It is fair to say that the Nintendo Wii (pronounced wee) has become the
virtual bane of many parents’ lives: it is the computer game that promises
to get their children off the couch, or the PlayStation — if only it can be
tracked down.
Launched before Christmas, it soon became the most soughtafter gadget in
Britain. Yet stores that sold out in December — and there were many — are
still out of stock, while the waiting list of impatient and disgruntled
junior consumers grows ever longer.
Such is demand for the Wii, which retails at £179, that it is reportedly
selling for bids of up to £600 on eBay (admittedly with lots of extra
games).
What sets the Wii apart from rival computer games is the way it allows players
to mimic the physical aspects of a game such as golf, tennis, boxing or
baseball, via a hand-held remote control unit that communicates with a
sensor sitting on the television.
With their purchase, gamers get Wii Sports, a package of five games including
golf, bowling, tennis, boxing and baseball. A secondary device — which is
attached via a cable and mimics a variety of objects from fishing rods to
samurai swords — can be bought separately. In all, more than two dozen games
are available including Rayman Raving Rabbids, in which players shake
the remote control aggressively, and Red Steel, which involves
wielding it like a handgun.
Unlike other games that require little more activity than the pressing of
thumbs and fingers on a console, Wii players must move, even jump —
backwards, forwards, side-wards and up — to get the highest scores.
In many ways it seems a perfect compromise — yes, it’s a computer game but it
is also, perhaps, a solution in part to the obesity epidemic. At least, that
is what the manufacturers would have a generation of parents anxious about
the inactive lifestyles of their children believe.
But many experts are concerned about the marketing of the product. Critics
argue that this is calculated to ease the conscience of parents who have
neither the time nor the inclination for active play with their children.
And if Nintendo is so concerned about the expansion of waistlines, then
perhaps it should plough some of its profits into funding children’s
activity schemes or grassroots sport, they suggest.
“They claim that the Wii closely simulates a game such as tennis, so why not
give kids a real racket and get them to go outside and play?” says Jo
Tuffrey, a personal trainer and former PE teacher based in Berkshire. “The
bottom line is that this is still a computer game. It still has a television
set as a focus and, in that respect it still promotes a slothful, inactive
lifestyle.”
However, the results of a study at Liverpool John Moores University, released
in February, provided promising statistics on the Wii’s ability to burn
calories. Professor Tim Cable, director of the school of sport and exercise
sciences, and his colleagues found that, in theory, regular Wii use could
shift 27lb (12.25kg) a year.
It sounds impressive — but closer inspection of the research, which was
part-funded by Nintendo’s marketing company, reveals that the figures are
based on an average 12.2 hours of “gaming” a week by 13 to 15-year-olds.
The scientists conceded that while the Wii burnt 40 per cent more calories
than using a traditional console (ie, while sitting on the sofa), it was
“never going to be as effective as getting out and playing sport”.
Using the game can also, it appears, have some unhealthy side-effects. As
those players who have managed to get hold of it spend more time using the
Wii, some are noticing that hours waving the game’s controller around can
add up to fairly intense exertion — which results in aches, pains and
overuse injuries. They are reporting a host of musculo-skeletal complaints
including aching backs, sore shoulders and a condition dubbed “Wii elbow” by The
Wall Street Journal.
The British Chiropractic Association (BCA) has recently cautioned that Wii
injuries are plentiful and says that precautions against them should be
taken. “Any unaccustomed exercise or activity lays you bare to problems that
could occur from prolonged periods of active movement.
So treat the Wii like a gym workout — warming up and cooling down thoroughly,”
says Tim Hutchful, a BCA spokesman. “It is also important to take frequent
breaks, which should be every 15 to 30 minutes for those who don’t exercise
regularly.”
Some Wii games have pop-up reminders every 15 minutes advising gamers to take
a break. Yet research has shown that children play on their Wiis for up to
six hours at a time.
Sammy Margo, a spokeswoman for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists, is
not surprised at the injury rates linked to the game. “Children think of
them as ordinary computer games but they are not,” she says.
