Technology is a seemingly endless window of opportunity. The release of the Nintendo Wii has taken the nation by storm and changed the way consumers’ view video gaming. Prior to the release of the Wii, playing a video game consisted of either a corded or wireless remote control that had buttons and a direction pad which when pressed in certain sequences caused the characters to respond accordingly. Playing video games in this fashion promotes “couch potato” syndrome. The Wii is the first gaming unit that had a remote control that caused character action to be based around user motions that make the characters respond. The days of sitting in the same spot “button mashing” to win a game are over.
The Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii are the three major video game units available to consumers. All three units offer various types of games that are suitable for all ages, online game play, internet search options, and mass storage devices. The Playstation 3 differs from the X-Box 360 and the Wii because it has blue-ray player, which explains the considerably higher price tag of $499.00. The graphics of the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 are considerably better than the graphics of the Wii. The Wii, at a cost of $250.00, however, includes games that promote healthy activity.
The games that set the Wii on a completely separate platform than the other two units are the Wii Fit, Wii Sports, Shaun White Snowboarding, and Need for Speed Underground. The Wii Fit is a game that is based around several types of exercises including balancing activities, yoga, strength training, and aerobics. The exercises assist in accomplishing individual goals established by the user. Wii Sports includes games such as table tennis, baseball, bowling, boxing, and golf all which mimic the actual body movements used in the activities. In Shaun White snowboarding you use the Wii balance board like just like an actual snowboard. Need for Speed Underground is controlled by a steering wheel to navigate your car through various courses. The Wii’s interactive gaming has proven to be positive in other environments outside of the personal residence.
The Wii has been introduced to retirement homes in order offer a productive pass time that gives the patients a chance to stay physically active, which is otherwise rather challenging. The Wii is also being used in children’s hospitals across the nation not only as a form of entertainment, but also a constructive way that gets children to participate in physical therapy treatments with less resistance. Physical therapists are also using the Wii as a way to build patient self-esteem and range of motion based on the simulated movements required to be involved in the game play. The Wii was not created for these purposes specifically, but the ingenious concept behind the creation has proven helpful in more than one industry.
About ten years ago, playing a video game meant using a controller with a three foot cord and using several buttons and a direction pad to cause character response. These days are now only a distant memory with the creation of the Wii. I remember my mother yelling at me to stop playing video games while I sat idly on the couch for hours. The Wii has changed the overall views that consumers’ have of the video game industry. Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 creators will be forced to succumb to the ways of the Wii in order to remain competitive in this consumer driven market. What will the next generation of video game units going to bring? For the time being, the Nintendo Wii has created a positive outlook on the concept of video gaming.
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