Wii!

I played Wii for the first time on Saturday night and it was hecka fun! I always doubted how physical it could possibly get, thinking that the oversensitive controllers may be easy to fool with simple gestures that could simulate the required movements, but I was dreadfully mistaken. There was a swimming game, in particular, that was particularly ineffective unless you truly put some elbow grease into it. I’m pretty sure that our nosy neighbors had quite a laugh looking at us from the outside.

The coolest thing about the Wii is that anyone of any fitness level can feel good about participating in “sports” in a safe virtual environment. Of course, it’s not meant to replace the real thing, but it’s certainly a far cry from simple button pushing, as most of the movements require full arm actions. Hand/eye coordination can also greatly improve from many of the games, like the target practice and skeet shooting. But plenty– such as the “cow racing” game– are just downright fun.

The Wii is now being used in injury rehabilitation. I’m sure that as more games are developed in the future, some will be specifically designed for this purpose. It would be another step closer to truly putting the player inside the game.