“To play a Wii tennis game, for instance, they need to build up a fair amount
of speed to hit the virtual ball. They wouldn’t play two hours of
conventional tennis, yet they are doing that with this game — and that is
bound to result in some injuries.”
Since the Wii’s popularity has risen, so too has the number of websites
cataloguing the injuries linked to it. Sites such as wiihaveaprob-lem.com
list dozens of difficulties incurred by users, many with accompanying
photographs of the damaged body parts. One girl, for instance, suffered a
dislocated knee after playing on the Wii in inappropriate footwear.
Collisions are another common hazard. Flailing arms can sometimes
inadvertently smack into lamps, furniture and competing players.
On ign.com , a site that reviews
video games, one player reports losing her grip and sending the controller
flying into a glass lampshade that smashed and cut her hand. Another
mistakenly whacked his girlfriend as he played Wii tennis, and also
accidentally hit his dog while Wii bowling.
A spokeswoman for Nintendo says that it has received no complaints from gamers
about muscle soreness. Indeed, the game was not meant to be an alternative
to the gym, she says, and “if people are finding themselves sore, they may
need to exercise more”.
Remarkably, Nintendo suggests that while it might be more fun to play the
games aerobically by leaping around, it is possible to play without leaving
the couch Dr Ian Campbell, medical director of the charity Weight Concern,
says that parents should limit the time that children play on the Wii and
encourage them to play outside. So save £179 and buy a pair of tennis
rackets instead.
A Wii warm-up
Tim Hutchful, of the British Chiropractic Association, gives a guide to a
preWii warm-up:
1 Shoulder shrug — slowly shrug your shoulders towards your ears. Hold
for two to three seconds, then relax. Repeat three times. Because it is
easier to relax a muscle after you have tightened it, you will relax the
muscles in the shoulder and allow the blood to flow into the arms.
2 Wrist stretch — slowly stretch the wrist backwards, hold for two to
three seconds, then slowly stretch it forwards and hold for two to three
seconds. Repeat three times. This exercise prevents tightening of the
wrists.
3 Make a fist — hold the arm at right angles from the elbow. Make a
fist and tense it, and the whole of your arm. Hold for two to three seconds,
then relax and let the arm flop to your side. Repeat three times. This will
help the blood flow and tone the muscles.
4 Neck muscle stretch — try to make a double chin, to stretch the
muscles at the base of the neck. Hold this position for two to three seconds
and repeat three times. Always stretch very slowly.
5 Lower back loosen — standing with your feet a shoulder-width apart,
slowly circle your hips five revolutions to the right and then five
revolutions to your left.
it doesnt matter now anyway... seeing that they're totally out of stock!!
R Mander, London, UK
Frankly, I'm enjoying my wii-arm injury. I'm a girl and I've been playing tennis with my husband for the past few nights. Fun? You bet! I have done ballet in the past, and do the elliptical quite frequently, as well as I try to do daily situps. But the elliptical and the situps thing isn't fun. Wii Tennis? Really fun! I am noticing that my right arm is gettting more muscular, but not in a Williams sisters way, and I'm liking it. I'm going to have to try and play tennis with my left arm for a few days till the right one gets better.
Mrs. E, Santa Rosa, California
my view on the topic is that gamers who experience muscle pains and other side afffects should simply stretch and excersize more. if you play tennis, you could experience the same aches or pains as if you play the wii. i say that if you are complaining about the excersize level reached by playing the wii, you are contributing to making america the even fatter fattest country in the world.
Laurissa Makishamu, Pasadena,
Personally i think its obvious that anyone unused to exercise is going to discover aches and pains after playing the Wii for a few hours. People are very quick to come out and blame the manufacturer or the marketing, but surely anyone with common sense will stop when they begin to feel the pressure? Sure,its merely a games console but it does provide a limited form of exercise. Anyone I know who has injured themselves from playing the Wii has admitted they overdid it. I think the main problem is people become too absorbed in the game, and unlike real sports there are no time restraints to ensure they break fom their exertions. Most people I know who play certainly wouldn't go out and play tennis for two hours without a break, yet find themselves getting carried away and doing in on the Wii. There is no point in blaming a games console for what is esentially carelessness and thoughtlessness on the players part
Sarah Gorman, Wicklow, Ireland
The contradiction of complaining that the Wii is not real exercise, and then complaining that people do not treat it as real exercise and therefore pick up injuries strikes me as nit-picking. I think these 'experts' need to face the reality that if this is what it takes to get kids exercising these days then it surely cannot be a negative.
