Print

Author Topic: Wii Fit: Brilliant idea or retarded gimmick?  (Read 13788 times)

Mario Maniac

  • Loose buttons
« on: June 27, 2008, 12:42:52 AM »
I've been reading the articles in which Satoru Iwata of Nintendo interviews his staff members on the various games they work on. The article on Wii Fit really sheds some light onto how hard the team worked on that project. When Shigeru Miyamoto originally pitched the idea to his team, many of them had no idea what he was talking about. "A game where you measure your weight" is what he told them; and they basically had to take that simple concept and create an entire game out of it.

So have any of you guys tried Wii Fit? What do you think?
People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don't like Nintendo obviously don't like video games.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #1 on: June 27, 2008, 09:48:58 AM »
I'm going to go with "brilliant gimmick" and "retarded idea".

I haven't bought it because actually exercising is free.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #2 on: June 27, 2008, 10:00:05 AM »
Well, people buy it for the same reason they go to exercise places... they don't have enough self control to keep on an exercise regimen by themselves, or they want some kind of external validation of their efforts.
That was a joke.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2008, 12:19:51 PM »
So three cheers for encouraging people to be lazy reward-grubbers!

Okay, I know it's not as bad as that, but I still think the whole thing is unnecessary.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #4 on: June 27, 2008, 12:43:46 PM »
I agree. It's a waste of money, and you just know people who buy it will just shove it in a closet a week afterwards.
every

« Reply #5 on: June 27, 2008, 05:17:43 PM »
Yeah, just like when all Wii owners threw Wii Sports into their cabinets after the first few weeks of the systems life.

OH WAIT....
As a game that requires six friends, an HDTV, and skill, I can see why the majority of TMK is going to hate on it hard.

« Reply #6 on: June 27, 2008, 05:50:22 PM »
I don't understand why everyone is hating the direction Nintendo takes in their games. WAH it's Apple white, WAH it can use Miis, WAH I'd rather use my GameCube controller, WAH, WAH, WAH. People are so preoccupied with maintaining a "hardcore pr0-gamer" image that they never give anything new or slightly "out there" a chance. The people who are complaining about Wii Fit are the ones who have never played it.

I agree. It's a waste of money, and you just know people who buy it will just shove it in a closet a week afterwards.
Ironically, these are the types of games that sell most. (Brain Age, Nintendogs...) Nonetheless, this happens to many games, I'm afraid. Like there are not some people here who have never touched a particular game since its purchase...

I haven't bought it because actually exercising is free.
This is the same as "Why buy a Wii when you can buy a racket and a tennis ball for $10? Or why get Brawl when you and a friend could fight each other for free? Or Mario Kart when you could actually drag race?" Know why you buy it? Because it's fun!

So three cheers for encouraging people to be lazy reward-grubbers!
...except it's a normal condition for humans to want signs of success for the things they do.

I own Wii Fit and I love it. I had been looking forward to it ever since E3 last year. I've had a lot of fun with it, and it's pretty addictive. I usually don't exercise (if you don't count half-hour walks almost every day) and my previous moments of working out were my worst and most miserable, and this game has convinced me to keep a healthy lifestyle. I myself am getting results from the Yoga and Strength Training exercises, and I love its selection of Balance games. Nintendo's goal to expand its audience is working; my sister bought a Wii just so she could play it herself.
« Last Edit: June 27, 2008, 09:20:43 PM by NintendoExpert89 »

« Reply #7 on: June 27, 2008, 10:06:28 PM »
Shouldn't this be in Video Game Chat?
Gently push a piece of the tube containing the intersection along the fourth dimension, out of the original three dimensional space.
- WIkipedia page on the Klein bottle

MEGAߥTE

  • In flames
« Reply #8 on: June 27, 2008, 10:07:40 PM »
Mario Maniac thinks he's too good to categorize his topics properly.

