Innovative Video Games

I was watching the news the other day and one of the stories was about the new branch of nintendo, Wii. The segment shared one man's weightloss story because of his addictive habits to playing the game. It showed footage of the man playing the different games that Wii has to offer. Games like tennis, golf, bowling, baseball, etc. are just some of the options players have to choose from. After watching the segment, I remembered reading an article last winter (when the game was popular for the holidays) saying that Wii might threaten children's desires to play real games outside if they had the alternative to stay inside and play the same games on a video game. Critics said that Wii would keep people inside and glued to the TV set more. I thought it was interesting that a video game company invented a system that allowed their players to move around in a simulating motion, but it never crossed my mind that the game would be an alternative to fresh air activities. The news story shared the man's struggle with being heavy and explained that he never would have trimmed down without Wii. In the winter months, when outdoor activities are limited to none, he had the oppurtunity to play Wii in his home and still get a little exercise from the activity. Although I'm not recommending Wii as an alternative for cardiovascular exercise, I found it to be particularly interesting for the "gamer crowd." Most video game players devote much of their extra time to just the games, making other activites (including exercise) take a back seat. Wii offers that population a chance to move around a little bit while still spending time doing something they love.