 atone and nothing in the house has really changed she feels better in herself so yes we will be getting the next wii-fit plus
Posted by: shazza144 on Mon Oct 26 04:07PM | Report abuseIt will be short lived for most people because the people that buy them are usually the one's who would rather be sitting on their backsides anyway! We all know we should be more active and this is just another fad that justifies people in thinking they are doing something!
Posted by: honeyleigh143 on Mon Oct 26 04:08PM | Report abuseIn a time where given the choice any kid will sit down with a video game than go out and play, perhaps the endorsement of a video game that actually does promote excerise is not all too bad. I have the wii fit and the xbox 360 both are good consoles, but the wii is the one that makes me get up and boogy.
Posted by: hozeyh on Mon Oct 26 04:12PM | Report abuseI dont know about the indorsement is a good thing but what I do know is ive joined a gym 3 times over the last 4 years and all I lost was money ive used the wii fit for the last 4 months and dropped 2 stone so I think its great and I will be buying the extention pack for the orignal wii fit when it comes out on Friday
Posted by: sheldon129 on Mon Oct 26 04:13PM | Report abuseOnly this morning did I log up 20 hours on the Wii Fit. Have pre-ordered the Wii Fit plus. Try to use it every day but too easy to miss a day sometimes. Really enjoy it though.
Posted by: patmillers on Mon Oct 26 04:15PM | Report abuse