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 Think of the last game you beat. Think of the sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction you got from playing it. Think of the way the controller felt in your hands; think of the gameplay, the storyline, the graphics, the music and everything that made it fun...and remember this well.
Because that is how you'll be telling your grandchildren about the "good ol' days of video games." Good. Old. Days. The times when gaming was golden. Back when it was an altar boy, pure and true. The times before Wii Fit.
Nintendo's latest attempt at casual gaming may be the atom bomb it was looking for. It's certainly not GTA or Mortal Kombat, but Wii Fit has been one of the most controversial games in recent memory for good reason. It's changing the way video games are perceived and played forever. Exergaming
The once small-niche gaming category has seen interest grow exponentially over the last few years as technology has made it more accessible. Wii Fit looks to break it into the mainstream. Dance Dance Revolution garnered some interest for exergaming, but it was really more of a music game and its focus wasn't about your physical fitness.
Wii Fit seems to have the right combination of functionality and philosophy to make it a landmark title for this niche in gaming.
Rise of Peripherals
Developers have realized selling peripherals needed for a game is totally OK with gamers as long as it enhances the gameplay experience. Donkey Kong bongo drums, DDR mats, Wii Wheels, plastic guitars, and Rock Band "instruments" are becoming as commonplace as traditional six-to-eight buttoned controllers with D-pads and analog sticks. This has not always been the case. The NES/Master System Light Guns, R.O.B., Sega 32x, and of course the Power Glove (it's so bad) made developers wary of marketing non-traditional input devices in the past. As motion sensors and other technologies become more prevalent in gaming, expect funkier gaming peripherals to sit side-by-side with your controllers in the future.
Broadening the Definition of a Video Game (video games are becoming known for more than entertainment)
Video games have entertained us for decades, and that is why we have gotten used to thinking of them strictly as an entertainment medium. This of course is a fallacy as games have been used for far more over the years. Games are becoming more functional and practical as they transcend entertainment. You can play Brain Age to keep your mind sharp. You can play My Spanish Coach to improve your Espanola. You can help humanity cure cancer by playing Folding@home. And of course you can now supplement your exercise routine with Wii Fit. The Wii is tapping into everything from stripper pole dancing to beer pong, and the industry will never be the same. Entertainment may be a secondary priority for many games in the future while developers choose to focus on functional and practical uses.
Who the Gamers Are
It was reported in April that 72% of the U.S. plays video games. This percentage should steadily push towards 100% over the next decade. The potential growth for casual gaming is so great, it will easily eclipse the number of hardcore gamers that have giddily enjoyed decades of video games by themselves. Nintendo knows that casual gaming is where the money's at - even though you may be a hardcore gamer, your grandparents, your aunts and uncles, and your 3-year-old niece will all likely fall under the casual gamer category. That's probably a 20-to-1 ratio and that's just your family. Families used to battle in the living room over the TV remote, and now they'll have to fight over the Wiimote as well.
Casual Gaming is Mainstream (everyone is playing video games)
Wii Fit has opened the flood gates and casual gaming is becoming mainstream. Nintendo's quest to expand the industry's user base may have a killer app in Wii Fit. The genius behind Wii Fit's marketing position is that it could appeal to everyone. Everyone. While not all people have a need to rescue Princess Toadstool or blow up rabid zombies or commit grand theft auto, every single human being, despite his/her age or experience with gaming, has a need for physical fitness. And whether Wii Fit delivers or not, Nintendo has bridged the industries of weight management (a $30 billion industry in the US) and video games (bigger than Hollywood, yadda yadda) - some analysts speculate that it's poised to become the best selling game of all time.
And since casual gamers will have consoles installed in their living rooms, there is a chance they may pick up a few traditional video games along the way. This will lead to more sales overall and a few more hardcore gamers may crop up. The biggest thing we can take away from this, though, is that casual gaming will generate more buzz and interest in the industry which can lead to things we haven't even foreseen (Did the Pong creators think that gaming may be used to cure cancer one day?). It's damn exciting.
As with anything, the only certainty in the video game industry is change. Whether you have accepted it or not, The Classical Age of gaming has ended for you by the time you read this sentence. New niches (where entertainment is secondary) are making waves in the market, peripherals are used as much as controllers, gamers are now everyone, and these new casual gamers are pushing the market to new frontiers. Although hardcore gamers may feel lost in the shuffle, this can only be good news overall. The industry is merely adapting to change, and the hardcore gamers that have fueled this industry since the beginning can expect some great things as video games continue to evolve. We are witnessing a transition, like a caterpillar to a butterfly, and Wii Fit is leading the charge.
{tag exergaming} | {tag Wii Fit} | {tag Nintendo} | {tag industry predictions} | {tag industry}
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, was a port(PoP), or was under-advertised(MoH2). 
Where is the motivation through gameplay that challanges players to bad/good/perfect yoga positions or exercises? It's that immersive full body gameplay that made DDR so sucessful, which I find lacking in the Fit.