Wii Fit Coming to the U.S. in May

By Geoff Duncan Published February 20, 2008

Wii Fit Coming to the U.S. in May

Nintendo has announced it intends to bring its Wii Fit exercise title to Europe and the United States, with a European launch on April 25 and a U.S. launch on May 19. The title has already sold 1.4 million units in Japan (where it went on sale December 1), and features a weight- and motion-sensing Balance Board controller users control with their body weight and stepping on-and-off to participate in the game. Wii Fit may help NIntendo push the Wii to still-more non-traditional gamers. With Wii titles already a hit with seniors and other new market segments, Wii Fit may enable Nintendo to tap into home exercise and fitness markets at all ages. Wii Fit will also be complemented by an online Wii Fit Channel that lets users check their fitness progress each day my measuring their weight and BMI.

NIntendo has also announced a new online game distribution service called WiiWare, which will give developers a “breeding ground” for new games, and Wii users a plethora of new games spanning a variety of genres. WiiWare users will also be able to vote for games using their Wii Points, pushing their favorites forward towards being “the next big thing.” Developers like Square Enix and TellTale, and Frontier are already on board with WiiWare. Nintendo expects to launch the first WiiWare games in the United States on May 12.

Topics

Nintendo

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

Netflix games may be coming to TVs soon, as revealed by new iOS app

Selecting a game in Netflix Games.

It looks like Netflix might be expanding its gaming offerings to TVs soon, as a Netflix Game Controller is now on the iOS App Store. Netflix has yet to announce or comment on the purpose of the app, but a message shown when the app boots up confirms that it's coming.
Netflix has slowly made its way into the gaming industry over the past couple of years, acquiring studios and adding a dedicated game section to its mobile app that lets players download premium mobile games. The library includes some great games like Poinpy and Before Your Eyes, but has yet to break into the mainstream, likely due to its somewhat obscure availability. This new app, which was preemptively listed on Apple's storefront by Netflix and lines up with leaks from earlier this year, indicates that Netflix Games are coming to the TV.
The description for the app states that "this Game Controller app pairs with your TV and allows you to play games on Netflix using your phone or mobile device." After downloading and booting up the app, Digital Trends discovered two more messages asking players to "choose a game on your TV and follow the directions to connect" and that "Netflix Games on TV are in beta. Some devices may not be supported at this time."
All of this points to an impending beta rollout for games on Netflix's TV apps, which has not been announced yet. As such, we don't have any idea about which televisions or games the iOS app or Netflix Games on TV will support just yet. Regardless, this looks like a massive evolution for Netflix's gaming efforts, especially as it gears up to release a cloud gaming service.
Netflix declined to comment on the program when asked by Digital Trends, but it did refer us to previous statements it made about its intentions to break into cloud and TV game streaming.

Gaming

One of 2023’s most anticipated RPGs is coming to PS Plus on day one

The Solstice Warriors stand under a full moon in Sea of Stars' key art.

Sabotage Studio announced that its highly anticipated retro-style RPG Sea of Stars will be available as part of the PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium Game Catalog when it releases on August 29.
Sea of Stars is a turn-based RPG inspired by classic games like Chrono Trigger, where the main heroes' powers are based around the sun and moon. Sea of Stars' distinct visual style and polished-looking gameplay has allowed this indie game to stand out alongside the liks of Baldur's Gate 3 and Starfield, other RPGs that will release around the same time. Clearly, Sabotage wants to get this game in front of as many people as possible during this busy period for games, so it makes sense to put Sea of Stars on game subscription services.

It's in good company as a day one PS Plus Extra and Premium title, as it follows solid indies like Stray, Tchia, and Humanity. Sabotage also released a demo for Sea of Stars on PS4 and PS5 today so people can try a bit of the game early.
PS Plus Extra and Premium actually aren't the only subscription services that Sea of Stars will be on at launch. Previously, Sabotage had confirmed that the Xbox and PC versions of the game are launching on Xbox Game Pass on day one as well. So, if you have either of the major video game subscription services, you'll have ample opportunity to play the game across three platforms without having to pay for it. It will launch on Nintendo Switch, though, and you'll have to pay the full $35 price for it there.
Sea of Stars launches across Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, and Nintendo Switch on August 29.

Gaming

Overwatch 2 is coming to Steam, and more Blizzard games may soon be on the way

Kiriko in Overwatch 2

Blizzard Entertainment confirmed that Overwatch 2 will make its way to Steam on August 10, the same day its next season, titled Invasion, begins.

Overwatch 2 has been available on PC since its October 4, 2022, early access launch, but until now players had to download Blizzard's proprietary launcher, Battle.net, in order to play it. Although players will still need a Battle.net account that they can connect to Steam to play the game online, Overwatch 2 will be fully integrated into Valve's popular launcher, with support for things like achievements, compatibility with Steam friends lists, and Steam game invites. This launch is also timed to happen alongside the start of Season 6: Invasion, which will introduce the first batch of PvE story missions to the game.