23 Mar 2008 - North American WiiFit priced at Gamestop?
Those of you looking forward to getting down and sweaty by the time Nintendo's WiiFit finally hits American shores may have to start saving up. A report suggests that the software and the Balance Board bundle could cost you US$ 90 easy.
That is, if The Wii Cast's screenshot and report is to be believed. The site says that Gamestop has listed WiiFit at US$ 89.99, with a minimum of ten bucks to deposit when you pre-order. The price is pretty believable, considering Reggie Fils-Aime's previous projected price clocked it at the same price range.
Of course, this info is currently unreflected when you search for it on Gamestop. However, when you look back at similar reports in the past, leaked prices like this one usually hold water. We'll keep you updated.
22 Mar 2008 - WiiFit Box Art for Australia WiiFit
courtesy MyWii
Well, here is the Box Art for the much awaited WiiFit. As you can see on the box, the board can withstand 150kg of body weight(That's 23st 8lbs(or 330 lbs) for our US members). And don't get your hopes up. That blue logo is the Touch Generation emblem, not Wi-Fi.
WiiFit features over 40 exercises, divided into balance games, yoga, muscle workouts and aerobic exercises.
WiiFit will be available for purchase in Australia on May 8th and will retail for $149.95AU.
21 Mar 2008 - Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/10-3/16
courtesy of nintendowiifanboy.com
by Candice Savino
Japanophiles and sales chart nerds, it's that time of week again to take a look at last week's sales in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Those of you who've been keeping up won't find much excitement in this week's chart, though. All the same software from the week
before showed up, but it might not be long before Family Ski and Winning Eleven fall out of the top thirty.
It was also nice to see Metroid Prime 3: Corruption stick around, as the Nintendo FPS nabbed the number eleven spot for this week.
Other than that, the only noticeable difference is that Smash Bros. dropped to fourth. What's interesting is that Brawl is no
longer the best selling Wii game, either, as WiiFit reclaimed that honor. We also learned that you can't keep the big three
(WiiFit, Wii Sports, and Wii Play) out of the top ten for long.
In hardware sales, the Wii fell a smidge behind the PSP, and did only slightly better than the DS.
Hardware:
* PSP: 57,651
* Wii: 55,845
* Nintendo DS: 53,266
* PlayStation 3: 14,934
* PlayStation 2: 9,930
* Xbox 360: 1,744
Software:
01. (__) DS Beautiful Letter Training [DS] --- 65,689 (New)
02. (01) Yakuza 3: Kenzan! [PS3] --- 45,776 (227,000)
03. (03) WiiFit [Wii] --- 44,500 (1,704,000)
04. (02) Super Smash Bros. Brawl [Wii] --- 40,984 (1,449,000)
05. (04) Gundam Musou Special [PS2] --- 24,269 (213,000)
06. (__) Shugo Chara! Three Eggs and the Joker in Love [DS] --- 20,383 (New)
07. (__) Daito Giken Official Pachislo Simulator: New Yoshimune [PS2] --- 18,198 (New)
08. (06) Wii Sports [Wii] --- 16,921 (2,855,000)
09. (11) Harvest Moon: Shining Sun and Friends [DS] --- 11,494 (93,000)
10. (12) Wii Play [Wii] --- 11,060 (2,271,000)
11. (05) Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [Wii]
12. (09) Musou Orochi [PSP]
13. (__) 12Riven: The Psi-Climinal of Integral [PS2]
14. (10) Everyone's General Knowledge Training TV [Wii]
15. (07) Soma Bringer [DS]
16. (14) Monster Hunter Portable 2nd [PSP]
17. (08) Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant DS [DS]
18. (__) Hayate the Combat Butler: Girl-Making War: Mansion Edition [DS]
19. (__) Hayate the Combat Butler: Girl-Making War: School Edition [DS]
20. (17) Mario Party DS [DS]
21. (18) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games [DS]
22. (22) Mario Kart DS [DS]
23. (13) Etrian Odyssey II: The Royal Grail [DS]
24. (23) Taiko Drum Master DS [DS]
25. (__) Winning Post 7: Maximum 2008 [PS2]
26. (24) New Super Mario Bros. [DS]
27. (__) Duel Love: The Loving Girl is the Goddess of Victory [DS]
28. (19) Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 [Wii]
29. (15) Family Ski [Wii]
30. (20) Jirou Akagawa Mystery: Nocturne: The Invited Killer [DS]
21 Mar 2008 - Michael Pachter: Nintendo to start huge Wii Fit marketing campaign
courtesy of qj.net
by Enrico S.
