Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Obesity experts frown on Wii Fit's fatty-labeling, Nintendo apologizeshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/obesity-experts-frown-on-wii-fits-fatty-labeling-nintendo-apol/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/obesity-experts-frown-on-wii-fits-fatty-labeling-nintendo-apol/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/17/obesity-experts-frown-on-wii-fits-fatty-labeling-nintendo-apol/#commentsFiled under: ,


Video games can occasionally be the source of some pretty disheartening self-realizations -- like the time Rock Band revealed that you've been lied to your entire life about your angelic singing voice, or when Vampire Rain made you realize that you have incredibly poor taste in video games. However, something tells us these revelations are a bit less heartbreaking than those about to be unleashed by Nintendo's latest best-seller, Wii Fit -- especially when the heart in question is the fragile, butter-soaked heart of an overweight child.

Or an average-weighted child, for that matter. You see, Wii Fit measures the user's Body Mass Index (BMI), a weight/height ratio commonly calculated by physicians, though the use of BMI measurements in children is criticized by many dietitians for its frequent inaccuracy. Nintendo recently issued an apology following an incident involving the hurtful labeling of a "solidly built" 10-year-old girl. So, it's like an electronic, $90 version of our fifth-grade gym teacher? We're sold!

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]]>apologybmibodymassindexfatnintendooverweightweightwiiwii fitwii-fitWiiFitGriffin McElroy2008-05-17T13:45:00+00:00Walmart pushing Wii Fit pre-order for Mother's Dayhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/walmart-pushing-wii-fit-pre-order-for-mothers-day/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/walmart-pushing-wii-fit-pre-order-for-mothers-day/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/02/walmart-pushing-wii-fit-pre-order-for-mothers-day/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Wal-Mart is saying straight-up that mom could stand to lose a few pounds. Reuters reports that the mega-retailer's online division is pushing pre-orders of Wii Fit as a Mother's Day gift. Wii Fit doesn't release until May 19 in North America, but those who order the pressure-sensitive sweat-board before Mother's Day (May 11) will receive a $10 online gift card to use at Walmart.com in the future.

Kelly Thompson, Walmart.com's chief merchant, says the initial sales have been "extremely strong." Due to the fact that the system doesn't come out until a week after the holiday, Thompson recommends giving the $10 online gift card as a present. That's a great idea! We can see it now: "Hey mom, the passive-aggressive gift telling you that you're a fatty mcfat doesn't come for another week. Oh, in the meantime, here's a $10 gift card to Walmart.com." Somehow a nice brunch and flowers sounds like a better option.

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]]>mothers-daymothers-day-giftmothers-day-giftswal-martwalmartwii-fitwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2008-05-02T10:30:00+00:00Don't sweat Nintendo, Wii Fit rules UK sales chartshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/dont-sweat-nintendo-wii-fit-rules-uk-sales-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/dont-sweat-nintendo-wii-fit-rules-uk-sales-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/28/dont-sweat-nintendo-wii-fit-rules-uk-sales-charts/#commentsFiled under: ,


The UK's Chart-Track has told GI.biz that Wii Fit debuted atop the sales charts with 16.3 million in sales. Some basic mathimicating tells us that means some 232,890 units were sold and Chart-Track estimates that 1 in 10 UK Wii console owners purchased the board.

The sales eclipsed the record-breaking launch of Mario Kart Wii, which saw a 62% drop in sales but still managed to stay in second place on the sales chart. In terms of money, the Wii Fit launch is the third biggest in UK history, behind GTA: San Andreas and Halo 3 (in fairness, it is £70, instead of £45 or less like many games). We can only imagine how the exercise system did in the rest of Europe ... or how it'll do next month in the glorious land of fat: America.

