Nintendo launched two health and wellbeing gadgets – Wii Fit Plus and Vitality Sensor.
Wii Fit Plus adds new yoga exercises, customisable routines to tone the body, 15 new balance board games and a revamped UI; it is expected to work with the existing Wii Balance Board. The exercise game allows users to choose from pre-set exercise routines and create customised workouts.
Nintendo said it has sold more than 15m units of its Wii Fit system over a year and expects to launch Wii Sport Resort ahead of the holiday season. Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, told Reuters that the company’s business rose 19% this year to date while the rest of the industry declined about 4%. The key word is pacing. This year’s pacing is going to be the back half of the year, he added.
The second gadget, introduced at E3 video conference, is Wii Vitality Sensor – a biorhythmic one connected to the Wii Remote. It features a pulse sensor that fits on to the player’s finger to measure and transmit his heart rate on to the screen.
Cammie Dunaway, executive vice president of sales and marketing of Nintendo, said: Nintendo continues to challenge how both new and long time players perceive and play video games. From modern updates of our most iconic franchises to the introduction of inventive devices, we are continuing to add entirely new dimensions to the video game experience.”