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter recently revealed that he has been talking with Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime
about a few interesting details on the impending release of WiiFit.
Pachter said that Nintendo of America plans to have the "biggest marketing campaign in its history" to support the launch of WiiFit.
While he wasn't sure about how much the company will be spending, he did let slip a rough estimate:
I really don't know what the spend will be, but it could be 10 - 12% of projected sales. If we assume a retail price of $100, that's
$10 million in marketing for each 1 million units sold. If they go mainstream, I could see them selling 3 - 4 million, maybe more.
That suggests the potential for $30 - 40 million in marketing.
Pachter also pointed out that Nintendo seems to be looking to shift from specialized gaming stores such as GameStop to more mainstream
retail partners such as Target and Best Buy.
If what Pachter said holds true, what kind of impact will the introduction of WiiFit and its marketing scheme have on Nintendo?
If this investment pays off, we could be seeing the Nintendo Wii break even more sales records in the future.
20 Mar 2008 - WiiFit dated for Russia, to cost more than Europe release?
courtesy of qj.net
by Enrico S.
It was recently revealed that Nintendo's Wii Fit should be arriving in Russia by May 15 this
year. This means in a couple of months, gamers from the said region will be able to start getting fit while playing with their
Wii's. That is, if they're willing to pony up the cash for it.
According to website ConsoleNewz
, the recommended retail price of WiiFit in Russia is pegged at 3,999 rubles (roughly US$ 170).
If this holds true, then this might disappoint some of the gamers in the region who don't want to spend that much money on a game.
Hopefully, Nintendo will release an official statement regarding this to clarify the actual recommended price of Wii Fit in Russia.
19 Mar 2008 - The Great Experiment: WiiFit - Week 6
courtesy of 4 color rebellion
by Vinnk
One week to go. I really can’t believe that the time has gone by this fast. When I started this project my wedding still seemed
far away and my normal nightly ritual was watching TV before bed. Now as I go into the last week of my experiment I feel like a
different person and so some extent, I am looking like a different person.
But don’t get the wrong idea. WiiFit is not a magic device. It takes a lot of time and some hard work. What it really requires is
a strong commitment. And it’s that commitment that I struggled with this week. As my wedding approaches and my free time decreases,
WiiFit isn’t getting as much of my time as it had in the past. Next week will probably be even harder. However, since both my future
wife I enjoy the game, I can see both of us continuing with the program far beyond the limits of my experiment.
18 Mar 2008 - WiiFit to be tested at London's Science Museum
courtesy of nintendowiifanboy.com
by JC Fletcher
The Dana Centre, part of the Science Museum in London, will host an event on the 26th called "Play Away the Calories"
which is centered around a certain exercise-based game. That's right: Super Team Games WiiFit. Exercise expert Tim Cable will
speak and will also measure calories burned during Wii Play sessions versus other exercises, and versus normal video games. Other
speakers will discuss the obesity problem and the history of health-conscious gaming. Attendees will also get a chance to step onto
the Balance Board and try out WiiFit.
We think we can already predict favorable results for the experiment, thanks to Nintendo's sponsorship of the event. It still sounds
like an interesting exhibit, and it's at least an opportunity to play WiiFit if you happen to be in town.