Suffix

  • Steamed
« Reply #9 on: June 27, 2008, 11:47:31 PM »
I only want to hear the thoughts of people who actually own the game. I can only say it's intriguing until somebody's actually used it.

Mario Maniac

  • Loose buttons
« Reply #10 on: June 28, 2008, 09:53:14 AM »
I don't understand why everyone is hating the direction Nintendo takes in their games. WAH it's Apple white, WAH it can use Miis, WAH I'd rather use my GameCube controller, WAH, WAH, WAH. People are so preoccupied with maintaining a "hardcore pr0-gamer" image that they never give anything new or slightly "out there" a chance. The people who are complaining about Wii Fit are the ones who have never played it.
Ironically, these are the types of games that sell most. (Brain Age, Nintendogs...) Nonetheless, this happens to many games, I'm afraid. Like there are not some people here who have never touched a particular game since its purchase...
This is the same as "Why buy a Wii when you can buy a racket and a tennis ball for $10? Or why get Brawl when you and a friend could fight each other for free? Or Mario Kart when you could actually drag race?" Know why you buy it? Because it's fun!
...except it's a normal condition for humans to want signs of success for the things they do.

I own Wii Fit and I love it. I had been looking forward to it ever since E3 last year. I've had a lot of fun with it, and it's pretty addictive. I usually don't exercise (if you don't count half-hour walks almost every day) and my previous moments of working out were my worst and most miserable, and this game has convinced me to keep a healthy lifestyle. I myself am getting results from the Yoga and Strength Training exercises, and I love its selection of Balance games. Nintendo's goal to expand its audience is working; my sister bought a Wii just so she could play it herself.
People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don't like Nintendo obviously don't like video games.

Mario Maniac

  • Loose buttons
« Reply #11 on: June 28, 2008, 10:04:01 AM »
to nintendoexpert89:
Thank you for sharing my point of view!

And to all the Wii Fit haters... How can you hate the game when it came from the mind of the legend himself, Shigeru Miyamoto?!
People who like video games should also like Nintendo. People who don't like Nintendo obviously don't like video games.

Luigison

  • Old Person™
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2008, 10:07:46 AM »
I own it and like it.  It's more intriguing than I thought it'd be, but there are several places I'd like to have seen more done.  Yoga is a lot harder than I had expected and push ups with side planks are killer.  I like the way the "game" unlocks stuff.  The running on the Island is fun and spotting SMB sprites is a cool addition.  I would have liked to have seen more than the same five SMB sprites scattered around.  It would have been nice for them to record the ones you've seen too.  They could have had you chase different characters instead of just your trainer and various dogs.  Some of the balance games are fun and I can see a lot that could be done in this area.  A WarioWare or Ski game might be interesting.  There's a ski game out already, but I've read that it's not spectacular. 

If you have any questions about Wii Fit let me know. 
“Evolution has shaped us with perceptions that allow us to survive. But part of that involves hiding from us the stuff we don’t need to know."

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #13 on: June 28, 2008, 12:10:23 PM »
So we're required to love Devil World too?
That was a joke.

CrossEyed7

  • i can make this whatever i want; you're not my dad
« Reply #14 on: June 28, 2008, 12:28:59 PM »
What, you don't like the devil?
"Oh man, I wish being a part of a Mario fan community was the most embarrassing thing about my life." - Super-Jesse

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #15 on: June 28, 2008, 12:38:25 PM »
I'm not meaning this from any sort of moral perspective, I'm talking about it's an old NES game that none of us know much about and like so many old NES games I wonder if it's actually fun.
That was a joke.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #16 on: June 28, 2008, 08:23:05 PM »
I don't understand why everyone is hating the direction Nintendo takes in their games. WAH it's Apple white, WAH it can use Miis, WAH I'd rather use my GameCube controller, WAH, WAH, WAH. People are so preoccupied with maintaining a "hardcore pr0-gamer" image that they never give anything new or slightly "out there" a chance.
I actually don't see anything wrong with the whole "white" thing, even if they copied it because they knew it was a great way to get the masses' attention. Heck, I like it! Dust and scratches are less visible!