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]]>chart-tracksalesukwii-fitwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-28T15:15:00+00:00Separated at birth: Wii Fit Balance Board and Aperture Science turrethttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/separated-at-birth-wii-fit-balance-board-and-aperture-science-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/separated-at-birth-wii-fit-balance-board-and-aperture-science-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/separated-at-birth-wii-fit-balance-board-and-aperture-science-t/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Is Nintendo an ancestor of Aperture Science? A dummy corporation? We recently recorded the North American voice of the Wii Fit Balance Board, and it bears an uncanny resemblance to Portal's happy little turrets. Even the hierarchy of henchmen follows Portal. Aperture science has GLaDOS, and Wii Fit has a male- or female-voiced personal trainer.

Yes, there are still a few differences. The Balance Board voice -- and we presume nefarious AI -- comes through the Wii and out a TV, while the turrets are all self-contained. Plus the balance board might not be trying to kill us. The verdict is still uncertain, but be warned.

Aperture Science turret


Wii Fit Balance Board

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]]>aperture-sciencebalance-boardgladosnintendoportalvoicewii-fitwiifitZack Stern2008-04-16T06:55:00+00:00Pachter: Wii Fit could keep Wii shortage goinghttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/pachter-wii-fit-could-keep-wii-shortage-going/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/pachter-wii-fit-could-keep-wii-shortage-going/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/16/pachter-wii-fit-could-keep-wii-shortage-going/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pacter states that after attending a recent Nintendo event that he now believes in the sales power of Wii Fit. He thinks Nintendo's fun for the fatties system could "cause a new boom in demand for the Wii." Adding that Nintendo's marketing campaign will aim directly at casual players and make the already scarce system even more difficult to find.


Pachter retains a "Buy" rating for Nintendo's stock and maintains the company's profit guidance is conservative. He believes Nintendo's momentum isn't stopping anytime soon. Wii Fit is available in North America beginning May 19 for $90.

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]]>casualpachtersupplywii-fitwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2008-04-16T06:00:00+00:00Joystiq impressions: Wii Fit mini-gameshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/joystiq-impressions-wii-fit-mini-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/joystiq-impressions-wii-fit-mini-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/04/15/joystiq-impressions-wii-fit-mini-games/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


Sure, Wii Fit is about health and lifestyle, but I'm looking forward to the games; I sampled some of the lesser-known modes at the recent Nintendo Media Summit. We've already played with the hula-hoop, soccer, ski-jump, and other basics, so I jumped straight to tightrope walking, floating in a bubble, and other later unlockables. But first, I warmed up with jogging.

Gallery: Wii Fit


  • Jogging: One or two players can jog together by stepping off the balance board and sticking a Wiimote in a pocket. I trotted in place while my Mii avatar ran through a sparkling park. Easter eggs and strange events amused me, such as a pack of dogs running straight at -- and past -- me and a hidden, 8-bit Mario graffiti tag. But I decided to phone it in later, shaking the Remote like I was playing Samba. The Nintendo representative and a few onlookers scolded me, but I raced on.
  • Tightrope walking: On the balance board, I lifted alternate feet, like I was walking ahead. But I had to keep my weight centered the whole time, otherwise the Mii would tip off the high wire. I was supposed to jump over a chomping bear-trap near the end of the path by crouching and extending my legs. (The motion is similar to the ski jumping game.) But I was off-center before I tried the hop, and just launched myself sideways off the narrow path.
  • Bubble in a river: My Mii was trapped in a bubble, and I steered down a narrow, winding river with my leaning. If I grazed the edge of the riverbank, the bubble popped, and I lost. This mode works like a Super Monkey Ball variant. Speaking of which, hey, Sega, how about a Balance Board-tuned version of that game?
  • Penguin-eats-fish: With my Mii donning a penguin suit, I stood on a teetering iceberg. From a side view, the platform tilted only left and right with my movements, sending my Mii to those edges. Fish flopped up onto the floe, and I slid in their direction, catching them for points. If I fell off, I automatically hopped back on. And I tried to fling myself up in the air, like tossing ingredients in a skillet, to grab giant fish.
  • Snowboarding: I tried slalom skiing first and later rotated the balance board 90° for the snowboard simulation. I shifted my weight downhill to speed up, back to slow down. I bobbed up and down like a drinking bird to steer, and the process was challenging but worked well.
I enjoyed these games, but I also recognized that these activities will get repetitive. Wii Fit will be a new kind of toy-and-trainer once it washes arrives in America May 19, Europe April 25, and Australia May 8. We'll see if the game lasts longer than that Nordic Track you use to hang clothes.

