Wii Fit Launches in America

May 19th, 2008, 20:42 Posted By: Shrygue

via IGN


Nintendo's new Wii Fit, launching today, combines fun and fitness in ways that will have people getting up off their couches, moving around, having fun and maybe even breaking a sweat. Wii Fit gets everyone pumped up about making enjoyable physical activities a part of their daily routines. Wii Fit even tracks users' progress, which lets people see how they have improved while challenging them to better their scores and stay motivated to keep going.

At an MSRP of $89.99, Wii Fit comes packaged with the Wii Balance Board™ accessory, a precisely engineered platform that senses both weight and shifts in movement and balance. The Wii Balance Board connects wirelessly to the Wii console and serves as the centerpiece for more than 40 fun activities that challenge users in areas like yoga, aerobics, strength training and balance. Helpful virtual trainers in the game talk users through the different activities and make suggestions for improvement.

"Wii Fit will get you moving whether you've been playing video games for years or this is your first time," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "Wii Fit is easy for anyone to try and is yet another example of how Nintendo continues to expand the world of video games to new audiences."

To celebrate the launch of Wii Fit, Nintendo is holding an interactive release party today for the public in the southwest corner of New York's Central Park, near the Merchants' Gate. "We're looking for everyone to 'get on board' and get excited about their fitness," said celebrity trainer Ashley Borden, who will be on hand to do personal Wii Fit demos and training.

Wii Fit, which has sold more than two million copies in Japan, starts with a simple measurement that calculates an adult user's Body Mass Index, or BMI. From there, the Wii Balance Board accessory can be used as a platform for twirling a virtual Hula Hoop, shredding on a virtual snowboard, performing leg extensions or doing a downward-facing dog yoga pose. Wii Fit contains a wide variety of fun games and physical activities that target the body's core.

Different people in the same household can use Wii Fit and track their progress separately. Users' Mii caricatures even reflect their fitness levels and change as people become more proficient at the activities.

Wii is the first video game system ever included in the President's Challenge, a program of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports that encourages all Americans to make physical activity a part of their daily lives. Wii Fit builds on that honor by encouraging people to keep their bodies moving.

Wii Fit is available today exclusively at the Nintendo World store in New York, and will be at retail stores across the country May 21.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access.

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