Wii Becoming A Smash Hit

Wii Becoming A Smash Hit

The retirement facility four months ago began offering virtual bowling, golfing, tennis, boxing and baseball, thanks to the donation of a Nintendo Wii video game console.It was an instant hit.
"It's fun. It's much easier here inside," said 82-year-old George Weiner, during a game of bowling. Weiner lives at Weinberg Village with his wife, Mollie.
"They're all taking part and they do the best that they can," he said.
The staff at Weinberg Village says the Wii offers a welcome reprieve from more sedentary activities, such as bingo or card games. It improves hand-eye coordination and encourages exercise-type movements.
"It's quickly become one of our most popular programs," said Dan Sultan, Weinberg Village's marketing director. "We're one of the first facilities in the Tampa area to get one."

Wii Becoming 'A Smash Hit'

In February, Paul Tozour, who makes games for the Nintendo Wii, including last year's hit, "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption," donated the system after talking with Sultan.
Tozour knows one of the village's board members.
"It's becoming a smash hit in nursing homes," he said. "I figured this could be a random act of kindness."
From the beginning, Nintendo of America Inc. advertised the Wii as an intergenerational game system by featuring senior citizens in television advertisements.
David Riley, a director with the NPD Group, a New York-based market research firm that tracks consumer trends, said seniors playing video games is too new a phenomenon to produce any hard data; but the trend is real.
"Nintendo has done an incredible job at marketing beyond traditional core video gamers by tapping into what's historically been perceived as the casual and non-gaming audiences," he said.
The quest to expand the $30 billion video game market has paid off. The $250 system, less expensive than its rival systems, (Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3) has sold 25 million units to date.
Demand for Wii systems still outpaces supply across the country, nearly 18 months after its release.Sources for Nintendo say approximately 100 retirement communities have a Wii system and 25 percent of Wii users are age 30 and above.
Residents of the 90-bed facility on the grounds of the Jewish Community Center typically gather to play before dinner.
Activities director Nina Goldstein hosts the games. She will remind players when to press a button or, when "bowling," how to throw a virtual strike.
"It's something all of them can be part of," Goldstein said. "We can't always hop over to the bowling alley or the golf course. This is a way they can play the sports they remember at home."
Combining Mental, Physical Activity
The Wii incorporates wireless, motion-sensitive controllers. For games like "Wii Sports," the player uses arm and body motions to simulate the actions of the real sport.
"After one or two tries, they get the hang of things," Goldstein said.
"Sometimes computers can be very intimidating," said Sultan, who plays the Wii at home with his four children. "What's great about this, it's not only mental, it's physical. They're moving their arms, getting out of their chairs. If you look at the Xbox, the only exercise they're getting is their thumbs."
Tozour said the Wii was designed to reach new audiences and break the typical demographic of a video game player.
"If I had a real bowling ball I could play," said Rosalind Weinberg, 84. "I've got to try it again. They have a tennis game, I hear. I'm anxious to try that. I played for 19 years."
Goldstein quickly called up the tennis game. After a short tutorial, Weinberg was serving to a computer opponent.
Sultan said the mostly female residents prefer the bowling game. For the men, it's all about golf.
Avid golfer and resident David Harmon put on a driving and putting display. "He still keeps his golf equipment in his room," said Sultan.
"You're close to the hole, just tap it in," said Goldstein, as about 40 onlookers offered encouraging words.