Nintendo Confirms US Launch Dates for Wii Fit and WiiWare

Nintendo Co. Ltd. on Wednesday announced the release dates of the two new offerings for its wildly popular Wii video game device. Kyoto, western Japan-based Nintendo yesterday at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco confirmed the US launch dates for both Wii Fit and WiiWare for sometime in May.

It also introduced Super Smash Bros. Brawl that the company hopes would draw in fans of all kinds. This action game, with dozens of characters, settings, options and ways to play, will hit the market on March 9.

"We are excited to participate in the Game Developers Conference this year to share with developers and consumers alike our upcoming unique services and products," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We are hopeful that they will appreciate our offerings of WiiWare, Wii Fit and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, which represent a trio that will continue to attract new players to the world of video games."

Wii Fit, an upcoming motion-controlled video game that features agility, balance and fitness challenges, is Nintendo’s an all-new health-focused title for the Wii gamers.

The new fitness program, called Wii Fit, comes bundled with a weight-sensing 'balance board' peripheral, intended to improve the fitness of those who use it. The Wii Balance Board connects wireless to Nintendo’s Wii and it contains pressures sensors used to control the virtual movements. The wireless mat, on which either players can stand, or rest their hands while doings push ups, can calculate users’ weight and their balance.

Due out on May 19, the new fitness game Wii Fit, designed to build on the sweat-inducing success of "Wii Sports," features four genres of activity: aerobics, muscle conditioning, yoga and balance.

The first category Aerobic includes 10-minute exercises that are designed to get the heart pumping. The second category Muscle Conditioning includes controlled motions using arms, legs and other body parts. Gamers learn classic poses that focus on balance and stretching from Yoga section, while Balance section is full of fun activities like ski jumping and heading soccer balls.

The Japanese video games group also confirmed May 12 as the launch date of WiiWare, a game-creation tool that will allow individuals and outside game studios create and sell downloadable Wii games through console’s Wii Shop Channel. Gamers will be able to download content at the cost of Wii points, the store's virtual currency.

Nintendo asserts WiiWare should be a fair deal for developers as well as for the gamers. While developers would get a chance to offer games with no inventory risk, the gamers would get exposed to new, inexpensive games.

By adding more to its revolutionary gaming device, Nintendo is apparently trying to compete more effectively as a general lounge room device with its console rivals from Microsoft and Sony.

Among the trio of next generation gaming consoles, Nintendo has emerged as the numero uno in recent months, repeatedly outshining both its rivals Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 in the US video game consoles market.