Posted on Monday, August 11 2008 @ 3:00 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Microsoft Xbox Europe VP David Gosen
said at at the GameFest gaming event in the UK that Nintendo's Wii Fit is nothing more than a gimmick. Gosen said he's seen some research that says six out of ten people who bought Wii Fit barely play it:
Speaking at Microsoft's GameFest UK keynote, Xbox Europe VP David Gosen claimed that some 60% of Wii Fit owners played Nintendo's fitness-oriented, balance board-equipped title once and shelved it soon thereafter, noting that developers should be wary of pushing gimmicks in the place of solid gameplay.
"We've seen some research that says 60 percent of people who bought a Wii Fit play it once and don't play it again. So we have to get the balance right, because what we are doing is bringing new consumers into the market for the first time in their lives sometimes—and we have to treat them with respect," Gosen told attendees.
The executive later expanded on his comments, telling Develop that "what Nintendo have done with the Wii is truly fantastic—there is no question about it. But I think sometimes there is a thin line between gimmick and great gameplay."
