[JessicaRaven]

it's like Wii Fit, only it's got better graphics and more violence therefore it's BETTER

[Homie]

:Okay, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: WiiSpit, or whatever the hell it is, and this Next Box thingymajig are the biggest wastes of money ever! If you want to do push-ups, do push-ups. Walk up stairs. Do sit-ups. You don't need a freaking piece of plastic to do the freaking stuff! Kids these days with thier Wii, and there FunStations! Makes me sick. Back in my day, we played with dirt. And we were happy! And we actually WENT OUTSIDE and EXERCIZED!

[Splunkle]

*Splunkle approaches Ash and hands over a glass of lemonade*

Yeah! Damn kids and their plastics.

*Sits down heavily in rocking chari on a veranda*

[Dazzler]

Violence makes everything better.

[Egnaro]

well I don't think this video game exercise fad is going to last very long. I'll be happy when its over. and now I'm off to gym.

[Kiao]

The system works best with two or more players, but antisocial individuals can get in shape as well by bashing the controller against a couch or an inflatable companion.

Am I the only one who laughed when I saw this?

[Lord T Hawkeye]

Am I the only one who laughed when I saw this?

I did.

This is so bandwagon it's pathetic.

[Lone Wolf]

... Am I the only one who read this and realized it was a joke article and not an actual piece of news?

[Dazzler]

I assumed that was obvious.

It was obvious....right?

[Lone Wolf]

I assumed that was obvious.

It was obvious....right?

I thought so as well, but it seemed to me that some of the other posters in the thread were taking the article seriously, so between that and fatigue from work, I decided to go ahead and lampshade it anyway, just to be certain.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

The idea behind satire is it's supposed to be ludicrous. They fail at humor. Or maybe my opinion of X-box is too low. One of the two.

[Dazzler]

I think the article and ensuing response from people here who took it seriously brings up a really good point: Microsoft has no original ideas.

Yes, take a moment to just absorb the fact I’m speaking negatively about Microsoft instead of Nintendo.

Microsoft’s main business strategy seems to be sit back, wait for someone to innovate something. Then, if it’s any good, take the idea and improve on it. Now whether the resulting product is an actual “improvement” is purely subjective. But at least it’s as good as the original.

There’s already reports Microsoft is developing a Wii-Mote like peripheral for the 360 (And this time it’s not a joke). It’s just interesting to observe that Microsoft is the only company in the “Console war” that has enough resources behind it that it can afford to wait for other people to take the risk of innovation, then capitalize on what they have proven to be successful.

It’s not what you would call an aggressive strategy, but they don’t need to be overtly aggressive. The PS3 has lagged behind the 360 since day one, and the Wii is so far ahead all they can really hope at this stage of the game is to wait and see if it’s hardware will hold up as well as the 360’s as time progresses. Everything they do consolidates their position.

[Daracaex]

... Am I the only one who read this and realized it was a joke article and not an actual piece of news?

Nope.

I assumed that was obvious.

It was obvious....right?

Pretty darn, though not so outside the realm of plausibility that I didn't give it a second thought, as you outline below.

I think the article and ensuing response from people here who took it seriously brings up a really good point: Microsoft has no original ideas.

Yes, take a moment to just absorb the fact I’m speaking negatively about Microsoft instead of Nintendo.

Microsoft’s main business strategy seems to be sit back, wait for someone to innovate something. Then, if it’s any good, take the idea and improve on it. Now whether the resulting product is an actual “improvement” is purely subjective. But at least it’s as good as the original.

There’s already reports Microsoft is developing a Wii-Mote like peripheral for the 360 (And this time it’s not a joke). It’s just interesting to observe that Microsoft is the only company in the “Console war” that has enough resources behind it that it can afford to wait for other people to take the risk of innovation, then capitalize on what they have proven to be successful.

It’s not what you would call an aggressive strategy, but they don’t need to be overtly aggressive. The PS3 has lagged behind the 360 since day one, and the Wii is so far ahead all they can really hope at this stage of the game is to wait and see if it’s hardware will hold up as well as the 360’s as time progresses. Everything they do consolidates their position.

It's Microsoft. That's what they do. Sure, once in a great while, they hit on something I like, but a lot of it is stolen ideas or just blatant stealing. But in this generation of console wars, Sony is actually more guilty of stealing ideas. Not only did they decide to copy the Wii with the motion-sensing in their controller*, but a couple issues back, Game Informer revealed that they are makeing a peripheral called the "Waggle" or some such that basically is a Wii-mote.

*Yes, I'm aware they were also working on the technology, but they clearly implemented it when they weren't before to counter the Wii.

[Dazzler]

*Yes, I'm aware they were also working on the technology, but they clearly implemented it when they weren't before to counter the Wii.

If it makes you feel any better, while I often rag on the Wii-Mote for being inappropriate for playing most games, I have yet to find any practical use for the Sixaxis controller outside of controlling arrows in Heavenly Sword, which was kinda fun.

[Egnaro]

It's Microsoft. That's what they do. Sure, once in a great while, they hit on something I like, but a lot of it is stolen ideas or just blatant stealing.

I'm sorry but EVERY company takes ideas from everyone else. especially nintendo. I find it amusing the nintendo
viewed as paragon of originality, and Microsoft/Sony are the evil copycats.

nintendo did not invent the game console. They made improved it with the NES
the WiiFit is not first video game execrise attachment. Its far from original. There was the Joyboard for Atari, and the Atari execrise bike (which was never released). Nintendo did not invent motion Sensitive controls either, they just made a really good one. How quickly everyone forgot about the Dreamcast's fishing reel, and Samba De Amigo Marakas. Or the Obnoxious sony eye toy. Nintendo tries to imitate success just as much as the other guys do. Now if only nintendo could imitate sony and microsoft's on-line services...

[JessicaRaven]

nintendo did not invent the game console. They made improved it with the NES

WHAT!?! they didn't? hey you're right! not only that they didn't even invent video games at all! Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann should sue!


</sarcasm>

[Daracaex]

Sure, every company take ideas from others, but my comment was more directed towards Microsoft, as Bill did trick someone into giving him Windows.

[Lord T Hawkeye]

WHAT!?! they didn't? hey you're right! not only that they didn't even invent video games at all! Thomas T. Goldsmith Jr. and Estle Ray Mann should sue!


</sarcasm>

Yes indeed, Enagro, you're kind of extremifying everyone's statements a little too much here.

[Muljo Stpho]

That picture of "real" Simpsons off to the side sure is disturbing...

[Heroesofcrash]

Yes, take a moment to just absorb the fact I’m speaking negatively about Microsoft instead of Nintendo.

Dude, I'd only need time to absorb someone praising Microsoft over Nintendo. While it's true that everyone "steals" ideas from everyone else (And I don't just mean video game companies... I mean EVERYONE, including you and me), Nintendo is still far more innovative than the other systems. Nintendo's games create new genres... and more often reinvent old ones. Mario Kart reinvented the racing game by allowing you to attack your fellow racers. Mario Party combined board games and mini-games into something cool and new. Smash Bros. made a fighting game that resembled a platformer more than a button-smasher. Pokemon spawned a new sub-genre of RPG that was all about collecting and battling creatures. And I'm sure we never saw anything like Pikmin or WarioWare before Nintendo created them.

However I do think that X-Box can promote exercise through violence... I'm sure I could burn plenty of calories by bashing an X-Box repeatedly with a mallet. Smashy-smashy.