Tom Arnold, Solihull, England
These people are crazy. complaining about exercise! no wonder why america is the fattest country in the world every single thing thats healthy for you is attacked by some news source as being bad for. No pain no gain is what my family always tells me
Nathan, Bismarck, North Dakota
This article is spewing unsubstantiated scare-mongering nonsense. Any one who knows anything about computer games would be well aware of the various excruciating cramps and squints that arise from over-using more traditional consoles. Every serious gamer of my generation remembers (and regrets) at least one 6 hour + gaming session witch inevitably ended in headaches and twitching muscles. The Wii is not designed to be a virtual weight machine - reletively gentle movements have sufficient results. Injuries arise becouse people become over excited or because they play too long - problems that have occured with all computer games. It is simply down to the players to be responsible about how they play. If you make a stupid mistake and injure yourself during a game of tennis, who should you sue?
Olli, London,
I think the Wii is a great way to get kids into sports. As a child who hated PE because my teachers forced us to run outside in the cold, I can understand how the majority of children today hate outside activity.
Nintendo have never once claimed that this is a great way to lose weight. The Wii is good because it creates an interest in sports which are athletic and can encourage kids to get involved.
For example, in the tennis game, it teaches you the rules of how to play. The side effects, which can include a bit of arm ache, could also be good - it could be used as a way to teach children that stretching before and after exercise is vital.
I think that part of the attraction with the Wii is that it is still a computer. But at least it does encourage kids to get active - games on the PS2 hardly do the same!
E Gibson, York,
The problem is simply that for any form of repetitive brusque movement required for a game, sport, exercise, Wii included, you must warm your muscles up. A Warm-Up.
And then, practice the movements, a few times, slowly, get the gist of them. Isometrics in a nutshell.
It's like bodybuilding.
At first, you start easy, with very light weights and you practice the proper movement of the weight exercise, ensuring your body doesn't get hurt, so that you are in control. Once your movement is controlled, you add more weights.
This process takes a few weeks. But it's all about Isomettrics.
The bottom line is, for any Wii games that require somewhat a lot of physical movements, make sure you've done some warm-ups and make sure you've practice the moves first.
The warm-up ensures blood flow to the muscle, thus making it more flexible and thus avoiding injuries.
Common Sense.. :)
Claude Gautheir, Chapleau, Ontario, canada
Wow I there would be more support on this article but yes it's true the Wii isn't a exercise device it"s a GAMES CONSOLE and also big movements ARE NOT required to play the games. Simple gestures work perfectly, and it's people who can't read the instruction booklet who get hurt.
Albert G., El Paso,
If someone injures themselves when playing a computer game, then they should take more care in the future. It's common sense really. Let's not encourage the blame culture on this side of the Atlantic too.
Phil, London,
Whats with these people and their complaints of getting hurt playing the Wii? The Wii obviously isn't at fault for most of these people's injuries. For example, the girl that accidentally lost her grip on the controller is totally at fault since the Wii controller has a wristband that is meant to protect people from hurling the controller across the room while playing. And like the article says "They wouldn’t play two hours of conventional tennis, yet they are doing that with this game." Its not like the Wii is forcing them to play over 2 hours without taking a break. The Wii is an awesome system and people should stop blaming it for injuries that they cause themselves.
Zer0, New York, New York
Agreed. Everyone wants to hop on the wii bandwagon to say something about it (be it pointless and/or uninformed as this article or negative) after its suprising success.
