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Wii Aches - Couch Potatoes Working it Up
Genocaust writes "While the new controller on the Wii is proving to be a success, it's turning out to be more effort than some die-hard couch potatoes bargained for. The Wall Street Journal reports on the newest workout regime for nerds." From the article: "In Rochester, Minn., Jeremy Scherer and his wife spent three hours playing tennis and bowling, two of the games included with the Wii. Mr. Scherer says he managed to improve his scores — at the cost of shoulders and back that were still aching the next day. 'I was using muscles I hadn't used in a while,' says Mr. Scherer, a computer programmer who describes himself as 'not very active.' Mr. Scherer is vowing nightly 'Wii workouts' to get in better shape." "Bunnies Don't Know What To Do With Cows", in Rayman, is another guaranteed way to get your arm aching. Cows are heavy, and it takes a lot of energy to throw them.
I've been playing quite a bit exploring the landscape of the latest Zelda game. As long as I hold my wrists strait while playing, I've found it a much lighter stress than using a mouse. The closest thing to an ache I've gotten was while playing a precision flying minigame for more than a half-hour - having to hold the pointer perfectly still to pop these stationary balloons as the camera pans around your character's flying figure is akin to trying to hold your hand out in front of your body for a similar time... extremely easy at first, but your muscles do tense from the focus on a position. Sitting cross-legged on a chair, and occasionally resting my elbow on my leg pretty much fixes that issue with me though. Swinging both controllers, almost an endless number of ways and times though, hasn't itself been much of a stress at all, even now at the end of the game, and after going through a 50-floor optional battle-fest.
Nintendo has done a very good job so far making a comfortable and light controller. Players concerned about wrist or arm stress should compare against mouse usage, and be willing to take breaks if they have to do the same when using a mouse. Don't be afraid to rest your arm on something while playing, or to be creative with 'lazy' ways of performing the same action if it must be repeated. And, if it's really an issue, consider getting some cheap light weights (1-5lbs) and do some light exercise while watching TV at night or something - this works for even the oldest or the youngest people out there, from my experience.
Ryan Fenton
It has real work out programs designed by nike motion works: cardio, tai chi, yoga, firming exercises, etc.
It's a program that also scales with use. The eyetoy is a better controller than the Wii to me as well, since you can use your whole body. Like the Wii controller you might have to adjust your lighting for perfect useage and keep an area clear for movement. I also suggest getting a mat as well. I was a judoka for a long time, and I still get a good workout from this system.
If you equate "ache" with "injury" then you're just a washed-up, fat, lazy pussy.
Honestly, with the way the control scheme works, you CAN be a couch patatoe and play the Wii just fine.
:)
Its just boring
It's been the subject of at least one comic:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/11/13
As a college student, I can safely say that many Nintendo games, both old and new (Super Smash Brothers Melee and SNES Mario Kart, to name a couple) are quite popular in that particular age range.
Personally, I'd say the only legitimate "Nintendo is for kids" argument would be concerning the online play, where your identity is hidden to the extent that you aren't even allowed to exchange text messages with randomly assigned opponents. Great for kids, of course, but for the older crowd, a system like that tends to get a bit tedious.
"This begs the now cliche question: Why not just go outside and play the actual sport?"
Mainly because it's not the most convenient thing in the world to arrange a sport. More than one person is needed to play. Where I work, for example, half my coworkers have a minimum of an hour long drive home AND they have family to go home to. It's not easy to arrange an hour or two to go somewhere and play a sport. On top of this, this time of year, the only way they could do this when there's daylight is to arrange it on the weekend. For our type of work, weekends often mean catching up on chores.
Thanks to the Wii everybody can just go home and play. Two of my coworkers have arranged to play via the net (which, btw, I didn't know was possible...) *and* they've gotten their wives involved. Where I work, the Wii has proven to be both a workout advice and a social event. I don't know if that'll last, but man, it's sure looking encouraging so far.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
and it looks like they're back in stock.
You must have missed this on the page you linked to: Orders entered prior to Wednesday, November 22, 2006 will be shipped on or after November 28. Orders entered on or after Wednesday November 22, 2006 will ship when our new quantities arrive (week of December 18, 2006).
I've lived in NYC for a long time and have never noticed that.
:) (as opposed to New Jersey for instance, where I've seen people drive the car to the corner for the paper in the morning)
What I HAVE seen, is that pedestrians often do stupid things (like not waiting for the light, or crossing without even looking up when going across a one lane side street).
The biggest contributor to this careless action is probably because NYC is a pedestrian city, and the majority of the people in it do not own a car, or drive regularly (if at all). This makes them less likely to understand why they shouldn't jump in front of a car (a car can't jump to the side like a person can). The good side of this though, is that I think obesity was lower in NYC than the national average. I assume most everyone walking helped with that
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It takes approximately 30 minutes of exercise a day to maintain a healthy fitness, and if you're working up a sweat hitting virtual tennis balls, you will be burning calories. It's like doing jumping jacks.
"Sufferin' succotash."
Save yourself the cash! Why not find a buddy and go to the court in the local park?
2 sets of tennis equipment is going to cost about as much as the Wii, and I can do more with the wii than just play tennis.
"I will admit, the graphics for the Wii are HIGHLY dissappointing. They are seriously bad. I would've thought Nintendo would at LEAST improve them somewhat to look halfway-decent on a 720p HDTV."
Have you picked up the component cables? It's the only way you can get 480p output. Otherwise, it's not going to look anywhere near as good as it's capable of displaying.