This is the same as "Why buy a Wii when you can buy a racket and a tennis ball for $10? Or why get Brawl when you and a friend could fight each other for free? Or Mario Kart when you could actually drag race?" Know why you buy it? Because it's fun!
This is a statement I've been waiting for someone to make. Multiple times, as I may have mentioned before on another thread, I've "sat down with myself", so to speak, and asked myself a simple question related to something that's been irking me about Nintendo: "Why, exactly, does this annoy me? In the end, what do I want from a game?" When considering the issue currently at hand, it came to me: If it's feasible in "real life" (or at least reasonably priced), I haven't got much of an inclination to do it in a game. Throwing living explosives at a giant turtle in Smash Bros. games? Sign me up. Killing undead creatures and using magic in the Zelda series? Sure, why not? Heck, even living in a town full of bipedal animals in Animal Crossing is great. And, I don't like Nintendogs, but I can totally understand how someone who can't afford, either monetarily or psychologically, a dog would love it. And I respect that!

But doing sudoku and crosswords, stuff that costs five bucks, tops, if you buy it at the impulse rack at the supermarket? Budget titles based on French books and Japanese neurological thesis (and from Nintendo, who normally used to not make a whole lot of licensed games, no less)? Yoga? Buy it if you want, I won't stop you--I just can't get over the feeling that I'm slowly becoming part of a new demographic: The people who stopped playing games not because they got too complicated, but because they weren't. Pander to that audience, Big N!

And like I've said before, I've never considered myself hardcore--I just got re-labeled that because I like games that were made before the DS came out.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

« Reply #17 on: June 29, 2008, 05:32:51 AM »
I just can't get over the feeling that I'm slowly becoming part of a new demographic: The people who stopped playing games not because they got too complicated, but because they weren't.
Pssst, hey man. Over here. But keep it down.

Leave Nintendo! There's a whole hardcore world out there.
Now go away. People are starting to look.


Wii Play rules!!

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #18 on: June 29, 2008, 06:24:48 AM »
Wii Play is a collection of tiny nongames that are entertaining for a total of five minutes, designed to dupe the average consumer into buying a fake "game" with their new Wii remote, and has led to the Wii's stereotype as a system to put crappy shovelware minigame collections!!

Fixed.
every

« Reply #19 on: June 29, 2008, 08:16:04 AM »
Hey. Unlike most mini game collections, it is worth the $10. I've played it for hours on end.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #20 on: June 29, 2008, 08:34:28 AM »
That would never have sold as much if it didn't come with a remote. I mean, God, isn't it the best-selling game on the Wii? Oh, and I think "Tanks"--and maybe "Air Hockey"--are the only things I've voluntarily replayed.

Leave Nintendo! There's a whole hardcore world out there.
Not at the rate that the industry is copying them.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #21 on: June 29, 2008, 08:44:24 AM »
I think it's funny how software sales apply selectively to games. Halo 3 sold a fajillion copies? Whatever, game sales don't dictate quality. Wii Play sold a fajillion copies? That's because it's teh best game evar!!

Consumer logic goes like this:

Useful product by itself for X monies - Maybe I'll buy it
Useful product bundled with extra, useless crap for X monies plus 10 monies  - Must buy! I'm getting more stuff, right?

That's why Wii Fit is selling so well.
every

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #22 on: June 29, 2008, 10:52:00 AM »
Did you even understand Lizard Dude's post?
That was a joke.

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #23 on: June 29, 2008, 11:12:59 AM »
Perhaps not.
every

Luigison

  • Old Person™
« Reply #24 on: June 29, 2008, 11:37:08 AM »
I bought Wii Play for the extra controller.  I bought the Wii Zapper for Link's Crossbow Training.  Both are better with Nyko's Perfect Shot.
“Evolution has shaped us with perceptions that allow us to survive. But part of that involves hiding from us the stuff we don’t need to know."