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]]>mini-gameminigamenintendo-media-summi...nintendo-media-summit-08wii-fitwiifitZack Stern2008-04-15T09:00:00+00:00Sega's Yakuza 3 tops Japanese sales chartshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/segas-yakuza-3-tops-japanese-sales-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/segas-yakuza-3-tops-japanese-sales-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/13/segas-yakuza-3-tops-japanese-sales-charts/#commentsFiled under: ,

While the game's setting has been flung back to the 17th century, Sega's latest Yakuza title has successfully found a place on a modern console, with the PlayStation 3 saga hitting the top position in the Japanese software sales charts last week. Gamasutra notes that Ryu ga Gotoku Kenzan! (Yakuza 3) sold approximately 181,000 copies during its debut, both in and outside of a special PlayStation 3 bundle.

Those not entranced by old-fashioned violence ensured a second place spot for Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which shifted about 50,000 copies in its fifth week on sale. Fellow Wii title Wii Fit rounded out the top three, despite its documented opposition to all things round. Other Wii newcomers to the top ten were Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in fifth place and Minna no Joushiki Ryoku TV in tenth. The latter translates to "Everybody's General Knowledge Training TV," which either imparts useful trivia or advice on how to survive one of those insane Japanese game shows.

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]]>JapanMetroid-Prime-3MetroidPrime3Ryu-Ga-Gotoku-KenzanSegaWii-FitWiiFitYakuzaYakuza-3Ludwig Kietzmann2008-03-13T20:15:00+00:00Wii Fit makes Australia sweat May 8http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/wii-fit-makes-australia-sweat-may-8/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/wii-fit-makes-australia-sweat-may-8/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/11/wii-fit-makes-australia-sweat-may-8/#commentsFiled under: ,


Another continent getting Wii Fit before the US? Oh, the irony. Gamespot reports Wii Fit will help Australians through their winter doldrums beginning May 8 at the suggested price of $150 Australian ($140 USD, €91). The Aussie retail Wii Fit includes the same peripherals and software as other regions.

Wii Fit has already sold over a million units in Japan and is ready to feel the burn in Europe beginning April 25 for £69.99 in the UK, and €89.99 for everyone else. The US has a scheduled release of May 19, but no price has been set.

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]]>australiawii-fitwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2008-03-11T11:00:00+00:00Euro retailer Game expects greater profits thanks to 'buoyant' markethttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/euro-retailer-game-expects-greater-profits-thanks-to-buoyant-m/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/euro-retailer-game-expects-greater-profits-thanks-to-buoyant-m/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/03/03/euro-retailer-game-expects-greater-profits-thanks-to-buoyant-m/#commentsFiled under: ,


Things continue to look rosy for UK-based mega-retailer Game Group, as the company today announced that it raised its profit expectations for the year from £73 ($145 million) to £74 million ($147 million). Says the financial gurus at Bloomberg, the chain has much thanks to lay at the feet of Nintendo and its platforms' appeal to "women and older customers" for the elevated expectations.

The group's like-for-like sales for the fifty weeks leading to January 12 were up around 43 percent while the company expects further growth of around 5 to 10 percent in the current year, driven by a "buoyant" video game market. Preliminary financial results are expected to drop on April 29, though given thin competition and what Game calls "a strong pipeline of innovative software," including such titles as Nintendo's Wii Fit and Mario Kart, as well as Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV, we expect those calling the shots for the retailer to remain swimming in the deep end of the money pool for a good while longer.

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]]>europegamegame-groupgamegroupgta-ivgtaivmario-kartmariokartwii-fitwiifitJason Dobson2008-03-03T12:30:00+00:00Wii Fit priced for Europehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/wii-fit-priced-for-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/wii-fit-priced-for-europe/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/27/wii-fit-priced-for-europe/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Europe found out today how much Wii Fit will cost them when it releases on April 25 -- as we continue to bathe in the irony that the Europeans will get an exercise tool a month before the US. The UK will have a Wii Fit membership fee of £69.99, while the rest of Europe pays €89.99.