JDI, Memphis, TN
I cannot believe this article! On one hand.....the criticism is that the Wii is not as good as going out and doing the "real" thing, and on the other...the "dangers" of using it...including sore muscles!!!!! Is this serious!!!????? What do you think you get if you go out and play tennis for the first time again???? Any sport can result in sore muscles, any sport can result in accidents, walking out your front door can result in an accident!!!!!! How dangerous is going out on a road on a push bike? But apparently not as dangerous or bad for you as playing a Wii???? Hilarious!!!
Anne Morrison, Kilmarnock, Scotland
I'm positively flabbergasted by this ado about absolutely nothing. Wii is better than other consoles for activity, but obviously a virtual replication of the real thing is not as good as the real thing. What a shock that must be for some.
Sanford, Leicester,
The Times in 'physical exercise can cause injury' shocker...
Chris Jackson, London,
What is the difference between getting "Wii injuries" and real life injuries for doing the same stuff?! What's your point? Complaining for no reason No.1
And what about the weather? Its not exactly practical to play tennis when its raining or play at night time, so Wii Sports is an excellent alternative for this. Again, what's your point? Complaining for no reason No. 2
Bottomline, a new way to play games that you know, actually HELP burn caloires than a regular traditional controller. Helping people from around the world who don't have the benefit of a bowling alley or tennis rackets and can play a varitey of sports on the Wii. Again, why sour a helpful product? Complaining for no reason, No. 3
Tamara, San Antonio, USA, San Antonio
Nintendo gives you the most physical video game system ever... and you still complain?
It is not nintendo's fault that people can't 1: Hold onto the remote (it comes with a strap. 2: Check around themselves before swinging about wildly (they have warnings reminding you to check... if you don't it is your fault).
"Critics argue that this is calculated to ease the conscience of parents who have neither the time nor the inclination for active play with their children."
What they crap man.... have you seen any of their commercials? THEY ALL SHOW THE FAMILY PLAYING TOGETHER!!!
I have a family of my own now... but I play it with my wife, and she has never played games before. This weekend I played bowling, and golf on it with my mother and father! If anything this is not encouraging parents not to play with their kids, they are trying to open up the parent market to games!
You obviously haven't played a wii... don't try to write an article about it.
Andrew , Pocatello, USA/IDAHO
This article is a classic example of content-free sensation journalism. It's amazing to watch the writer slant what he says to try to create a negative impression.
First we have, "..it still promotes a slothful, inactive lifestyle."
Then we have "..some are noticing that hours waving the game’s controller around can add up to fairly intense exertion."
So you're complaining that it doesn't exercise the kids enough, then you're complaining that it's too much exertion?
Another favourate: "..a condition dubbed “Wii elbow”"
Then: "..so why not give kids a real racket and get them to go outside and play?" and "..save £179 and buy a pair of tennis rackets instead."
Did you forget the reason they dubbed it "Wii elbow" is because it parodies the common "tennis elbow"? which people get through, y'know, PLAYING TENNIS? Because Wii injuries are bad, not like the HEALTHY injuries from sport. Obviously.
It's still a sports injury. Your kids just have a new sport - a generally safer one, too.
Dylan Hall, Brisbane, Australia
...Really people need to think. There are millions of gamers who love to play games and the Wii is definetly the most amazing thing we have ever seen. I never use my Wii to exercize I play hockey and basketball for that. I can see their point of thinking of the Wii games as just video games but I got the hang of not over doing it easily. Besides there r plenty of games such as Super Paper Mario, Exite Truck, Call of Duty 3, and Legend of Zelda that really don't require much energy. They play it for up to 6 hours a day because plain and simple its fun and their parents have a problem with it they can send them outside for and hour to exercize. But really the last comment about save your money and buy your kids tennis rackets is quite stupid. They are saying don't buy it, send them outside, yet did we do this when the PS2 came out or Gamecube, no, Its like just now they realize gameing isn't as good a excercizing and they attack Nintendo for it. At least Nintendo is trying.
Nick, Orange, California
I haven't heard of any games that force you to stand up, let alone jump around. What games are they talking about? I play all my Wii games sitting down. I haven't seen a game that requires big sweeping movements. Maybe people are just getting too into it and don't know how to keep from hurting themselves. :-\
Guy, Townsville, CA/USA
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