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #25 on: June 29, 2008, 01:58:49 PM »
ShadowBrain, what exactly do you want? A new Mario platformer? We only ever get one of those per console. A Zelda game? Supposedly one is on its way, but even if not, we did get Twilight Princess. A new addition to the grand Super Smash Bros. series? Wake up. A new Mario sidescroller packed with references to old games that your grandfather hasn't played? Super Paper Mario. A new Metroid Prime? That's Metroid Prime 3. Kirby? He seems to prefer hanging out on the DS, and there's plenty of him there. An F-Zero with an improved version of the Garage Mode featured in GX and Wi-Fi? Me too!

But hey, I don't even have any non-big-name games of the Wii. I'm just a jobless teenager. What I'm saying is, we're getting all the traditional stuff in just about the same quantity with the same quality as expected. Nintendo is just advertising the new things like Wii Fit more because they don't have to advertise Brawl. One trailer and it captures the hearts and money of millions.

Yet, you still go on and on about how Nintendo "caters" to casual gamers. You go on about games you don't like, but never say anything about what you do want.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

« Reply #26 on: June 29, 2008, 05:58:00 PM »
There may be a Kirby game in development for the Wii. Looks like it was planned for Gamecube, but befell the same fate as Super Paper Mario.

Also, I think there'll be at least one new Pokemon game out for the Wii, and Animal Crossing seems quite likely as well. New Wario Land is set to come out, and I can't see Wii without a Star Fox game. So, I guess there could still be more to come.

(And Sonic Unleashed too if you want to count that, though I'm sure if you do there'll be a lot more I've missed)
If my son could decimate Lego cities with his genitals, I'd be [darn] proud.

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #27 on: June 30, 2008, 10:31:14 AM »
ShadowBrain, what exactly do you want? A new Mario platformer? We only ever get one of those per console. A Zelda game? Supposedly one is on its way, but even if not, we did get Twilight Princess. A new addition to the grand Super Smash Bros. series? Wake up. A new Mario sidescroller packed with references to old games that your grandfather hasn't played? Super Paper Mario. A new Metroid Prime? That's Metroid Prime 3. Kirby? He seems to prefer hanging out on the DS, and there's plenty of him there. An F-Zero with an improved version of the Garage Mode featured in GX and Wi-Fi? Me too!

Okay, most of that was a crappy argument. Just because Nintendo is lazy and doesn't make a "real" Mario or Zelda game until a new console comes out isn't a legitimate reason for saying those aren't reasonable requests.

"I want an iPod."
"Well too bad! You haven't gotten one in five years! You never will! What a dumb thing to want!"
every

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #28 on: June 30, 2008, 10:32:46 AM »
How the heck does wanting an iPod compare to wanting multiple 5-year development projects of the same old games over a 6-year console lifespan?
That was a joke.

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #29 on: June 30, 2008, 01:56:06 PM »
I'm not saying I wouldn't like another Zelda game or another Mario platformer. I'm saying we're getting the traditional stuff at the same rate as usual. My GameCube and Wii collections look fairly similar, and could look even more so. No one's forcing me to buy anything I don't want to play.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

Glorb

  • Banned
« Reply #30 on: June 30, 2008, 02:06:19 PM »
How the heck does wanting an iPod compare to wanting multiple 5-year development projects of the same old games over a 6-year console lifespan?

Okay then,

"I want a new game in this series that hasn't gotten a new game in five years."
"Well too bad! You haven't gotten one in five years! You never will! What a dumb thing to want!"

It's the same principle.
every

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #31 on: June 30, 2008, 02:48:05 PM »
Do you even read the posts that you reply to?
That was a joke.

« Reply #32 on: June 30, 2008, 08:58:13 PM »
"I want a new game in this series that hasn't gotten a new game in five years."
"Well too bad! You haven't gotten one in five years! You never will! What a dumb thing to want!"
The only "principle" that compares to is "I'm tired with this one. I want a new one, NOW!"
It's better to keep us waiting, so the experience feels fresh every time. Mario Party came out like every year and people got sick of it fast.