16 Mar 2008 - WiiFit preorder notice from amazon.co.uk received today!
I received my email alert from Amazon.co.uk informing me I could pre-order a WiiFit and it would be available for release starting
25 April,2008. It will be interesting to see how well the sales numbers for the first week in the UK and Europe will be.
14 Mar 2008 - Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 3/3-3/9
courtesy of nintendowiifanboy.com
by Candice Savino
To most of us, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is old news. The U.S. has had it since last summer, and even Europe has been enjoying
the game for a few months now. It only debuted in Japan last week, though, and we were happily surprised to see it make the top five.
It only sold 32,000 copies in its first week, but that's still not too shabby for a Metroid game in Japan. Hopefully, the game will
have some legs and not plunge off the charts after its first week, like many other first-person shooters tend to do.
As for other software, the Wii didn't have too many games in the top thirty -- only eight, in fact -- yet it was still the second
most represented gaming system on the charts. With the exception of the aforementioned Metroid and Everyone's General Knowledge
Training TV, all the Wii's top games have consistently stuck around for (at least) a few weeks.
In other news, Smash Bros. once again failed to take the first place spot. The game beat out last week's chart champ, the new Gundam
for the PS2, but fell behind the newly released Yakuza 3.
In hardware, the Wii claimed the top spot once again as Japan is clearly so over the Mint Green PSP (that was so five minutes ago).
You can check out the hardware and software numbers for last week in Japan.
Hardware:
* Wii: 57,068
* PSP: 53,924
* Nintendo DS: 48,658
* PlayStation 3: 21,008
* PlayStation 2: 10,429
* Xbox 360: 2,891
Software:
01. (__) Yakuza 3: Kenzan! [PS3] --- 181,189 (New)
02. (02) Super Smash Bros. Brawl [Wii] --- 50,401 (1,408,000)
03. (03) WiiFit [Wii] --- 48,984 (1,659,000)
04. (__) Gundam Musou Special [PS2] --- 39,119 (189,000)
05. (__) Metroid Prime 3: Corruption [Wii] --- 32,388 (New)
06. (09) Wii Sports [Wii] --- 18,765 (2,838,000)
07. (04) Soma Bringer [DS] --- 17,276 (68,000)
08. (__) Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant DS [DS] --- 16,997 (New)
09. (07) Musou Orochi [PSP] --- 15,902 (87,000)
10. (__) Everyone's General Knowledge Training TV [Wii] --- 14,454 (New)
11. (08) Harvest Moon: Shining Sun and Friends [DS]
12. (13) Wii Play [Wii]
13. (06) Etrian Odyssey II: The Royal Grail [DS]
14. (16) Monster Hunter Portable 2nd [PSP]
15. (12) Family Ski [Wii]
16. (__) Nobunaga's Ambition: Kakushin w/ Power Up Kit [PS2]
17. (18) Mario Party DS [DS]
18. (14) Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games [DS]
19. (10) Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 [Wii]
20. (15) Jirou Akagawa Mystery: Nocturne: The Invited Killer [DS]
21. (11) Keroro Gunsou 3: Adventure in the Sky! [DS]
22. (19) Mario Kart DS [DS]
23. (20) Taiko Drum Master DS [DS]
24. (21) New Super Mario Bros. [DS]
25. (28) Animal Crossing: Wild World [DS]
26. (25) Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008 [PSP]
27. (17) Lost Planet: Extreme Condition [PS3]
28. (39) Yakuza 2 [PS2]
29. (35) Kanji Brain Test 2.5M [DS]
30. (26) Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season [DS]
11 Mar 2008 - The Great Experiment: WiiFit - Week 5
courtesy of 4 color rebellion
by Vinnk
Another week with WiiFit has come to an end. It has now become a normal part of my evening routine. At this point I can compare
it to brushing my teeth. Like dental hygiene it is something I do every night at around the same time and something that I feel I
should do. Sure I could always skip it, but I would feel weird for doing so.
