Microsoft's own ex-Nintendo man David Gosen has some interesting views on Wii Fit...

Ex-Nintendo of Europe marketing manager David Gosen has spoken to Develop Magazine about new control methods for games, and specifically the Wii Balance Board and Wii Fit title.

Despite conceding that Nintendo have had a "truly fantastic" success story with the Wii, he admitted he was concerned about the "thin line between gimmick and great gameplay." He said:

"We’ve seen some research that says 60 per cent of people who bought a Wii Fit play it once and don’t play it again. So we have to get the balance right, because what we are doing is bringing new consumers into the market for the first time in their lives sometimes – and we have to treat them with respect.

"And at the end of the day that comes back down to creativity. We have to ensure that the peripheral strategy that anyone employs makes sense and delivers a truly game changing experience."

While the balance of gimmick and gameplay is important, are sixty-percent of all Wii Fit games sold really now languishing at the back of people's cupboards already?

http://n-europe.com/news.php?nid=12154

I have too say that I myself have stopped playing it but not after playing it once and its not because I think it’s a gimmick ore anything just that I don’t have time… so how many of you still play it today?

What he was basically saying, is the same thing as for example Iwata has been talking about the day he started at Nintendo: It all boils down to software.

If your software doesn't utilize the hardware, the hardware becomes gimmick.

I wonder what more we will see from Nintendo that use the WiiBB...

I will say in all honesty that mine will probably be worn out before it sees a closet. The young boys in the neighborhood play it in competition, the teen age girls use it for fitness and I use it especially for balance.

Even if 60% of people only use Wii Fit once, then does this harm Nintendo?

What he's really trying to say is:

DAMN DAMN Why oh why didn't we come up with this.

so true   

 edit: så sant ;)

Fire his ass, its treason

I enjoy playing Wii Fit.  To me it is an ultra cheap exercise equipment.  After all it costs a lot more to buy a running machine, bowflex, etc.  The dirty, arrogant gamers seem to have a problem with it because of their myopic viewpoint.  But then they are facing the reality that they are actually niche.

Wii Fit is great, its a non-gaming/gaming device, so I think his statement was a cheap shot at his ex-company. I wonder if he was fired or moneyhatted by MS.

Wii Music is horrible though so he can attack it if he wants, even Nintendo will back him up, lol.