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #33 on: June 30, 2008, 09:53:28 PM »
Well also Mario Party games aren't actually good.
That was a joke.

« Reply #34 on: June 30, 2008, 10:07:27 PM »
Well yeah, the consistent releases each year left little room for innovation, making them not good. A Mario Party once every few years would be better, as new ideas can be tried out before another is thrown onto the shelves. Which is why Mario and Zelda are released on such periods: a stretch of time gives more opportunity for innovation.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #35 on: June 30, 2008, 11:44:53 PM »
As may be apparent, I have about three or four individual, yet related, beefs with certain turns Nintendo has taken. However, to address the debate at hand, I'll respond to a paraphrase by Satoru Iwata: "Sometimes you don't want an elaborate banquet, but a simple bowl of rice and soup." Yes, but when I'm only eating twice a month and my meals cost $40, they better all be banquets.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

« Reply #36 on: July 01, 2008, 12:30:48 AM »
Well different kind of work outs have different effects. Nintendo must have wanted to make it so there was a work out that made you look like this after 6 months...








One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #37 on: July 01, 2008, 12:36:23 AM »
Yes, but when I'm only eating twice a month and my meals cost $40, they better all be banquets.
So what you're saying is, you DEMAND that Nintendo puts out a game like Brawl or Galaxy every two weeks.

'S just not the way it works.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

Forest Guy

  • Anything else?
« Reply #38 on: July 01, 2008, 02:06:43 AM »
Wii Fit is cool. I have abs after using it for a month. Only problem is when I am too busy to play for a few days, the Wii Balance Board makes me feel bad. He's like "Oh! Erik! It's been a long while! If you don't play with me everyday, you're going to get fat and die! Never step off of me, ever again or else."

Note: Exaggeration added for effect.
= = = = = = =
Agender, curry fan, Top 10 lister, indie dev, gym hitter, musician, et al.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #39 on: July 01, 2008, 08:04:45 AM »
So what you're saying is, you DEMAND that Nintendo puts out a game like Brawl or Galaxy every two weeks.
No.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

goodie

  • Nike and Reebok
« Reply #40 on: July 01, 2008, 10:26:16 AM »
They ought to put out at least 2 or 3 Mario platformers per console, like in the NES days.
576f726c6420392069732061207365637265742e

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #41 on: July 01, 2008, 10:43:45 AM »
It just so happens that SMB1, 2, and 3 combined are in fact shorter than one of the modern Mario platformers.
That was a joke.

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #42 on: July 01, 2008, 01:05:26 PM »
...And more challenging.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

Luigison

  • Old Person™
« Reply #43 on: July 01, 2008, 01:25:42 PM »
I'd like to see some SMB type and length games on WiiWare.  Maybe Mega Man 9 will spark a revival.  SMB3 definitely deserves the retro treatment. 
“Evolution has shaped us with perceptions that allow us to survive. But part of that involves hiding from us the stuff we don’t need to know."

« Reply #44 on: July 01, 2008, 01:45:19 PM »
No.
He's saying that every game released has to be good enough for its worth of $50. True. But he's also saying that he wants a new game every two weeks, which means he's never satisfied with what he has.

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #45 on: July 01, 2008, 02:12:58 PM »
...And more challenging.
I wouldn't say so, no.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

CrossEyed7

  • i can make this whatever i want; you're not my dad
« Reply #46 on: July 01, 2008, 02:22:13 PM »
I would. I got 120 stars in Galaxy in about a month, but haven't been able to beat the final castle in SMB3 in years, even on the ridiculously easified SMA4 version. And I don't think I've ever gotten to World 8 in SMB1 without savestates.
"Oh man, I wish being a part of a Mario fan community was the most embarrassing thing about my life." - Super-Jesse

