Wii are not alone

Our discussion about Nike running shoes and the iPod got me thinking about the interaction between technology and fitness in other areas. What came to mind immediately was the Wii, specifically the Wii Fit product suite. Nintendo has had tremendous success since the launch of the Wii, expanding gaming to age groups that had never really used it before. The Wii doesn’t offer just interactive gaming; it can be used for other purposes, for example as a rehabilitation tool for stroke survivors.

With all the success and market expansion brought by the Wii, it seems pretty remarkable that it has taken so long for competitors to develop similar interactive gaming devices. I saw a commercial this weekend for a new product from Sony, the Playstation Move, which is launching internationally this week. While it offers much of the same functionality as the Wii, it does offer some advancements such as depth perception, better battery life, and a smarter controller. See the comparison detailed on the gaming blog, Kotaku.

Microsoft is also launching its own motion sensory gaming system for the Xbox 360, Kinect, scheduled to hit shelves in November of this year.

I think it will be interesting to see how Nintendo responds to these challenges. I believe that these moves signal a strong directional shift toward a more interactive gaming future. The next couple years should be very interesting as the gaming industry tries to find the next big thing.

I apologize for the terrible title pun.