There is now little more than a month since Wii Fit was launched in the U.S. and even if the reaction has been mixed about the game, overall it is a great success and demonstrates once again why Nintendo continues to lead the gaming market. Before the introduction of Wii Fit, Nintendo's marketing machine has gone to full speed and excitement of the game was phenomenal, but many people seem to lose what was the real innovation behind the game, that is the WiiBoard of Directors.
Described by some as a glorified bathroom scale, is this incredible device was as revolutionary as the Wii Remote when it was launched, and how the Wii Remote, it is Microsoft and Sony to catch up, bring the same functionality as try on their consoles . When the excitement dies down the Wii Fit is the Wii Balance Board, which has detected the drive, the game to the next level to be remembered.
But there's a whole history behind this seemingly simpleTogether piece that took months to develop and went through many prototypes in various shapes and sizes, before the thin white board, which found itself at home in living rooms around the world has become.
A scale of Miyamoto-san
Before you can understand the thinking behind the balance board, you should take a step back to the original vision has resulted in the need for such a peripheral understanding. This vision has been with Shigeru Miyamoto, Nintendo's Senior ManagingDirector.
As the driving force behind games like Nintendogs and Pikmin Shigeru developed a reputation for developing games based on his personal hobby. Wii Fit is no exception, as the original concept for the game of his interest in himself and the weight of recording his weight on a daily basis has come. This has led to the beginning of a project called "health package" which could later be Wii Fit.
From the beginning, the challenge was how to take something as simple as weighing yourself,something he enjoyed, but many see it as trivial and turn it into a business that could make it fun for the whole family. This proved to be a major challenge for the development team, which was broken in one place, on the threshold of being.
Two scales are better than one
The results in the game was up when one of the developers in two steps, after that he, like sumo wrestlers use two scales to weigh themselves and the team was suddenly clear that there have been quite fun to try to slow downto balance equally on both. It was at this point that the measure of equilibrium, the central theme of the Wii Fit and the team began using balance exercises as a means to keep fit.
Initial discussions with companies in the manufacturing sector have received little support and the team quickly realized that they needed to develop their own devices. It would also be functional, rather than a common scale, and so the idea that has been developed to measure the balance on four points. At this stage the teamstarted to realize that there may be more than a simple scale, but actually a game interface.
Circles, squares and octagons
Once the general concept of the Balance Board had been resolved and that contains four sensors, began to develop the optimum shape and size of the board along with how to communicate with the Wii console. This proved to be a long process of trial and error and a constant battle between the cost and ease of use.
Prototypes ofBoard were round and then square and octagonal well in one place, but it soon became evident that these forms are not practical especially when you consider exercises such as push-ups. Once again, the solution came from Miyamoto that natural attitude of a person before the training to be with feet shoulder width apart, it was decided that the card has been made rather than rectangular.
The second major challenge was to communicate the decision on how the balance board couldwith the Wii console. Firstly, keep costs down, it was decided that the Balance Board actually connect to the Wii Remote, but this was soon seen too much of a pain and the idea of being left behind. Finally it was decided to create the wireless Wii Remote component from scratch, a WLAN module to the board itself can be built to create.
Once he had overcome two major obstacles, it was then a process of tuning the design to ensure that the board was strongenough to stand on and that it is safe to use. The end result was the revolutionary new device that we see today.
What are the prospects for the Wii Balance Board?
Several members of the team developing the Wii Balance Board has admitted that at first, they never really understood Shigeru Miyamoto's vision that device. But since the board began to take shape in them, could see him as more than just an accessory, that players weigh. Even before Wii Fit was launched globally there has been talk internallycan WiiWare title, and even the possibility of a 1080 version of the Nintendo Balance Board? Snowboarding.
Fortunately for fans of the balance board as a developer Namco, Ubisoft and EA Sports have already committed to sharing exciting new titles in 2008. In fact, Namco's We Ski with the introduction of Wii Fit. And as EA Games' Skate and Shaun White snowboarding was confirmed and more games are in progress. One thing is certain, namely that Nintendo, the lastThe innovation, the Wii Balance Board, has a bright future.
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