Famine said:
Yeah, that's rights. Then what the hell was it that I had in mind? If I see the commercial for it, then I will most certainly post it. You are going to compare the Wii with the high-end stuff? While I can see someone getting a workout on the board, I can see a better workout on those more expensive machines. |
No, I'm not comparing the Wii to the high end stuff, just saying that I don't believe the price point is as big a barrier as it might appear at first blush. People buy all sorts of crap they don't need or use beyond one week. Somebody walks into a Sears every single day and finances a $1,000 NordicTrack which won't get used for more than the first few weeks after it's brought home. Look in any average American's garage and/or basement, you could open a sporting goods store with the crap every schmoe has purchased as the building blocks to a better, healthier lifestyle, until a new season of "24" came on and everybody got 'too busy' again.
As I said before, I think a lot of the arguments about whether or not Wii Fit constitutes a "real" workout or whether or not it'll get used by the majority beyond a week or two weeks or a month are misplaced. All that nonsense is irrelevent. All that matters in discussing its sales is whether or not it is a large enough perceived value to sell.
The fitness-tracking component, the inherent motivational element, and the space saving size of the board, IMHO, are enough to drive this one home. Oh, and the fact it says "Wii" on it is pretty OK too! :p
Now, in my completely unscientific and only partly hands-on opinion, I will leap to the conclusion that a Wii + Wii Sports + Wii Fit will prove more effective at achieving a desirable level of real, tangible physical fitness than a DS + Brain Age will make a person smarter and sharper intellectually, or a DS + Nintendogs will steer a person towards being a better pet handler, breeder, and trainer, even if Wii Fit and the Balance Board prove to be nothing more than digital placebos.
Don't underestimate the power of the Average American Familiy's disposable income and ability to invest heavily in things they'll likely never use.
