Is Wii Fit Fair Game???

[Bodhesatva]

Legend11 said:

Is Wii Fit what you bought a gaming console for? Also will the millions of people who buy Wii Fit also be the type of people that'll buy hardcore Nintendo titles such as Super Mario Galaxy, Super Smash Brothers Brawl, etc? If not what will bringing them to the console accomplish besides selling more consoles (for bragging rights) and having third parties scratching their heads and wondering what to make that'll appeal to the majority of the userbase.

Also in my experience many people who buy home exercise equipment seem to lose interest in it after a certain length of time and simply start using the equipment rarely or not at all. While I'm sure Nintendo will be able to come out with one or two fitness programs or games that'll appeal to people who solely buy it for the fitness aspect will it be enough to keep people interested in the long term (for years)? If not it might simply lead to many Wiis bought for Wii Fit eventually collecting dust in livingrooms and closets.

This really isn't a different phenomenon than Madden heads who only buy sports games. Obviously the typical Wii Fit user won't be playing Resident Evil 4: but they would play Wii Fitness 2, and any other health/exercise related games. Or anything third parties make that fits in the same genre.

In other words, there are lots of gamer types that don't play Lost Planet-style games (Gran Turismo racing fanatics would be another example). It's not a new phenomenon. What happens is that other games come out in that genre to compete, and the market is fleshed out. If third parties really just sit there, scratch their heads, and literally can't figure out how to make a Wii fitness clone despite the fact that its graphics and playstyle are both simplistic, then the obvious problem is the third parties, because I think we're both agreeing there is a market here.

And I'd agree that it's a possibility that third parties won't catch on. More than anything, Nintendogs' domination really proves this: Nintendogs is a game that sells largely to young girls, who (one can presume) have zero brand loyalty to Nintendo games, unlike the Mario and Zelda fanatics. Why is it still selling so well? Because apparently most video game designers have no clue how to appeal to young girls, but Nintendo does. It really is amazing to see the crap that's shoveled at girls time and time again, even with the amazing success of Nintendogs -- and again, I think it's simply because these video game companies are built around Final Fantasy/Resident Evil/Madden style games, and just cannot figure out how to adapt.