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #47 on: July 01, 2008, 02:30:20 PM »
Well, shoot, SMB takes me less than an hour (without warping). The only level in SMB3 that stands out to me is that fortress in the dark part of World 8 with the conveyor belts and all those doors, and that's where Jugem's Cloud comes in. I've never beaten NES SMB3, but I could if I didn't lose interest and quit. SMB2 is different, and it's just the worst. I don't know why but I've never been any good at either SMB2. But SMB, SMB3 and SMW are just... they're nothing.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

ShadowBrain

  • Ridiculously relevant
« Reply #48 on: July 01, 2008, 03:25:42 PM »
He's saying that every game released has to be good enough for its worth of $50. True. But he's also saying that he wants a new game every two weeks, which means he's never satisfied with what he has.
Close. What I'm really saying--I suppose I should rephrase myself here--is that Nintendo averages about one or two games published/released a month, if not every other. That being said, I'm not asking for everything they release on the aforementioned schedule to be Game of the Year material--heck, half the games I bought for the GCN were decidely mediocre, but I bought 'em because they were... well, because they were Nintendo (to be honest, I think a lot of my "Nintendo angst" is because I started becoming more "gaming mature", which is to say more discerning in my purchases and better at games--right at the same time as their "revolution"). For the most part,until the DS/Wii era, Nintendo just made games. Not "casual" and "core" and "everybody" games, just games. If one game was easier/"family"-er than the next, it was on a title-by-title basis.

I know I hardly ever come across the way I mean to, so if anyone has anything they want clarified about my stances on issues like this, please ask.
"Mario is your oyster." ~The Chef

BP

  • Beside Pacific
« Reply #49 on: July 01, 2008, 03:55:55 PM »
Everyone else still does. And last generation Nintendo didn't do so well compared to the competition. I don't know, they're making plenty of money off of people unlike me, I'm still getting plenty of games I like, no one's making me buy the games I don't, and the old classics will be around forever.
All your dreeeeeeams begiiin to shatterrrrrr~
It's YOUR problem!

goodie

  • Nike and Reebok
« Reply #50 on: July 01, 2008, 07:19:21 PM »
It just so happens that SMB1, 2, and 3 combined are in fact shorter than one of the modern Mario platformers.
Even so, one platformer per console isn't enough.

Pretty much all I play are platformers, and I hate having to wait five years between games.
576f726c6420392069732061207365637265742e

« Reply #51 on: July 01, 2008, 07:31:29 PM »
I want to see new IPs. As fun and comfortable as Pokemon and Mario are, I'd like to see something new by Nintendo, like how they introduced Pikmin, Chibi Robo, Baten Kaitos, Advance Wars and Golden Sun last generation.

So far the only new IPs they've brought out are the Wii ___ series and some edutainment titles. I'm still waiting to see the fate of Disaster and Sadness, who hopefully don't go the way of H.A.M.M.E.R.
As a game that requires six friends, an HDTV, and skill, I can see why the majority of TMK is going to hate on it hard.

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #52 on: July 01, 2008, 09:13:25 PM »
Chibi Robo, Baten Kaitos, and Golden Sun weren't made by Nintendo. They were just published by Nintendo.
That was a joke.

Forest Guy

  • Anything else?
« Reply #53 on: July 01, 2008, 10:16:59 PM »
I would. I got 120 stars in Galaxy in about a month, but haven't been able to beat the final castle in SMB3 in years, even on the ridiculously easified SMA4 version. And I don't think I've ever gotten to World 8 in SMB1 without savestates.
No offense, but that's really not thard hard to do. My 6 year old niece has beaten all three of the original Super Mario games on her Wii.
= = = = = = =
Agender, curry fan, Top 10 lister, indie dev, gym hitter, musician, et al.

Chupperson Weird

  • Not interested.
« Reply #54 on: July 01, 2008, 10:31:06 PM »
I never got good at SMB3 world 8, myself.
That was a joke.

Print