I guess I am. I've been playing with Wii Fit -- my son and I are in a sort of competition.
For those who do not know what a "Wii Fit" is -- or even what a Wii (pronounced "wee") might be -- lissen up. First: get out of that cave. Now. Second: Wii is a game console by game maker Nintendo. It differs from other game consoles (such as Sony Playstations 1, 2, or 3, GameCube, XBox, or, for you geezers, Atari) in that the device you use as a controller is wireless, you grip it in your hand, and interact with the game by aiming it at the television screen (or whatever you use to display the game) and moving it. So games like bowling, tennis, and boxing are naturals for it. It enables the player to mimic the moves he'd make if he were really playing that sport. While gripping the controller tightly (with a wrist strap, just in case you accidentally let go), you swing your hand in an underhand toss as you might a bowling ball and watch the ball on the screen roll down the alley. You can put some spin on the ball by flicking your wrist. You can throw a fast ball or a slow one, depending on your swing. The controller has feedback, too. It rumbles, buzzes, and makes sounds that go with the game, depending on what you do.
You create a Mii -- an avatar that represents you in the game.
So Wii Fit is a fitness game. For this, you need to purchase a different controller -- a balance board you stand on. It senses the weight you're placing on it at different points, calculating your center of gravity, and you can engage in a variety of games and exercises and have it "correct" your stance. You earn points by how well you perform the activities while maintaining a steady center of gravity. The more you use it, theoretically, the stronger your abdominal muscles get enabling you to have correct posture and strong "core" muscles.
So I totally school my son at the various yoga poses (nearly -- I am not so steady on one legged poses), but he's got me beat when it comes to jackknifes, push-ups, and other more physically intense activities.
I like the rhythm step aerobic activity, and the hula hoops. I also like the rhythm boxing. It's a fun way to exercise.
Anyway, you can share your Mii with other game consoles. The Wii is capable of connecting to the Internet -- over a Wii-fi connection, or directly wired to your router. If you have a Wii, and want to play with my Mii, send me your console # and I'll add you to my Wiidress book.
gekko: darned good walkies companion.
What you seem to be describing is virtual athletics/amusment/etc., where the participant goes through the motions but does not actually interface with the actual athletic/sports equipment/etc., such as a real bowling ball.
I'm sure this can be a lot of fun. My neighbor Donahue has a wall projection array that allows him to fish for trout and snatch them up from the rippling stream from time to time. Of course, neither the fish nor the water is reel (no pun intended) and neither is the fly rod, which is nothing but a laser device that interfaces with the program when it is pointed to a particular place in the flowing water.
I have seen this done but never tried doing it because my daddy always told me I would have to clean the fish that I caught. Ha ha ha That is a joke, please laugh.
Seriously, Donahue also boasts of a sexual interaction program that sounds very compelling. I will not go into the details for fear of being hosed; but it sounds a lot more fun than fishing--or bowling. He says it is expensive, but worth it. Client Number 10, it is called.
These *games* are becoming more and more sophisticated. Some day we will be able to land on a piece of property with a hotel on it and go inside and take a shower and order room service and eat virtual food. Pay for it with play money, of course.
Tried one over Tgvg when my cousin brought it up from AZ. Had a hard time not getting hit in the head with soccer shoes. It's like any vid game: practice makes you better at manipulating the controls. It does not make you a better bowler.
I like that Nintendo created a winner simply by adding accelerometers and making it ergonomic and paying a few computer science grads to code something fun. Winning in the market doesn't have to be all that complicated if you can hit the right position.
The exercise angle is brilliant. Nothing you can't get if you're dedicated to some sort of slow burn tai chi or whatever but this, in the privacy of home and with that feedback of weight distribution, is something people will actually do.
It's a video game console, and it runs video games. Its primary purpose is indeed to entertain a person by appealing to his sense of competitiveness and need for distraction. It differs from most vid games in that it requires you to move more than your thumbs.
No way will you become a good bowler or fisherman or tennis player by using one of these.
Don is right in that the Wii Fit is cool because it's a new and different way for peeps to indulge in exercise. Personally, I find myself getting into a rut at the gym. This offers fun games that improve my balance, stability, muscles and heart rate.
I'm hoping someone will get me Dance Dance Revolution for Christmas.