The conversion of those prices to USD ends up being around $130, but Europeans are used to paying more for their games, and although Nintendo has yet to set price for the US, it did say that it would be under $100. So, $99.99?

[Via Wii Fanboy]

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]]>europenintendowii-fitwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2008-02-27T12:30:00+00:00Nintendo: Wii Fit steps into US May 19, WiiWare launches May 12http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/wsj-wii-fit-steps-into-us-may-19-wii-ware-launches-may-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/wsj-wii-fit-steps-into-us-may-19-wii-ware-launches-may-12/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/20/wsj-wii-fit-steps-into-us-may-19-wii-ware-launches-may-12/#commentsFiled under: ,


Update: Nintendo has confirmed these dates with a press release.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Nintendo's highly anticipated and equally exhausting balancercise board and game, Wii Fit, will arrive arrive beneath American feet on May 19th. The exercise program and peripheral, a result of designer Shigeru Miyamoto's habitual monitoring of his own weight, has sold over a million units in Japan following its launch in December.

The article, which predicts an official announcement from Nintendo later today (see update above), also pins the launch of the WiiWare service to May 12th. WiiWare will be a new download service offering smaller, independent games from developers such as Steel Penny Games and doublesix.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

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]]>BreakingNewsWii-FitWiiFitWiiWareLudwig Kietzmann2008-02-20T08:00:00+00:00Nintendo's Miyamoto, Iwata discuss Wii Fit originshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/nintendos-miyamoto-iwata-discuss-wii-fit-origins/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/nintendos-miyamoto-iwata-discuss-wii-fit-origins/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/11/nintendos-miyamoto-iwata-discuss-wii-fit-origins/#commentsFiled under: ,


In the latest edition of "Iwata Asks," a series of articles in which Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata interviews colleagues about their recent work, Shigeru Miyamoto finds himself discussing the origins of Wii Fit. Much like Pikmin and Nintendogs before it, the popular balancercise board has its roots in Miyamoto's everyday life. After a hectic work schedule heaped pressure and extra pounds onto the renowned designer's body, he swapped smoking for swimming and steadily grew more conscious of his body and his weight.

Next came a special diet which required frequent measurement and recording of body weight. "Personally, I quite enjoy doing things that become habitual, as if it was daily routine work," explains Miyamoto. "I put the scale and graph paper in the bathroom, and after continuing the pattern for a month, it became like a ritual before getting into the bath. I wasn't able to relax without doing it!" Transforming the habitual measurement into something fun was the next step, one that preceded months of prototyping and "upending the tea table" -- a reference to Miyamoto's tendency to make last-minute decisions and cause a panic right before a deadline.

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]]>IwataMiyamotoSatoru-IwataShigeru-MiyamotoWii-FitWiiFitLudwig Kietzmann2008-02-11T22:25:00+00:00Wii Fit #1 seller in Japan for last four weekshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/wii-fit-1-in-japan-for-last-four-weeks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/wii-fit-1-in-japan-for-last-four-weeks/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/02/01/wii-fit-1-in-japan-for-last-four-weeks/#commentsFiled under: ,


There's just something about a pressure-sensitive balance board that's turning the Japanese on. Nintendo's Wii Fit game exercise device balancercise board has stayed at the top of the Japanese sales chart for the last four weeks and sold 1,283,000 units since Dec. 1. The device that made gameplay out of a scale reached the million mark in the middle of last month and looks to keep stepping its way to the top spot for a bit.

With Miyamoto saying Wii Fit isn't just a one trick pony, there'll hopefully be some software announcements following its US premiere. We're sure the mainstream media already has its prerequisite old folks home and "Wii Fit helping obese children" stories all planned out.

