Help me understand WiiFit and the Balance Board

[shams]

billsalias said:

@shams

The thing I am having a hard time seeing still is why the person that does not have the wii already and is not a gamer would put $300+ down for what it offers. That same $300 could get you a year of yoga classes with a real instructor giving you personalized feedback. Or it could buy you a decent piece of traditional home exercise equipment. Is it some magic combination that makes them able to stick with it because it is in the home and there is some interactivity, even if it is limited and automated?

Side question, anyone know what the specs are on the balance board? Like how many sensor zones and how sensitive are they?

The Wii won't be at $250US forever. Nintendo could probably reduce it in price to $149 now if they really wanted - but that would be insane as long as (supply < demamd)

So imagine WiiFit (+Wii) for $199. Its still a bit, but when you consider that the core functionality alone includes Yoga, tutorials, balance, step arobics, digital scales, BMI measure (etc..) - it actually turns into good value.

And there is a general buzz around the Wii as well - throw in WiiSports, news/weather/other channels, plus web browsing (and a lot more) - and it becomes a very attractive bundle proposition at that price.

WiiFit is going to drive the next 20-30m of Wii sales - once either current demand slows, or Ninty get that 2nd/3rd Wii factory up and running. I do expect them to be able to manufacture 1.5m-2.0m Wiis/m in '08 (probably close to 1.5m now).

That's 25m Wiis shipped for fiscal year '08-'09 - and it may well be even higher. That would be around 47m Wiis shipped/sold by March '09. If they can manage this, the generation falls into their lap (regardless of what happens after that).

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Once WiiFit launches (once there is a reasonably priced bundle) - I'll be buying it for my parents. My partner may well be buying one for her mother as well.

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re: sensor zones: I don't think it works like that. Think one (or more?) accelerometers built into a very accurate set of digital scales - possibly with multiple weight detection points (no idea really).

Its more about detecting changes in the distibution of weight - and as a result, can detect various body motions, leans, postures, etc.

Be interesting if Ninty can use the BalanceBoard to improve the accuracy of Wiimote gestures (i.e. play a lightsabre game, and make the gestures more accurate by using data from the BalancBoard?).