Nintendo has been leveraging the family friendly nature of the Wii since its launch back in 2006. With Wii Fit, they made the console even more appealing to the health conscious and now more than just consumers are taking notice.
In a rather surprising announcement, the Wii, Wii Fit Plus and Wii Sports Resort are now endorsed by the American Heart Association, and will feature the logo on their boxes. This is a milestone for gaming consoles with the Wii being the first to ever be granted such an association.
While it is easy to cite examples of how the console’s control scheme could lend itself to a healthier gaming experience, ABC News points out that other “exercise-linked” products, such as most sports equipment, do not have the logo. Some may cry foul at reports that Nintendo will provide a $1.5 million gift to the association over the next 3 years, but President of the American Heart Association assures ABC News that, "The logo"s not for sale. What we"re doing is promoting a message that"s incredibly important."
There certainly are health benefits to any sort of active behavior, but this seems to be more of a cross-promotional initiative than anything else; don’t be surprised to see that AHA on your Natal box this holiday too.