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]]>saleswii-fitwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2008-02-01T13:00:00+00:00Wii Balance Board might not be one-trick ponyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/31/wii-balance-board-might-not-be-one-trick-pony/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/31/wii-balance-board-might-not-be-one-trick-pony/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/31/wii-balance-board-might-not-be-one-trick-pony/#commentsFiled under: , ,


With still no European or exact US release date to speak of, Wii Fit and its accompanying Wii Balance Board have been somewhat forgotten outside of Japan, where sales have been brisk. Nintendo, however, has certainly not neglected its pressure-sensitive peripheral, with tentative plans to take advantage of the Balance Board in future releases.

In a recent Famitsu magazine interview, Shigeru Miyamoto admitted that Nintendo may consider developing future software titles that use the Wii Balance Board, depending on how well the Wii Fit package performs overseas. Today, Namco Bandai is releasing Family Ski in Japan, which includes an option to play using the Balance Board. If Nintendo were to go ahead and continue developing for the Balance Board, would we be seeing more fitness titles, sports titles, or perhaps something else altogether?

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]]>balance-boardbalanceboardnintendoshigeru-miyamotoshigerumiyamotowii-balance-boardwii-fitwiifitScott Jon Siegel2008-01-31T10:00:00+00:00Campaigner calls Wii exercise in schools 'another gimmick'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/campaigner-calls-wii-exercise-in-schools-another-gimmick/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/campaigner-calls-wii-exercise-in-schools-another-gimmick/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/28/campaigner-calls-wii-exercise-in-schools-another-gimmick/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It seems the school is still the eminent source of name calling, as the Wii, which has managed to shrug off all the "little fad" comments thus far, has been subjected to yet another "another gimmick" label. This time, however, it's in relation to the UK Department of Health's endorsement of an in-school "active" games scheme designed by the Droitwich and Worcester City School Sport Partnership. Nick Seaton, chairman of the Campaign for Real Education, was unconvinced by the program's weight-loss merits, saying, "Pupils would be far better doing serious competitive sports and games than this sort of thing."

Channel 4 reports that this sort of thing has already been implemented in five schools in Worcestershire as "virtual PE," with the hopes that active gaming would lure children to participate in other physical exercise. Seaton, however, believes it "looks like another gimmick," one that's "pandering to the views of the physically idle." The Department of Health argued that the Wii makes for a good "first step" towards other forms of exercise, though failed to mention the benefits of the many, many steps required to excel in the physical strenuous Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party.

Mind you, the embarrassing view of the physical idol in school would likely result in even more nasty name calling.

[Via GamesIndustry.biz]

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]]>ExerciseWii-FitWii-SportsWiiFitWiiSportsLudwig Kietzmann2008-01-28T12:00:00+00:00Wii Fit feels the burn, sells 1 million in Japanhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/wii-fit-feels-the-burn-sells-1-million-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/wii-fit-feels-the-burn-sells-1-million-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/01/09/wii-fit-feels-the-burn-sells-1-million-in-japan/#commentsFiled under: ,

wii fit
The Wii Fit exercise machine pressure pad has sold one million units in Japan since its Dec. 1 release. And just like the millions of gym memberships left hanging each year, we have to wonder just how many of these things have actually inspired weight loss.

Wii Fit still doesn't have a US or European release date yet (we're guessing Nintendo has to figure out how to support more than 300 lbs. first), but given Wii's broad demographic, once westernized, Wii Fit could easily become the system's must-have impulse buy - and the first 'game' to actually give us guilt trips.

[Via MCV]

Gallery: Wii Fit



Read - Nikkei Net (subscription required)

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]]>saleswii-fitwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2008-01-09T11:30:00+00:00British Medical Journal study: Wii Sports doesn't replace exercisehttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/british-medical-study-wii-doesnt-replace-exercise/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/british-medical-study-wii-doesnt-replace-exercise/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/21/british-medical-study-wii-doesnt-replace-exercise/#commentsFiled under: ,


A British Medical Journal study finds UK gamers playing Wii only used 2% more energy than gamers of other consoles. Obviously the UK study needed the US version of WiiFit with Jackie Warner, she'll push them from 2% to 200% -- no crying. The BBC reports on the most "captain obvious" qualities of the report like "time spent in front of television and computer screens has been linked to physical inactivity and obesity." We'd like to point out that so has reading and eating.

