|
New Wii fitness game aims for mom market
The gaming world has been shocked this year by the number of nongamers (that's us moms) who have jumped on the Wii Fit bangwagon. EA Sports is coming after us, and they have enlisted Oprah's trainer for help!
While the hugely popular Wii Fit game has a nice collection of stretching and balance exercises, it doesn't have too much to get your heart pumping except for a few mini games. I also don't like having to "unlock" workouts by playing for a loooooong time instead of just setting up a specific workout routine. Despite those criticisms, the game has tapped into the ocean of nongamers who have snapped up more than 2.3-million copies of the game and balance board.
The new EA Sports Active game for the Wii is coming after that market. Unlike the stretching and yoga of Wiii Fit, this is more like those old Jane Fonda workout tapes. Pop it in and start moving. There's even a 30-day challenge set up by Oprah's own fitness guru Bob Greene, below, which is like putting a sniper scope on 30-something mothers who buy the bulk of the in-home fitness materials.
The EA Sports game doesn't require the balance board but if you do have one, the games can be more interesting. What it does add is a cheap rubber resistance band for strength training and a neoprene harness you put around your thigh and tuck the Wii Nunchuk into.
Instead of the much-hated BMI as an indicator on Wii Fit, this one uses a calorie counter, virtual personal trainer, 30-day weight-loss program, and customizable workouts.
It was definitely a stronger workout, though I found that Nunchuk on my thigh incredibly annoying. It takes some practice to get it tight enough to stay in place and with the Nunchuk facing the right way to record your movements on the game.
The other assault on the Wii Fit is the price. EA Sports Active is $60, which gets you more sweat equity than the $90 Wii Fit game.
But neither of these games comes close to the real thing. These games leave me feeling eager to get to a real boxing class or a real ski slope where, you know, there are actual people and the fun isn't virtual.
-- Sharon Kennedy Wynne
Most Recent Blog Posts
About the bloggers
Raising children isn't easy. Whoa, Momma! is here to help you with parenting tips and discussion of all parenting issues. We think there's no such thing as TMI, so our blogging moms aren't shy about the hot topics and won't back away from a good debate. Bottle or breastfeed? Public, private or homeschool? And sex -- it's all open for comment. Don't sit on the sidelines -- pull up a bouncy seat and join the chat.
Email us ideas you'd like us to write about.
Advertisement
Most Popular Categories
THE AUTHORS
Sharon Kennedy Wynne has sunscreen in her blood. She may have been born in Buffalo but she got here as fast as she could, in time for kindergarten. She grew up in St. Petersburg, graduated from the University of Florida journalism school, and even got married at Sunken Gardens. She's one of the few adults we know who actually loves taking her kids to the beach. She has two sons and with 10 years of parenting under her belt, she's starting to feel a little less out of her league. She comes from a large family and loves to debate, so brace yourself when the hot topics come up.
E-mail Sharon Kennedy Wynne:
|
E-mail Kate Brassfield:
|
|
|
Freelance writer Courtney Cairns Pastor wasn’t so sure about having kids and how she would balance child-rearing with her journalism career. It turned out that her journalism training went to good use. As the mom to a funny, active toddler, she learned to handle him like she did her sources. Never ask yes or no questions (the answer will always be no), get him to be specific (are you crying because you’re wet or your tooth hurts?) and be prepared for anything because no two days are the same. When she’s not playing trucks, Courtney crams for her book club, trains for races and occasionally bursts into showtunes. E-mail her at 
Suzannah DiMarzio has it bad for the Mouse. Although she grew up outside of Boston, she took her degree in tourism management down to Orlando just to work at Disney and the travel industry. Of course, when she married her high school sweetheart, the reception was at Disney. She’s now a seasoned stay-at-home mom to two tweens and a toddler – and yes, that is as crazy as it sounds. Suzannah has her own blog, Comment Policy
| Please be sure your comments are appropriate before submitting them. Inappropriate comments include content that: |
| Is libelous |
| Is abusive, harassing, or threatening |
| Is obscene, vulgar, or profane |
| Is racially, ethnically or religiously offensive |
| Is illegal or encourages criminal acts |
| Is known to be inaccurate or contains a false attribution |
| Infringes copyrights, trademarks, publicity or any other rights of others |
| Impersonates anyone (actual or fictitious) |
| Solicits funds, goods or services, or advertises |
| The Tampa Bay Times does not edit posts but reserves the right to delete comments that violate our policy. |
Registration FAQ
| Read our Frequently Asked Questions on how to register to comment on the site. |
