.png)
[pro-player width='530' height='253' type='video']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIa357zToww&feature=player_embedded#at=39[/pro-player]
Hands up if you think the Nintendo Wii has become an exergame console? I actually remember the first fitness game that I played on the Wii and that was some time ago. It seems that every couple of months, there” onclick=”javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackEvent','outbound-article','http://www.youtube.com']);”s a new exergame for the Wii. Now there is Zumba Fitness, which I’ve actually done without the console and I really enjoyed it. But it kinda bugs me that the Wii appears to be getting groomed for fitness games. Is there anything wrong with this? Well, if I was a Nintendo fan or a big fan of the Wii itself, I might have concerns about it. As I hardly use the Wii these days, I can only offer my opinion. But imagine if your Xbox 360 suddenly had an influx of exergames released to the point where exergames were taking over. I bet alot of gamers would be concerned.
You might ponder this briefly and think, “But who really cares about the Wii?” You’d be surprised at how many people actually use the Wii these days. I admit, I was one of those gamers who thought the Wii was going to be a passing fad and that the games that were being made for it were really just part of one big gimmick. I never considered the Wii as a real ‘gamer’s console. But now I see the potential that it has for many people who aren’t necessarily gamers. Every day, people from all over can hook up their Wii console and do something positive.
Alot of console gamer’s probably don’t consider the Wii as a ‘real’ console and all of these exergames that are being released only enforce that mindset. But let’s look at it another way – if exergames weren’t being made for the Wii, that potential reach and appeal that the console has would be lost and all those ‘non-gamers’ or ‘casual’ gamers would be doing something else with their time and their money. I’ve always been told that the ‘hardcore’ gaming audience is really only a fraction of the market and that the real money lies in the (mostly untapped), ‘casual’ gaming market. Which again, probably doesn’t matter to other gamers but it’s a point worth considering. In my opinion, it’s a powerful thing to have ‘non-gamers’ saying nice things about a game, even if it is an exergame. Lifting the profile of gaming to a broader audience can only be good, right?
So, before we go writing off the exergames and the people who use them, we should consider the bigger picture. You might be of the point of view that ‘real’ gamers play shooters and MMOs and play on PCs, Xbox 360′s and PS3′s. Would we exclude all those thousands of people out there using the Wii every day just because it isn’t a shooter they’re playing? Many still do and will continue to think this way. I used to. But I am thinking a little differently about it now. I think if you play a game for any period of time and you enjoy what you’re doing, you have the right to call yourself a ‘gamer.’ I welcome my new ‘exergaming’ brothers and sisters to the fold and hope with all my heart, that you enjoy your stay.
Clip: EBgames