The comprehensive study of -- wait, is this right? The comprehensive study of six boys and five girls between 13 and 15 years old found playing Wii Sports expended 60kcal per hour compared with other consoles. Two things we learn from this report: 1) Parents should tie a leash around their kid and stick 'em on a treadmill if they are too afraid to let them outside. 2) All the BBC reporters have left for holiday already and the interns have taken over the news division.

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]]>british-medical-journaljackie-warnerobesitywiiwiifitAlexander Sliwinski2007-12-21T19:55:00+00:00GT5 Prologue scores third place in Japanese chartshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/gt5-prologue-scores-third-place-in-japanese-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/gt5-prologue-scores-third-place-in-japanese-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/20/gt5-prologue-scores-third-place-in-japanese-charts/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


You know times have changed when the top three spots in Japan's software sales chart are no longer occupied by traditional fare, but rather a miasma of Mario mini-games, a balancercise board and a glorified automotive demo. Gamasutra runs down last week's top ten, highlighting Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo 5 Prologue which made its debut in third position with approximately 116,000 units sold. Professor Layton bully, Wii Fit, found itself parking off in second position with 124,000 units after having switched places with Mario Party DS and its 180,000 attendees.

Nintendo proved the overall wii-ner, with six first-party titles accounted for in the chart -- in fact, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue was the only game not to be found on the Wii or DS. The two systems are expected to enjoy continued good fortune in the hardware sales chart due for release tomorrow.

Gallery: Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

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]]>Gran-TurismoGran-Turismo-5GranTurismo5GT5Japanese-Software-SalesMario-Party-DSMarioPartyPolyphony-DigitalPolyphonyDigitalWii-FitWiiFitLudwig Kietzmann2007-12-20T15:55:00+00:00Make like Pelé with Wii Fit soccerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/16/make-like-pele-with-wii-fit-soccer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/16/make-like-pele-with-wii-fit-soccer/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/16/make-like-pele-with-wii-fit-soccer/#commentsFiled under: ,


Soccer is the world's most popular sport, and we can see why -- in what other sport do a line of hydrocephalitic kids take turns throwing balls, shoes, and panda heads at your dome piece? We're just happy that the soccer mini-game included in the Wii Fit bundle is faithful to the sport, panda head dodgery and all.

However, we are somewhat concerned about the terrible score of the player in this video -- is this another example of game previewers being bad at their own games? Or is the balance board not as accurate as some gameplay videos make it look? We'll just have to find out when the chubbiness informer comes stateside early next year.

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]]>NintendoNintendoWiiSoccerWii-FitWii-SoccerWiiFitGriffin McElroy2007-12-16T19:30:00+00:00Wii Fit step, step, steps its way atop Japanese chartshttp://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/wii-fit-step-step-steps-its-way-atop-japanese-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/wii-fit-step-step-steps-its-way-atop-japanese-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/12/13/wii-fit-step-step-steps-its-way-atop-japanese-charts/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Brawn has finally triumphed over its nerdy nemesis brain, with Nintendo's balancercise board bullying Professor Layton away from the top spot in the Japanese software sales chart. In its second week, Wii Fit sold 150,000 units at retail, making for a grand total of approximately 411,000. Less easy to calculate: the amount of damage Japanese exergamers have incurred while knocking things over in their teeny tiny apartments.

Another notable entry in last week's chart is Hironobu Sakaguchi's post-Final Fantasy Xbox 360 epic, Lost Odyssey. It debuted in seventh position with 55,000, a number pointed out by Gamasutra to be over 25,000 less than Blue Dragon's opening week last year. Though the JRPG still fared much better than most Xbox 360 games (what with it actually breaking into the top ten), even Assassin's Creed managed a modest 41,000 units during its first week.

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]]>Lost-OdysseyLostOdysseySakaguchiWii-FitWiiFitLudwig Kietzmann2007-12-13T14:30:00+00:00