When I started this experiment I did WiiFit everyday because it was something I had to do for my report. It was also something
I felt I should force myself to do because I wanted to have a healthier lifestyle. But somewhere along the line, I stopped feeling
like it was an obligation to do exercise. Now WiiFit is something I want to do, something I look forward to. The fact that it seems
to be actually making me thinner is a bonus at this point. How much thinner? Read on for the details.
10 Mar 2008 - WiiFit Australian Release Date
courtesy IGN.com
by Patrick Kolan,IGN AU
Starting on May 8, 2008, Nintendo wants Australians to start fighting the battle of the bulge with the
WiiFit
exercise platform. While not your traditional gaming experience,
Nintendo hopes to capture the ever-popular casual gamer market (like
your Luddite mum or grandparents) with a device that gets you off the
couch and into your non-impact exercises instead.
Nintendo is distancing itself from gaming with the WiiFit pack,
describing it in its release as 'a health and lifestyle product'. WiiFit also comes with the WiiFit Channel,
which gives you quick access to your daily progress.
There are more than 40 included exercises divided into four categories:
balance games, yoga, muscle workouts and aerobic exercises.
WiiFit will retail for AU$149.95.
8 Mar 2008 - Another Week in Japan: Hardware and software numbers 2/25-3/2
courtesy of nintendowiifanboy.com
by Candice Savino
People interested in Japanese game sales probably have one question on their minds: Did Super Smash Bros. Brawl hold onto the top spot last week?
Well, the answer is, no. The new Gundam game for the PS2 managed to end Brawl's reign, and end it convincingly. In fact, Smash barely stayed in second,
with WiiFit being right up the fighter's grill.
The Wii itself also lost the top spot last week, overtaken by the PSP in hardware for the first time since Brawl's release. Aside from those major
changes, though, everything looks to be what we'd expect, with Winning Eleven and Family Ski continuing to champion the cause for third parties.
Go on and take a look at the numbers after the break ... or else.
Hardware:
* PSP: 73,706
* Wii: 64,535
* Nintendo DS: 51,922
* PlayStation 3: 13,520
* PlayStation 2: 10,986
* Xbox 360: 2,282
Software:
1. Gundam Musou Special (PS2) --- 149,846 (New)
2. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) --- 67,007 (1,358,000)
3. WiiFit (Wii) --- 64,429 (1,610,000)
4. Soma Bringer (DS) --- 50,844 (New)
5. The Idolm@ster: Live for You! (Xbox 360) --- 43,697 (New)
6. Etrian Odyssey II: The Royal Grail (DS) --- 24,664 (94,000)
7. Musou Orochi (PSP) --- 24,350 (71,000)
8. Harvest Moon: Shining Sun and Friends (DS) --- 22,213 (67,000)
9. Wii Sports (Wii) --- 21,140 (2,820,000)
10. Winning Eleven: Play Maker 2008 (Wii) --- 16,918 (53,000)
11. Keroro Gunsou 3: Adventure in theSky! (DS)
12. Family Ski (Wii)
13. Wii Play (Wii)
14. Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
15. Jirou Akagawa Mystery: Nocturne: The Invited Killer (DS)
16. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd (PSP)
17. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (PS3)
18. Mario Party DS (DS)
19. Mario Kart DS (DS)
20. Taiko Drum Master DS (DS)
21. New Super Mario Bros. (DS)
22. Final Approach 2: 1st Priority (PS2)
23. Devil May Cry 4 (PS3)
24. Mobile Suit Gundam: Gihren's Ambition, the Axis' Threat (PSP)
25. Winning Eleven: Ubiquitous Evolution 2008 (PSP)
26. Tokimeki Memorial: Girl's Side 2nd Season (DS)
27. Poison Pink (PS2)
28. Animal Crossing: Wild World (DS)
29. Professor Layton and Pandora's Box (DS)
30. Naruto: Shippuuden Dairansen! Kage Bunshin Emaki (DS)
![[Valid RSS]](valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed"){kind=small}