"Family Ski, a ski and snowboarding game, will be officially supporting the Wii Fit Balance Board. The title is currently set for release in Japan this year with no plans to bring the title the US at this time. Wii Fit will also be releasing in Japan this year and is expect to come to the US in early 2008.

The Balance Board was announced at E3 2007 and was accompanied by Wii Fit and at this time the Nintendo developed title seems to be the only game set for release in the US to use the peripheral. Wii Fit is priced in Japan at approximately $75 and will be coming both to the US and Europe next year."

If Wii Fit is popular I think Nintendo should bundle it with the Wii rather than go for a price cut next year; potentially have a Wii, 2 Wiimote, 2 Nunchuck, Wii Fit, Wii Sports bundle for $250 and call it the "Ultimate Family Bundle". The reason for this is simple, if third parties know that the Wii Fit board will have a high attach rate to the console they can start producing games (or including features for games) that take advantage of the balance board.

The zapper was packed in with the NES for a very long time and it didn't take long before developers forgot it even existed. While I think Nintendo is going to catch fire in Japan with the product (and sell johnlucas's 4 million in lifetime, not firt week), I don't think it'll catch on in the US and I'm doubtful it will make a real splash in Europe. Nintendo will certainly sell more than enough of the things and they'll make plenty of money off of it, but it just doesn't seem like the product is meant for the U.S. which is, no doubt, why there are no games that rely on it set for NA.

That aside, you're absolutely correct in your assertion that Nintendo should pack it in with the machine.  I don't see any reason why they'd throw in an extra Wiimote and Nunchuck, since it'd likely hurt future WiiPlay sales and isn't necessary, but otherwise I believe you're spot on in saying that they will hold the price steady and add more to the package in the form of the balance board and WiiFit.  If they put any more than that into the package, I'd actually expect a Zapper and Link's Crossbow Training rather than another Wiimote and nunchuck.

i think it's got less to do with "fat people" than weight-conscious ladies.  fat chance fat people would get excited about WiiFit, haha.

my mom is already asking me about WiiFit... she heard it from her friends.

Yeah, there sure are a lot of fat people. And they don't really want to stop being fat, they just want people to stop acting like it's such a bad thing. If not for societal preasure, fat Americans would just as happily stay fat. WiiFit will only sell the most in NA if it gets packed in with the machine, otherwise it will do the best in Japan by a large margin.

Meh. Woohaa my 2500th post! Euhm.... BUY OKAMI!!

I don't know ...

The thing about North American culture when it comes to weight loss is that there is a lot of excitement and money spent with very little follow through; there have been hundreds of diet fads and millions of gimmicky pieces of workout equipment which have been adopted by American culture only to be abandoned the next week.

Next week?

Most people use it for 6 seconds, say it's too hard, then just let it sit there. A week if it's lucky, or has a semi dedicated person using it.

 well, it called "discipline", and very few people, not just Americans, have it :)

 for instance, i would buy WiiFit just because i'd be happy with myself if i touch it say, oh, once every other week.

it beats never touching it at all, right?  (probably not really, but at least it'll make me feel better)

 Yup.

If Nintendo can squeeze some social networking into this (ie comparing results with your friends over wifi) it could sell well.