Why is Wii Fit deemed 'casual' yet Guitar Hero isn't?

[Biggerboat]

Meathands said:

Both GH and WiiFit appeal to casual players. GH on Expert is quite difficult and that challenge appeals to hardcore gamers. WiiFit may get difficult we just don't know yet.

They are both less innovative then people most people recognize.
Guitar Hero is a popularized version of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guitar_Freaks from 98
WiiFit is a popularized version of http://www.yourselffitness.com/ with a scale controller added

There is nothing wrong with not being the first game to do something. In general it's the first game to do it right that makes the genre popular. GuitarFreaks had a horrible song list for western gamers and WiiFit will make it so your progress can be tracked on screen instead of entered through the UI.

The big difference is the experience the simulate.

GH allows you to be a quality guitar player in a band rocking out in front of an audience. That's a fun fantasy to fulfill that isn't easy acquire in real life. I've had a couple guitars for years, but I'm not in a band and certainly can't play at the level to complete a lot of the songs in guitar hero. So the game is letting me do someone that otherwise would be out of my reach without a ton of dedication. Additionally those guitars and amp cost me more then guitar hero did.

WiiFit allow you to do a bunch of things you could do cheaper without a console or the game.
Stand on one leg? Yep I can do that.
Hula Hoop? $0.99 at the dollar store and I can try that as well.
Basic Line dance? $9 videotape
Yoga? $9 videotape
Play Soccer? $20 for a ball and walk to the park down the street

WiiSports was fun because I don't have a bowling alley in my house, and it gave me cheap access to one. What WiiFit is simulating is easier and cheaper to do without the game. Thus it is open for parody and derision: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iYBmAVuBns

I thought your post was going ok if not slightly off topic unitl the last 2 paragraphs. By your logic people shouldn't own a PS3 or 360 full stop because they can play something similiar on a cheaper system, GH2 is a good example. In Wii fit it is also monitoring your progress, setting goals etc. so you could liken it to a personal trainer, how much money would one of those set you back in the long run? Also we haven't seen many of Wii Fit's games so you don't know that it wont introduce routines based on more expensive real life activites though I think this whole argument is pretty silly.

Like windbane said, just because DDR is based on dancing doesn't mean it's the same thing and this is also true of the football, hula hoop and indeed DDR-like stages in Wii Fit so to compare them to real life is pointless.